Tryall villa vs Round Hill villa with kids
 

I am looking for to rent a 4 bedroom villa that is part of a resort for 2 families in Jamaica in Oct/Nov. I want one that is part of a resort so that we can walk to a beach and the kids have access to facilities to keep them amused. But we also want the benefit of our own villa with pool and cook etc.

I done a bunch of research (including the posts in this forum) and have found the Hillside Cottage (which is a short walk to Round Hill) or several villas at Tryall Club that are in my price range. I am wondering if anyone can comment on their preferences for Round Hill or Tryall. I also looked at a few other resorts like Half-moon, but it was too expensive for a villa on the property.

The kids ages are 3-10 and one thing I did notice was that Round Hill's kids club starts at 3 years old whereas Tryall's starts at 5 (which is not as good for my youngest). I have also read that Tryall's beach is a bit nicer than Round Hill's and the property is larger and more spread out. We are not big golfer's so that is not a major incentive.

One final question, if anyone knows how to contact any of the Round Hill or Tyrall villa owners directly, I would appreciate it because sometimes they give discounts for direct rentals (I have found a couple via websearches).

Any input is appreciated, thanks.

the villas at round hill are wonderful. i cannot speak for Tryall Club- we only stayed at Round Hill. depending on which villa you have, its a short walk downhill to the beach. they will pick you up in golf carts if you prefer not to walk. the beach is rather small there. however that is low season, so maybe it will not be very crowded. there is also a large pool at the pineapple house you can use. i know you can get a nanny to watch your kids for a reasonable price. if you have more questions feel free to email me at [email protected]

sm63,

I confess I have a strong bias for Tryall, having rented villas there a half dozen times over the last 12 years. If the 3 year-old's eligibility for the Kid's Club is a deal-breaker, call Tryall and ask if Claudius (who runs the Kid's Club) would be willing to bend the rules a bit. If your plan is to go during low-season, you may well be able to get the little one in the program.
All the Tryall villas come with at least one golf cart, some have more, and you can rent one for the time you're there. But there is also a shuttle bus (the driver, Alphonso, is a gem) that will come for you when you call down to the front desk. You can use it to get to the beach and to the Commissary. All the villas have complete staff and their own private pools. However, there are some villas that don't allow kids. Not many, but a few. Call Dainty in the reservations office and ask which ones.
Nannies are also available at Tryall.
The last villa I was aware of that would discount if you dealt directly with the owner was Fern Hill, but I see the web site is no longer up, and I'm guessing that deal is no longer valid.
I know there are some villas that will discount if you take fewer than the total number of bedrooms, and yoiu can work those deals with Dainty on what they call 'short-notice' which is within 90 days or so of when you want to rent.
Check out Linda Smith's offerings at www.jamaicavillas.com.
Good luck and enjoy your vacation, whichever resort you choose.