S Hotel gets top Caribbean ranking

S Hotel Montego Bay has emerged as the highest-ranked Caribbean property in the 2026 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, securing second place overall in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America category.

The Jamaican-owned property was surpassed only by a hotel in Costa Rica, extending an impressive run of international accolades that has cemented its position among the world’s leading hospitality brands. Earlier this year, S Hotel was named the Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. In 2025, the property was ranked the top all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, second in the Caribbean and 11th worldwide in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the latest recognition is another tremendous achievement for S Hotel and Jamaica.

“It speaks to the quality, professionalism and resilience of our tourism workers, who continue to deliver at an exceptional level, even under very difficult circumstances,” he told JIS News.

Bartlett noted that the recognition is especially significant as western Jamaica continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Melissa. He said S Hotel was operating at full occupancy when the hurricane struck, with staff continuing to provide care and support to guests throughout the challenging period. He also highlighted the property’s ‘S for Shelters’ initiative, through which staff and guests partnered to construct 63 one-room shelters for families affected by the storm.

Meanwhile, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Delano Seiveright, said the award underscores growing international confidence in Montego Bay and western Jamaica as premier tourism destinations.

“Montego Bay is recovering, rebuilding and attracting serious investment at the same time. The objective is to ensure that this activity translates into more jobs, stronger Jamaican businesses, greater opportunities for local suppliers, and sustained economic activity across the west. S Hotel’s achievement is another positive signal to the international market about the quality and confidence that exist in Jamaica,” Seiveright said.