Round Hill Hotel and Villas

I have not been there since 2016 but I would return at any time possible. This is the Cre`me de la cre`me of villas of the Caribbean. The grounds are fantastic from landscape to beach.The are many villas, individually and privately owned. This is gorgeous living and a place to write stories about, lost paradise. Words are too tame to comprehensively describe this setting, you must go there to understand and experience the accommodation of real good life.

We stayed in the guesthouse of villa 20 - known as the Treehouse, and it was the most wonderful experience. We were there to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Each member of the Round Hill staff made our trip even more special. From early morning coffee delivery to Rose at lunch with Peter to Diane who did my facial. This place is the perfect place! Villa 20 is amazing as well and we will return with friends to rent the entire villa. The grounds are impeccable!

I am a published author of five novels but I am having a really tough time writing a review about my recent stay at Round Hill Hotel & Villas. I was there from June 11th thru June 15th, 2017. It was my second visit to Round Hill…this year! My first time was in February. Yes, I was there just a few months ago and I had such a fantastic time I had to come back. I thought, “It can’t be like that every time. “ I chalked it up to first time luck, sort of like the first time I played blackjack and won $800. The next time I played I lost the $800 I’d won plus another $200. I’m struggling with this review because if I tell the truth about how amazing my second stay at Round Hill was… How friendly the entire hotel staff was… How welcoming the great Kingsley was… How glorious my suite was… How delicious the authentic Jamaican breakfast that was prepared for me by Angela and Donna (who have become two of my absolute most favorite people on the planet)… If I told you these truths then too many people would book trips to Round Hill, thereby drastically decreasing the odds of me getting my next reservation. ☺ Seriously, all of the above is true. I live and work in New York City, which on a good day is absolute madness. I come to Jamaica at least four times a year to relax and recharge. I have visited all of the top resorts in the Montego Bay area. I can come here with my eyes closed. • 9:15am flight out of JFK touching down around 12Noon at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. • Club Mo’ Bay Fast Track agent waiting at the gate to escort me past the customs line which can be very long depending on the day of the week you arrive. Weekends seem to really busy. It’s totally worth the $80 fee to skip the line. • Grab my bags, check in with the resort desk, they alert the driver, I guzzle a Rum punch and it’s off to the resort. Since I come so frequently I have become friends with many of the locals who I stay in contact with through the year. After SumFest 2016 (which I highly recommend) I asked one of my Jamaican friends (who is a driver) what resort or hotel was the best in the area. He paused, rubbing his chin in deep thought. “Round Hill,� he admitted. “Round Hill?� I replied. I had never heard of it. “Yea mon,� my friend continued. “Di place gets top ratings. Alla di big celebrities and royal’dem stay dere.� I guess that’s why I had never heard of Round Hill. I am neither a celebrity nor a royal but trust me when I tell you that I was still treated like a King. Some things you probably care about more than my story. The taxi ride from the airport is about 15 or 20 minutes depending on traffic. Round Hill is located on more than 100 acres tucked away on a beautiful hillside with its own private bay. Thick lush greenery, well-maintained hedges, and breadfruit and coconut trees surround it. It’s very private. There are luxury villas and oceanfront rooms designed by Ralph Lauren who also has a spectacular place on the property. Even my local Jamaican friends said it was the closest real Jamaican experience one could have without actually living in the area. There aren’t many cottages (maybe a few dozen plus) which means it doesn’t have that “crammed with tourists feel.� This aspect really attracted me because it feels like you are on your own estate. You won’t see hordes of people or rampaging spring breakers like at many other places. At least I haven’t seen them on my two trips. The suite was very clean. The bathroom was spotless and had all kinds of bath products. The bed and sheets were clean and fresh. The towels were clean too but I travel with my own bath towels so I didn’t use them. There wasn’t a television in the room, which at first made me say, “What? No TV?� I’m American so forgive me. The last time I had no access to television I was in the Army…in a tent…in the desert...in Iraq…at war! But after an hour I thought it was ingenious because I was able to fully decompress without constantly flipping through channels. I think some rooms do have televisions so you should ask if that is important to you. No cable TV but the Wi Fi was great and I was able to connect three devices. The connection was almost always solid even when streaming YOUTUBE but if you have an Apple MacBook Pro or Air laptop you may need to use the Safari browser to first get online but then you can navigate to Chrome or Firefox through it. The IT specialist on staff walked me through it and it worked perfectly. By the way I called the front desk to ask about my Wi Fi issues and was immediately connected to the IT specialist and he solved my issue right away. The front desk area is very attentive. There was Ann Marie, Gavin and Menseita, the reservations manager. They have a concierge service that will reach out to you prior to your arrival and will stock your room with whatever amenities you may need. As I described earlier, the surrounding grounds were beautifully maintained and the staff is really friendly. Shout out to Delroy and Al Wayne. “Wa Gwan Breddren.� And whether you run or walk you simply must check out the jogging\walking path. The view of Mo Bay from the top of the hill in the morning is breathtaking. Running up the hill will also take your breath away but it’s a great workout. I couldn’t wait to wake up each morning to run the hill while watching the sunrise over the ocean. Word to the wise, if you are going to spend a lot of time outside it would be a good idea to pack some mosquito repellant along with some skin irritant cream like Neosporin. I was in the mountains and by the rivers and learned that lesson the hard way. It was pretty hot but this time of year it can rain for half an hour then it feels amazing. Watching the dark clouds gather then explode with torrential downpours was an unbelievable visual. There is a spa, gym, beach area and restaurants but I admit I’ve never used them as I spend a lot of time in town with my friends. I can vouch for the in room dining. It was fantastic. I ate Jerked Chicken daily. Jamaican Night is awesome. There is a gift shop with some really nice things. There isn’t an ATM machine on the property but you can get up to $200 a day from the front lobby. They will charge your credit card. But if you need more cash you should bring it with you otherwise you’d have to go off property to one of the banks or ATM’s at the local strip malls. If you read the local papers you will see like anywhere there is crime in certain areas. But just like in your hometown there are places you shouldn’t or wouldn’t go, the same rule applies when traveling off property or downtown. Be aware of surroundings. I have been to Jamaica more times than I can count and not once have I had any issues with my safety. Many of the amenities that I’ve mentioned are great but if you have traveled the world as much as I have you would expect this. I mean Five Star is Five Star, right? However, in my opinion when all things are equal it’s the people that make the difference and on my second visit everybody at Round Hill treated me as if I had never left. Granted I am a talker and I’ve never met a stranger but I feel a genuine good spirit flowing through Round Hill. I had the good fortune, luck, whatever you want to call it to meet Angela and Donna on my first trip and to be perfectly candid I came back because I really wanted to see them again too. I am certain that all the housekeepers and caretakers at Round Hill are fabulous but Angela and Donna were my first and will be my last. I can still taste their mouthwatering coconut pancakes, refreshing coconut water, dumplings and Callaloo, which I had for the first time. As a child even my mother couldn’t get me to eat greens but Angela did and it was amazing. So amazing I ate it nearly every day. Even the freshly squeezed orange juice tasted well, “orange’ier� than any orange juice I’ve had. ☺ The most enduring part of my stay will always be the daily morning conversations with Angela and Donna. Not once did they lose patience with me as I refined my Patwa. (I have a standing request of my Jamaican friends that they only chat Patwa around me.) I am already looking at dates in August to come back. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review I came back to Round Hill expecting there was no way my experience could be as good as my first time. Well it was. I have a feeling that it will be that way for you too. If not, then it means more reservations for me. ☺ Big Up Ya’ Self!

stayed here from 11th-14th June and loved every second of it. The place is pristine from the architectural quality to the landscaping. The staff are 7-star and I have to commend the management team at Round Hill for their training programmes. Very enjoyable experience and one that I will most definitely repeat. Sharon and Karen cooked us breakfast every morning in our villa and I honestly wanted to bring them both back to Bermuda!

lovely villas, perfect for romantic getaways, or family/multi generational vacations. Beach is small, but most villas have private pools. Very good food, not far from town. Excellent food, can handle any dietary requirements. Villas/hotel rooms have no televisions, but with free wifi, one can stream netflix, amazon prime, etc. Quick 3 hour flight from NY, nice weekend getaway.