Begun in 1953 as a collection of villas on a 110-acre pineapple/allspice/coconut plantation, Round Hill Hotel and Villas has long served socialites and celebrities. Villa owners have included writer/producer Noel Coward, Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, and, currently, designer Ralph Lauren. Accustomed to opulence, owners come here for the restful rusticity, which also attracts celebrity and non-celebrity couples and families
Begun in 1953 as a collection of villas on a 110-acre pineapple/allspice/coconut plantation, Round Hill Hotel and Villas has long served socialites and celebrities. Villa owners have included writer/producer Noel Coward, Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere, and, currently, designer Ralph Lauren. Accustomed to opulence, owners come here for the restful rusticity, which also attracts celebrity and non-celebrity couples and families
Consisting of white buildings with weathered-wood shingles, the resort offers 36 guestrooms in the seaside two-story Pineapple House and 27 privately owned villas containing 74 suites. All rooms and villa suites face the Caribbean Sea and include both air-conditioning and ceiling fans.
Each villa contains a kitchen in which a housekeeper can prepare breakfasts (surcharges) for guests staying in villa suites. Coffeemakers are accompanied by Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee. Neither rooms nor villa suites include televisions. Each room or villa includes a CD player/radio
Room Amenities
CD player
Separate sitting area
Ceiling fan
Air conditioning
Coffee/tea maker
Complimentary bottled water
Wake-up calls
Turndown service
Extra towels/bedding in room
Handheld shower
In-room massage available
Bathroom scale
Bathrobes
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Clock radio
Desk
Non-smoking only
Window opens
Pillow menu
Cribs (infant beds) available
Direct-dial phone
Refrigerator
Housekeeping
Private bathroom
Shower/tub combination
Makeup/shaving mirror
Iron/ironing board
In-room safe
Wireless high-speed Internet access (complimentary)
Ocean view
A terrace overlooking Round Hill Bay and the forested mountains on the bay's opposite side features a large family swimming pool surrounded by cushioned lounge chairs. Another pool measuring 8m in diameter (26 ft) overlooks the bay in the resort's 4-hectare (10-acre), adults-only spa-and-fitness retreat, which is accessible by a 400m (437-yd) path along the bay.
The complimentary fitness center contains free weights and cardio and weight machines. Complimentary aerobics sessions take place on the veranda, with yoga classes (surcharge) on the lawn.
Furnished with cushioned lounge chairs and umbrellas, the resort's private 75-m (76-yd) beach is lapped by the calm waters of little Round Hill Bay. Cushioned lounge chairs also are available on a 75-m (76-yd) stone-and-concrete walkway shaded by tropical almond trees that extends from one end of the beach. A trampoline raft and two wood rafts are anchored off the beach, and there's snorkeling among rocks near the beach and a reef farther offshore.
The resort provides complimentary snorkeling, kayaks, pedal boats, and glass-bottom-boat tours. Water skiing and fishing are available for surcharges, as are scuba-diving instruction/certification, diving excursions, and a 15.5-m (51-ft) catamaran with crew for sailing/snorkeling excursions.
Use of five tennis courts (two lighted) is complimentary, and the resort provides a complimentary professional-taught tennis clinic in July and August for children age 12 and younger. Also complimentary are guided Friday-afternoon nature walks through the resort's grounds. A jogging/running path winds through the resort's hills. Complimentary shuttle service is available to Tryall Golf Club 5 km (3 mi) away
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The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the resort; fees may apply.
Golfing nearby
Snorkeling on site
Swimming on site
Sailing on site
Scuba diving on site
Water skiing on site
Rafting nearby
Windsurfing on site
Yoga classes/instruction on site
Aerobics on site
Parasailing on site
Helicopter/airplane sightseeing nearby
Bird watching nearby
Fishing on site
Georgian Dining Room - Dining room and Upper and Lower Seaside Terraces with tropical-almond trees and sea/sunset views. À la carte breakfast and dinner. International choices and Jamaican specialties. (Buffets offered during high-occupancy periods.) Live music nightly. Dinner dress code: long pants, collared shirts for men.
Special Nights - Monday-night beach-party buffet (casual wear). Friday-night Jamaican buffet with folkloric show (dress shorts permitted). Saturday-night dinner-dance with live jazz (men's jackets suggested but not required).
Beach Bar - Circular bar built around tropical-almond tree. Open late morning to early evening for sandwiches, salads, burgers, tropical drinks.
Pool Bar - Circular bar built around tropical-almond tree. Open late morning to early evening for sandwiches, salads, burgers, tropical drinks during high-occupancy periods.
Spa Lunch - Smoothies, juices, tropical drinks served on lawn at adults-only spa retreat.
Cocktail Bar - Located in rear of Lower Terrace. Open mid-morning to late night. Designed by Ralph Lauren. Blue-and-white striped banquettes, dark-wood trim, charcoal-gray tile floor. Dozens of photographs of past villa owners and resort guests such as actors Clark Gable and Michael Douglas, and director Alfred Hitchcock. Complimentary afternoon tea. Cocktails, cigars, live music.
Hotel Round Hill Hotel - traveler's Comments