Goldeneye Resorts in Jamaica

GOLDENEYE

View of the lagoon at Goldeneye Resort in Jamaica

There aren’t many resorts in the world with as much going for them as Jamaica’s Goldeneye.

Jay-Z’s blog “Heavy Hitter” called it the “hideout to visit.” It’s on the oceanfront property where James Bond creator Ian Fleming built his vacation home. And Sting wrote “Every Breath You Take” in one of the villas.

This resort, owned and run by Chris Blackwell, the music legend who discovered Bob Marley, has more stories and more to do and see than most Caribbean countries.

And we’re not just talking about the occasional Bono or Giselle sighting.

But enough of the celeb name dropping. Goldeneye is for everyone.

Getting dressed up here means a T-shirt, lazy jeans and flip-flops. Kids swim to the little island in the bay while couples read quietly on iPads and the resort chef cuts coconuts with a machete.

Relaxing at the resort is exceedingly easy, considering that f

rom some rooms, you can dive right into the water, sunbathe privately or lounge on a bed-size couch under a ceiling fan, an electric blue refrigerator stocked with Red Stripes only a few feet away. At Bizot Bar, the hotel’s outdoor restaurant, you can dig into authentic Jamaican barbecue while Radio Nova rocks the Doors and French electronica.

If your vacation is more about treating yourself well, there are spa treatments available, as well as a wellness program featuring activities like core training and paddle surfing, all arranged by Jamaican-born Olympian triathlete Iona Wynter.

Owner Blackwell, who traveled the world with musicians while helming Island Records, has figured out how to combine casual elegance with five-star accommodations to create resorts where peace of mind comes before extravagance. In the process, the man who first signed U2 and helped shape the career of Cat Stevens has created a place where busy minds can forget the concerns of home.

“One of the things I wanted to do in life was travel,” says Blackwell, who calls a brightly colored upper West Side apartment home. “Music let me do that. With bands, you get to see every level of hotels. When you’re starting out, you stay at cheap hotels with nothing in them. If you hit it big, you stay at luxury properties. From both, you learn what you need and don’t need. I wanted to get luxury to a bare minimum: a good bed, a shower that works, a pretty view. People want value.”

Blackwell despises the all-inclusive, walled-off, high-security hotel concept that generally dominates Jamaican tourism. His Island Outpost Resorts (he has four hotels in Jamaica, with rooms ranging from $195 to $5,500 per night) are their antithesis. He encourages sightseeing, allowing guests to visit his working farm, Pantrepant, spend time with community organizations, eat at local restaurants and hit the nightlife — with a hotel guide in tow.

“You can be in all-inclusive properties and not know what country you’re in,” he says. “I love Jamaica. More than most. Jamaica was a heavenly place in the 1950s and ’60s — it still is. I want to bring back the curious traveler who wants to understand Jamaica, which is a place of natural beauty with really good, happy people. There is so much life here. I think it’s good for people to see that.”

Credit by : http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/chris-blackwell-goldeneye-resort-jamaica-unhurried-luxury-article-1.1074366