I have traveled all over the world and never felt compelled to write a review. Well, Jake’s brought it out. This place is a little slice of unspoiled, down to earth paradise. We came here for our honeymoon in November 2007 and could not have been happier. The food, the staff, the surroundings, the accommodations, the local excursions and of course Dougie’s Bar were stellar and full of character. Now, this is not your ordinary, stuffy, run of the mill, boring, air conditioned, homogeneous, Americanized, hotel chain kind of place. If you are interested in obnoxious tourists, unnecessary amenities, attitudes of any kind, all-you-can-eat buffets, have no sense of adventure or can’t deal with a few mosquitoes, don’t bother. Please go stay at one of the walled-in chain resorts… in fact, stay far far away from Jake’s!! ;) However, if you are interested in the simple beauty of life, conversing with eclectic, intelligent guests and staff, eating the best seasonal, local foods, learning about true Jamaican culture, being surrounded by some of the most gorgeous landscapes in the world and lavishing in a bohemian wonderland… this is the real deal and your type of place. We walked into Jake’s and felt like we were home. Each member of the staff felt like family and could not have been more friendly or accommodating. This is truly a remarkable hideaway and we will be coming back for years to come.

I’ll be the first to admit that I thought I would never write a Tripadvisor review (and yes it is long overdue), however, it is without hesitation that I write about one of the greatest establishments in the Caribbean. The name of the establishment is Jake’s and this has to be without a doubt the epitome of the quintessential Caribbean experience. My Wife and I took our annual trip to the greatest island in the Caribbean from October 19-26 (2007). We have experienced and have been “wowed” by other Jamaican resorts and we were not disappointed by Jake’s.

For those of you not familiar with Jamaica you need to know that the South Coast is probably the most quiet part of Jamaica but don’t let this deter you from venturing to this part of the island. I will say that this is probably not the part of Jamaica to visit if you require the hustle and bustle of Kingston or Montego Bay. This part of Jamaica is about as a laid back as it comes. You definitely get a sense of “community spirit” in Treasure Beach.

We prearranged our transportation through one of Jake’s drivers and upon arrival were promptly met at the Sangster International Airport (Montego Bay) by Connley. Yes it is a long drive from the airport but the beautiful Jamaican countryside is well worth the lengthy voyage. Don’t be afraid to ask your driver to stop at one of many Jamaica’s road side watering holes for a cold Red Stripe or Ting.

Upon arrival at Jake’s you can’t help but feel that you have the place to yourself. At no point did we see anymore than 10 other guests at any given moment. It was only a bonus that we got to meet some awesome people from around the world (Big Up’s to Robin and Andrea from England and Bob and Melanie from Vermont). For those of you who have not been to Jamaica, I cannot describe another place on the Earth where you feel so relaxed and all the every day burdensome stress that we carry seems to disappear within seconds upon arrival.

We were lucky enough to reserve one of the cottages right on the Caribbean (Octopussy 3). There is nothing like being able to open a set of French doors and have the Caribbean Sea 15 feet directly in front of you. Every morning we awoke to the sound of the waves of the Caribbean and the warm Jamaican sun. Also, the Octopussy cottages have a deck with patio furniture, roof top deck for sun bathing and lounging and an outdoor shower which is nothing short of spectacular (and for those of you who might worry, at no point did we ever come in contact with anyone who could see us while in the shower). Also, for you animal lovers Jake’s has about 5 dogs, all owned by Jake’s, that can’t help but brighten your day. At no time did any of the dogs ever beg us for food or bother us for attention and our favorite dog, Blackie, even escorted us to our cottage at night.

I have had an opportunity to read all of the previous reviews about Jakes and would like to address some of the reviews. First, it seems like there have been a lot of complaints about mosquitoes. I’m not saying that mosquitoes don’t exist in Jamaica but at no time did we have any problems with bugs. I don’t know if we were just lucky or the other Reviewers have blown the issue out of proportion. Second, Jake’s is not the Ritz Carlton (and believe me they are not trying to be). This is the main reason why my Wife and I chose to stay at Jake’s. If you are interested in fancy furniture, fine china, marble bathrooms, and uptight guests don’t stay at Jake’s. Third, yes it is true; there is not a beach at Jake’s. However, I challenge anyone to find another place in Jamaica, for the price, with a view that is as mesmerizing from any of the cottages at Jake’s.

Further, for those of you not familiar with Jamaica it is important to know that Treasure Beach is not Montego Bay, Negril or Ocho Rios. It is a rather quiet town that is not full of wasted tourists indulging in crazy nightlife. Again, this is something that Jake's and the residents of Treasure Beach pride themselves on. Having said that, you will not find another part of Jamaica where you will feel as safe and welcome as Treasure Beach. At no point were we ever harassed, threatened or even approached, by any locals soliciting money or begging us to purchase any goods. If you wish to purchase local goods simply ask the staff at Jake’s or take a short walk down the street.

Further, there are plenty of activities to indulge in around Treasure Beach. We were so glad to have met our friend Andy who took us around Treasure Beach mountain biking, sea kayaking and snorkeling. Also, Jake’s is close to the Appleton Rum Factory and the beautiful YS Falls. Don’t forget to include a day trip to Lover’s Leap, for sunset, and the legendary Little Ochie Restaurant, for fresh seafood. Without a doubt the most favorite part of our vacation was our afternoon trip to the Pelican Bar. We had Ted take us by boat to the Pelican Bar run by a gentleman by the name of Floyd. The Pelican Bar is basically located in the middle of the Caribbean and as one can only imagine, you have the place to yourself. Truly one of the best days of our lives was when my Wife and I chilled out with Robin and Andrea, Bob and Melanie along with Andy, Zeb, Ted, and Floyd. We drank Red Stripes for hours while listening to reggae on the satellite radio.

As if things weren’t spectacular enough, we were lucky enough to be at Jake’s while they hosted the Island Outpost staff party. For those of you who don’t know Jake’s, along with Goldeneye, Strawberry Hill and The Caves, is part of Island Outpost run by Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell. Jake’s Manager Jason Henzell, and his lovely wife, invited us to party with the awesome staff of Jake’s and all of Island Outpost. We had a blast as we ate great food, drank a ton of Red Stripe, listened to a stellar sound system, and watched the staff participate in many entertaining games. Also, we enjoyed meeting Nick from Goldeneye, Jennifer from Strawberry Hill and Kevin from The Caves. We also got to see our friend Pernaldo from The Caves who we met in Negril in 2006. Thanks Jason! We truly felt like a member of the Island Outpost family.

The bottom line is that if you want to experience a laid back Jamaica then Jake’s and Treasure Beach is your place. I promise you that you will forget all your worries and meet some of the kindest and most genuine people that you have ever met.

Lastly, the food at Jake’s (and Jack Sprats) was incredibly delicious and authentic. Also, have to give a BIG UP’S to Dougie who runs the bar at Jakes with the utmost pride and our driver, O’Neil, who played, upon request, nothing but Gregory Isaacs for us on our way back to the airport.

To our friends at Jake’s, we miss you and we will be back!

S. & A. Lawrie

My husband and I used to stay in bungalows like this when we backpacked around Thailand - shacks with no netting on the windows, a squeaky fan and basic facilities. But we used to pay $30 a night, not almost $200 for one of the cheapest bungalow. But this is Jakes - people pay for the name and to a degree its reputation. While there is no denying that the place is very chilled out and beautifully designed, when it comes down to basics and you're in a tiny bungalow with bloodied mosquito nets and a thick black cloud of buzzing mosquitoes descending on you as soon as it nears dusk you wonder why they didn't do more to improve the facilities for the price that you're paying. Forget any electrical facilities like AC, TV etc (which werent that important to us) there weren't even any nets on the windows - open slats allowed mozzies in, and uncovered ventilation in the bathroom did the same. Outdoor showers were wonderful, but not so great when a bunch of schoolboys walk past the front of your bungalow as you're about to step in. Bear in mind there is limited privacy and at times we had locals sitting on our loungers or hanging around the front of our bungalow.
All in all, your experience at Jakes depends on which bungalow/room you stay in. We saw that quite a few others did have nets on the windows and probably had luxuries like AC but I suspect you pay for that privilige. Also bear in mind that the 10% "service" charge at the end of your stay includes your room rate. I fully expected to pay service charge for food and drinks consumed on the resort, but didnt expect the total to include the room rate - that was very strange. I wouldn't mind staying here again but for the price I expect ALOT better. Luckily during our two week stay in Jamaica we did find many better places at a much more reasonable price.

I just read some of the bad reviews Jake's gets. I just don't understand it. It's scenic, it has an undescribable ambience, the architecture is interesting to look at, people are friendly, the food is great, the sea can be rough, but you can snorkel and swim in it. If the staff doesn't think the water is ok, they'll pull up the stairs. We were all the way informed about the surcharges (by the time of booking, on the reservation form and told by a member of staff on arrival).
And yes, it is expensive. But honestly. Look around while you drive around Jamaica. The country needs tourists to spend a lot of money, and Jake's is one of the places, where the management lets some of the profit flow back into the community. This was to be experienced at the local christmas party with santa and clowny. It was great fun, and our children loved it.
We just loved it. We have been back for 4 days now, and we just miss it! Thanks.