· Open -

Fleming bought the property of 15 acres in 1946

Chris Blackwell opened it as a hotel in 1980. He founded Island Records and became wealthy with bands such as Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roxy Music and U2. His first hit was My Boy Lollipop with Jamaican singer Millie Small in 1962. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 2001.

· Owner -

Ian Fleming the author of Casino Royale and 11 others and 2 short stories in the James Bond 007 series

Chris Blackwell is the current owner and has strong ties to Ian Fleming. His family have lived on the island since the 18th century and were very wealthy land owners. His mother was Ian Fleming's muse and mistress. Errol Flynn also fell for her and wanted to get married. She lived to be 104 and died in 2017.

· AKA -

It was named after a British Naval operation Fleming was involved with during WWII to protect Gibraltar and a book he read called Reflections in a Golden Eye

· Stars - *****

· Guests -

Ian Fleming / Sting / Bono / Johnny Depp / Michael Caine / Kate Moss / Quincy Jones / Noel Coward / Sir Anthony Eden / Truman Capote / Princess Margaret / Evelyn Waugh / Winston Churchill / Errol Flynn / Grace Jones / Naomi Campbell / Pierce Brosnan / Harrison Ford / Richard Branson / Bill and Hillary Clinton / Jay-Z and Beyonce / Melissa Ethridge / Mick Jagger

· History -

Ian Fleming came this way in 1942 during WWII on a mission to do with Nazi U-boats in the area. He loved it and knew he would have to come back

In 1946 he did come back and bought a 15 acre property which became GoldenEye.

In 1949 famous playwright Noel Coward became his neighbour after enjoying some time at GoldenEye.

The who's who of Hollywood would turn up on their doorsteps for the next two decades.

In 1952 he finished his first of 13 Bond novels, Casino Royale. Not many people know he also wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for his son Caspar.

Fleming died in 1964 on Caspar's 12th birthday at the age of 56. He was an alcoholic and a chain smoker and died of a heart attack. It was his second one and he had cut down from 60 to 20 cigarettes a day after the first one. He was a golf fanatic and on a golfing holiday with his wife at the time. Blanche Blackwell his Jamaican mistress wasn't allowed to attend the funeral.

Caspar inherited GoldenEye from his father. Sadly he  committed suicide when he was 23 in 1975.

In 1976 Bob Marley bought GoldenEye and a year later he sold it to the owner and founder of his record label Chris Blackwell. The son of Flemings mistress.

Blackwell owned property next to GoldenEye and had even done some work on Bond movies filmed in Jamaica.

He expanded the property to 52 acres and opened it as a hotel in 1980.

In 2010 major renovations were completed

· Signature -

Stay in Ian Flemings Villa that he actually lived in and wrote the Bond books - complete with personal Chef, Butler and Housekeeper

Welcome cocktail - the GoldenEye

· Rooms -

Beach Huts and Villas - Lagoon Cottages and Villas - The Originals - 21 in all from $746 - $11,888

· Tales -

Ian Fleming loved to skinny dip

He and his wife Anne both had affairs. In fact she was married to someone else when they first got together. That man died in WWII and she married another man. Still seeing Ian the whole time. Her shocking letters revealed a fetish for being whipped and beaten.

He was a compulsive womaniser. His mistress Blanche Blackwell a local heiress was the mother of the current owner . She was said to be the inspiration for Pussy Galore in Goldfinger.

He liked to use whips and hair brushes in his violent bouts of love making. Lady Longford once said "No one I have ever known had sex so much on the brain as Ian". He once dismissed an unwanted lover by throwing an octopus at her.

He called his son Caspar 003 and a half.

Noel Coward didn't like the concrete styling and said it looked like a hospital. He called it Golden Eye, Nose and Throat.

JFK and Prince Phillip were fans and helped make the books popular.

By the end he was so drunk he would be lucky to get an hour's writing done

· Claim to Fame -

James Bond was created here

Sting wrote "Every" breath you take here

Bono wrote the theme for GoldenEye here

· Innovations -

Outdoor showers and deep clawfoot bathtubs

· Feature -

Constantly good natured service from the staff

· View -

The lagoon and the lush tropical gardens

· High Tea -

Picnic at Firefly followed by sundowners

· Facilities -

3 Outdoor pools / Tennis Court

Field Spa in a cottage on the edge of GoldenEye Lagoon

Private beaches / Hidden coves / Saltwater lagoon

Some beach Huts are wheelchair accessible

Gift Shop / Free Parking

· Unique -

The property also owns Noel Cowards house "Firefly" a 15 minute drive away. You can hire out for a Wedding or other celebration

· Restaurants -

The Gazebo - International cuisine - open air dining overlooking the beach and the lagoon

In Room Dining - breakfast on the veranda or a romantic dinner on the porch

Outdoor Dining - Candlelit dinner or Lantern lit beach BBQ

· Bars -

Bizot Bar - Pool Bar for breakfast, lunch and drinks by the pool

Bamboo Bar - laid back Rum Bar on the beach - Jerk BBQ and fresh grilled fish brought over by fisherman as soon as they come in

Shabeen - cocktail bar by the pool with a rooftop lounge.

Tuesday night trips to the local bars

· Sunset -

At the Gazebo

Firefly (the best view in the Caribbean) - the little house Noel Coward built to get away from the distraction of his house guests staying at his main house Blue Harbour so that he could write

· Activities -

Swimming / Snorkelling / Kayaking / SUP / Sailing

Mountain biking

Deep Sea Fishing

Scuba Diving

· Sights -

Glass bottomed boat

The Blue Mountains and Strawberry Hill - Coffee

· Extra -