klainl

We're planning a family reunion / celebration for my dad's 80th birthday this August. We'll be 13 people -- 1 set grandparents, 3 families with 6 kids total (10, 5, 4, and three 2 year olds). We're looking for a luxury resort with villas; we think this is a good celebration to splurge on and so far we've narrowed it down to Half Moon and Round Hill. (We also looked at Casa de Campo, but decided it was just too big and potentially not as nice.) Ease of access is very important, so we haven't really considered villas that are not on resort property.

Which do you think is a better choice? We definitely want family-friendly with activities for the kids. We'd probably use a kids club for 2-3 days/mornings and then do things as a family/families as well.

I wonder if Half Moon is also too big a resort, and that we'll need a golf cart to get around since we'd most likely end up with a garden view villa (ocean views were a bit too expensive). With so many toddlers and elderly grandparents, using a golf cart all the time would get tiresome.

On the other hand, Half Moon appears to have more activities for families/kids. And 2 of the adults are golfers, which makes HM more appealing with the on-site golf.

But, Round Hill has been getting good reviews since its renovations. The AI seems better there at the villas; at HM, you have to pay separately for food at the villa for the cook to cook. My sister was at Round Hill many years ago (probably 20) and has very fond memories of it.

Any thoughts, recommendations or suggestions? Or even other considerations that I haven't thought of?

Thanks so much!
Lucy

ccrosner

Haven't been to Jamaica but have heard good things about Round Hill and Half Moon. I'll throw another idea at you: the Buccaneer resort on St. Croix. Not villas but they have several family suite options and deals in the off season. And their golf course is beautiful. Not AI but restaurants on the property and breakfast buffet (lavish) included.

Only issue might be that kids camp starts at age 4. Age 2 is hard at most places....maybe the Jamaica options offer that.

MIG

We stayed at a villa adjacent to Round Hill with a group of 13 about 2 years ago and really enjoyed it. It's a nice elegant resort with decent snorkeling off the beach. There is a kids club but we did not use it. There are lots of beach toys (water trampoline, kayaks, etc) that our kids enjoyed.

jkinz35

You should look into Tryall Club as well. We are going back for our second trip this April. Very nice with a kids' club and a top golf course as well. Villas are wonderful. Good luck.

Michaelpl

I think Halfmoon might be the most user friendly property for your father. Granted it is huge but it is also fairly flat and walkable. There is also a variety of activities such as bike riding, horses, golf, tennis, and I think even dophins right there at the resort. They also have the best beach of the lot....IMHO. Good luck!

doug_stallings

Half Moon is much more family friendly than Round Hill, but the latter is charming and intimate, and some of the villas are truly outstanding. One big drawback of Round Hill is that there is exactly one restaurant, though with the AI plan, you can do dine-around at a few local restaurants. The other plus for Round Hill is that it's not terribly far from Chukka Blue, which has truly excellent island activities and tours. It's a hard decision; you'll almost certainly find more kids at Half Moon, but it's a big resort experience versus Round Hill's intimate experience.

Knowing

We haven't stayed at Round Hill, but it's supposed to be a favorite of celebs. It's very posh and secluded. Think of it as a compound. That's not necessarily bad. It's just up to you to decide if that's what you're looking for.

klainl

Thank you, everyone, for your responses. I think we've decided on Half Moon for this particular trip. With the kids and all, it seems like the more activities, the better. Although if it were just my husband and I, I'm pretty sure I'd pick Round Hill!

Lucy