GoldenEye

The most popular cabins hover over the turquoise lagoon and come with outdoor showers and their own dedicated kayaks. New, colourfully painted beach villas sit on stilts around a pristine stretch of sand.

GoldenEye is an unassuming set of airy villas, cottages, and beach huts with three food and beverage stations (Shabeen, Bamboo Bar, and Bizot Bar) serving fresh fishing boat-to-table seafood and locally sourced fare with a license to thrill.

There are no extravagances in the lodgings; rather there is a clean, natural, unencumbered aesthetic to the place - large windows, airy, white linens and wood floors that offer guests space to breathe and unclutter their minds. It's one of the most peaceful places I have been to in a long while.

Few places manage to condense the sheer joy of island living as successfully as Jamaica's favourite hotel.

Whether you're a fan of James Bond or luxury getaways, this exclusive address 20 minutes east of Ocho Rios holds special appeal.

What makes this hotel continue to shine is its clever combination of spacious clapboard villas and funky, feel-good Jamaican spirit... Six years after opening, this gorgeous, laid-back hideaway still has serious groove.

Lagoon-facing cottages in particular encourage dawdling, as you can move between dips in the water and lounging on the terrace while gazing at the mangroves and the occasional fish popping up... The Jamaican staff are exceedingly polite and outgoing, always offering their assistance.

Rustic-chic villas dot the beach (you get your own); a huge reef is yours for the snorkeling; the pool is shaped like, yes, a giant golden eye. And the owner is music man Chris Blackwell, so celebs love it.