For Atlanta-based Lana Charles, Jamaica has always meant more than a vacation.
Her mother is Jamaican. She grew up close to her late grandfather, who was from Cold Springs, Montego Bay. And when she and her husband Marcus got married on August 8, 2025 (her grandfather’s birthday), there was only one place she could imagine going for their honeymoon: Negril, Jamaica.
“She feels close to God and her ancestors there,” Marcus says of the tropical island. “She hadn’t been back in seven years, so she really wanted to go for our honeymoon.”
Nine months after their wedding, they made it to Negril. Four nights at The Skylark Negril Beach Resort, complete with a spa package that surprised them both and a boat ride to a lobster island that neither of them will forget.
Why Did They Choose Jamaica For Their Honeymoon?
For most couples, a honeymoon destination is a mood board decision. For Marcus and Lana, it was personal.
Lana’s connection to Jamaica is ancestral. Her grandfather’s presence, the island’s spiritual weight for her family, and seven years of not being back all pointed to one answer. This wasn’t a destination chosen for its aesthetics; it was chosen because it meant something.
They chose Negril specifically for its pace: a destination that creates space for the things that matter. For a couple who runs a production company together — Marcus is a photographer, Lana is a director — traveling for rest rather than content was its own kind of intention.
Travel Noire notes that Jamaica honeymoons rooted in cultural or ancestral connection carry a different quality than purely resort-driven trips, and Negril’s atmosphere is one of the few that can hold both.
Where They Stayed: The Skylark Negril Beach Resort
The Skylark Negril Beach Resort (4 Nights)
The Skylark is a boutique beachfront property on Negril’s coastline, known for its intimate scale and direct Seven Mile Beach access. For Marcus and Lana, the resort’s spa became the trip’s defining feature.
They pre-booked The Skylark’s Three Day Fully Loaded spa package ($220 USD) that includes a bathing soak in the rooftop bathhouse on day one, a massage on day two, and the Signature Foot Ceremony on day three, all with open ocean views. Every treatment session felt elevated by the setting.
“The staff was incredible,” Marcus says. “And all the treatments overlooked the beautiful beach.”
One practical note for couples comparing Negril properties: The Skylark doesn’t have an on-site pool. Marcus recommends booking a night or two at its sister property, Rockhouse, a cliffside boutique hotel a short distance away, if a pool is a priority. Build it into your itinerary early, as Rockhouse has just 34 rooms and books up quickly, especially in high season.
What Made This Honeymoon Different From A Typical Jamaica Trip?
The spa was the anchor, but what made this trip distinct was the reason behind it. Lana wasn’t arriving as a tourist. She was returning to a place that has always held something real for her family.
That context shaped how the trip felt from the start: more grounded, more personal, less performative. The Skylark’s intimate scale supported that. A larger resort complex would have worked against it.
Beyond the spa, the couple made time for two of Negril’s most beloved experiences: Rick’s Cafe, the iconic cliffside bar famous for sunset views and cliff divers, and a boat excursion to Booby Cay. Marcus’s advice on Rick’s is direct: “Don’t wait until the end of your trip to go.”
Rick’s Cafe sits on the West End cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, open daily from noon to 10 p.m. with no cover charge. Live music typically begins about 45 minutes before sunset, and the menu runs from jerk chicken and escovitch snapper to signature cocktails like Rick’s World Famous Rum Punch and the Cliff Hanger. But the cliff divers, who leap from platforms up to 35 feet, are the main event.
One practical note: the main viewing decks fill up hours before sunset, so arriving between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. is the move if you want a clear sightline to the water and the stage. Tour buses pack in right before dusk.
The One Moment They’ll Never Forget
There are two. The first involves a spa booking made while halfway paying attention and a surprise Lana absolutely did not see coming.
“Lana booked the package without fully realizing we’d be stripping down to nothing and bathing while gazing out at the sea,” Marcus says. The moment landed somewhere between shock and surrender, and was, by every account, completely worth it.
The second: a boat to Booby Cay, the uninhabited island off the Negril coast where local fishermen prepare freshly caught lobster on the beach. Their guide was a man known to regulars simply as Scooby Doo. If you know, you know.
“We had the best lobster we’ve ever had in life,” Marcus says. “Courtesy of the one and only Scooby Doo.”
What Should Couples Know Before Booking The Skylark Negril?
The Skylark is built for couples who want a boutique, wellness-forward experience over a large-scale resort. It’s the right call if your priorities are spa access, direct beach proximity, and a quieter atmosphere. It’s not the right call if a pool is non-negotiable.
The Rockhouse day visit or overnight stay is a strong complement if you want more variety, and it’s worth booking ahead, not treating it as a backup plan.
Get to Rick’s Cafe before your final night. Sunset there is worth structuring your day around. And if a boat to Booby Cay comes up in conversation, say yes immediately.
Would They Go Back?
Absolutely. Lana’s connection to the island runs too deep for Jamaica to ever be a one-time destination.
When they’re ready for somewhere new, Zanzibar is next on the list.
How Do You Actually Spend 4 Nights In Negril?
Day 1 — Arrive, Settle In, Breathe
Check in to The Skylark Negril Beach Resort. The property is small enough that you’ll find your footing quickly. Spend the afternoon on Seven Mile Beach, get your bearings, and let the decompression begin. No agenda required.
Day 2 — The Spa Begins
Day one of The Skylark’s Three-Day Fully Loaded spa package ($220 USD, pre-book before arrival). The bathing soak takes place in the rooftop bathhouse, with ocean-view soaking tubs and a linked tea ceremony. This is the treatment Lana didn’t fully know she had signed up for. It’s worth going in prepared.
Day 3 — Rick’s Cafe and the West End
Massage day on the spa package. In the afternoon, make your way to Rick’s Cafe on the West End cliffs. Arrive between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to claim a good spot before the sunset crowd arrives. Order Rick’s World Famous Rum Punch or the Cliff Hanger, watch the divers leap from the 35-foot cliffs, and stay for the live music. Open daily from noon to 10 p.m., no cover charge.
Day 4 — Booby Cay
Signature Foot Ceremony to close out the spa package in the morning. Then: a boat to Booby Cay, the uninhabited island off Negril’s coast where local fishermen prepare freshly caught lobster on the beach. Ask your resort to connect you with a local boat operator. Their guide was a man known simply as Scooby Doo. The lobster, Marcus says, was the best either of them had ever had.
Day 5 — Check Out
Depart. Dream about going back.
How Has Travel Shaped Their Relationship?
Marcus and Lana’s first trip together was to Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 2022. “We had an absolute ball,” Marcus says, “and haven’t missed a Dreamville Festival since.” (A moment of silence for Dreamville Fest.)
As a couple who owns a business together and has both relocated from their home cities — Marcus from New York, Lana from Philadelphia — the line between work travel and personal travel is easy to blur. The trips they take for themselves are how they keep the two separate.
“We really value these times when we get to travel for fun,” Marcus says.
Their honeymoon in Negril was that, and then some. It was a return to a place that has always held something sacred for Lana, and a chance for Marcus to understand, in person, what that connection actually means.
Some trips are about exploration. This one was about coming home.
FAQ — Marcus & Lana’s Jamaica Honeymoon
Is The Skylark Negril Beach Resort good for a honeymoon?
Yes, with the right expectations. The Skylark is a boutique, wellness-forward resort with direct Seven Mile Beach access and a highly regarded spa program. It’s ideal for couples prioritizing intimacy and relaxation over large-resort amenities. Note that it does not have an on-site pool, but guests can arrange access at sister property Rockhouse if needed.
What is the spa experience like at The Skylark Negril?
The Skylark offers multi-day spa packages that include full-body detox baths, massages, and foot treatments, all with open ocean views. Marcus and Lana booked a three-day package and described it as the highlight of the trip. The detox bath, in particular, is an experience you should go in knowing what to expect. The package is called the Three Day Fully Loaded and is available for $220 USD when pre-booked before arrival.
What is Booby Cay, Jamaica, and how do you get there from Negril?
Booby Cay, also called Lobster Island, is a small uninhabited island off Negril’s coast accessible by boat. Local guides run excursions there and prepare freshly caught lobster on the beach. It’s one of the most consistently praised off-resort experiences in Negril. Ask at your resort or connect with a local boat operator as the best experiences here come through word of mouth, not packaged tours.
Is Jamaica a meaningful honeymoon destination for Black couples with Caribbean roots?
Travel Noire hears this more than any other Jamaica honeymoon motivation. Couples for whom the island carries ancestral or familial weight choose it deliberately, not just aesthetically. Jamaica’s cultural depth, the warmth of local communities in areas like Negril, and the island’s spiritual significance for many Black families make it a honeymoon destination with a different kind of resonance. For Lana Charles, honeymooning in Jamaica nine months after marrying on her late grandfather’s birthday was not incidental.
What is Rick’s Cafe in Negril and is it worth visiting on a honeymoon?
Rick’s Cafe is a cliffside bar and restaurant in Negril famous for its sunset views, cliff diving, and live music. It’s one of Negril’s most iconic experiences. Marcus recommends going earlier in your trip rather than saving it for the last night. The vibe is lively and the sunset is worth planning your day around.
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