Montego Bay's best hostel resides inside the 1765 Town House, its handsome redbrick frontage buried under a cascade of bougainvillea and laburnum. High ceilings and splashes of contemporary art and lots of comfy common spaces create a homey atmosphere that encourages mingling among guests. Backpackers end up lingering here, using MoBay as a base for day trips further afield.
Originally, this was the home of a wealthy merchant. It has since served as a church manse and later as a town house for the mistress of the Earl of Hereford, Governor of Jamaica. In the years that followed, it was used as a hotel, a warehouse, a Masonic lodge, a lawyer’s office and a synagogue.
