GoldenEye

It is almost impossible to know where to begin in reviewing GoldenEye. My first draft was long and detailed and I decided that I needed to leave more up to the imagination of the reader. In simple terms, this place is just the perfect combination of History, Luxury and Beauty and I was continually awestruck during our visit. The resort arranged private transfers from Montego Bay Airport (Kingston is also an option) and we were greeted by our driver Orgando. He is a true professional and gave a a wonderful orientation as to the history of Jamaica during the drive to GoldenEye. We even stopped for lunch at the famous Scotchies. A great introduction to Jamaica. The entrance to the resort is unmarked and as the gate opened I thought we were in a Botanical Garden. There are fruit and other trees everywhere many planted by previous guests( some very famous). The proceeds of the plantings are used to support a local foundation and marine conservation program established by Chris Blackwell the founder of Island Records and the owner of the resort. Plant a tree and own a piece of Jamaica while helping a wonderful cause. The open air reception area with the adjacent lounge filled with Ian Fleming and 007 Memorabilia is the perfect introduction to GoldenEye. We were greeted by Sherona who was wonderful and was our go to person during our stay. We were given a walking orientation of the property and a special GoldenEye welcome drink. Thank you Sherona for making dreams come true. We soon settled into our Beach Villa which is directly on the sand with the warm waters of the Caribbean steps away. It is almost too beautiful to describe and despite having all the modern luxuries you feel as if you are living in a beach hut. The outdoor shower is the best and I miss it every day. The property is simply beautiful and needs to be explored. At least three pools, a natural blue lagoon. private island, waterfront bars, lounges with roof decks and beautiful sunsets, great open air dining in a gazebo overlooking the water, two beaches, complimentary water sports, tennis and the best spa I have ever experienced. All understated with your privacy and luxury in mind. What else would you want. Couples, families, singles all co- exist and do their own thing. You may run into Alex M at the Bizot Bar during the complimentary and wonderful breakfast or happy hour( a great guy full of stories) or take a free glass bottom boat tour with the kids from the private dock. This is the world of 007 and the world is yours to explore. Finally please don't overlook the history of GoldenEye. Ian Fleming wrote all of the Bond novels while he lived here and several Bond movies were filmed here. Bob Marley almost bought the place after Fleming's death but instead Chris Blackwell who discovered and produced many of Marley's songs bought and developed it into today's resort. The connection from Fleming to Blackwell with the history of Marley and Island Records just adds to the intrigue and overall experience. It is something not to be missed.

This is one of those places that worth knowing before you die! The rooms in the lagoon gives you an unforgettable experience, we spent our honeymoon there and it was perfect! We were already very excited, but all the expectations were surpassed, together with the amazing cenário and the food, everybody is very kind and will do anything to make you happy! Chris Blackwell, the guy that found Bob Marley and is the owner of the hotel is always around, it's definitely not a big chain hotel and you can feel how he and everyone that works there loves the place... Yaaaman! One love, one heart 👊�👊�😎

We stayed at the Flemming Villa with some friends this year. To clarify this review, my wife and I usually travel a few times per year and usually stay at the higher end hotel brands, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, St. Regis, etc. The Good: - The entire Flemming Villa complex (including the Beach House and Sweet Spot) is gorgeous. - The James Bond Beach directly below the Flemming Villa is gorgeous as well. It is a private beach and can only be accessed by those staying at the Flemming Villa. - The entire Goldeneye property is pretty new so nothing appeared to be dated. - All of the food that we ate on the property was pretty good. - The frozen cocktail called the Goldeneye is unbelievable. You have to try one. - Lots of activities to do at the property, i.e. paddle boarding, snorkeling, etc. (subject to the comments below). - The staff was friendly. The Bad: - Food service took a long time. I think it took 45 minutes to an hour after we ordered for our food to arrive. - The main beach is not up to my standards. It is a man made beach, not natural. It is pretty to sit and look at, but it is not functional. The beach sand (upon entering the water) is a shell / coral mixture and is hard on your feet. It is not very deep. It has a large rock burm just below the surface of the water about 30 yards, so you can't actually go out into the ocean off of the beach. It isn't good for snorkeling. It isn't good for body surfing or boogie boarding. It is just like a crystal clear not very deep lake (a plus for some). - The other beach (I can't remember its name) that is located on the backside of the property near the back of the lagoon is not great either. I believe this beach is man made as well. The water is not clear; it is mud murky. The bottom feels like mud. - At James Bond Beach, there are sea urchins everywhere. Be careful! Other Comments / Not Good, Not Bad, Just Comments: - The property is large and spread out. If you have problems walking, this resort may present some trouble for you. - There is no nightlife. - There is no shopping. - During our stay at the resort, we did not see any children. - There is snorkeling in the lagoon (under the bridge) that leads out into the ocean. - The vibe is very laid back. All in all, we had a good time with our friends at Goldeneye. We were mainly disappointed by the beaches. Again, they were pretty to look at but not functional for activities. Would we come back to Goldeneye? We would not come back to Goldeneye by ourselves or with our family. It think we would be bored. We might come back with some of our entertaining friends.

Where to begin! Best family vacation yet! We visited the beautiful Goldeneye with our 14 year old and 8 year old. We were celebrating our vow renewal, Father's Day, and a birthday. We stayed in the two bedroom beach hut which was amazing if you have children. The kids had their own floor and bathroom which was nice when you are traveling with kids! The staff was amazing! Sherona was great at setting up a private dinner for our vow renewal and she even was able to get me a bouquet in a short notice! She made our visit so easy and is very organized. Clayton was so welcoming when we first got to the resort and helped us around the resort grounds. Donald was a lifeguard who was great at recommending fun water activities for the kids. We only left the resort once to go to Dolphins cove because there is so much stuff to do on the resort. The food was amazing and we were always welcomed with a warm smile from Talca and Cordella. My very picky 8 year old LOVED the food at the resort and there was a lot of food variety with a great kids menu. The resort is absolutely stunning and the workers do a great job keeping it spotless. They even rake the ocean water so it is free of seaweed! Snorkeling was my favorite activity to do with the kids and the water is so beautiful! It was a wonderful vacation and we will definitely be back!

Are you tired of the concrete walls and hotel style feeling? Do you want something different do you want to be picked up preferably by a private transfer teams and taken on a scenic drive from Montego Bay Jamaica then while on the drive you learn much about Jamaica and then get dropped of at one of the best ........ I cant even find the words just best ever place to be then I recommend you book your stay with Golden Eye. This hotel to me isn't a hotel its a home where you got shipwrecked and when you woke up you said well I'm glad I got shipwrecked here. The environment is so smooth the food and choices are not to be compared and the staff from one department to the next seem to know exactly what it is you need. I believe they have the best service I have experienced and it really adds to the value of this gem. The beach is awesome the sunset is awesome the mosquito's not so awesome but bring your bug spray and you'll be fine. For those interest in a bit of history if you know James Bond then the name Ian Flemming comes to mind and his inspiration was taken from this place. The Spa is also something to do I'm not sure if I have ever enjoyed a better set of hands. Turtles come out at night to lay eggs the moon set is beautiful I could write for days on this place just take my word for it you will not regret.