This Hotel in Negril, Jamaica Has a Thumping Beach Bar, a Rooftop Spa and a Retro Feel
Negril isn’t like the rest of Jamaica. When you get here, you figure that out very quickly. The vibe is funky, eclectic. The beach is seven miles long and an endless party. If you head to the cliffs, you discover the town’s more mystical side.
There’s just something different about Negril, and that extends to the hotels. No matter where you stay, you’ll find a place with character and personality, a hotel that’s as much a work of art as it is a place to stay.
That brings us to one of our favorite hotels in Jamaica: the boutique Skylark Negril Beach Resort, the coolest accommodation option on Seven Mile Beach and a wonderfully playful, fun, hip Jamaican beach resort.
There are just 43 rooms, from studios to garden patio rooms, and the ambience is decidedly old-school: the look is straight out of a 60s beach hotel, and that’s precisely the point, something that extends to the old Jamaican music posters that dot the walls and the wooden four-poster beds. (We love the fact that every rooms comes with its own Bluetooth speaker, a nod to the importance of music to this hotel).
While the hotel is definitely for long days on the beach, it’s also a place for active travelers and wellness seekers. That extends to the very cool rooftop spa, where you can try one of Skylark’s “bathhouse rituals” or a more traditional Swedish or deep tissue massage (you can also get treatments in the hotel’s beach cabana if you like).
And there’s always something to do, whether that means yoga on the skydeck, heading for the games room or even candle making.
This is not a luxury hotel, but it is decidedly cool. If you’ve stayed the Standard Miami Beach, for example, you’d recognize the vibe here — retro-cool, clubby, fun.
But the biggest draw is unquestionably Miss Lily’s. By day, it’s a classic beach bar, serving up cold Red Stripes and well-timed Appletons. At night, the music gets louder and the DJ gets to work and the soundtrack of Jamaica goes right into your soul.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Miss Lily’s is a rather well-known Jamaican-themed bar and restaurant in New York City. When Skylark opened up back in 2018.
And it should be familiar, because the Negril outpost is even better: a fun, music-heavy hotspot on the sand (literally on the sand) with great rums and classic Jamaican food.
Skylark is actually the sister hotel to another Caribbean fave: the lovely Rockhouse, a legendary spot that’s perched right on Negril’s cliffs and home to one of the top eateries on the island (Pushcart, another place focused on delivering an authentic taste of Jamaica).
In Jamaica, Skylark is actually a verb. It’s how people say to lazea bout, or to goof around.
It’s the perfect way to describe a day in Negril.
So what about prices? A standard studio at Skylark will run you about $208.75 per night right now in May; For a larger patio studio it’s just $225, so definitely an easy decision to upgrade. An ocean-view room is priced at $340 per night (it does come with two balconies).
How do you get to Negril? One of the things that has kept Negril so cool is that it’s not that easy to get to. The primary method is to fly to Montego Bay and then take what is a two-hour drive on the island’s north coast highway. But the drive itself is part of the experience, and a great way to survey the island’s natural tapestry.
