Moderate

Expensive | Inexpensive

Charela Inn

A seafront inn reminiscent of a Spanish hacienda, this place sits on the main beach strip on 3 acres of landscaped grounds. Simplicity, a quiet elegance, and excellent value for your money are the hallmarks of this inn. The building's inner courtyard, with a tropical garden and a round, freshwater pool, opens onto one of the widest (250 ft./76m) sandy beaches in Negril. Try for one of the 20 or so rooms with a view of the sea.

Accommodations are generally spacious, often with a bit of Jamaican character with their wicker furnishings and ceiling fans. All the rooms have either private patios or balconies. Most of the good-size bathrooms have tub/shower combinations, though some have shower stalls only. If you have kids, ask about their garden-view family units with king-size beds for parents and twin-size bunk beds for children and teenagers. Cribs and rollaway beds are available for free.

Le Vendome, facing the sea and the garden, offers both an a la carte menu and a five-course fixed-price meal that changes daily. Thursday and Saturday nights, there's live entertainment.

Norman Manley Blvd. (P.O. Box 33), Negril. 49 units. Winter $158-$210 double. Off-season $108-$148 double. MAP (breakfast and dinner) $40 per person extra. 5-night minimum stay in winter. Children under 10 stay free in parents' room. AE, MC, V.

Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Sunfish sailing; windsurfing; kayaking; sunset cruises; laundry service. In room: A/C, data port (in 19 units), fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, safe.

Coco La Palm Resort

This is a well-conceived hotel with very little plastic or glitter and lots of opportunity for relaxation and rest. It's one of the areas newest resorts. The complex consists of a pair of long and narrow two-story buildings whose slender ends face the beach, and whose long sides form the edges of a carefully landscaped garden containing a Jacuzzi and a kidney-shaped swimming pool. Rooms are shaped like octagons, and each has a patio or balcony and white-painted furniture. On the premises are a bar and restaurant.

Norman Manley Blvd., Negril.. 41 units. Winter $170-$200 double; $205-$250 suite. Off-season $135-$165 double; $165-$185 suite. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Jacuzzi; room service; babysitting; laundry service. In room: A/C, TV, coffeemaker, hair dryer, safe.

Coconuts

In a fishing village on a quiet country road on the South Coast, 8 miles (13km) east of Negril on the way to Savanna-la-Mar, this getaway offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of lire. Guests stay in cedar-and-stone cottages that have their own private garden patios surrounded by flowers. Only two units have full bathrooms; the rest contain half bathrooms. Why lather up in an indoor cubicle when you can enjoy the garden and ocean views offered by the four private coral-stone showers in the terraced gardens? Your stay also includes the use of a saltwater pool and sporting equipment, including snorkeling and fishing gear. Island tours and excursions into Negril or Savanna-la-Mar can be arranged; meals consist of fresh fish and lobster, chicken, local produce, and freshly squeezed juices. You can eat in the seaside restaurant or on your private patio, served by staff.

Little Bay, Negril. 10 cottages. Winter $795 per person per week, cottage for 2. Off-season $645 per person per week, cottage for 2. Children 14-17 $395 extra; 6-13 $295 extra; 5 and under $195 extra. Rates include all meals. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant for guests only; bar; saltwater pool; watersports equipment. In room: No phone.

Crystal Waters

This is an excellent choice for families with young children. Unlike other resorts, the housekeeper assigned to you here is like a personal maid who takes over all the cooking and babysitting. The place is a long-established old-timer and much respected locally for simple accommodations at reasonable prices. The accommodations are tropically decorated, furnished with a mixture of hardwoods and wicker, plus a small bathroom with shower. The villas include ceiling fans (plus air-conditioning) and full kitchens, and each is staffed with a housekeeper who will cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you. There's also a freshwater pool.

Norman Manley Blvd. (P.O. Box 3018), Negril Beach, Negril. 10 villas. Winter $140-$155 1 -bedroom villa; $245-$285 2-bedroom villa; $400 3-bedroom villa. Off-season $110-$120 1-bedroom villa; $170-$210 2-bedroom villa; $295 3-bedroom villa. Maximum of 2 people per bedroom. AE, MC, V.

Amenities: Pool; water sports; children's pool and playground equipment; activities desk; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; maid service. In room: A/C, TV, kitchen, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, safe.