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Style: Comfortable, light and cheerful, contemporary Jamaican style, in a residential setting
The Beach: Round Hill beach 5 minutes drive - beach club membership gives access to resort’s beach and fitness centre
The Rooms: 5 bedrooms, 3 en suite bathrooms and 2 separate bathrooms
Key features: Child friendly villa rentals Montego Bay, swimming pool (20ft x 40ft) with large terrace, satellite TV, DVD and VCR, video library, CD system and CD library, formal and informal living and dining areas, Round Hill beach club membership.
Children: Welcome – children can join the Kids Club at Round Hill at additional charge
Staff: Cook, housekeeper, laundress and resident gardener/night watchman |
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Description
Cliffside Cottage is a charming and well appointed five bedroom Jamaica holiday home with, as the name suggests, an excellent position at the crest of a hillside to the west of Montego Bay. It is a modern house that uses the best of traditional Jamaican architectural style - white walled pavilions topped with steeply pitched shingle roofs - and contemporary Caribbean design to create a very cheerful and welcoming atmosphere, so it feels like a home away from home. It is one of a number of private houses and holiday rental villas in the pleasant residential development at Unity Hall. On approach, it doesn’t hide itself away behind walls and shrubbery. Instead the villa makes itself visible over a large, unfenced front lawn along an alleyway of palms. Nor does it hint at the fabulous views from the rear gardens. Cliffside Cottage has a relaxed atmosphere and is a child friendly Caribbean villa popular with families. It offers a fine alternative to the more traditional villa holiday settings.
The villa is located on the edge of a cliff on a hillside ridge and has superb views over the Caribbean Sea, ranging for miles along the coast, west to Round Hill Estate and east as far as Montego Bay. Set back slightly from the very edge, the villa is actually a series of linked pavilions with silvery shingle-tile roofs. All the woodwork around the exterior, including the window-louvers and sunburst balustrades, are painted white and give a crisp, contemporary Jamaican feel. Inside on the other hand, there is plenty of colour. You arrive via an entrance hall with yellow stippled walls, an exposed wooden ceiling and a chandelier. Passing the kitchen to one side, you come into the formal sitting room, from which there are views to the sea. This is furnished with comfortable floral sofas and chairs and has a TV, DVD, VCR and CD system, with a selection of videos and CDs. The walls have a hand-painted vine border and feature original, local works of art. Three sets of French doors open onto a wrap-around veranda, from where there are the spectacular sea views, and then two more doors lead through a small courtyard garden to the main bedroom wing. The formal dining room at Cliffside Cottage is off the kitchen but actually it is seldom used. Instead, most meals take place on the veranda, which is furnished in painted wicker, and in a really special area by the pool.
The pool is beneath the house, reached by steps down from the main villa. Next to it is a delightful terrace which sits right on the forward edge of the ridge, enclosed by a low white balustrade and shaded by two almond trees. The terrace has terrific sea views along the coast. Montego Bay is especially pretty at night when its lights sparkle in the distance. The terrace is used for sunbathing and any meals you wish to take out there. It is certainly the villa’s best-loved feature.
Cliffside Cottage has five air-conditioned bedrooms with ceiling fans. The Master bedroom is set in its own cottage-like pavilion next to the pool and is reached by a walkway off the main veranda. It has a queen-size, mahogany four-poster bed with white lace canopy, matching antique furniture and white drapes. The room is very attractive, light and airy. It has a small balcony facing the sea and an east-facing window with views down to Montego Bay. It has an en suite bathroom with tub and separate shower. The four remaining bedrooms are located in the main house. Two are off the main hallway and overlook the front lawns. Both of these have twin beds which can be made up to kings, one has its own bathroom with tub/shower and the other uses the day bathroom with shower located in the hall. The two remaining bedrooms are across a small inner courtyard garden, which is lit at night. These are more recently built and like the master bedroom have lofty, white-painted ceilings, as opposed to the exposed shingle roofs of the other rooms. Adjacent to the courtyard is a pink room with queen-size bed and a mahogany headboard, en suite bathroom with tub/shower and French doors that open onto a small terrace with a view of the sea. The other bedroom is in a separate pavilion (linked internally by a passage way, so it is great for parents with children). It has twin beds which can make a king, en suite bathroom with tub/shower and a small terrace with views across the gardens to the pool and sea. |
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Beach and Swimming
Guests of Cliffside Cottage have Beach Club membership at Round Hill around 5 minutes drive away. There is a sandy beach with good swimming and snorkelling and a range of watersports including scuba diving. Cliffside Cottage has a good size, freshwater swimming pool (20ft x40ft) set beneath the villa next to a stone-paved sun terrace with excellent views of the coast. The pool has entry steps to the shallow end and a ladder at the deep end. |
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Sports & Recreation
Membership of Round Hill allows use of the resort’s fitness centre, and for a fee use of watersports, scuba diving through Captain's Watersports, dining and the floodlit tennis courts. The resort also has a jogging trail. There is a US$15 per day charge for children using Round Hill's Pineapple Kids Club. There are several excellent 18-hole golf courses within the Montego Bay area. The nearest is at Tryall Club, a 72 par, 6772 yard course around 10 minutes away by car. On the other side of Montego Bay about 40 minutes to the east, you will find the White Witch course at the Ritz Carlton, 71 par, 6718 yards, and the Cinnamon Hill course at Rose Hall, 71 par, 6637 yards and Half Moon, a 72 par, 7119 yard course. The nearest riding stables are Chukka Blue near Tryall and an equestrian centre at Half Moon. |
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Locality
Cliffside Cottage is one of a number of houses and holiday homes dotted over the hills and flat coastal strip in Unity Hall, a private, residential estate. To the west is Round Hill Hotel and Villas (5 minutes) and beyond it Tryall Club, which has an 18- hole golf course. Both properties have popular beach party nights with barbecues and live music (reservations required), in addition to their normal fine dining. Just above Round Hill is the village of Hopewell, where you will find a small supermarket and liquor store/off-licence, pharmacy, AMT, post office, library and service station. Continue driving west for an hour and you will come to the town of Negril. Great River is close by and it sees bamboo river rafting from Lethe village, which is a good experience for all ages.
To the east you come to the small community at Reading, which has a Post Office and (up in the hills) the Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary, where you can hand-feed hummingbirds. Heading further east in about 15-20 minutes you come to Montego Bay, a vibrant and very busy town, Jamaica’s second largest city. In the city itself there are several craft markets and shopping centres, including duty free outlets. Along Gloucester Avenue are cafes, shops, craft markets, restaurants serving anything from jerk at the Pork Pit to fine cuisine at the Townhouse by the Sea, and some lively clubs, the most famous of which is Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. There is also an excellent beach with beach bars and facilities at Doctor’s Cave beach.
There are a number of supermarkets and shopping areas on the road back to Unity Hall. The Westgate Shopping Centre has a bank, supermarket, off-licence, McDonalds and a service station and the Freeport peninsular just south of Montego Bay has a shopping mall next to the cruise ship berths. On the lagoon you pass the Houseboat Grill restaurant. In nearby Bogue is the Fairview Shopping Centre with SuperPlus, a large supermarket, cinema, department store, hardware store, pharmacy, fast food jerk centre, service station and a KFC. |
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Useful Hints
Provisioning: The cook at Cliffside Cottage will pre-stock for your welcome meal and buy in initial food supplies. You should ask your travel organiser or the villa agent (if booking direct) for a list of suggested items. If you are booking direct you may opt to prepay your groceries, which should be done at least 60 days prior to arrival. If you do not pre-pay, the bill for the initial provisioning (plus the costs for transport) should be paid in cash on arrival and you should then also provide funds for all subsequent shopping, including transportation costs.
The cook is a graduate of Villas by Linda Smith’s gourmet cuisine cooking course, which offers guests menus of a slightly higher standard. They work to an average budget of US$45 per adult/US$20 per child, per day when provisioning the gourmet menu. Pre-stocking includes a basic drinks package of rum, wine and beer, but does not cover extras such as whole lobster or imported steak, which vary according to market prices. The rest of the shopping for your stay will be done by the cook once you have liaised with him or her on arrival. You may opt to go with your cook on the first trip.
Gratuities: Rental rates for villas in Jamaica do not include ‘tips’ and it is recommended that you set aside 10% of the total villa rental in winter and 15% for summer as a gratuity for the staff. You will be expected to pay this directly to the staff before you leave. Information on how it is to be divided will be included in the guest’s welcome book, and you may find an envelope provided.
Laundry: Your villa’s laundress will attend to your personal laundry (excluding dry clean items), which if handed over in the morning is usually ready later that same afternoon.
Weddings: Permission to hold a wedding or any large function at your rental villa should be obtained in advance when making your initial reservation enquiry, as each villa has its own restrictions. Most villa weddings/functions will attract a guest surcharge if the number attending the ceremony/reception exceeds the villa’s maximum occupancy. This fee is currently US$15 per person. Also note that if party numbers exceed the maximum villa occupancy you will normally be required to use the services of an outside catering company to arrange food and beverage. |
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Rates
| Cliffside Cottage | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2007 | 15 Dec- 15 Apr 2007-08 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2007-08 | Easter 2008 | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2008 | Thanks- Giving 2008 | | 1-3 bedrooms 4-5 bedrooms | 2,800 4,500 | 4,000 6,000 | 11,000/ 12,000 11,000/ 12,000 | 6,000 6,000 | 2,800 4,500 | n/a n/a | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP). All rates are subject to change without notice. Minimum stay of 5 nights from 16 Apr-14 Dec except during Easter , Thanksgiving and 15 Dec-15 Apr when the minimum stay is 7 nights. There is a minimum stay of 14 nights over the Christmas/New Year period, unless booking for the Christmas week (lower rate) only and departing by 27/28 Dec. |
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How To Book
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the villa agent, Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith. To confirm a reservation you must send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee (50% for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year). Payment of the remaining 75% is required 60 days prior to your arrival (90 days for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year). If you are booking within 60 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. A US$500 security deposit is also required, against damage to the villa or contents during your stay. It is refundable on your return home if no damage occurs during your stay. You may contact Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith please see here. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct you will be able to make arrangements for the villa agent to send a driver to meet you at the airport, which will then be pre-paid with your balance for the villa. The airport transfer from Montego Bay Airport takes approximately 30 minutes (though you should be aware that traffic in Montego Bay can be bad in the mornings and afternoons).
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays but a popular alternative in Jamaica is a private driver service, which is easily arranged and particularly useful if you go out in the evenings. For shopping or sightseeing, you may wish to be independent and drive yourself around as it gives you an added element of freedom to explore the island, which is exceptionally beautiful. If you are booking the villa direct or through a tour operator, you can organise car hire at the same time as booking your accommodation. Otherwise you can reserve your car with Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith at the same time as booking your villa.
If you do decide to go for a hire car, ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property (there may be a delivery fee) approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Jamaica or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. All drivers booked through the villa staff or through Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith are registered JUTA tour guides. |
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