Round Hill Hotel & Villas

Description:

• Opened in 1953 on a small, private, white-sand beach, Round Hill is a legend, an icon, and the most prestigious address in Jamaica, even though it lacks the extensive facilities (and in some cases, the whimsical sense of romantic fantasy) of Half Moon. It originated as a small, clubby compound of private villas supervised by Lord Monson, on the grounds of a 45-hectare (110-acre) plantation devoted to the production of pineapples and allspice, attracting the aristocracy of Europe and some of the biggest media and entertainment moguls of the New World. By far the most spectacular accommodations here are those cloistered away on the surrounding hillsides, within white-sided villas. The look of these luxurious villas is kept upscale, elegant, cutting-edge, and theatrical thanks to frequent renovations, acres of mahogany and marble, and the skill of some of the best architects in North America and Europe. Less grand accommodations are found within a rambling, two-story building (Pineapple House) set at the edge of the sea, overlooking a swimming pool. The decor inside Pineapple House is all white, light-hearted, and airy, with four-poster bamboo beds.

  Breakfast is brought to your room or served on the dining terrace. Informal luncheons are held in an intimate straw hut with an open terrace in a little sandy bay. Standard Jamaican and Continental dishes are served on a candlelit terrace or in the Georgian colonial room overlooking the sea. Ralph Lauren decorated the cocktail area.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010