This is the house itself. Ian Fleming designed it, named it, and wrote his Bond books in it. The Ian Fleming Villa at GoldenEye in Jamaica can be stayed in, with three bedrooms, a pool and a private beach, and it is the closest thing to a pilgrimage the Bond world has.
In the books
Fleming wrote fourteen of his Bond books at the villa, which stands at Oracabessa Bay, in St Mary. He named it GoldenEye after a wartime intelligence operation he oversaw as a naval intelligence officer. In his own words, the books might not have existed without the “gorgeous vacuum” of a Jamaican holiday. For the screen story that followed, see the films.
The details of the villa
A house he designed himself. According to the villa’s own site, Fleming designed it with no experience and a good deal of confidence, and decided there would be no windows, only Jamaican jalousie blinds to let in air and sun. The breezes, it says, are a delight at all hours.
Private by arrangement. The villa has its own beach, pool and tropical gardens, a short walk from the GoldenEye resort.
The man behind it. The villa’s site describes Fleming (1908 to 1964) as educated at an English public school and European language academies, with a junior reporting job at Reuters before the war. In the war he served as a naval intelligence officer. It is that mix of reporting and intelligence that the house, with its plain rooms and breezes, seems built to hold.
Staying there now
You book through the villa’s own site or Island Outpost reservations, so we have linked the villa’s page for enquiries. Rates change with the season; Island Outpost has run summer deals for the Ian Fleming Villa, a four-nights-for-three deal among them, so ask what is current. It suits a group of friends or a family. The wider resort is at GoldenEye, listed in Travel & Hotels.
Specifications
| Location | Oracabessa Bay, St Mary, Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms | Three |
| Grounds | Pool, private beach and tropical gardens |
| Operator | Island Outpost |
| Fleming link | House where he wrote fourteen Bond books |
| Booking | By enquiry through theflemingvilla.com |
See the villa at The Fleming Villa.
Questions
Can you stay in Ian Fleming’s house?
Yes. The Ian Fleming Villa at GoldenEye, Jamaica, is available to book, with three bedrooms, a pool and a private beach.
Where did Fleming write the Bond novels?
At GoldenEye, his house at Oracabessa Bay, Jamaica, where he wrote fourteen of his Bond books.
Why is it called GoldenEye?
Fleming named it after a wartime intelligence operation he oversaw.
Did Fleming design the villa?
According to the villa’s site, yes: he designed it himself and chose jalousie blinds instead of windows.
For the wider estate, see the Bond actors and the other places to stay.
