The Tryall Club
Dec 29th, 2002, 08:41 PM
#2
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Tryall's one of my favourite places to visit in the Caribbean. I've been 3 times over the past several years and am looking forward to our next trip scheduled for March. Tryall has resort amenities but it's really more like a country club with awesome facilities: golf, tennis, watersports, restaurants, bars. Accomodations are the 60+ gorgeous privately-owned villas along the water or overlooking the golf course. They're all fully-staffed so you enjoy luxury-hotel quality service in the complete privacy of your 2-7 bedroom villa. The new road along Jamaica's North Coast has made all the diverse attractions that the island offers easily accessible from Tryall. It's nice not being located in the middle of a tourist-trap like MoBay or even Negril and still being able to enjoy a wide variety of activities: diving, horseback riding, rafting, etc. Tryall's got the best golf course in Jamaica and to my mind achieves the perfect balance of exclusive luxury and congenial atmosphere. Best for groups but also works for couples seeking privacy and pampering. Enjoy!
Dec 30th, 2002, 04:47 AM
#3
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James,<BR><BR>Put Tryall in the search box above and hit Find. You'll get 50 or so threads from the past couple of months on Tryall.<BR>If I were to add my opinion of the place, it would look as though I were merely copying what Michelle has already said. Except I've been there 4 times.<BR>Suffice it to say, Tryall is my favorite Jamaica vacation spot, and in my top 3 for the Caribbean.
Dec 30th, 2002, 08:35 AM
#4
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We are going to Tryall in the Summer. We are a family of 4 (one teen). I am concerned about activities for the kids. Can you book these excursions directly with Tryall. Is there water skiing available and what are the prices like? This will be our first villa experience and I'm trying to work out some kind of budget and keep everyone happy. Thanks for any info.
Dec 30th, 2002, 12:00 PM
#5
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Mar10,<BR><BR>Best bet is to call Tryall direct and ask for the tour/activity desk. There is someone there all day and can tell you what off-campus things there are to do. Can't help on what's available or pricing as when we go it's golf til you drop and then float in our pool til time to get ready for drinks and dinner. There is no water ski capability at Tryall but believe I saw a post not long ago about going to Round Hill, maybe 10-12 minutes away for the ski boat. Tryall does have sunfish, ocean kayaks and Hobie Cats you can use, gratis, and there's always a Tryall staff person in the water activity hut to skipper the Hobie if you just want to be a passenger.<BR>There is an very well organized Kid's camp for the not-yet-teen, with nature hikes and other stuff like that. Think the Tryall website gives a better rundown on the Kid's Camp activities.<BR>Figure about $100 per person for food for the week. Don't plan on beef -- too expensive. Instead go for chicken, pork, and seafood. Bring your own snacks (the new luggage rules may make this difficult to do) as they are pricey, too. We brought nuts, Pringles, crackers and the like.<BR>If you have wine with dinner, there is a moderately priced selection in the commissary (also some high priced stuff). We bought rum, coke, and Ting (which, if you haven't had it yet will probably become a favorite - it's grapefruit soda and it is a thirst-quencher) at the commissary.<BR>If you don't want to have to handle a lot of cash, have your buy all you food supplies at the Tryall comissary. The charges go to your bill and you can put it on a credit card when you leave.<BR>Remember, $8 or $9 per day, per person for tips for the staff (for a family of 4, that's $32-$36 a day). There will be a sheet that explains how to divvy it up between the cook, maid, laundress, and gardener. Are you in a 2 bedroom private villa, or a two-bedroom Great House villa? Some of what I've just said changes if you're in a Great House villa.
Dec 30th, 2002, 12:05 PM
#6
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Sorry, brain lapse in the 2nd to last paragraph. Should have said:<BR> If you don't want to have to handle a lot of cash, have your cook buy all your food supplies at the Tryall comissary. The charges go to your bill and you can put it on a credit card when you leave.
Dec 30th, 2002, 12:15 PM
#7
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Mar10,<BR><BR>Keep hitting post too soon. Wanted to explain my $100 per person for food. Usually tell people to figure $150, but that's 4 or 6 adults. Was thinking your kids might not push up the total. But it might be better to figure $150 each, or $600 or so for the week.<BR>If you are in a Great House villa and intend to eat at Tryall's restaurants, plan on spending a lot more than that.<BR>When we were there this summer in a Great House villa we went on the all-inclusive plan, but I still had to sign the dinner check and we (2 of us) were in the $200 range each night we ate there (appetizer, soup, salad, entree, dessert, 2 glasses of wine each [small glasses]).
Dec 31st, 2002, 03:01 AM
#8
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Jam-man, we have a 3 bedroom villa, but only using 2 bedrooms on Mahogany Hill by the 14th hole. It's a distance to the beach but I understand that the views are beautiful. I was figuring 15% of my weekly villa rental cost for tips, do we tip daily or do we tip at the end of our stay? My husband will be golfing until he drops, I'm sure. Is there a local liquor store that we could purchase alcohol or is the commissary the place to go? We aren't huge drinker but would like some Red Stripe, Heineken, rum and wine. Yes, and of course Ting, my favorite soft drink. I think I will take your suggestion and call to find out what type of excursions are offered as I do need to keep the kids busy, I would love if my teen would be able to do stuff with the kids on property. I wonder if they make exceptions and allow older kids to join in, she's a young teen and would fit right in I think. I did check Round Hill, I'm kind of confused as far as how we could do things there, my understanding is that it costs $50 PP just to get on the beach and everything is extra after that, and that could get quite costly for a few hours of activities. Have you done a day trip to Negril? How is the beach, is it rocky, will we need water shoes? Have you gone to the beach party? We do plan on eating out one night, is the restaurant worth it or should we head over to Round Hill? Sorry, I am just full of questions. Thanks so much for all your info., it is greatly appreciated : ).
Dec 31st, 2002, 11:18 AM
#9
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Mar10,<BR><BR>We had our driver stop at a liquor store in MoBay on the way from the airport to load up on wine and spirits. Got to the commissary at Tryall and just stood and laughed at ourselves as everything we wanted was right there, the prices were comparable, and we wouldn't have needed to buy everything at once, we could have gotten a little something every day or so. Live and learn.<BR>Tips are given at the end of the visit. As I said, there will be a sheet that spells out how much (more for what you consider to be extra special services given, of course) and the percentage for the division of the tips among the staff members. Plus, there will be envelopes provided.<BR>Don't know the staff situation at a 3 bedroom, might not have a laundress--the maid might do the laundry for you.<BR><BR>Wow! Didn't know about the Round Hill charge! That might be worth a call also to confirm both the existance of the charge and the amount. <BR><BR>With the new road in place, a dinner trip into MoBay might be something to put on your schedule instead of Round Hill. Think a psoter named tivertonhouse has posted in the past with some recommended restaurants in town. Can't help there. We so love having our dinner on our own verandah overlooking the course and ocean, with meals we helped Patricia (our cook) plan, we just never left.<BR>That having been said, Round Hill's restaurant has gotten Gourmet magazine mention several times, so that might be the place to go after all.<BR><BR>Have not been to Negril but understand the beach there is soft sand all the way out, no rocks, shells or bits of coral at waters edge, which, sadly, does describe the beach at Tryall, similar to the one at the Ritz. Negril, like Doctors Cave beach in MoBay faces the west, so it's in the lee of the current and none of the little bits and pieces that vex your feet end up on the beach there. You will need water shoes.<BR><BR>Have not done the beach barbeque, either (Gee, we really are boring old f**ts, I guess). We had our own at the villa when we were two couples there, and when my wife and I went this summer, there were so few people they didn't even have it. In fact at the Manager's Cocktail Party, staff outnumbered guests.<BR><BR>Can you share with me how you negotiated the 2 bedrooms in a 3 bedroom villa deal? Did you go directly to the owner or through the rental office at Tryall? I'm presuming you got a 2 bedroom rate (or about 66% of the full rate)?<BR>When we did 2 bedrooms out of a 4 bedroom villa, it was through the owner. I know there are a number of villa owners who have now authorized Tryall to give reduced rates when fewer than the full number of bedrooms are used. My view is that it makes more sense to bring in some revenue and generate tip income for the staff than to leave the unit sitting empty while holding out for the full rate.<BR><BR>Can't think of anything else right now, but ask away and I'll try to help. Michelle might be able to come back and fill in some blanks for you, too.<BR>
Jan 3rd, 2003, 07:34 AM
#11
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Tryall beach:<BR><BR>I was just at the Club in November and the beach area is much improved. They've got a trampoline raft like the one at Round Hill and have cleaned-up much of the shell and pebble debris. With more shade and nice lounge chairs with new cushions the beach is looking really good. I heard from some homeowners that there are plans underway to further improve the beach facility. If you want more info on Tryall than the official website contains I'd direct you to www.randolins.com. We've never stayed at that particular villa but there's some good general info about the Tryall Club and Jamaica which I found helpful.
Jan 3rd, 2003, 09:06 PM
#13
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Ahoy there jam-man,<BR><BR>hate to appear ungrateful. I was scanning the replies and took your advice about searching for other threads concerning Tryall. Feel like I got some good info but is there any website where people have reviewed specific villas other than the 3-4 mentioned in various threads on this site? The map on the Tryall Club website is helpful and there are a couple of pictures of the various villas but does anyone on this board have recent experience of specific vills and staff? We'll be needing a 4-bedroom villa. Thanks.
Jan 6th, 2003, 05:16 AM
#15
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James,<BR>Read your request for feedback on the other Tryall thread and responded there.<BR>It is interesting that there have been so few trip reports/feedback posts about villa stays at Tryall, or Round Hill --- or any other rental villas on the island, for that matter. Strange, since hotels get reviews written about them in the popular press all the time, whereas you really need to dig to find that kind of info here. I mean, by now everyone knows which building at any of the Sandals resorts is the best one to be in, and which rooms are the best ones for 1.) ocean view, 2.) quiet and privacy, or 3.) access to the pool and restaurants.<BR>But as you point out James, there's info on only 3 or 4 of the villas at Tryall.<BR>Maybe Tryall villa renters aren't Fodors posters.<BR><BR>Mar10,<BR><BR>The water has sand suspended in it at the beach, but is clearer out at the reef that fronts the resort, so you should be able to snorkel there comfortably. The current moves from right to left (east to west) and clears the water fairly quickly when heavy rains bring sediment down through the Iron River which marks the eastern boundary of the Tryall property (and makes the par 3 number 4 hole at the Tryall golf course such a tester).
