What's New

The most volatile country in the Caribbean continues to explode with change. Here is a preview of just some of the latest developments.

Montego Bay

For those who want to escape the all-inclusives, two affordable hotels have been upgraded and offer desirable accommodations to the frugal traveler. Gloriana, 1-21 Sunset Blvd. (tel. 876/979-0669; www.hotelgloriana.com), is just a 10-minute walk from Doctors Cave Beach. Bedrooms are compact but comfortably furnished. Another choice, The Gloustershire Hotel, Gloucester Ave. (tel. 877/574-8497 or 876/952-4420), opens right onto Doctors Cave Beach. Attractively and comfortably furnished rooms at moderate tariffs are the attraction, along with the resort's Waterfront Restaurant, known mainly for its Jamaican dishes.

New restaurants have continued to open, hoping to lure diners away from their hotels at night. Among the best is Jasmine, in the Ritz-Carlton at Rose Hall (tel. 876/953-2800). Its international cuisine lures diners from outside the hotel, who dine by candlelight from an impeccable menu at intricately laid tables. Its chief rival is Nikkita's, Gloucester Ave. (tel. 876/979-6373), with a skilled kitchen staff offering one of the best modern Jamaican cuisines on the island. First-rate ingredients and finely honed dishes await you.

Negril

At Jamaica's most hedonistic resort, the latest hotel development centers around two choices from a Spanish chain, Riu Tropical Bay and Club Riu Negril, Norman Manley Blvd. (tel. 876/957-5900; www.riu.com). Opening onto a beachfront in the town center, the sprawling resort is painted in fiesta-inspired colors and offers cost-conscious all-inclusive deals. The resort has eight restaurants and a dozen bars.

South Coast

Sandals, the all-inclusive Jamaican chain of couples-only retreats, has now invaded the south coast of Jamaica. The largest and best resort along the coast is at Whitehouse in Westmoreland province. Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa (tel. 800/SANDALS or 876/640-3000; www.sandals.com) is the most massive hotel development the South Coast has ever seen. It occupies a 3.2km (2-mile) stretch of beachfront in a lush setting of 18 tropical hectares (45 acres). A 90-minute drive from Montego Bay airport, the resort features the usual high-quality bedrooms typical of Sandals properties, and seven different restaurants with a varied cuisine.

Ocho Rios

At this coastal resort, so beloved by cruise-ship passengers, Shaw Park Beach Hotel, Cutlass Bay (tel. 800/377-1126 or 876/974-2552; www.shawparkbeachhotel.com), has made a dramatic comeback. The original hotel opened in 1955 but had grown tired over the years. Completely restored and redesigned, it is back with better rooms than ever, each well appointed, and the location on a private white sandy beach remains the same. Frugal travelers are discovering the 99-unit Rooms on the Beach, Main Street (tel. 888/467-8737 or 876/974-6632; www.roomsresorts.com), originally constructed in the 1970s but now restored. With simple but tasteful rooms offering practical comfort, it opens onto a desirable stretch of Mallard's Beach.

Making its debut is a Spanish chain hotel, Riu Clubhotel Ocho Rios, Mammee Bay (tel. 888/666-8816 or 876/972-2200; www.riu.com). Accommodations are quite luxe with private balconies and verandas and marble floors. The mammoth Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa, Main Street (tel. 800/243-1707 or 876/974-2200; www.sunsetjamaicagrande.com), has seen yet another reincarnation. Still one of the largest hotels on the islands, it is now an all-inclusive. Millions of dollars have been poured into its rejuvenation, and the money was well spent. A lot of Disney-inspired theatrics entice today's visitors, including lagoon-shaped swimming pools and waterfalls.

The most discerning foodies in Ocho Rios are heading for The Dinner Terrace at The Jamaica Inn, Main Street (tel. 876/974-2514), drawn by its deluxe setting and its sublime continental and Caribbean cuisine, including Jamaican specialties. The menu changes nightly and has been vastly improved since its initial opening, with the recent hiring of new chefs. Come here for a night of Jamaican posh. Equally grand but more pretentious is Le Papillon Restaurant and the Caviar Bar at the Royal Plantation, Main Street (tel. 876/974-5601), featuring a refined continental cuisine and the best caviar on the island. Small jars of caviar are opened like holy relics, but you can also feast on such delights as Caribbean lobster soup with black pepper rum.

Port Antonio

At long last a new marina has opened in this remote resort, and the best chef in Jamaica, Norma Shirley, has already invaded. She calls her place Norma's at the Marina (tel. 876/993-9510), and her take on Jamaican specialties and a refined continental cuisine is one of the best -- if not the best -- offered along the island's north coast. You can sit on the terrace checking out the arriving yachts, or retreat inside the mahogany-trimmed dining room open to the breezes. From the reggae salad studded with sautéed shrimp to several different versions of grilled fish, Norma will feed you well.