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Hotel guide · Boutique hotel · One Love Drive, West End, Negril

The Caves: what to know before you book

Researched by Michael RainfordFacts checked Sources
On this page
  1. My local take
  2. At a glance
  3. Pros and cons
  4. Rooms
  5. Food & drink
  6. Pool & beach
  7. Location
  8. FAQ
  9. Sources

My local take

The Caves is Island Outpost’s Negril hotel, the same group behind GoldenEye and Strawberry Hill, and one of the most secluded of the West End cliff hotels: 12 cottages and suites set over the sea caves the hotel is named for, with dinners served inside candlelit caves and a rum bar you reach down a coral staircase. Unlike its neighbors, it sells stays on an all-inclusive basis, with meals and poured drinks in the rate, and it takes guests 16 and over. My take: it suits couples and honeymooners who want something small, private and romantic and are happy to spend most of their time on the property. If you want a beach, a crowd or a big menu of facilities, it isn’t the place.

Know before you book: with only a dozen rooms, the cottages differ a lot from one another, so read each room description. The Stardust cottage, for one, sits next to The Sands bar, which opens to the public on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

If it’s not quite right, look at Rockhouse, a bigger, livelier cliff hotel on the same coast that sells rooms only, or The Cliff Hotel, an upscale cliff hotel with villas for groups. For a larger couples-only all-inclusive, see Couples Negril on Bloody Bay, and see where to stay in Negril for the wider area.

At a glance

Area
On the limestone cliffs of Negril's West End, 144 One Love Drive
Hotel type
Small luxury cliff hotel from Island Outpost (Chris Blackwell's hotel group)
Status
Open and taking bookings, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. Island Outpost said after Hurricane Melissa that The Caves stayed fully operational
Ages
Adults and couples, 16 and older
Rate basis
Sold on an all-inclusive basis: the hotel's rates and offers include all meals and poured drinks; a 10% service charge, 10% government tax and a US$1 per room per night accommodation tax are added
Rooms
12 cliffside cottages and suites, plus a villa
Dining
Bamboo Terrace dining room with a 24-hour bar, breakfast at The Gazebo, private cave dinners, The Sands bar and the Blackwell Rum Bar in a sea cave
Pool and spa
Saltwater pool, hot tub, jacuzzi and sauna; Aveda spa open 9 am to 5 pm, book 24 hours ahead
Activities
Snorkeling (including through the caves), kayaking, cliff diving and other non-motorized water sports
In the room
Air-conditioning, mosquito nets and fans, minibar with local drinks and snacks, free Wi-Fi, nightly turndown
Airport
Sangster International (MBJ), Montego Bay: 52 miles, about 80 minutes; the hotel arranges a driver

Checked October 2026 against the sources below. See sources. Something changed? Tell me.

What stands out

  • Twelve individually designed cottages and suites over the cliffs and sea caves.
  • Meals and poured drinks included in the hotel's rates.
  • Private candlelit cave dinners and the Blackwell Rum Bar in a sea cave.
  • Saltwater pool, hot tub, sauna and an Aveda spa, plus cliff diving, kayaking and snorkeling.
  • Guests 16 and over only, and drones and content shoots are banned without permission.

What to know before booking

  • No sandy beach on site; Seven Mile Beach is a drive away.
  • Very small, so facilities are limited compared with a resort.
  • Service charge, government tax and a nightly accommodation tax are added to rates.
  • Some cottages are near The Sands bar, which opens to the public two nights a week.
  • Built into cliffs and caves: ask the hotel about access if mobility is a concern.

Rooms

The Caves has 12 custom-built cliffside cottages and suites, from one-bedroom garden-view cottages to two-bedroom ocean-front cottages with kitchenettes and an upper deck, plus a villa. Some have outdoor showers, and the Blue Hole View Suite opens onto a natural hole in the cave roof that drops to the sea. Every room has air-conditioning, mosquito nets and fans, a minibar with local drinks and snacks, free Wi-Fi and nightly turndown.

Food & drink

The hotel’s rates include all meals and poured drinks. Breakfast is served at The Gazebo, a thatched open-air pavilion, and the Bamboo Terrace is the main dining room, with a 24-hour bar. Cooking runs from jerk barbecues to five-course candlelit dinners. You can book a private dinner for two in one of two sea caves, Moonbeam and Seastar. The Sands bar sits at the edge of the property and opens to the public with jerk chicken on Wednesday and Saturday nights, and the Blackwell Rum Bar is in a cave at the water’s edge.

Pool & beach

There’s no beach: you swim from the cliffs and ladders into the sea, or in the saltwater pool, with a hot tub, jacuzzi and sauna nearby. The hotel’s water sports team runs snorkeling trips around and through the caves, and offers kayaking and cliff diving. The Aveda spa gives treatments in shaded cabanas, a candlelit cave or outdoors, from 9 am to 5 pm; book 24 hours ahead. Seven Mile Beach is a short drive north.

Location

The Caves is on One Love Drive, on the limestone cliffs of Negril’s West End in Westmoreland. Rick’s Café, for cliff jumping and the sunset crowd, Rockhouse and The Cliff Hotel are all on the same stretch of coast. Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport is 52 miles away, about 80 minutes by road, and the hotel arranges a driver to meet your flight. See where to stay in Negril for the wider area.

Questions people ask

Is The Caves in Negril adults-only?

Close to it: The Caves welcomes adults and couples aged 16 and older, so older teens can stay but younger children can’t.

Is The Caves all-inclusive?

Yes, in practice. The hotel’s rates and offers include all meals and poured drinks. A 10% service charge, 10% government tax and a US$1 per room per night accommodation tax are added.

Is The Caves open after Hurricane Melissa?

Yes. The Jamaica Tourist Board lists The Caves as open and taking bookings as of October 2026, and Island Outpost reported after the storm that the hotel stayed fully operational.

Does The Caves have a beach?

No. It’s on the West End cliffs: you swim from the rocks or in the saltwater pool. Seven Mile Beach is a short drive away.

How far is The Caves from Montego Bay airport?

52 miles, about 80 minutes by road from Sangster International Airport. The hotel can arrange a driver to meet your flight.

Sources & updates

Update log

  • — New researched guide; facts from the official site, the Jamaica Tourist Board list and Island Outpost's post-hurricane update.
  • — Moved source citations out of the text

Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I’ll check it.

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