Half Moon

In Depth

The grandeur of Half Moon reveals itself the moment you turn in off the main north coast road just east of Montego Bay. The formal gates stand to attention either side of the drive, bright white columns with a small pointed shingle roof standing out against the green of the foliage. The motif of the hotel stands out there too, two half moons in black and white that make up a circle. As you enter you pass down an alley of royal palms and travellers’ trees, itself a wonderfully pretty sight, and eventually swing round to the main building, where you are presented with a white neo-classical façade, huge hefty columns topped with a triangular pediment (worthy of a plantation house in the Southern States). Again the motif of Half Moon is at its centre.

The façade of pillars acts as a porte cochère and so you get out of the car under cover and walk into the dark-panelled lobby. The floor is tiled in grey marble and around the light walls and columns stand reproduction Jamaican antiques including pineapple-backed armchairs and formal sofas. The Palladian style and the chiaroscuro theme set a tone of traditional Jamaican elegance. Drawn from the old colonial days, it runs through many areas of the resort, now often updated into a more modern incarnation.

Meanwhile, the view of the sea through the open foyer draws you towards the waterfront. You pass a courtyard garden to your left, where columns and the trunks of royal palms surround a water fountain. Around the courtyard you will find the Reception, the business centre, the Concierge and the car hire desk. Beyond it are a couple of VIP check-in rooms before you come to the main bar (called Lester’s Bar), which has the same elegant, classical feel and is decorated with original oil paintings by local artists. Next is the Seagrape Terrace dining room, laid out on your left as you come into the open air again. Under black and white awnings you look out onto a second bar (the Piano) on the right, the bandstand and from there onto the jade and aquamarine water of the bay.

The outdoor section of the Seagrape Terrace has a very pretty setting indeed. You sit under the eaves of the building or in the open air on hefty garden furniture, metalwork tables and chairs, with a lovely view of the bay through spindly ficus, sea grape trees and palms. It looks particularly atmospheric at night when the trees are lit with fairy lights. This is where the evening entertainment takes place. There is an indoor dining room (in which the breakfast buffet is set up, also used in case of bad weather), which is decorated in quite an elaborate style, with panelled walls, mirrors and chandeliers. The tables are wooden and the dining chairs have the same pineapple backs. (You will see the pineapple theme all over Jamaica. It was a symbol of welcome in the 1700s). Just beyond here is the Italian restaurant, Il Giardino, which is also set in its own ornate dining room. Looking towards the beach from here you will see the daytime beach bar.

The extremely pretty bay that you overlook from the Seagrape Terrace is the one that gave the resort its name, Half Moon Bay. Lining its shoreline are some of the hotel’s original bedrooms, the West Cottages, which contain a range of rooms including Deluxe rooms, Junior, Royal and Imperial suites. They stand two deep behind the sand (the cottages not on the waterfront are set around shared swimming pools.) The beach is referred to as Sunset Beach, and there are some watersports here, so it sees quite a bit of activity. It is protected by a small causeway at the end of which there is a gazebo with a pointed shingle roof.

Most of Half Moon’s 398 rooms are set on the other side of the central area, in modern buildings, some with a more contemporary take on Jamaican Georgian architectural style. You can see how the hotel has grown steadily eastwards from the beach over the years, stretching along the nearly two miles of beach and waterfront. In fact in the Seventies it took over another hotel (the Colony Hotel, now the Oleander area of the resort). First there are the Hibiscus Suites and Junior Suites (mostly one-bedroom, some two-bedroom, set in two-storey beachfront buildings). Next is the Royal Court, which contains Royal Suites and Imperial Suites in a series of units set around a central lounge (in which you can have breakfast, rather than having to go to the main dining room). There are also a couple of pools for the use of guests at the Royal Court. Beyond here is the Oleander area, which has its own centre of gravity, centred around a pool and a small waterfront restaurant. It has Superior Rooms and Deluxe Suites and there is a games room and a small commissary. Beyond the Dolphin Lagoon and Sunrise Beach you come to the last section of accommodation, the Royal Villas, which are set in their own enclave. These are large villas, with five, six and seven bedrooms, some with a private swimming pool. There are 33 of them in all and they each have a butler, housekeeper and a cook.

The bedrooms at Half Moon are in not in a uniform style, though they continue the theme of classic Jamaican elegance to some extent, including the chiaroscuro theme of black and white (often in the floor-tiles). They use reproduction antique furniture in dark tropical hardwood, including four-poster wooden beds and plantation-style chairs and tables, but while some are grand and quite ornate, with elaborate chandeliers and marble pillars, others are leaner in their decoration and have a more contemporary look. All the rooms at the hotel have excellent facilities and are well equipped.

If the coastline of the resort is taken up mostly with accommodation, the land behind is given over to the hotel’s huge number of facilities, which vary from the spa and a helipad down to a bowls green and even a giant outdoor chess board (in the resorts black and white theme, obviously). As the resort is large, it is possible to hire golf carts and bicycles. There are of course shuttles that run around the resort too.

Around the main reception area you will find several large meeting rooms (the Montego, Rose Hall and St James Rooms) and the hotel’s administrative offices. Close by there is a small arcade with some smart shops selling clothes and beach essentials. Across the drive from here you will find the fitness centre, which acts as reception for the many tennis courts (there are 13 scattered around the grounds), a volleyball court and a badminton court. Not far off is the Anancy Children’s Village, which caters for children aged 3-12 (other activities arranged for teenagers), see below. Also among them you will find the full service, Fern Tree Spa, with eight treatment rooms. Opposite here (next to the Hibiscus rooms) there are two pools. One is an Olympic length swimming pool for lap swimming and the other is free-form, with a Jacuzzi and a bar.

Between the Oleander area and Sunrise Beach, you come to an open sports area, where you will find a croquet pitch, bowls lawn and an 18 hole putting course. There is also a lake, in the middle of which stands a gazebo, one of the many locations which can be used for weddings. There is also a small nature reserve in the mangroves. On the waterfront here is the Dolphin Lagoon. On Sunrise Beach you will find a second watersports shop, home of the scuba diving.

In the back of the resort, closer to the main road, you will find the helipad, a football pitch and the equestrian centre (with a dressage ring), which offers rides up into the hills on the other side of the main road and down onto the sand on the beach. At the rear gate of the resort is Half Moon Shopping Village, a series of duty-free shops that stand either side of a promenade. There are about 25 shops there in all, with all you would ever want in terms of souvenirs and holiday essentials, as well as a bank, a post office and a doctor’s and a dentist’s surgery. There are also other meeting rooms in the village or close by and there is a salon which can offer hair and beauty services and some spa treatments.

Half Moon Resort even extends to the other side of the main road from here. There is an 18-hole championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior, with a pro shop and the 19th Hole bar and a Golf Academy. Four squash courts are nearby. The Sugar Mill, one of the restaurants, is located in the area too.

Half Moon is a very large resort but it has a sympathetic feel. Unlike other large hotels (which can look and feel a bit like a prison sometimes), it is low rise and it is spread out over a couple of miles of beachfront, giving it a leisurely aspect. Each section of the resort has its own character and some are partly self-contained – they may have some facilities that are secluded or private to the area – so you won’t be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. Most importantly though, because it has grown organically over the year, so Half Moon hotel manages to maintain a venerable charm and character that most new and purpose-built hotels do not have.

Fundamentally though, Half Moon is a modern resort. It has excellent facilities, offering a diet of activities to keep you or your children busy for a week. And it stretches its brief across many fields. Just as it is applicable for couples, so it works well for families (you can see three generations at the breakfast table at certain time of the year). It can stage a wedding or a party for you. And with all its meeting rooms, Half Moon holds many conferences. The hotel is large enough that you will seldom see any evidence of it. Instead you can concentrate on the serious pursuits of sunbathing and relaxation.

Beach & Swimming

There are two main beaches at Half Moon Montego Bay, at the western and eastern ends of the property. They have been named Sunset Beach (in the west), because you can see the sunset over the bay from the bar in the main building, and Sunrise Beach, which is farther east, between the Dolphin Lagoon and the Royal Villas enclave. These two beaches are each set on their own very pretty curved bay, with sand that descends into shallow water (making ideal swimming for children), and they have some watersports. On the stretch of land between them the sand is a little thinner, but many of the rooms at the hotel give directly onto it, enabling you to walk straight out from your room and wade in the sea (the swimming varies along the strip). Generally the water is calm all along the strip because an offshore reef catches the big swell, and because there are small causeways reaching out into the water.

There are an extraordinary 51 pools at Half Moon. Many are attached to the various rooms and suites and are therefore not for general use, but there are three pools that are open to all guests. The main pool is the Hibiscus Pool, which is close to the main building. It has swim-up bar and three Jacuzzis. Next to it is an Olympic-length (50 metre) lap pool for those who want to swim for exercise. The third open pool is in the Oleander area slightly further west.

Sports & Recreation

There is a huge range of sports and activities on offer at Half Moon Resort.

There are 13 tennis courts at the resort, many of which can be lit for night play. Most are close to the Fitness Centre (near the reception), but there are also two courts in the Oleander area. Tennis clinics are available. Other raquet sports include badminton and squash (there are four courts in the golf course area). Several of the lounges have table tennis tables as well as pool tables. Courts for other ball games include volleyball and basketball. The Fitness Centre itself (close to the main building) contains a cardio room and a weights room. Yoga and aerobics sessions are held here, anything from body-sculpting to kick-boxing. Personal trainers are available of you wish.

There are also a number of areas with gentler activities such as croquet and bowls. You can even play outdoor chess with overlarge pieces on a classic Half Moon black and white chessboard. If you do not want to play a full round of golf, see below, there is an 18 hole putting course on the main property. The spa, also see below, has nine treatment rooms and also contains a sauna and a steam room.

The Equestrian Centre can cater for all standards of riders, from beginners and children to riders who want to practise their jumping, dressage or polo - lessons available. About 30 horses are kept at the stables, and they can be ridden in the jumping/dressage arena or taken out on trail rides. These take place inland in the jungle on the hills beyond the golf course and on the beach, where you can ride along the sand and take the horse into the sea. Private lessons are available. A Pony Park features not only ponies (rides US$10 per child) but also donkeys, goats, rabbits and birds. Entrance to the park is US$10 per person. If you would like to go mountain biking this is possible along similar trails to the ones used by the horse rides.

There are two watersports areas, which offer kayaks, pedal-boats, windsurfers and small sailing boats. Water-skiing is also available, as are parasaling, tubing, wakeboard and kneeboard trips - run by Captain's Watersports. Snorkelling equipment is on hand if you want to explore the bay, or you can go scuba diving, which is also available on property (Sunrise Beach). The dive shop is run by Captain's Watersports and offers a good range of courses, including Discover Scuba Diving for beginners, Open Water Certification and some speciality courses. There are also glass-bottom boat tours and deep-sea fishing tours.

The Dolphin Lagoon, a section of the coast closed off by rocks, gives the opportunity for guests to swim with dolphins and to learn about them, including echo-location, to interact with them and even take rides on their backs. There are a number of different packages, which last from 30 minutes to a full day.

Golf Course
Half Moon has its own golf course, an 18 hole, 7119 yard, par 72 championship course that was designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior. It is a resort course, so it has large greens, long tees and a generous rough, but (so close to the coast) it can be challenging because of the Tradewinds, particularly on holes 5 - 13. There is a Golf Academy at the course, so you can take lessons to improve your game. There is a putting green in the main resort.

Green Fees: Summer season, 9 holes US$ 55, 18 holes US$85, golf carts US$25-35, caddy fees US$12-25, clubs US$40-50, shoes US$10 and driving range US$5 (basket only). Children's Green Fees: 9/18 holes US$35 for ages 9-16yrs . Children must show prior knowledge of the game and be accompanied by an adult. Rates valid 16 Apr-14 Dec 2009 and are subject to 18.5% tax and service. Several golf packages are available. Please check Half Moon's website for further details.

There are several other excellent golf courses in the immediate area. These include the White Witch course at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, 71 par, 6718 yards, and the Cinnamon Hill course at Rose Hall, 71 par, 6637 yards.

Spa

The Fern Tree Spa is set in a dedicated building at the heart of the resort. Nine treatment rooms are set around a courtyard and they include a wet treatment suite and a couple's room with a soaking tub on a private garden patio. There are men and women's locker rooms, a spa café and lounges in which to wait for or relax after your treatment. There is also a yoga room. Beauty treatments offered include facials, pedicures and manicures and body wraps. Massages include Swedish, sports and deep tissue as well as aromatherapy and reflexology. There are a number of different water-based treatments including Vichy and Swiss showers. Their Heaven for Two package offers a couple's treatment with champagne and chilled fruits. Or you might want to try a Jamaican 'Bush Bath'.

There are six new signature Spa Suites, which are located in the Royal Court on the oceanfront. They are close by the Fern Tree Spa and have been done in a similar design.

The Rooms

There are 398 bedrooms in ten different categories at Half Moon Hotel. Most are stretched along the two miles of waterfront and many give right onto the sand. Within the general theme of classical Jamaican elegance they are furnished and decorated in quite a variety of different styles, some with traditional plantation design, others more elaborate and still others with a brighter and more contemporary style. Many of the rooms interconnect, making them suitable for families, and others can be next door to one another while having a common hall or breakfast room. Finally, most rooms can accommodate a roll-out bed.

The Hibiscus Wing is relatively new and has a variety of Deluxe Rooms and Hibiscus Suites which are decorated in traditional Jamaican plantation style with hardwood four poster beds, reproduction antique furniture and balconies. The Imperial Suites are bit fancier, with mahogany reproductions in Queen Anne style and the Royal Suites have Jamaican old colonial furniture with more brightly coloured upholstery. The Deluxe Suites are ideal for families as they have a living area downstairs, and a large patio area, while the bedrooms are upstairs.

A further extension of the room categories is the many villas that there are at Half Moon. These are mainly at the eastern end of the resort in their own compound, The Royal Villas, with its own entrance and beach. Arranged in a garden enclave, the villas are decorated in updated Jamaican great house style with a theme of black and white, and each have between five and seven bedrooms, so you can definitely shut yourself away in extreme comfort.

Dining

There are six restaurants (and seven bars, several of which offer light menus) at Half Moon Resort and they are scattered around the large resort. Because it is so large, reservations are required for all but the simplest restaurants. Room service is also available.

There are two dining rooms in the main reception building. The Seagrape Terrace serves all three meals. It has an elegantly decorated indoor dining room and a seaside terrace with a lovely view onto the Half Moon Bay which gave the resort its name. Also in the main building is Il Giardino, an Italian restaurant, which serves dinner only in another elegant indoor dining room. The third smart dining room at the hotel is The Sugar Mill, which is located at the golf course. It is open for dinner only and serves contemporary Jamaican cuisine in a lovely outdoor setting.

You will find simpler meals at The Royal Stocks in the Shopping Village. Bright yellow outside, it is decorated on the theme of an English pub inside and serves fish and chips and other Englishy fare. Also in the Shopping Village, the The Akbar Restaurant serves Tandoori and Moghlai Indian food. They are both open at lunch and in the evenings.

La Baguette at the Oleander pool (daytimes), The Beach Bar, next to the Seagrape Terrace (afternoons only) and The Royal Pavilion, all serve lighter meals on the waterfront.

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE)

Half Moon is an excellent venue for hosting a broad range of meetings, incentive, corporate and conference groups. It has a remarkable range of luxury accommodation, along with an equally impressive and diverse range of amenities and activities to suit a wide range of event planners briefs. The resort has the capability to cater for a variety of tastes and themes, has enough room to avoid feeling cramped and successfully mixes business with pleasure. It has impressive meeting facilities with 27,000 sq ft indoor meeting space including the 12,000sq ft ball room (Cornwall Room) and a 4,600 sq ft Conference Centre which can seat 500 delegates. There are numerous outdoor venues, a full service Business Centre and Internet Lounge, and a Board Room with Video Conferencing System (VCS).

The resort and Jamaica itself has exceptional opportunities for activities around a conference, with endless sports, side-trips and places to visit. Destination management company, Glamour DMC are also at hand to assist with Half Moon's MICE business and have a tour desk there. They have provided ground handling services for the hotel since 1989.

Weddings

Half Moon is a popular venue for a Caribbean beach wedding and the hotel has long experience in creating thoroughly memorable ceremonies. It can cater to gatherings of all sizes and there is a good choice of delightful locations in the hotel grounds, including a classic beachfront setting at Sunrise Beach, the Beach Gazebo, which is completely surrounded by sea, the beachfront Oleander Terrace and the Lily Pond Wedding Gazebo, a very romantic garden setting with fountains. Finally there is the centuries-old terrace at the Sugar Mill Restaurant, which overlooks an original watermill near the golf course.

The hotel has a wide selection of packages for weddings and the renewal of wedding vows, but they are also happy to tailor make a ceremony for you. They can arrange anything from a simple cocktail party to a gala dinner for as many as 200, with entertainment as varied as reggae and jazz, a classical trio, a harpist or even a local school choir. Their basic 'One Love Wedding Package' costs US$1,750 (plus 10% Government Tax and 15% Service Charge) and is for up to twenty people. This includes a marriage officer for the ceremony, witnesses where required, a tropical bouquet for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom, one tropical corsage, a one-tier vanilla wedding cake, a bottle of Champagne, one hour's photography with 24 images (4" x 6"), a one hour video of the occasion and a Half Moon gift bag. Couples booking 25 or more rooms at Half Moon for a minimum stay of 3 nights will receive a free wedding ceremony and 7 nights' complimentary accommodation in a Junior Suite.

A recent addition is their Allure Wedding Package which provides set-up and catering for 50 people and includes: marriage officer, license, bridal party bouquets and boutonnieres, décor for both the ceremony and reception, live musical accompaniment for the ceremony, open bar, cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres, buffet or three-course dinner, three-tier wedding cake, disc jockey for the reception, photos, professional hair and make-up for the bride and the services of a certified wedding planner. The cost for package is US$19,000 including tax and service charge - excludes accommodation. Half Moon also offers an eco-friendly wedding package, Just the Two of Us - Green Wedding Package. This starts from US$4,020 per couple, on the Platinum Plan (plus service and tax) and includes the wedding ceremony with a cake, bottle of Champagne, donation of chosen floral arrangements to a local hospital, a small Seedling Planting Ceremony in the resort's grounds, an environmental tour of Half Moon, accommodations for 6 nights with a free room upgrade (based on availability), one private wedding dinner for two with bottle of Champagne and breakfast in bed with Champagne on the day after the wedding. Please see the resort's website for more details of additional packages, along with information on legal requirements.

Children

Younger children are extremely well catered for at Half Moon Resort. They are welcome in all of the restaurants on the property, but special menus and early sittings are available at the Seagrape Terrace. There is a special children's centre close to the main building, the Anancy Children's Village, which is based around the Jamaican children's storybook character Anancy the Spider. Children aged 3-12 yrs (they must be potty-trained unless they are accompanied by a nanny) can join supervised activities and learning programmes based around the Anancy 'village' for a fee. Facilities include a wading pool, sand box, shaded outdoor play areas, activity rooms such as Artsy Kraftsy, the Tacoomah Hut for puppet shows and story telling and Patoo's Lookout where drinks and snacks are served.

There are plenty of activities for both young and older children, including tennis clinics, volleyball, nature walks, squash and watersports as well as a dolphin lagoon. Even the bicycles provided for transport around the large resort can be a source of fun. At the Oleander Terrace you will find a games room with choice of video games. Then there is the golf course and the stables with a pony park, where you can take horse rides, anything from a short pony ride to lessons for the more advanced.

Fees for the children's programmes:
US$35 for a full day including lunch and snacks
US$20 for a half day including snacks
Ages 3-12 yrs. Open daily from 9am-5pm.
Anancy Beach Party:
US$30 on Wednesdays from 6pm-9pm, ages 6-12 yrs only.
All prices are per child.

Update November 2009- Costumed Anancy characters of Jamaican folklore will now greet children (ages 3-12) on arrival and be on hand for them during their stay. Part of Half Moon's Very Important Little People Services (VILPS) the welcome includes a drink and gift. The Anancy (a spider), Brer Rabbit, Tacoomah, Brer Goat and Brer Cow and characters will also bid the children farewell and present them with a leaving gift. On evenings, the characters will also be able to read bedtime stories, sing and give children a treat of milk and cookies. This half hour 'VILPS Tuck In' costs US$25 for 1-2 children and is available from 6pm-9pm daily. Themed birthday parties with the Anancy troupe can also be arranged at the children's village. Also new for teenagers and young adults is the 'Hype Zone' which is in the old spa building near the tennis courts. The teen centre has table tennis, a pool table, juice bar and a lounge area where they can relax and listen to music.

Prices are subject to change without notice.

Useful Hints - Royal Villas

It is a good idea to pre-order initial grocery supplies so that your cook can prepare a welcome meal for your arrival. A recommended grocery list is available for downloading from the Villas section of Half Moons website. Any advanced orders will be billed to your account. In the Shopping Village you will find a commissary (the 3-bedroom villa is close to the commissary by the Oleander Terrace), where you can open an account for your grocery shopping. Your butler would also be happy to sort out your shopping for you.

If you have any dietary requirements, or would like to arrange a special celebration during your visit, please advise the resort directly or discuss them with your travel organiser so that arrangements can be made at the time of booking. In addition to full-service in-villa catering, Royal Villa guests can opt to dine out at any of the resorts six restaurants. The closest are the Royal Stocks (English Pub) and The Akbar Restaurant (Indian cuisine), which are located in the Shopping Village.

All Royal Villas are supplied with two golf carts for use within the Royal Villas and main resort areas of Half Moon Resort Jamaica.

Staff at the 5, 6 and 7-bedroom Royal Villas include a resident butler, a cook and a housekeeper.

Service charge is no longer included in villa rates. An additional gratuity to show your villa staff your appreciation for excellent service is at your discretion and is always a welcome gesture.

All villas are equipped with a washer and dryer, and your housekeeper will attend to your personal laundry and ironing at no extra charge.

Practical Facts

Annual Closure Dates: Half Moon Montego Bay is open year round.

Dress Code: Casual during the day however no swim suits allowed in the restaurants. Evenings attire is elegantly casual with no shorts, jeans or t-shirts in the restaurants for dinner.

Facilities: 51 pools including an Olympic size lap pool, the Hibiscus lagoon pool with swim-up bar and the Oleander pool, and 2 Royal Court pools. 3 Jacuzzis in the Hibiscus area. Fern Tree Spa (68,000sq ft) - full service spa includes 9 treatment rooms, yoga studio, outdoor soaking tubs, spa cafe and boutique. Fitness centre with nautilus gym, aerobics and yoga classes. 6 restaurants and 7 bars. Watersports including waterskiing, snorkelling, paddle boats, kayaking, glass bottom boat, lilos, aqua view boards. Dive shop. Dolphin Lagoon (exclusive to resort guests) and a 21 acre nature reserve. Lily Pond Wedding Gazebo. 13 floodlit tennis courts, 4 squash courts, a croquet lawn, giant chess, table tennis and bocci ball. Anancy Children's Village. Video Games Room. Equestrian Centre with show and dressage arena, and a Pony Park. 18 hole, 7,119 yard, 72 par championship golf course, an 18 hole putting green, Club House with bar, Golf Pro Shop, press office, tournament room, 2 meeting rooms and the Half Moon Golf Academy. Shopping arcade with duty free gift shops and boutiques, and an ATM (US$). Commissary in the Oleander area. Shopping Village with duty free shops, boutiques, gift shops, Post Office, ATM (JAM$)/NCB bank, photo studio, dentist, beauty salon, craft market, English pub, restaurant, the Bob Marley Experience, a commissary and a florist. Full service business centre. Internet lounge. Meeting facilities with 27,000 sq ft indoor meeting space including 12,000sq ft Cornwall Room, a 4,600 sq ft Conference Centre and Board Room with Video Conferencing System {VCS). Arrival lounge at Sangster International Airport with TV and internet access.

Complimentary: use of children's village (charge for supervised activities). Weekly manager's cocktail party (Mondays/Fridays). Nightly entertainment including pianist. Use of tennis courts day and night, fitness centre, sauna, 18-hole putting green, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, squash and and badminton courts. Use of the Hibiscus and Oleander swimming pools, the Olympic size lap pool and the Hibiscus jacuzzis. Shuttle to Half Moon Shopping Village.

Other Services: Pre-arrival Concierge service. Glamour DMC desk for excursions. Car and cell phone rental. Deep sea fishing arranged. Tennis pro and tennis clinics/camps. Squash lessons. Personal fitness/health trainers. Wedding co-ordinators. Nurse. Baby-sitting and nanny available. Personal cook for Deluxe Suites arranged. Laundry and dry cleaning. Major international news papers. Room service. Twice daily maid and turn-down service. Bicycle hire for adults and children. Golf cart rental for resort use. Occasional art exhibitions. WiFI access in the main lobby and around the Hibiscus and Royal Court swimming pools. MoBay Hope 24 hr medical centre and pharmacy.

Children: Welcome. Children under 12yrs stay free (maximum 2 children) when sharing room with two or more adults (except over Christmas/New Year) and there is a 50% discount on all meal plans for children under 12yrs - no charge for children under 2yrs. Baby sitting and nanny services can be arranged with 24hrs notice and costs from US$8 per hour, per child. The Anancy Children's Village provides supervised activities for children aged 3-12 years (potty trained children accepted only, unless accompanied by a nanny) please see above for additional information and prices.

Weddings & Honeymoons: Half Moon offers a number of wedding packages, with their basic starting at US$1,750 plus 10% Government Tax and 15% Service Charge. See above under wedding information.

Accommodation: 398 rooms: 197 hotel rooms and suites plus 33 Royal Villas with 201 bedrooms

Rooms: All rooms are air-conditioned, have ceiling fans, balcony or patio, and feature cable TV, AM/FM radio, Direct-dial telephone with voice mail, coffee/tea maker, mini-bar, safe, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, 110 V outlets, en suite bathroom with tub/shower and magnified shaving mirror. 25 x Superior Rooms are garden view with a king size bed or twin beds, located in the Oleander Wing. Sleeps 2 adults + 1infant. 8 x Deluxe Rooms with garden or sea view, twin beds which can convert to a king, located in the West Cottages (connect to create a 2-Bedroom Royal Suite). Sleeps 2 adults + 1 infant or child. 17 x Junior Suites with garden and/or sea view located in the West Cottages with twins or a king size bed and a separate living area. Sleeps max 3 adults/2 adults + 2 children. 9 x Deluxe Suites are groups of two storey garden view units by the Oleander Terrace which feature a bedroom upstairs with king size bed and living area with kitchen downstairs. Cook can be arranged for an additional cost. TVs upstairs and downstairs. Sleeps max 4 adults/2 adults + 2 children + 1 infant. 44 x Hibiscus Suites are beach front units with ocean views, spacious bedroom (two double beds or a four poster king size bed) area with TV and sitting area with TV, wireless internet connection, large en suite with separate tub and shower. Most suites have a pull out sofa. Sleeps max 3 adults/2 adults + 2 children. 12 x 2 Bedroom Hibiscus Suites are beach front with ocean view, living room, two connecting bedrooms (one with large sitting area) each with four poster king size bed, balcony/patio and a large en suite with separate tub and showers. TVs in bedrooms and living areas. Sleeps max 4 adults/2 adults + 2 children. 53 x Royal Suites are one-bedroom suites with ocean and/or garden view located either in the West Cottages, Royal Court or Oleander Terrace, with a spacious bedroom with king size bed (some with four poster canopy bed) and en suite bathroom with tub and separate shower, separate living room, with small breakfast room off the side. TVs in bedroom and living areas. Sleeps max 4 adults/2 adults + 2 children. 11 x Imperial Suites located in either the West Cottages or Royal Court are expansive one bedroom suites with separate bedroom and living room featuring reproduction Queen Ann mahogany furnishings. TVs in bedroom and living room. Sleeps max 4 adults/2 adults + 2 children. 6 x Spa Suites are oceanfront with private patio and located in the Royal Court near the Fern Tree Spa. Each suite has large bedroom with sitting area, a custom-made Half Moon Memories (king size) bed, healthy spa bar, large en suite bathroom with a Chroma therapy bath tub, a steam shower with rain shower head and massage jets, and a spa relaxation area for in-room treatments.

32 x Royal Villas all located within a gated area east of the Shopping Village. 33 Royal villas with 201 bedrooms: All 5, 6 and 7 bedroom Royal Villas are located next to the Village Gate within the main resort but with a separate gated entrance and front desk. They all feature a resident butler and cook, plus a housekeeper. All villas have a private swimming pool with terrace, a living room with personal computer, colour printer and internet access, a dining room and fully equipped kitchen. All bedrooms are air-conditioned with their own keyed entrance, all with king size bed or twin beds (many can be converted to king), safe, hair dryer and en suite bathroom with tub/shower. There is cable TV and AM/FM radio both in the living room and in each bedroom, a CD player in the living room only, Direct-dial telephone with voice mail, a barbecue and two golf carts. 7 x 5-Bedroom Villas with two beachfront, one located near the beach and the remainder in the gardens. Five villas are two storey with bedroom distribution dependent on the villas design, and two villas are single storey with all rooms on the same level, one of these is a beach front villa. 13 x 6-Bedroom Villas with two beach front, three across the road from the beach and remainder dotted around the gardens. All are two storey with 4 bedrooms upstairs and 2 bedrooms downstairs, a large living room with dining area and pool terrace for sun bathing and al fresco dining. 12 x 7-Bedroom Villas are all located in the gardens with large pool with surrounding terrace for sun bathing and al fresco dining, large living room with balustrade stairway and gallery to four bedrooms upstairs, downstairs has three more bedrooms, a formal dining area and rear garden terrace. There is also a 4-Bedroom Villa located in the main resort within the Oleander area. It has a garden setting and is single storey with 4 en suite bedrooms (each with keyed entrance) a living room, dining room, full kitchen and a private pool in the rear garden. The villa has a staff of three and comes with two 6-seater golf carts.

Credit Cards: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Discover.

Locality

Half Moon is located on Half Moon Bay in the North-West of Jamaica, in the Rose Hall area just to the east of Montego Bay, Jamaica's second town and one of the island's major tourist heartlands. A short drive to the East will bring you to the historic great houses of Rose Hall and Greenwood, which have been restored and give an idea of plantation life in the Eighteenth Century. Just over half an hour away in the same direction is the historic town of Falmouth and beyond there is the Martha Brae River, which is popular for its excellent bamboo rafting trips.

Heading in the other direction, on the road towards Montego Bay, you will pass a couple of shopping centres, first the Blue Diamond Shopping Centre at Ironshore, which has a supermarket, and then the Holiday Village Shopping Centre, which has a selection of souvenir, craft and duty free shops. It's also worth remembering Half Moon's own Shopping Village, one of the largest along this section of the coast. At Ironshore there are two small supermarkets at Texaco and PetCom at the Golden Triangle Mall off the main road, where you can pick up basics. At Coral Gardens you will find Scotchies, which many people consider the undisputed hotspot for roadside jerk fare. Half Moon is approximately 15 minutes from Sangster International Airport, beyond which it takes another five minutes to reach the centre of Montego Bay. 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", 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 Cave Beach, is also on the strip.

Meet & Greet

If you are travelling independently, you need to aim for Sangster International (Montego Bay). Taxis are available at the airport, but one can be arranged for you by the hotel. Half Moon has an airport lounge just outside the arrivals hall which all guests can use whilst waiting for transfers. If you have opted for Half Moon's Platinum Plan then your airport transfers from Montego Bay will be included. The journey from the airport takes around 15 minutes. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the moment you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a personal Concierge Service, then this is available through Glamour DMC.

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.

Getting Around

Hiring a car to explore the island of Jamaica, which is exceptionally beautiful, is easily arranged through by the hotel or your tour operator. Car hire can also be arranged through the resort. 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. If you would like a private driver to take you for a tour (quite a popular way of exploring the island in Jamaica), taxis with qualified guides are readily available through the hotel, or through Glamour DMC, who have a tour desk at the resort.

Half Moon Video

Please see below for a video of Half Moon.