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Style: Noble House has a gracious, older style (it was built in the 60s and after some sympathetic modernisation it retains much of the original feel) and it has immense charm and style. With first class service in a relaxed and elegant beachfront setting, it is ideal for discerning travellers, including large family gatherings, weddings and special occasions looking for villa rentals in Montego Bay
The Beach: A 500ft stretch of private beach with fine dark sand. Some shallow waters directly offshore, other deeper areas for swimming further along the beach. Beach stretches down past Tranquillity and ends at Serenity villa
The Rooms: 3 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, the master having 2 bathrooms, plus a one bedroom cottage with en suite bathroom and a living room with extra beds plus second bathroom
Key features: An excellent option for a villa vacation in Jamaica, 5 acre beachfront estate with private beach, swimming pool (35ft x 55ft), bar, formal dining room, spacious living areas both indoors and out, roof terrace, lily pond, satellite TV, VCR, music system, 2 sea kayaks, wet bar in cottage, Round Hill Hotel and Beach Club membership.
Children: Welcome
Staff: Butler, chef, housekeeper/assistant cook, laundress, 2 assistant housekeepers, 2 gardeners, night watchman – resident staff on a rotation basis |
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Description
Noble House is an extremely comfortable and distinguished four bedroom holiday home set in glorious lawns and gardens on a very private stretch of beach just west of Montego Bay. It has an unexpected mix of styles – strong Sixties structure and design, plenty of laid back charm, a scent of the Orient and some timeless Jamaican elegance. As you drive by on the main coast road you would never imagine that it could be hiding behind the tropical woodland beneath you, but once you have descended through the thickly forested approach, and the drive lined with royal palms, you find the villa set in five acres of almost park-like grounds, its lawns set with beds of wonderful plants, flowers and surrounded by many trees, particularly fruit trees.
Inside, Noble House is extremely open and it blurs the definition of indoors and out, giving a delightful sense of freedom in the many open-air living spaces. Some rooms are completely open-sided, just roofs supported on columns, surrounded by glass walls that fold away. Actually the gardens are even brought inside, with flowerbeds set among the pavilions. Although the villa has been added to and redone over the years, the original Sixties design is still visible in the bold use of white concrete and the limestone cladding on some of the walls. Added to this are some classic techniques of Jamaican design, the linked pavilions with their steeply-pitched shingle-tiled roofs and the furniture, which includes wicker armchairs and hardwood four poster beds. It is also decorated with interesting local artwork and there are some valuable art and antiques on display. Some pieces date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. They were the collection of the villa’s original owner, the late Billy Rose, a famous Broadway producer, theatre owner and songwriter whose wives included Fanny Brice.
With its magnificent grounds, Noble House is a popular choice for weddings. There are several areas to choose from to hold a ceremony, reception or dinner - the beach perhaps, or by the pond, at the pool, on the veranda, in the formal dining pavilion or in many places around the lawns. Also, two other villas, Tranquillity and Serenity, are located next door and they can be hired in conjunction with Noble House if additional accommodation is needed (all three combined make fourteen bedrooms plus an additional room to sleep two children).
As you walk into the house, a wide wrought-iron entrance gives into a central, open-air courtyard with pale marble floors. This is a cool and tranquil spot. At its centre stands a bed of palms surrounded by a mosaic-tiled channel of water. It is a delightful focal point by day but also particularly good at night, when the trees are lit by spotlights. To the left of the courtyard are the staff quarters, the kitchen and a full wet bar, where your butler Lloyd will mix up cocktails of your choice. A corridor to the right leads to the bedrooms.
Although so much of Noble House is in the open air, the area has extensive roof cover from the linked pavilions, and the living areas flow one into the next. To one side of the courtyard, on the fringe of the bar and the formal dining room, is a square pool which is spanned by a red oriental-style foot bridge. The dining pavilion has a backdrop of local, white stone and its three other sides are walls of folding glass, so it can be opened out to the gardens and pool. Its central feature is a striking crystal chandelier, though guests can also choose to dine by candlelight.
Actually there are many options for dining. Dinner can also be served on the main veranda, which is generally used for breakfast and sometimes lunch. Or you might like a torch-lit, beach barbecue and a bonfire, in which case tables can be set on the beach or the lawn. Lunch can also be served by the swimming pool, either on the pool terrace or in the shade by the lily pond. Another option for lunch or afternoon tea is a picnic on the lawns. Valrie, the cook and senior member of staff has a number of signature dishes, including grilled lobster with a lime and butter sauce, jerk chicken or pork with homemade jerk sauce, grilled fish with a tomato and basil sauce, curried goat, crepes, key lime pie, fruit sherbets, carrot cake and pumpkin pie. There are also the dishes on the Le Chef gourmet menu to choose from.
The main living area is directly ahead of the courtyard, under the principle pavilion, which looks forward onto the gardens and the sea. It is formal but comfortable, and is furnished in a combination of dark stained rattan and hardwood upholstered sofas and it has some interesting antiques, including an intricately carved grandfather clock. It also has satellite TV, VCR and CD system. Again there is a blend of East and West, but the most pleasing aspect of the room is that it is completely open on all sides (with the same glass panel doors). There are verandas and plant beds to the left and right, but ahead, looking towards the sea there is another veranda, which has been furnished for more casual living - with comfortable wicker seating and day beds. The daytime dining area, where breakfast is generally served (and which became a dance floor during one wedding held at the villa) is to one side under the eaves.
There are four bedrooms in total at Noble House, three of them in the main house. (The fourth is in the poolside cottage, which can also accommodate two children because it has some additional beds in the living area.) These are accessed from the entrance courtyard off a long hallway with original local artwork and books and other collectables displayed in built-in units. Opposite the displays are two bedrooms side by side. The first has a pretty blue and white décor, with matching chinaware, and dark stained mahogany furnishings. It has a four poster, king size bed with patchwork quilt. The second is much more exotic and has an air of the Orient, with black lacquer furnishings and a king size bed with a crimson ruche satin cover. Both of these bedrooms have enclosed sea-view terraces and en suite bathrooms with good size, tiled sunken baths with shower heads, next to glass sliding doors to small walled rock gardens.
The master bedroom is beyond them at the end of the hall. You enter the suite through a large entrance hallway, off which there is a dressing room and one of the two bathrooms (his), with shower. From here you walk into the very spacious bedroom, which has a series of louvered wooden shutters along its entire front and both sides, and beyond which there is a covered terrace with views across the lawns to the sea. There is another lily pond right close by. This is a lovely tranquil spot to sit with a coffee in the morning (coffee is served each morning on your bedroom terrace). The bedroom features an antique four poster, mahogany king size bed, a comfy two seater sofa and a writing desk by the terrace where you can sit and work with a view of the sea. There is also a reading chair with footstool and TV with CNN news channel. A dressing area on the far side of the room leads to the second large, luxury bathroom (hers), where you will find an impressive circular sunken marble tub with showerhead. It is the size of a large Jacuzzi and has more than enough room for two.
The fourth bedroom is located in the poolside cottage, which is set apart from the main villa at the east end of the gardens next to the pool. The cottage has a jollier, less formal atmosphere than the main house and it works well as a spot to base yourself for the day around the lagoon-like swimming pool. It has a sitting area with wicker seating, a wet bar with fridge, TV and a guest bathroom with shower. There are also two single wicker day beds in the sitting room which can be used for children to sleep on at night. The bedroom is through at the rear of the cottage. It is cheerfully decorated with a king size bed, an en suite bathroom with shower and an enclosed terrace facing the beach.
The gardens at Noble House are excellent, an expanse of lawns which are laid with beds of tropical flowers and dotted with trees - guango, cedar, birch, pimento, almond, breadfruit, casuarina, poinciana – particularly fruit trees - star apple, soursop, mango, avocado, wild orange. The sandbox tree is interesting for its unusual pods, which make an attractive souvenir when dried out. A mesmerizing lily pond with waterspouts, filled with a multitude of aquatic plants, adds another dimension to the gardens as it attracts dragon flies and butterflies and the occasional heron. Off the beach you can watch pelicans diving for fish, and around the villa’s grounds birds commonly spotted include several species of humming birds, the white chinned thrush (locally called hoppin dick), ground doves, banaquits, the white crown pigeon (baldpate), and, more often heard than seen, the nightingale. Finally, while there are almost limitless places to sunbathe around the grounds, there is also a roof deck, reached from near the red bridge, which makes for a very nice private spot for daytime drowsing and in the evenings for stargazing.
Noble House is a splendid, spacious villa, with a high standard of service and is an excellent choice for both large families or groups of friends, especially if gathering for a special occasion. |
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Beach and Swimming
The open lawns at Noble House sit on 500ft of beachfront, which runs along the front of the property, behind a very low wall. The beach has very fine, fawn coloured (grey-brown) sand and the water is very shallow, making it fine for wading quite far out and for kayaking, but not so good for swimming. Farther west along the beach, in front of Tranquillity and Serenity villas, the water gets a little deeper and so swimming is possible. The sand is slightly lighter here, but there are more pebbles. The beach ends just beyond Serenity. With the Great River running into the sea not far off, the waters along this section of coast are not always crystal clear, especially after heavy rainfall. To the east of the villa the beach continues a short distance around a bend where the land is currently undeveloped and ends in natural mangrove, which attracts lots of birdlife including herons and pelicans. There is no access to the beach except via the three villas or by sea, so it is effectively private.
Guests at Noble House also have membership of the Beach Club at Round Hill, which is around 5 minutes away by car. This gives access to resort’s golden sand beach, where there is good swimming and snorkelling, and a range of watersports, including scuba diving (at extra charge) through Captain's Watersports.
The swimming pool at Noble House is located across the lawns slightly away from the main house, next to the one-bedroom guest cottage and beside the beach. It is a really wonderful spot. The pool is lagoon like and freeform, 35ft by 55ft (depth 3ft10 to 5ft4), with broad entry steps to the shallow end and a small swim up platform. There are plenty of areas for sunbathing, on the island in the pool and on the terrace in front of the cottage, which is also partly shaded in case you want a respite from the sun. The cottage itself has a wet bar in the sitting room which has folding glass doors that push right back on three sides and a guest bathroom with shower in addition to the en suite bedroom. Guests can spend the whole day there, and of course lunch can be served on the terrace if they wish. |
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Sports & Recreation
Noble House has two sea kayaks for use out on the bay (you will be required to sign a disclaimer before use). Beach Club Membership of Round Hill allows use of the resort’s fitness centre which is set next to a full service spa – treatments not included. For a fee guests may use the floodlit tennis courts, of which there are five and children have access (also for a charge) to the Pineapple Kids Club.
There are several excellent 18 hole golf courses within the Montego Bay area. The nearest is at Tryall Club (a 72 par, 6772 yards) around 10 minutes away by car, and the others are the White Witch at Rose Hall (par 71, 6,718 yards), Cinnamon Hill at the Wyndham (par 71, 6,637 yards) and Half Moon (par 72, 7,119 yards), which are 30-40 minutes away on the other side of Montego Bay. The nearest riding stables are Chukka Blue near Tryall and the equestrian centre at Half Moon. |
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Locality
Noble House is positioned directly on the beach in the popular area of Unity Hall west of Montego Bay, hidden from the main road by mature trees and well established grounds. It is one of three villas (the others are Tranquillity and Serenity) that have the sole land access to the beach that they share. A couple of minutes west is the Great River, where the popular activity of bamboo river rafting from Lethe village is a popular tourist attraction – you will see the occasional raft go by the villa. About five minutes drive further west is Round Hill Hotel and Villas, and five minutes beyond that is Tryall Club, which has an 18 hole golf course. Both properties hold popular beach party nights with barbecues and live music (reservations required) in addition to their normal fine dining. 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. Continue driving west for an hour and you will come to the town of Negril.
To the east you come to the small community at Reading, which has a Post Office and (up in the hills) the Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary, where you can hand-feed hummingbirds. Heading further east in about 15-20 minutes you come to Montego Bay, a vibrant and very busy town, Jamaica’s second largest city. In the city itself there are several craft markets and shopping centres, including duty free outlets. Along Gloucester Avenue are cafes, shops, craft markets, restaurants serving anything from jerk at the Pork Pit to fine cuisine at the Townhouse by the Sea, and some lively clubs, the most famous of which is Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. There is also an excellent beach with beach bars and facilities at Doctor’s Cave beach.
There are a number of supermarkets and shopping areas on the road back to Unity Hall. The Westgate Shopping Centre has a bank, supermarket, off-licence, McDonalds and a service station and the Freeport peninsular just south of Montego Bay has a shopping mall next to the cruise ship berths. On the lagoon you pass the Houseboat Grill restaurant. In nearby Bogue is the Fairview Shopping Centre with SuperPlus, a large supermarket, cinema, department store, hardware store, pharmacy, fast food jerk centre, service station and a KFC. |
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Useful Hints
Provisioning: The chef at Noble House will assume that you will require a welcome meal for your arrival and that initial food and drink supplies should be purchased. You should ask your travel organiser or the villa agent (if booking direct) for a list of suggested items. If you are booking direct you may opt to prepay your groceries, which should be done at least 60 days prior to arrival. 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 is a graduate of Villas by Linda Smith’s “Le Chef” gourmet cuisine cooking course, which offers guests menus of a slightly higher standard. They work to an average budget of US$45 per adult/US$20 per child, per day when provisioning the Le Chef menu. This 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 her on arrival. You may opt to go with her on the first shopping 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 welcome book, and you may find an envelope is provided.
Your villa’s laundress will attend to your personal laundry (excluding dry clean items). If you hand over laundry in the morning it is usually ready later that same afternoon.
Those who are highly allergic to animals should note that Noble House has a friendly dog called Mitsy who can be kept locked away during the day and let out at night only.
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. The maximum number of guests for a wedding ceremony/reception at Noble House is one hundred, and an extra damage deposit of US$1000 applies. |
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Rates
| | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2007 | 15 Dec- 15 Apr 2007-08 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2007-08 | Easter 2008 | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2008 | Thanks- Giving 2008 | | Noble House 1-3 bedrooms 4 bedrooms 4 + bedrooms | 6,000 7,700 8,700 | 8,500 10,450 11,500 | 16,500 16,500 16,500 | 10,500 10,500 10,500 | 6,600 8,500 9,600 | 9,600 9,600 9,600 | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP). 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 27/28 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, Christmas and New Year). 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 occurs during your stay. 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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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser that features this property, please follow the link.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct you will be able to 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 Airport takes approximately 30 minutes (though you should be aware that traffic in Montego Bay can be bad in the mornings and afternoons).
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 strongly 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 booking 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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