This Jamaican All-Inclusive Was Just Named No. 1 in the Caribbean—and It’s Independently Owned

Meghann Foye

Mon, January 19, 2026 at 11:45 AM UTC

3 min read

This Jamaican All-Inclusive Was Just Named No. 1 in the Caribbean—and It’s Independently Owned

S Hotel Montego Bay was named the #1 Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort in the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards based on public vote.
The hotel offers luxury boutique accommodations overlooking Doctor’s Cave Beach, authentic Jamaican cuisine, and a range of activities from yoga classes to rum tastings.
Owned by Jamaican entrepreneur Christopher Issa, the property focuses on blending contemporary design with Jamaican culture, staffing entirely with locals and featuring artistic tributes to national heroes throughout the hotel.

Among a crowded field of Caribbean all-inclusives , S Hotel Montego Bayhas taken the top spot.

The Montego Bayproperty was named #1 Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resortin the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards , an honor determined by public vote. The ranking reflects overwhelming traveler support for the hotel's location, amenities and overall guest experience. The hotel beat out two Sandals resorts ( Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadinesand Sandals Royal Curaçao) as well as Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spaand Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, among others.

"S Hotel Montego Bay is an all-inclusive luxury boutique hotel overlooking Doctor's Cave Beach. The resort serves authentic Jamaican cuisine and activities range from daily yoga classes to spa treatments to rum tastings," wrote the media outlet.

The recognition arrives during a difficult period for Jamaica, after parts of the island were affected by Hurricane Melissa. Hotel leadership said the award reflects staff efforts to maintain operations and guest services during that time.

And in fact, through Rebuild Jamaica – S for Shelter, guests who book a stay of seven nights or more at S Hotel Montego Baywill have a home built in their name for a Jamaican family in need. The promotion applies to stays between December 13, 2025, and December 20, 2026, includes the hotel's standard all-inclusive offering, and is available for a limited number of bookings.

S Hotel Montego Bay is located directly on Doctor's Cave Beach, one of the area's most popular stretches of shoreline. The hotel is all-inclusive and includes multiple dining venues, a rooftop Sky Deck pool overlooking the water and a full-service spa with thermal baths at Irie Spa.

The property operates at a smaller scale than many large all-inclusive resorts, with a focus on impeccably designed guest rooms, on-site dining rather than large buffet halls and amenities geared toward adult travelers and couples.

The hotel is independently owned by Jamaican entrepreneur Christopher Issathrough his company, Crissa Hotels, making it a locally owned, Jamaican-run property rather than part of a multinational resort chain. Issa, who comes from a well-known Jamaican hotel family, built the S Hotels brand around the idea of blending contemporary design with deeply rooted Jamaican culture—a philosophy he described as "where culture meets hospitality," in an interview with Travel Pulse .

After transforming Kingston's Spanish Court Hotelinto what became S Hotel Kingston, Issa acquired the former Breezes Montego Bayproperty in 2016 and reimagined it as S Hotel Montego Bay, staffing it entirely with Jamaicans and filling the space with local art, history and cultural references. The result is a luxury resort experience that feels tied to its place—something many travelers say is increasingly hard to find at larger, more standardized all-inclusives.

One of the most eye-catching pieces is a towering statue of OlympianUsain Bolt, crafted entirely from nuts and bolts by a German artist married to a Jamaican. Issa acquired the sculpture and placed it near the hotel, where it quickly became a photo stop for guests. From there, the idea expanded: today, the property features artistic tributes to Jamaica's national heroes throughout the hotel—a collection Issa often describes as "a cultural museum you can sleep in."

The #1 ranking adds to a growing list of awards for the hotel, including recognition from Tripadvisor, Condé Nast Traveler , Condé Nast Johansens and the World Travel Awards. S Hotel Montego Bay is also part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

For travelers comparing Caribbean all-inclusives, the USA Today 10Best win matters because it reflects real guest experiences—not a marketing campaign.

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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