Strawberry Hill
The Kingston-area stay with character: twelve cottages in the cool Blue Mountain air, an infinity pool looking down on the city, and Kingston's culture down the hill.
Where to stay in Kingston
Kingston is Jamaica’s capital and the place to see the island beyond the beach, from the Bob Marley Museum to the Blue Mountains. Its hotels are city hotels rather than beach resorts, and it suits culture, food and music lovers. For our shortlist, see the best hotels in Kingston.
Updated 
Is Kingston right for you?
Kingston suits travelers who want Jamaica’s culture more than its beaches: music lovers, art and history people, anyone who likes to eat well, and anyone in town for work. It’s the capital, loud and proud, and its hotels are city hotels rather than beach resorts. Skip it as your main base if you want sand outside your door, because the nearest beaches are a boat ride or a drive away.
Most visitors pair Kingston with a north-coast stay: two or three nights in the city, then over the highway to Ocho Rios or on to Portland. If you’d rather sleep above the city, Strawberry Hill is the quiet option up in the Blue Mountains, and for whether Kingston is worth a day or two and how to get around safely, read Kingston for visitors.
My take: stay uptown, and give the city at least one full day. Start at the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, have lunch and an ice cream at Devon House, and spend the afternoon downtown at the National Gallery. With a second day, go up into the hills for a Blue Mountain coffee tour, but call ahead, because the government says some roads and trails in the national park were damaged in the 2025 hurricane.
Kingston hotels by trip type
Boutique & villas
City hotels
AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston
Marriott's design-led Kingston hotel: 219 rooms, Jamaican art on the walls, a pool and the city's largest meeting space at opening, owned by the family behind Sandals.
Altamont Court Hotel
A small, no-frills New Kingston hotel near Emancipation Park, with a pool and simple rooms, that suits budget-minded business trips and groups better than a long holiday.
Courtleigh Hotel & Suites
A dependable New Kingston business hotel on Knutsford Boulevard, with breakfast included, a pool and the best choice of suites in the area for long stays.
Courtyard by Marriott Kingston
A mid-size Marriott business hotel by Emancipation Park, with 129 rooms, a pool and a freshly renovated lobby, restaurant and bar: a practical base for work trips to New Kingston.
ROK Hotel Kingston, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Hilton's Tapestry Collection hotel on the downtown waterfront: 168 rooms in a rebuilt 12-story tower, with harbor views, a pool deck and the National Gallery steps away.
S Hotel Kingston
The most stylish of the New Kingston business hotels: 125 modern rooms, a pool and rooftop deck, breakfast in the rate, and Devon House and the Bob Marley Museum a short ride away.
Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel
Kingston's heritage hotel: an all-suite former mansion on Waterloo Road with garden dining and breakfast included, close to Devon House and the Bob Marley Museum.
The Jamaica Pegasus
Kingston's classic business hotel: 300 rooms, breakfast included and an Olympic-size pool in the middle of New Kingston, built for conferences and working trips rather than a beach vacation.
New Kingston or the waterfront?
Uptown is where most of the hotels are, from the Pegasus and the Courtleigh on Knutsford Boulevard to the AC Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott nearby. It’s central for the Bob Marley Museum, Devon House, Emancipation Park and the city’s best restaurants, and it’s where I’d stay on a first visit. It’s the business district, so expect traffic and a city view rather than a sea view.
Downtown is the old city by the harbor, with the National Gallery and ROK Hotel Kingston on Ocean Boulevard, the one hotel on the waterfront. It’s on the side of town nearest the Palisadoes road out to Port Royal and the airport, but it’s grittier, so take taxis between stops and go out in the daytime. If you’d rather leave the city altogether, Strawberry Hill sits up in the Blue Mountains.
Free Jamaica trip checklist
Heading to Kingston?
Get my free Jamaica trip checklist, then guides for Kingston.
Your checklist is ready
Download it below, then print it or tick the boxes on screen.
Getting to Kingston
By air. Norman Manley International (KIN) sits on the Palisadoes, across the harbor from the city. The New Kingston hotels put the drive at about 25 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and Strawberry Hill, up in the hills, at about 50 minutes. The UK government advises pre-booking your transfer, because some visitors have been followed from the airport and robbed on the way to private accommodation. For the airlines and new routes flying in this winter, see my new flights to Jamaica tracker.
Airport shuttle and coaches. Knutsford Express runs a shuttle between the airport and its New Kingston terminal, and scheduled coaches from New Kingston to Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Mandeville, Negril and Montego Bay airport. See my Knutsford Express guide for fares and booking.
From the north coast. From Ocho Rios, allow roughly an hour and a half to two hours each way on the North-South toll highway. From Montego Bay it’s a much longer drive across the island, so the coach or a flight into KIN is the easier way.
In the city. Use licensed taxis or ride-hailing; the UK government notes that apps such as Uber operate in Kingston. The same advice says not to drive in the city if you don’t know it.
Every Kingston guide
Questions people ask
Where is the best area to stay in Kingston?
New Kingston, around Knutsford Boulevard and Hope Road, for most visitors. It’s central, close to the museums and restaurants, and it’s where most of the hotels are.
How far is New Kingston from Kingston airport?
About 25 to 45 minutes by road from Norman Manley International, depending on traffic, according to the hotels.
Is there a bus from Kingston airport to New Kingston?
Yes. Knutsford Express runs a shuttle between the airport and its New Kingston terminal, advertised from US$10 or J$1,300. Check the current fare and times on its site.
How many days do you need in Kingston?
One full day covers the uptown highlights and the National Gallery. Two or three let you add the Blue Mountains or a beach day.
Are there beach hotels in Kingston?
No. Kingston’s hotels are city hotels. For a beach stay, combine Kingston with a few nights in Ocho Rios, about 90 minutes away, or Portland, roughly two to two and a half hours.