Open since 1959, Couples Tower Isle in Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s north coast was the island’s first beachfront and year-round hotel. Couples Tower Isle also had the distinction, twenty years later, of becoming the island’s first all-inclusive resort for couples. After closing for more than a year to undergo a $30-million renovation, Couples Tower Isle re-opened in April 2009 to its former glory.
A two-hour drive over a pleasant road from Montego Bay’s international airport, Couples Tower Isle is a laid-back, mid-size resort that projects an air of simplicity and friendliness.
From the moment you enter the white and blue lobby fitted with couches and chairs facing the sea, there is nothing ostentatious or phony about Couples Tower Isle. It is simply a relaxing beach resort for those who appreciate understated beauty—and are looking for many activities to take at their own pace and in their own way.
Couples Tower Isle is the most comprehensive all-inclusive resort in the region. There is no charge for the minibar, on-site activities, and several off-premises excursions. Additionally, Couples Tower Isle has a strict no-tipping policy. This leads to Couples Tower Isle’s other standout: the friendliness of the staff, which is at least partly attributable to a profit-sharing plan in which employees participate. The pride of ownership is palpable.
It is clear why Travel+Leisure readers recently ranked the hotel as one of the top 10 resorts in the Caribbean. This adults-only couples resort is very comfortable and welcoming.
For us, this was a return trip to Tower Isle (the Couples concept did not yet exist) 45 years after our honeymoon. The experience made us not want to wait so long before visiting again.
