Strawberry Hill

Tucked high in the Blue Mountains with drop-dead views of the far-off Caribbean and Kingston, Strawberry Hill is a luxurious oasis of tranquillity that’s light-years removed from raucous coastal Jamaica. Shrouded in morning mist and thick tropical forest, the 13 Georgian-style cottages evoke British colonial days. Décor runs heavy on antiques and 19th-century period reproductions, including mahogany four-poster beds draped in gauzy fabric, and some rooms have balconies that hang off the mountainside. But this brainchild of Jamaican record impresario Chris Blackwell (whose family has owned the property, a former fruit plantation, for decades) isn’t all peace and mountaintop serenity: the rooms are equipped with cutting-edge sound systems and CD libraries.

Tip: Stick around for the smoked marlin, vodka-sprinkled ceviche, jerk-style lamb with a guava glaze, and the conch fritters served at Sunday brunch, which many Jamaicans consider to be the best on the entire island.

Room to Book: Birdshill, a diminutive mountainside house that’s out of sight from all the other buildings; a covered balcony with ocean views runs its entire length.