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Style: A charming, homely, older style villa, in traditional light and dark Round Hill style. Originally built in the 50s, it has had sympathetic modernisation and is a very popular family villa for those with children.
The Beach: A 7 minute walk or 1 minute buggy ride to the beach at Round Hill Hotel Jamaica
The Rooms: 4 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms
Key features: Jamaica resort villa with a high level of repeat business, coastal views, swimming pool (20ft x 40ft), satellite TV, VCR and CD system, Round Hill Hotel and Beach Club membership, van with driver available. Can be taken with Seaside Cottage to sleep 16.
Children: Welcome – Pineapple Kids Club at Round Hill for extra charge
Staff: Butler, cook, housekeeper, laundress, gardener – resident butler |
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Description
Hillside Cottage is a charming holiday home in the exclusive Round Hill Estate on the north coast of Jamaica. It was one of the first private villas to be built there in the Fifties and it has been sympathetically modernized, becoming well loved over the years and seeing a high level of repeat business. The villa sits in well tended, terraced gardens flanked by shrubs and trees, in a superb hillside location set slightly away from most of the houses in the resort. This gives it a good level of privacy but also lovely views of the Caribbean Sea. A delightful team of friendly, long serving staff have been welcoming guests to Hillside Cottage for many years (the butler and housekeeper alone can tot up over fifty years between them). The villa is well suited to families and has good facilities for them. It also works well for larger groups as it can be combined with its sister property Seaside Cottage, which is just below it, to sleep sixteen. Between them they are set in 10 acres of garden with some sea frontage.
As the name suggests, Hillside Cottage is set high on a slope, from where it has wonderful, far reaching views across the water to Montego Bay. The view is impressive during the day but especially pretty at night, when the city lights sparkle in the distance. Built into the hillside, the villa is set over two levels and has attractive white walls and a grey shingle roof in classic Round Hill style. The main entrance to the villa leads into the upper floor via a leafy, dining courtyard, not unlike a large gazebo, which is backlit at night for candlelit dinners. From here you enter the house itself via glass sliding doors, walking straight into a homely living area with an exposed white ceiling and pale, marble floor tiles. Fresh flowers from the villa’s gardens are placed around the room, which is furnished with natural rattan and decorated with wood-carvings and colourful paintings by local artists. A small library fills a bookshelf and the satellite TV sits in a corner TV cabinet. A drinks trolley is set just outside the door to the adjoining kitchen. Beyond a second set of glass sliding doors, covering the whole of the far wall, is the breezy balcony. This is a popular spot for cocktails and after dinner drinks, with the mesmerizing spectacle of Montego Bay’s night lights in the distance.
As with most holiday homes in the Caribbean, it’s the outdoor areas that really matter most. Hillside Cottage sits in immaculate lawns and well tended gardens, which are reached via steps down from the balcony. The gardens are flanked by flowering trees and shrubs, including vibrant bougainvillea, which tumbles from the balcony. Steps lead from the upper lawn down to a good size swimming pool, where paved terraces provide areas for sunbathing and alfresco meals. The pool also has spectacular views across the bay. A smaller, more private sun terrace is tucked away amongst the shrubbery beyond the pool terrace to one side. It gives onto to the sloping gardens below.
Hillside Cottage has four air-conditioned bedrooms, three of which are located on the upper floor, to the left of the living room. There is a twin bedded room (the bed can convert to a king) with garden views at the rear of the villa. It has an en suite bathroom with blue ware including tub/shower. Next to it is a second twin bedded room (again it converts to a king-size bed), which faces the bay and has access to the balcony. It connects to the third bedroom which has a double bed and a new en suite bathroom with walk-in shower facing the bay and louvered windows providing ocean views. This bedroom also has a rear door giving access to the gardens. While the bathroom to the third bedroom is new, the others retain their original style, the first in blue tile and the second in turquoise and black. They appear quite dated, but are kept because they are the best of the original Fifties Jamaican design.
The master bedroom is located downstairs, at garden level. It is very private and has access from outside only, through double louvered doors that open out to the lawn, giving views straight to the pool and bay. The room is an unusual semi-circle shape and its king-size bed is set against pickle pine wall panels, facing the curved front wall. The large windows either side of the doors open out so that you can lie in bed and enjoy the fabulous views. The en suite bathroom has a separate shower and tub, and like the bedroom it is designed to get the best of the views. If you leave the door into the gardens open, you can soak in the bathtub and enjoy the views at the same time. |
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Beach & Swimming
Guests at Hillside Cottage benefit from full use of the facilities Round Hill as Beach Club Members. The resort is a (free) short buggy ride away, or about seven minutes on foot, and membership gives access to resort’s beach, where there is good swimming and snorkelling and a range of watersports including scuba diving through Captain's Watersports, at an extra charge.
Hillside Cottage has a good size, freshwater swimming pool (20ft x40ft), set below the villa in terraced lawns. Built into the sloping gardens, it has a railing on the downhill side. At either end of the pool are paved sun terraces where lunch can be served. The pool has entry steps to the shallow end and a ladder into the deep end. |
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Sports & Recreation
Beach Club Membership of Round Hill allows use of the resort’s fitness centre which is set next to the full service spa, where treatments are available at extra charge. For a fee guests may use the five floodlit tennis courts and for children there is access to the Pineapple Kids Club, also at extra charge. There are several excellent 18 hole golf courses within the Montego Bay area. The nearest is at Tryall Club, a par 72, 6772 yard course just five minutes away by the hotel’s complimentary shuttle. Other courses, beyond Montego Bay, include Half Moon, par 72, 7,119 yards, the White Witch par 71, 6,718 yards and Cinnamon Hill a par 71, 6,637 yards. They are about 30-40 minutes by car, depending on the traffic through the town. The nearest riding stables are Chukka Blue near Tryall and there is an equestrian centre at Half Moon. |
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Locality
The exclusive 100 acre Round Hill Estate is to the west of Montego Bay and is home to the private holiday houses of the rich and famous. Hillside Cottage’s location in the grounds of the hotel offers villa guests the best of both worlds, privacy on the one hand, but all the hotel’s facilities on the other. There is even a free buggy ride to get there. Round Hill hotel offers fine dining, a popular beach party night with barbecue, occasional live music, a piano bar, beach bar, pool bar, a full service spa, fitness centre, PADI dive and watersports shop, five tennis courts, a children’s club, an art/craft gallery, gift shop, resort boutique and a jogging trail.
Just above Round Hill is the village of Hopewell, which has a supermarket and liquor store/off-licence, pharmacy, AMT, post office, library and service station. About five minutes drive west of Round Hill is the Tryall Club, where there is a championship golf course. A free shuttle runs from Round Hill if you wish to play golf. Travel further west and you will reach the popular beach resort of Negril in less than an hour. Closer to home is the Great River Valley, where bamboo river rafting from Lethe village is a main tourist attraction. Inland from the small community at Reading, on a pleasant drive through a rainforested gully, is the Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary, where you can hand-feed hummingbirds.
Hillside Cottage is approximately 20 minutes from Montego Bay, Jamaica’s second largest city and the island’s tourism epicentre. A free shuttle transports guests into he city for shopping trips. In the downtown area of the city there are several craft markets and shopping centres, including duty free outlets. On the northern edge is Gloucester Avenue, which calls itself the “Hip Strip”. Here there are cafes, shops, craft markets and restaurants serving anything from jerk at the Pork Pit to fine cuisine at The Townhouse by the Sea, as well as some lively clubs and bars, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. The best beach in the area, Doctor’s Dave Beach, is also on the strip. Beyond the town is the Freeport peninsular, where you will find a shopping mall next to the cruise ship berths, and the Houseboat Grill restaurant on the lagoon itself. In nearby Bogue is the Fairview Shopping Centre with SuperPlus, a large, well-stocked supermarket, a cinema, department store, hardware store, pharmacy, fast food jerk centre, service station and a KFC. Closer to town is the Westgate Shopping Centre with a bank, supermarket, off-licence, McDonalds and service station. |
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Useful Hints
Provisioning: The chef at Hillside Cottage will pre-stock for your welcome meal and buy in initial food and drink supplies. You may opt to prepay your groceries (if so, please do so 60 days prior to arrival). If you are booking direct, ask your travel organiser or the villa agent for a list of suggested items. If you do not pre-pay, the bill for the initial provisioning (plus the costs for transport) should be paid in cash on arrival and you should then also provide the chef with funds for all subsequent shopping, including transportation costs.
The chef works to an average budget of US$45 per adult/US$20 per child, per day when provisioning the menu. Pre-stocking includes a basic drinks package of rum, wine and beer, but does not cover extras such as whole lobster or imported steak, which vary according to market prices. The rest of the shopping for your stay will be done by the chef once you have liaised with them on arrival. You may opt to go with them on the first trip.
Gratuities: Rental rates for villas in Jamaica do not include ‘tips’ and it is recommended that you set aside 10% of the total villa rental in winter and 15% for summer as a gratuity for the staff. You will be expected to pay this directly to the staff before you leave. Information on how it is to be divided will be included in the guest’s villa manual, and you may find an envelope provided.
Weddings: Permission to hold a wedding or any large function at your rental villa should be obtained in advance when making your initial reservation enquiry, as each villa has its own restrictions. Most villa weddings/functions will attract a guest surcharge if the number attending the ceremony/reception exceeds the villa’s maximum occupancy. This fee is currently US$15 per person. Also note that if party numbers exceed the maximum villa occupancy you will normally be required to use the services of an outside catering company to arrange food and beverage. |
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Rates
| | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2009 | Thanks- Giving 2009 | 15 Dec- 15 Apr 2009-10 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2009-10 | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2010 | | Hillside Cottage 1-4 bedrooms | 6,500 | 7,750 | 7,500 | 18,000 | 6,500 | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP). Rates are based on double occupancy per bedroom. There is a surcharge of $29 per night for each extra guest in any room. All rates are subject to change without notice. Minimum stay of 5 nights from 16 Apr-14 Dec except during Easter, Thanksgiving and 15 Dec-15 Apr when the minimum stay is 7 nights. There is a minimum stay of 14 nights over the Christmas/New Year period, unless booking for the Christmas week (lower rate) only and departing by 29 Dec. |
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How To Book
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the villa agent, Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith. To confirm a reservation you must send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee (50% for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year). Payment of the remaining 75% is required 60 days prior to your arrival (90 days for Thanksgiving and 120 days for Christmas and New Year) and no refunds will be made during this time. For cancellations made more than 60 days prior to scheduled occupancy, deposits will be refunded less a 10% cancellation fee and relevant credit card processing or wire fees. If you are booking within 60 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. A US$500 security deposit is also required, against damage to the villa or contents during your stay. It is refundable on your return home if no damage has occurred. You may contact Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith please see here. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct you can make arrangements for the villa agent to send a driver to meet you at the airport, which will then be pre-paid with your balance for the villa. The airport transfer from Montego Bay will take 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A hired car is highly recommended for all private villa holidays but a popular alternative in Jamaica is a private driver service, which is easily arranged and particularly useful if you go out in the evenings. For shopping or sightseeing, you may wish to be independent and drive yourself around as it gives you an added element of freedom to explore the island, which is exceptionally beautiful. If you are booking the villa direct or through a tour operator, you can organise car hire at the same time as you book your accommodation. Otherwise you can reserve your car with Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith at the same time as booking your villa.
If you do decide to go for a hire car, ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property (there may be a delivery fee) approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Jamaica or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. All drivers booked through the villa staff or through Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith are registered JUTA tour guides. |
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