These 20 Caribbean Resorts Give You a Luxury Summer Vacation With a Boutique Personality

By: - June 19th, 2026
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a lagoon villa at the goldeneye
Bond creator Ian Fleming lived and stayed at Goldeneye when he wrote the novels.

GoldenEye, Jamaica

GoldenEye (which is already open again) has a character found nowhere else in the Caribbean. Villas and cottages sit beside the lagoon and coastline in a layout that feels organic, almost as if the property grew out of the landscape rather than being built on top of it. The signature lagoon cottages feature private decks where you can step directly into the water, while the beach villas open to a wide sweep of sand lined with hammocks and native vegetation.

The spa sits on the edge of the lagoon, offering treatments in open-air rooms that feel connected to the environment around them. Meals are served in casual, low-lit settings — from Jamaican classics at Bizot Bar to more refined dishes at the hilltop restaurant — each retaining the sense of relaxed intimacy GoldenEye is known for. Add the warm, attentive service and the creative legacy of the property, and you get a resort that feels both deeply rooted and uniquely inspiring.


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About the author

Guy Britton is the managing editor of Caribbean Journal. With more than four decades of experience traveling the Caribbean, he is one of the world's foremost experts covering the region.
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