BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 48
T R AV E L
Jason Henzell and his family on the steps of the family restaurant, Jakes, in Treasure Beach
MY FAMILY STORY
IN TREASURE BEACH
By Jason Henzell
Chairman of Jakes Hotel in
Treasure Beach, Jamaica, and a
prominent social entrepreneur.
M
y family’s story in Treasure
Beach – this tiny, soulful
昀椀shing 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 昀椀lm that introduced reggae
to the world. With her artist’s eye,
Mum became the 昀椀lm’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.
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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
