Jakes Treasure Beach is about 2 hours from the Montego Bay Airport. Driving across Jamaica is totally doable if you don’t mind sticking to the left side of the road, and navigating a maze of potholes. But it’s not for the faint of heart, and if you’d prefer to have a driver get you to the hotel safe and sound, Jake’s will arrange one for you.
As highlighted above, the unique activities and experiences offer by Jake’s and the surrounding Treasure Beach community are what make this place so special. If you’re interested in a trip here, we encourage you to poke around the website to see what catches your fancy (or reach out to us and we can tell you more about our own experience!).
For Jake’s Hotel, the phrase “a photo is worth a thousand words” really holds true. The colorful photos on the hotel website captures the hotel’s one-of-a-kind vibe. To understand how it came to be, it’s helpful to get a little bit of family history, which has been well documented. But in short: Sally Henzell—the mastermind behind Jakes Hotel—used to be a costume designer, and her talent shows in her design. The family-owned hotel began with a cottage Sally built to live in, expanded to a restaurant, and then took on a life of it’s own.
As you drive into Treasure Beach Jamaica – two hours from the closest international airport in Montego Bay – you’ll immediately notice the community focus. “Treasure Beach: Home of Community Tourism” – the sign written on an old fish boat greets you from the roadside.
The community connection pervades all aspects of the hotel. Local produce is used to cook the meals. Jake’s recommends community restaurants down the road, shows Jamaican movies on a big screen on Thursday, connects with members of the community to offer excursions and more. You will leave feeling a sense of true connection to the place you visited.
The center of the property hosts Jakes Restaurant, Dougies Bar, and a saltwater pool that gets a little cloudy on rough sea days. Comfortable loungers overlook a pier and rocky shoreline. Jakes Restaurant supports the local community by sourcing from fishermen, farmers, and chefs from Treasure Beach, with a menu that changes daily. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Take a stroll in one direction, on a path that winds behind seaside cottages, and you’ll reach Jack Sprat, the second restaurant. Here’s where the locals come to hang out and Jakes, where you’ll find another round of fresh Jamaican fare, but also pizzas and ice cream. Right next to Jack Sprat is a shallow, calm beach—perfect for little ones to swim and also to practice snorkeling.
Head the other direction from the main lobby area, and you’ll end up at the charming Driftwood Spa. Make a point to visit this spa during your stay. The open-air treatment rooms have three walls, with the fourth wall opening up straight to the ocean. Spa products are all made in-house. Twice a week, yoga classes are held on the roof-deck.
Most of the rooms and cottages on Jake’s main property are too small to fit families. There are two cottages right near the main hotel area, however—Mussels and Sweet Lip—that have multiple rooms, and would be our top pick for a family stay. The other cottages and villas, which range from two to five bedrooms, are all located in the community—some as close as a 5-minute walk away, others as far as a 5-10 minute drive. But no matter where you stay, Jakes will make it easy for you to settle in.
Don’t waste your time searching for rates and availability. We can handle it (and love it!), at no additional cost to you.
Tree House Villa. 5 is not enough! Please, please allow me to rate Tree House Villa a 10. Five is not enough! My husband and I celebrated our birthdays and 30th anniversary here along with our daughters and the fabulous, professional, accommodating, engaging staff of Jermaine, Cavene, and Ruth. The accommodations were top notch; comfortable beds, fluffy towels, beautiful showers and welcoming common spaces. The pool was always sparkling clean and the food, OMG!!! NO need to eat anywhere else! Authentic, delicious Jamaican fare or whatever else your heart desires! Booking for next year before I leave!
Reviewed by CampbellConnecticut, January 2022, via TripAdvisor
You must visit! Jakes Resort is beautiful and breathtaking. Every staff member we met was amazing. Adrian went above and beyond to ensure we had a great stay. Kay, Oshane, and Trudy were wonderful. The food was exceptional. Our kids still talk about the french toast! My family stayed at Jakes for 6 nights. Our first reservation was for two nights and we stayed at the Snapper. We loved it so much, we extended for four additional nights but the Snapper was not available so we were assigned Treasure Cot. The cottages were immaculate and beautiful and we could not get enough of the view. It was downright spectacular! We loved the food so much that we invited 15 of our family members and friends to join us for dinner and they enjoyed it. We will be back.
Reviewed by CampbellConnecticut, January 2022, via TripAdvisor
Want to see more of what Jamaica has to offer? Dive into our complete Jamaica Collection for more family-friendly hotels in Jamaica and must-do activities.
If you’re still in the ‘Hmm, which island?’ phase, our ‘Find Your Caribbean Island‘ page is designed to help busy parents like you sift through the noise and pick the perfect family getaway.
