Perched on the edge of a cliff in Jamaica's westernmost parish is the Rockhouse Hotel, a cobbled-together labyrinth of thatch-roof huts overlooking a twinkling blue ocean.
For decades it has been the hushed secret of hippy honeymooners who return every year with their growing families, and celebrities eager to be treated like everybody else while lapping in luxury.
But thanks to the insatiable Instagram generation and a handful of celebrity guests, it is fast becoming one of the most glamorous, laid-back luxury destinations in the world.
The property is nestled in Negril, arguably Jamaica's coolest town which is referred to as the 'capital of casual'. It is known for its world renowned ganja (it's where Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones came to relax between drug binges and world tours).
In the last six months, there have been more bloggers and influencers beneath Rockhouse's mosquito nets than in years gone by, every one of them more keen to document their visit on social media than the one before.
Rockhouse Hotel in Negril, Jamaica, is perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It is made up of a smattering of thatched-roof huts which are the guest rooms
The pristine ocean is ideal for swimming and are easily accessed from handy red ladders leading from the rooms to the water's edge
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, raved about the property in 2014 after visiting. She is pictured in the waters in a now deleted snap from her website The Tig and her Instagram page. Other famous fans include Rita Ora (right)
Rita Ora, Bella Hadid and Australian Victoria's Secret angel Shanina Shaik have all paid recent visits. Shaik held a portion of her bachelorette party at its jerk restaurant, Push Cart, bringing with her a bevy of other models and the inevitable flurry of leggy Instagram posts that come when any of them travel en-masse.
But the hotel's most high profile guest is the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who visited long before her sights were set on royal life.
Markle visited sometime before 2014, without Prince Harry, who she was yet to meet. Though the couple returned in 2016 to stay at a different hotel, Rockhouse stole a piece of her heart.
In an interview afterwards, she gushed to a local blog: 'If I had one week to escape: I would go to The Rockhouse in Negril, turn off my phone, eat jerk chicken everyday, and just chill out.'
And when I visited recently, her words rang true.
Not only is the resort a spectacle to behold, but the people who prop it up with smiles and service seem too to be geared towards making anyone they come across 'chill out', as Markle would say.
Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik (center in white) took a bevy of beauties to the area for her bachelorette party
Shaik and her bachelorettes partied the night away at the hotel's restaurant (left). Bella Hadid (seen right, lounging by the pool in 2017) is another fan
There is none of the stuffy, boundary-laden ceremony which is often found in luxury hotels. Upon arrival, guests are greeted warmly with broad, sincere smiles and laughs. 'Respect, mon!' 'Yah, mon!' and 'Boss lady!' cry out instead of sir and madam. The rooms are simple and extravagant at once; basic in concept and material, but indulgent in their exoticism.
The same paved stone floors are found in the bedroom, closet and bathroom as are on the deck. The shower is outdoor. The soap is heavenly and rich. All of the furniture is made on site, carved lovingly by a staff of local carpenters.
There are four types of room on offer; Premium Villa, Villa, Garden Villa and rooms in the main hotel building which is set back from the ocean.
We spent four blissful nights in a villa which came with a stepping-stone path to a private deck where two sun loungers and an umbrella lay waiting for us every morning.
There are four types of rooms on offer including the villa (pictured) which has a charming four poster bed
The view from bed in the Premium Villa which features a larger deck for guests to enjoy. In other types of rooms, the sun loungers are set further down the cliff
There's no beach onsite (for that you'll have to go to the nearby Skylark, Rockhouse's newly-opened, equally serene sister property.
At Rockhouse, the ocean is accessed on easily-spotted red ladders dotted at the foot of winding steps which run down the cliff edge. If you're in the mood for a workout, there are paddle boards and snorkeling kits available.
If ocean swimming isn't your thing, the nearby swimming pool offers one of the most spectacular, endless views in the property. There, the cheery young bartenders pepper afternoons spent reading and sipping coconuts with reggae music and requests for kitchen orders.
There are two restaurants onsite - the eponymous eatery where breakfast is served and which offers a contemporary menu come nightfall (the crab quesadillas and coconut shrimp come highly recommended) and Push Cart, the aforementioned jerk restaurant where everything is fantastic.
There is a swimming pool for those who don't fancy ocean swimming. It perches on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the endless blues
The swimming pool has a bar which serves up grilled food, fresh juices and cocktails all day
The spa is sublime - particularly the variety of 80 minute massages on offer including one which includes a bamboo treatment
The spa recently opened a bathing house which overlooks the ocean. Couples can soak in tranquility before or after a treatment, or simply go for a dip
This is the famous bridge which Meghan Markle jumped from while staying at the resort before she met Prince Harry. It's not much of a drop, but offers entertainment for any thrill-seeking guests
With a sublime spa on the premises, yoga classes and tours of the garden and farm, there's enough to keep even the most itchy-footed guest occupied for a week or two.
There's no beach at Rockhouse but its sister property, Skylark, has its own stunning stretch of sand (pictured)
But to see only the hotel is to miss out on its other half, the Rockhouse Foundation, a charity launched by the Australian and American owners to help local children receive a better education.
The foundation supports five government schools across the island by supplementing teacher salaries, supplies and food.
Their help is desperately needed, particularly in the most remote pockets of the island where parents often resort to only sending their children to school twice a week because there is no good option for them nearby and the journey to the nearest, affordable school is too long and expensive.
During my visit, the foundation was busy expanding Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Infant Academy (SIIA), the first inclusive school Jamaica has ever seen, allowing children with special needs to attend the same classes as those whose learning ability is considered normal.
A jerk master at work in Push Cart, the hotel's Jamaican cuisine restaurant
I sat in on an on-boarding process for a handful of teachers. Some of them had children with special needs who had thrived at SIIA in its first year. Their mothers were elated they finally had somewhere safe and nurturing for them to go and learn like any other child.
Peter, the chairman of the school board, tells me later of the heartbreaking stigma attached to special needs children in Jamaica. 'Some of these children come from extremely challenging circumstances.
'In Jamaica, there is a lack of resources which translates to a lack of information and knowledge which translates to supposed explanations for a child's condition which are not correct. It runs the gannet here from the kids have been infected by some sort of virus that's contagious or that it's witchcraft,' he said.
Since the SIIA opened in September, they have noticed a shift in the community's understanding of developmental challenges and the needs of children who are afflicted by them.
It's clear that as much as the children require proper education, so too do their parents and caregivers who, through no fault of their own, do not understand their condition.
'If this wasn't here, some of these kids would be locked in a closet in a 2x4m square hut in the hills. Ostracized from their parents and their parents ostracized from their communities.'
The most unique and appealing feature of the hotel is its charity, the Rockhouse Foundation which provides much needed support to the island's public schools. The foundation supplements teachers' salaries and provides supplies and food for the children attending, making easy access to affordable education more realistic for local families
In every classroom, there are 15 kids and three adults; one teacher, a teacher's assistant and a caregiver. Alongside the traditional trappings of an ordinary classroom - whiteboard, tiny chairs and colorful posters - are discreet indicators of how these special children are looked after.
There are bathrooms at the back of each classroom for those who cannot yet walk. It'd be too much for them to have to get a hall pass and venture out by themselves.
Soon, the infant school takes children aged three to five. Then, from the ages of five to 11, they attend the 'bigger school' which Rockhouse is renovating. There are 700 kids enrolled there already. Next, there will be a day care for babies and toddlers, and eventually a high school onsite.
The daycare will not only allow the kids' parents to get out and earn a living, but it shows them from the beginning how to care for their child.
There's an 'all hands on deck' mentality which guides the staff both at the school and hotel. The same faces are everywhere, no one person confined strictly to any given job.
When DailyMail.com visited in July, the foundation was expanding the Savanna-La-Mar Inclusive Infant Academy which is the island's first to allow special needs children into classes with other kids (pictured)
The result is a feeling of friendliness throughout the hotel and, in the case of the foundation, an enthusiasm for the cause which is hard to ignore.
Room prices, though modest in the realms of Caribbean luxury, are, of course, higher than they were when the Stones brought their waif-like Playboy models to cliff dive nude in nearby restaurants and bars. They're likely to go up as the hotel's celebrity guest count ticks up and more influencers check-in on Instagram.
But if the cashing-in extends to the school kids in desperate need of a helping hand, Rockhouse's appeal as a new destination for the world's glitterati soars.
Prices for a Premium Villa at Rockhouse Hotel start at $295 a night and climb to $495 in peak season. For more information about the hotel, click here.
For information about the Rockhouse Foundation, click here.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/15/inside-meghan-markles-favorite-chill-out-spot-in-jamaica/
Main photo article Perched on the edge of a cliff in Jamaica’s westernmost parish is the Rockhouse Hotel, a cobbled-together labyrinth of thatch-roof huts overlooking a twinkling blue ocean.
For decades it has been the hushed secret of hippy honeymooners who return every year with their growing families, ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/12/22/5018D27D00000578-6012709-Rockho-a-49_1536789120234.jpg
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