Round Hill Trip Report
May 26th, 2007, 06:20 PM
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Round Hill Trip Report
DAY 1
The 8-mile ride (which felt more like 30 miles) took around 30 minutes on the crazy Montego Bay highway. As we approached Round Hill I got more and more excited. It was the place I’ve been dreaming of for over a year. The property is truly magical.
We checked in and, Kingsley, the grand old gentleman of the place (I am not sure what else to call him!), showed us to the bar where we were served with a welcome drink. And shortly after, we were shown to our room in the Pineapple House hotel. We got a lower floor room with a balcony with a king size bed. We requested a second bed for our 5-year old, which was set up in the sitting area of the room and was extremely comfortable. The bathroom was equipped with a deep deep tub and a beautiful shower plus a double sink. All were pristinely clean and remained that way every day due to the excellent maid service.
After we headed to lunch with red stripes, grilled fish, salads and lots of plantain chips with a really unusual and delicious tapanade spread—the lunch specialty. My fish was very overcooked as were my daughter’s chicken fingers. I was somewhat disappointed in the food.
Then off to explore the pool. People were immediately friendly—probably because just about everyone there had little ones in tow.
That evening, we ate in Round Hill’s only dining room for dinner. The food again was overcooked (marinated lobster) and disappointing. The menu is very American/European with just a few Jamaican choices. They also have a nightly buffet…curries one night and prime rib another and so on. I actually think choosing the buffet is the way to go most nights. If you are not on the mean plan, the food is very expensive…but you are also pretty far away from most everything (you would have to drive back to Montego Bay). Note: The food actually grew on me as the week progressed, I think because I learned what was good and what was not and planned my meals around those choices. The jerk chicken was good every time and the Caesar salad was excellent, so I had salad every day for lunch topped with chicken, lobster tail or shrimp. The goat curry was very good too, if you are somewhat adventurous. And the homemade ice cream was the best I’ve ever had. Every day they had a different tropical flavor.
There is live music every night but if you are looking for a hopping nightclub atmosphere, forget it. Another great thing for us was that our daughter was welcome in the dining room without any time restrictions. There were not a lot of kids in the dining room since they don’t start serving until 7:30, so I am assuming a lot of families got nannies, but the ones who did want to bring their kids could. It makes everything feel even more relaxed.
Day 2
We woke up and went off to breakfast. I will have to say that breakfast at Round Hill, while pretty standard, is very good. There are all the usual bacon, eggs cooked to order, etc. plus delicious coconut pancakes with fantastic hot papaya syrup, yogurts, cereals and home baked pastries. There are also some British favorites like mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. Very good!
We spent the day on the small but lovely beach and then we went off for a river raft ride that was included in our AI rate. The drove us into the hills about 30 minutes from Round Hill. This area had some of the most extreme poverty I’ve ever seen. When we got up to the river raft location, we found a shack and 6 very scroungy looking men. There wasn’t a tourist in sight, which was a little scary, but our taxi driver waited for us. We were reluctant to go, but we did and it was very beautiful. Our guide cut flowers for us, made bamboo straws to try fresh coconut milk and pointed out many flowers and trees that were amazing. We also saw some very poor people washing their clothes in the river. It was a very mixed experience. I wouldn’t say don’t go because those people really need the money and it is interesting, however, I would go on a busier day (ask at the front desk when the cruise ships are in because that’s when the rafts are the busiest) if you are nervous about crime, etc.
That afternoon I had a great massage (also included in the package) and it was great! Ask for Winsome, she was wonderful!
Drinks in the bar, dinner and off to bed.
Day 3
Jamaica is lush and green and filled with rolling hills. It is truly beautiful. And Round Hill has the best of all those elements. It is truly stunning. We spent a lot of time exploring, hunting lizards and snorkeling around the small beach. Not fantastic snorkeling but good for those who just want to see a few fish and relax. The highlight of our day was going to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary. I had to convince my husband to go back into the hills…and it was truly an amazing experience.
We taxi ed back into the hills. Our driver navigated some very sharp hairpin turns, rocky roads and dirt roads. Quite a journey! The bird sanctuary is a house that had belonged to the late Lisa Salmon, a bird expert, and it is in the middle of the jungle. We sat on a porch and the caretaker, who is lovely, gave us bottles of sugar water. We sat patiently and soon hummingbirds were sitting on our fingers and drinking the sugar water! Then the caretaker takes you on a walk around the grounds and shows you all kinds of plants and trees…allspice, mango, ackee as well as other birds and interesting natural things.
We returned to get ready for the weekly beach barbeque but it got rained out! It was fun anyway as they had it in a covered dining area above the restaurant area. The food was great! They did chicken, ribs, steaks and had antipastos, salads, soups, rice and peas as wells as some other Jamaican fare and about 40 desserts! Mango and pineapple tart and carmelized cream puffs were two that I thought were absolutely amazing! They had a very soft reggae band playing in the background.
Off to bed.
Day 4
We spent the day at the beach and the pool chatting with the many British and American parents there on holiday with kids ranging in age from about 6 months to about 16 years old. The kids club is nice but really geared for really little ones. My 5-year old only wanted to go when a little girl she befriended was there. She did learn to make baskets, walked a lizard on a leash (don’t ask how they get the leashes on the lizards!), went on a nature walk and watched movies on a cloudy day. But she preferred to be on the beach, by the pool or looking for lizards and bugs! Speaking of…I never saw one bug the entire time we were there.
There are 2 bars that serve all the normal frozen concoctions all day long. Service was great, the staff always asked us every 30-60 minutes if we wanted drinks. It was also cloudy that day, so we just walked all over the property…the villas are great. I think we will go back and stay at a villa next time!
Dinner was the curry night and it was really very good. Curries from India, Thailand and the islands were represented. Yummy!
Day 5
I went horseback riding (included in AI) and had a great time. My husband chose to lay by the beach and pool all day instead of heading out with me. It was definitely for beginners and I was very happy with that. I would definitely do it again! We wanted to go on a canopy tour but just couldn’t fit it in.
Drinks, Dinner and bed.
Day 6
3 sad people going said goodbye to Round Hill…hoping to return in the near future!
The 8-mile ride (which felt more like 30 miles) took around 30 minutes on the crazy Montego Bay highway. As we approached Round Hill I got more and more excited. It was the place I’ve been dreaming of for over a year. The property is truly magical.
We checked in and, Kingsley, the grand old gentleman of the place (I am not sure what else to call him!), showed us to the bar where we were served with a welcome drink. And shortly after, we were shown to our room in the Pineapple House hotel. We got a lower floor room with a balcony with a king size bed. We requested a second bed for our 5-year old, which was set up in the sitting area of the room and was extremely comfortable. The bathroom was equipped with a deep deep tub and a beautiful shower plus a double sink. All were pristinely clean and remained that way every day due to the excellent maid service.
After we headed to lunch with red stripes, grilled fish, salads and lots of plantain chips with a really unusual and delicious tapanade spread—the lunch specialty. My fish was very overcooked as were my daughter’s chicken fingers. I was somewhat disappointed in the food.
Then off to explore the pool. People were immediately friendly—probably because just about everyone there had little ones in tow.
That evening, we ate in Round Hill’s only dining room for dinner. The food again was overcooked (marinated lobster) and disappointing. The menu is very American/European with just a few Jamaican choices. They also have a nightly buffet…curries one night and prime rib another and so on. I actually think choosing the buffet is the way to go most nights. If you are not on the mean plan, the food is very expensive…but you are also pretty far away from most everything (you would have to drive back to Montego Bay). Note: The food actually grew on me as the week progressed, I think because I learned what was good and what was not and planned my meals around those choices. The jerk chicken was good every time and the Caesar salad was excellent, so I had salad every day for lunch topped with chicken, lobster tail or shrimp. The goat curry was very good too, if you are somewhat adventurous. And the homemade ice cream was the best I’ve ever had. Every day they had a different tropical flavor.
There is live music every night but if you are looking for a hopping nightclub atmosphere, forget it. Another great thing for us was that our daughter was welcome in the dining room without any time restrictions. There were not a lot of kids in the dining room since they don’t start serving until 7:30, so I am assuming a lot of families got nannies, but the ones who did want to bring their kids could. It makes everything feel even more relaxed.
Day 2
We woke up and went off to breakfast. I will have to say that breakfast at Round Hill, while pretty standard, is very good. There are all the usual bacon, eggs cooked to order, etc. plus delicious coconut pancakes with fantastic hot papaya syrup, yogurts, cereals and home baked pastries. There are also some British favorites like mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. Very good!
We spent the day on the small but lovely beach and then we went off for a river raft ride that was included in our AI rate. The drove us into the hills about 30 minutes from Round Hill. This area had some of the most extreme poverty I’ve ever seen. When we got up to the river raft location, we found a shack and 6 very scroungy looking men. There wasn’t a tourist in sight, which was a little scary, but our taxi driver waited for us. We were reluctant to go, but we did and it was very beautiful. Our guide cut flowers for us, made bamboo straws to try fresh coconut milk and pointed out many flowers and trees that were amazing. We also saw some very poor people washing their clothes in the river. It was a very mixed experience. I wouldn’t say don’t go because those people really need the money and it is interesting, however, I would go on a busier day (ask at the front desk when the cruise ships are in because that’s when the rafts are the busiest) if you are nervous about crime, etc.
That afternoon I had a great massage (also included in the package) and it was great! Ask for Winsome, she was wonderful!
Drinks in the bar, dinner and off to bed.
Day 3
Jamaica is lush and green and filled with rolling hills. It is truly beautiful. And Round Hill has the best of all those elements. It is truly stunning. We spent a lot of time exploring, hunting lizards and snorkeling around the small beach. Not fantastic snorkeling but good for those who just want to see a few fish and relax. The highlight of our day was going to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary. I had to convince my husband to go back into the hills…and it was truly an amazing experience.
We taxi ed back into the hills. Our driver navigated some very sharp hairpin turns, rocky roads and dirt roads. Quite a journey! The bird sanctuary is a house that had belonged to the late Lisa Salmon, a bird expert, and it is in the middle of the jungle. We sat on a porch and the caretaker, who is lovely, gave us bottles of sugar water. We sat patiently and soon hummingbirds were sitting on our fingers and drinking the sugar water! Then the caretaker takes you on a walk around the grounds and shows you all kinds of plants and trees…allspice, mango, ackee as well as other birds and interesting natural things.
We returned to get ready for the weekly beach barbeque but it got rained out! It was fun anyway as they had it in a covered dining area above the restaurant area. The food was great! They did chicken, ribs, steaks and had antipastos, salads, soups, rice and peas as wells as some other Jamaican fare and about 40 desserts! Mango and pineapple tart and carmelized cream puffs were two that I thought were absolutely amazing! They had a very soft reggae band playing in the background.
Off to bed.
Day 4
We spent the day at the beach and the pool chatting with the many British and American parents there on holiday with kids ranging in age from about 6 months to about 16 years old. The kids club is nice but really geared for really little ones. My 5-year old only wanted to go when a little girl she befriended was there. She did learn to make baskets, walked a lizard on a leash (don’t ask how they get the leashes on the lizards!), went on a nature walk and watched movies on a cloudy day. But she preferred to be on the beach, by the pool or looking for lizards and bugs! Speaking of…I never saw one bug the entire time we were there.
There are 2 bars that serve all the normal frozen concoctions all day long. Service was great, the staff always asked us every 30-60 minutes if we wanted drinks. It was also cloudy that day, so we just walked all over the property…the villas are great. I think we will go back and stay at a villa next time!
Dinner was the curry night and it was really very good. Curries from India, Thailand and the islands were represented. Yummy!
Day 5
I went horseback riding (included in AI) and had a great time. My husband chose to lay by the beach and pool all day instead of heading out with me. It was definitely for beginners and I was very happy with that. I would definitely do it again! We wanted to go on a canopy tour but just couldn’t fit it in.
Drinks, Dinner and bed.
Day 6
3 sad people going said goodbye to Round Hill…hoping to return in the near future!
May 28th, 2007, 04:51 AM
#3
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ejcrowe,
you're right. It's not only truly wonderful but it's one of the best luxury summer deals in the Caribbean. Not inexpensive but way less than a lot of places we were considering.
you're right. It's not only truly wonderful but it's one of the best luxury summer deals in the Caribbean. Not inexpensive but way less than a lot of places we were considering.
Jun 13th, 2007, 09:18 AM
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Liza,
AI actually included the horseback riding, the rafting and 2 30-minute massages. The Rockland's trip was separate. Sorry for the confusion.
Still a pretty good deal to be included!
AI actually included the horseback riding, the rafting and 2 30-minute massages. The Rockland's trip was separate. Sorry for the confusion.
Still a pretty good deal to be included!
