My family’s story in Treasure Beach – this tiny, soulful fishing village on Jamaica’s south coast – begins in the 1940s, when my grandparents, Joyce and Basil, built a seaside cottage for weekend escapes from Mandeville. Back then, the roads were sandy tracks, the houses had stone walls and fretwork trim, and my mother, Sally, was a fearless little girl who surfed the waves on a cotton tree board.

Sally grew up to marry my father, Perry Henzell, the producer, director, and co-writer of The Harder They Come, the film that introduced reggae to the world. With her artist’s eye, Mum became the film’s art director and wardrobe stylist, pouring creativity into every frame.

In 1993, she poured that same creative energy into Jakes, which began as a quirky seaside restaurant. When tipsy guests begged her to build rooms to stay the night, she obliged, one at a time. “Bit by bit, I built Jakes,” she said. “It was like creating poems in cement.” Her wild, whimsical architecture (think Jimi Hendrix meets Antoni Gaudí on a Jamaican beach) became the signature of Treasure Beach.

I joined Jakes full-time after leaving banking. With encouragement from Chris Blackwell of Island Records, we joined his Island Outpost collection in 1995, gaining global recognition and a steady stream of rock stars and creatives. Since then, Jakes has grown and it’s now home to 28 one-of-a-kind rooms, six ocean-front bungalows, four private villas, and seven colourful cottages. Our property includes a private beach, Jack Sprat and Jakes restaurants, Dougie’s Bar, Driftwood Spa, and the SeaWata gift shop, all infused with our signature style and local soul.

We’ve been featured in countless travel publications and regularly make “Best of Jamaica” lists. But what makes us proudest is being a true community hotel, where guests and locals mingle freely. Treasure Beach is home to the Calabash International Literary Festival, co-founded by my sister Justine in 2001 and named Best Book Festival in the World by National Geographic.

Other local highlights include the Treasure Beach Food, Rum & Reggae Festival, the Jakes Off-Road Triathlon, and our full-moon farm-to-table dinners, where curry goat and jerk crab meet Red Stripe and rum punch under the stars.

Our parish, St. Elizabeth, is Jamaica’s breadbasket: most folks are farmers or fisherfolk, famous for their warmth and deep connection to both land and sea. The spirit of Treasure Beach is laid-back, creative, and generous, full of colourful characters with hearts of gold.

In 1998, I co-founded the Breds Treasure Beach Foundation with Peace Corps volunteer Aaron Laufer. “Breds,” short for brethren, supports education, sports, and environmental sustainability. Our projects include the Treasure Beach Health Centre, the Breds Sports Park, and the Galleon Fish Sanctuary, all focused on helping our community thrive.

Through hurricanes, setbacks, and triumphs, our people remain resilient. After Hurricane Beryl in 2024, neighbours rebuilt homes side by side. That’s what makes Treasure Beach so special: it’s a community powered by love and creativity.

Today, with my wife Laura and our children Max and Seya, I remain deeply proud to call this place home. I invite you to come experience our slice of paradise, a place where time slows down, strangers become friends, and the Caribbean beats to its own rhythm.