What is it that makes the properties in the Island Outposts collection so alluring? In simple terms it is the fact that, whilst offering a luxury environment, they take the whole principle of hospitality to a higher level. This is the level where pure “chill” is attained, and this is in no mean measure attributable to the enduring influence of record producer tycoon and boutique hotelier extraordinaire, Chris Blackwell, who has transfused into the everyday enjoyment of guests, a certain “vibe” that is unique to the culture of the Caribbean and to Jamaica in particular.

What is also so refreshing about this small collection of boutique hotels is that they are so very different to each other in style that there is bound to be the right hideaway to suit a wide range of guest types.

Strawberry Hill

Strawberry Hill evokes a bygone era of the plantations. Its cottages are built of wood, clinker-laid, their timber frames and tray ceilings visible from the inside, and each one has a huge verandah that takes in the views of the Blue Mountains and of Kingston, the Jamaican capital, nearly 3,000 feet below. This is the place to go in Jamaica if you want clear air, dramatic views, misty dawns and a chance to sample the soothing administrations of the Caribbean’s first full Aveda Concept Spa.

The Caves

The Caves is an oasis of calm in Negril, one of Jamaica’s main resort towns. Once you pass through the gates, the hustle and bustle of the town evaporate. This is a slice of refined living that you will only share with a maximum of twelve or fifteen guests as the property comprises just ten stone and wood thatched cottages decorated in bright tropical colours that overhang dramatic cliffs under which lie a maze of beautiful sea caves. Set within lush, tropical gardens and with colourful reefs 30 feet below the waterline there really is no reason for guests to stray from the confines of this little work of art. Stairways pepper the cliff-face allowing access to the grottoes below as well as sunbathing platforms and plunge pools.

GoldenEye

GoldenEye which includes the original villa owned by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, lies on the north coast of the island in the small town of Oracabessa. Along with GoldenEye itself there are a number of other villas scattered throughout the profuse tropical gardens with access to tiny bays cut into the cliffs below. Again they make the best of Caribbean style and graciousness: open-air living with attentive, personal service. Exotic touches abound like the open air bathrooms, closeted within a wall of bamboo and overgrown with greenery, so you bath under a banana, or shower within the buttress roots of a banyan.