Hurricane Melissa hit western Jamaica on 28 October 2025. I left Montego Bay two days before it landed. Negril, Ocho Rios, Kingston and Port Antonio were largely spared; the Montego Bay and St James corridor, Westmoreland, Hanover and the South Coast took the worst of it. As of this week the airport, the roads and most hotels are back. Not all of them, and the ones that aren't are some of the biggest names on the island, so check this page before you fall in love with a resort.
Every line below was checked against the operator's own site or a dated trade-press report on 6 September 2026. Dates slip; if you're booking, ask me or the hotel for the current word. Sources are at the bottom.
Sangster (MBJ) lost large parts of its terminal in the storm and was back to normal operations by mid-December 2025, as were Kingston and Ian Fleming. Expect the arrivals hall to be busy in high season; Club Mobay is US$50 an adult and US$25 a child on arrival, US$85 and US$48 for the arrival-plus-departure bundle, and sells out on holiday weekends. American now flies Miami to Kingston four times a day and Miami to Ian Fleming (Ocho Rios) twice a day, which changes the math for GoldenEye, Jamaica Inn and anything east of Ocho Rios.
The north coast and the Kingston to Ocho Rios toll road (about J$2,500 each way for a car) are fine. Parts of the South Coast and the interior were still being repaired through mid-2026, and the US State Department's standing advice is not to drive at night anywhere on the island. Private drivers remain my default for clients.
The Jamaican dollar has sat between J$155 and J$160 to US$1 all year. US dollars are taken almost everywhere tourists go; carry small bills and expect change in Jamaican dollars. Restaurants usually add 10% service; check before you tip on top.
The US travel advisory for Jamaica is Level 2, "exercise increased caution", updated 2 July 2026, down from Level 3 in January. The Level 3 neighborhoods it names are inland and urban, not the resort areas. The advice that actually matters: don't walk or drive at night, use your resort's or a licensed transport, and buy travel insurance that covers a medical flight home.
Hurricane season runs June to November and the risk peaks in September and October. Mid-December to April is peak season; November and early December are the value window with the best weather.
Reggae Sumfest 2026 moved to Plantation Cove in St Ann this July. Jamaica Carnival 2027 runs 31 March to 6 April with the road march on Sunday 4 April.
Sources, all checked 6 September 2026: US Department of State Jamaica travel advisory (2 Jul 2026); VIP Attractions (Club Mobay pricing, updated 26 Jun 2026); Caribbean Journal, 12 Apr 2026 (Hyatt-operated resorts to Q1 2027); Caribbean Mag, 15 Jun 2026 and Travel Noire, 17 Jul 2026 (Sandals reopening dates); Travel Market Report, 27 Aug 2026 (Royalton Negril); Travel Off Path resort list, 12 Nov 2025 and Travel Weekly, 21 Nov 2025 (Half Moon, Round Hill, Tryall, Beaches, Couples, Excellence, Iberostar); Jamaica Observer, 4 Feb 2026 (Pelican Bar) and 16 Jul 2026 (toll road); Caribbean Journal, 18 Apr 2026 (Jakes); Travel and Tour World, 21 Feb 2026 (Bahia Principe); Jamaica Information Service, 25 Apr 2026 (Appleton, South Coast); operators' own sites for YS Falls, Glistening Waters, Rose Hall, Doctor's Cave, Rick's Café; Wise USD/JMD history; Audley Travel seasonal guide; Reggae Sumfest and Jamaica Carnival official pages. "Unconfirmed" means the operator's site and third-party trackers disagreed on the day I checked.