June 24, 2025 |
It’s called the Rock House because of the craggy setting but this quiet piece of paradise attracted the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley back in the ’70s. The resort’s storied past and boho vibes is what made current owner Paul Salmon, an Australian businessman, fall in love with the place in the early ’90s.
guests can dive into the pristine cove
At that time, the property was somewhat in disrepair but Salmon persisted and soon, with a coterie of creative friends and colleagues, he purchased Rock House. Over the years the group has added more villas, an infinity pool, a spa, an organic farm and Push Cart Café, an open air bar and restaurant. There the walls are lined with record covers and art. Guests watch swimmers dive into the coves and listen to music from DJ sets or the harmonies of mento bands.
from left: the resort has 40 thatched huts; the hotel’s infinity pool
the original owners in the ’70s
But perhaps more impressive is how the owners have cultivated relationships with the locals, from their longstanding employees to their neighbours. Last year, the owners started the Rockhouse Foundation, which has funded seven schools on the island as well as the Negril Library. Its annual fundraiser, held every year at Joe’s Pub in New York (which Salmon part owns) has featured performers like Shaggy, Sean Paul and Toots and the Maytals. Every year it turns into one big dance party and it’s no surprise, as one of the hand-painted signs the resort reminds guests: “Jamaica is the only island that makes the whole world shake.”
lounging on the jumping bridge
the original owners in the ’70s
Jamaica has a musical soundtrack wherever you go on the island. Whether it’s the lilting reggae sounds or happy calypso or the drum and bass, quick tempo of dancehall music, you’ll hear it from the moment you wake up until late night when the party is just getting going. Music has been called the voice of the Jamaican people and I felt that as my van driver piloted me from the airport to the Western tip of the island – traffic slowed down at each small town where locals had impromptu block parties set up and stacks of enormous speakers known as sound systems were piled up, blasting out music.
from left: original owner John Behmiller; the resort’s organic farm
the original owners in the ’70s
the original owners in the ’70s
When I arrived at Rock House, I was welcomed with a more mellow soundtrack of birdsong, the lapping of waves, chiming bowls and rain sticks from a psilocybin sound bath being held in the farmhouse at the organic farm across the road from Rock House. The resort, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is made up of 40 villas that dot the rocky cliffs overlooking Pristine Cove. John Behmiller, the Chicago businessman who purchased the land, enlisted two architects, who were apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright, to make the “design to be part of nature”. And that’s exactly what it looks like: a Robinson Crusoe fantasy of winding paths through lush tropical gardens, thatched huts and stairs that are carved from stone and descend right into the water. (There’s a wooden ‘jumping’ bridge for thrill-seekers.)
Taken from 10 Men Issue 61 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
the original owners in the ’70s
A marketing campaign from the ’70s
