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Style: An imposing seafront property with an air of formality. Hints of the original fort on the point in the architecture. Space and seclusion.
The Beach: 3 private white sandy beaches in coves cut into the shoreline, 1 larger sheltered west facing beach and 2 much smaller, more exposed, east facing beaches
The Rooms: 5 bedrooms for adults and 2 for children
Key features: Luxurious seafront Jamaica villa rentals property on 2 acres with 3 beaches, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, squash court, fitness room, bar with TV and sound system, family room with big screen satellite TV, DVD with surround sound, DVD library, wine cellar, 5 alfresco dining areas, formal dining room, sea kayaks, floating bar, snorkelling equipment, croquet, darts, hammocks, barbecue, child’s playhouse and games, computer with internet access.
Children: Welcome - 2 children’s bedrooms and a child’s play house and slide in the garden
Staff: Butler, barman, cook, housekeeper, laundress, gardener – resident butler and housekeeper |
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Description
Fortlands Point is an impressive seven bedroom seafront home set in two acres of sweeping lawns on Discovery Bay on the north coast of Jamaica. It is located on the eastern point of the bay, on the site of a centuries old fort. Original cannons still stand at the ready, some strategically covering the bay as they did two or three hundred years ago, and there are echoes of the old military and colonial style in the modern architecture. Set right on the headland, Fortlands Point is a breezy spot with a rugged setting, more so than the other villas in the Fortlands strip, and it has a less traditional Caribbean atmosphere. It is also very much a family villa. Children are very welcome. There are facilities for them and plenty of space to run around. However the villa does lend itself to adult gatherings as well, a groups of friends or couples say, and small corporate events, and it is also ideal for guests who like to entertain. There are numerous options for dining, on the pool terrace, by the beach, inside the formal dining room or on the sea deck. It also makes for a dramatic setting for weddings.
Fortlands Point is the last in a string of villas on the quiet road along line the eastern shore of the huge Discovery Bay. The villas are extremely smart, among the best looking and best equipped beachfront holiday homes in the Caribbean, and together they have a residential, holiday feel about them. Currently Fortlands Point is the newest villa on the strip. The house stands behind large electric gates at the end of a neatly paved drive lined with wispy casuarinas pines, set among immaculately kept lawns which run down to the small cliff top and the sea. On the left the large building contains a squash court. The colonial and martial overtones are immediately visible. The lower half of the front façade is made of stone and there are white painted keystones on the corners and door surrounds. And before you enter the house you must first pass under an archway (where a portcullis might almost be lowered to bar your way, if you were an unwelcome guest) into an inner courtyard. Here you will find a pond and steps leading to the front door. Around the walls of the house stand double sets of square columns tall and straight as sentries, supporting the roof and flanking a covered terrace and upper balcony. The same upright theme is continued in the full length French doors of dark tropical wood, which close off the inside space when necessary.
Inside, Fortlands Point is very well appointed and spacious. The entrance leads directly into an open plan, formal living room with olive green walls and traditional comfy sofas and chairs. A card table is tucked away in a corner. While the tall cedar frame doors onto the outside terraces have glass panels, all the cedar windows have louvered shutters, which allow a natural flow of air. The terrace outside the sitting area is one of the many dining areas, and it looks out onto the open Caribbean Sea to the north. To the other side of the sitting room is an elegant, formal dining room with a fabulous antique mahogany table from the Governor General’s House in Spanish Town. Thought to be over a hundred years old, it can seat 12-14 diners for special suppers, in a setting almost reminiscent of that found in the old Jamaican plantation great houses. A large, wrought iron lantern hangs from the vaulted, exposed bleached timber roof and there are more glass panelled doors which concertina and fold back, opening the room up onto another terrace. This breakfast terrace looks towards the pool and beyond to a lovely view of Discovery Bay itself. Also attached to the living room, just outside the glass panel doors, is a bar and casual covered sitting area which is furnished in wicker. It is like a very much like a gazebo, and open on two sides, with a full size, granite-topped bar and in one corner a wall-mounted digital satellite TV (all TVs with the DSS service). All the main living areas of the villa are covered by a multi speaker music system, including the main beach.
The swimming pool is large and has an infinity edge on the ocean side. A Jacuzzi spills into it and has a terrific view of the ocean. The pool and sun terrace are raised above the gardens, so there are steps leading down to the spread of lawns dotted with almond trees, some of them slung with hammocks. There is a children’s play house and slide beyond the pool on the left, whilst on the other side the lawn leads to a small promontory at the tip of the point. Here you will find a fenced-in deck overlooking the sea that is often used as a dining area. As well as lunch, evening barbecues can be held here too. There is a second terrace a little further round on the low sea rocks looking out to sea, next to one of the smaller beach coves. This can also be used for dining or sunbathing.
Fortlands has seven bedrooms. One, the Baron’s Room, is located on the ground floor, off the living room close to the front door. It has a sturdy mahogany king-size bedstead, a day bed, TV and French doors leading out onto a furnished terrace leading onto the lawns to ocean side. It has an en suite bathroom with tub/shower. The other six bedrooms, set on several different levels (allowing some extra privacy) are upstairs, reached along polished teak corridors by a cedar staircase. On the northeast corner, with a balcony and a cracking sea view, is a king-size bedroom with mahogany bedstead, a day bed and en suite bathroom with tub/shower. The second bedroom overlooks the driveway and has a carved mahogany headboard and a queen bed, with en suite bathroom with tub/shower. Next door to it is a children’s bedroom with two single beds and an en suite tub/shower.
There is a second children’s bedroom (also with en suite bathroom), attached to one of the two master bedrooms, which have their own space in a loft. This second Master bedroom is the most romantic room in the house. It has a raised area for the cane backed, king-size bed, two reading chairs and a large en suite bathroom with double shower, with two shower heads and water jet body massagers. On the other side of the house is a sea-view family room with balcony, comfy plump seating, a big-screen TV with DVD and surround system and a library of films. Adjoining this is the Master bedroom (the Captain’s Room), which has a king-size, antique style mahogany bed. Full-length French doors lead onto a furnished balcony that looks out over the pool, the main beach and excellent views of Discovery Bay. The bedroom has its own seating area with TV and there is a large en suite bathroom with a double walk-in shower with two showerheads, plus water jet body massagers. All bedrooms are air-conditioned, have ceiling fans, and at the request of the owners are to be kept as non-smoking areas. |
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Beach and Swimming
Fortlands Point sits on the eastern headland at Discovery Bay and its main beach is on the protected, bay-facing side in a man-made cove cut into the cliff. There is an 80ft sweep of golden beach that is easily accessed by a few steps down from the lawn. A thatched sunshade stands on the beach and there are sea kayaks (a double and two singles) and snorkelling gear. On the north, ocean-facing side of the gardens there are two smaller beaches, also set in rocky coves, which are suitable for paddling and private tanning. A good size (15ft x 20ft) freshwater, infinity edge swimming pool is set in the main sun terrace. It has entry steps with rail to the shallow end and an adjoining, upper level, mosaic tile Jacuzzi that spills over into it. |
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Sports & Recreation
Fortlands Point has its own fan cooled, glass-backed squash court, located in a separate high roofed annex off the drive. Rackets and balls are provided. The annex also includes a fitness room with sea views across the driveway. This features a two station Universal weight machine, a Precor elliptical fitness cross-trainer and a bicycle. The villa is also equipped with croquet, darts, a double and two single kayaks and snorkelling gear.
The nearest golf courses are the SuperClubs Breezes Golf Course in Runaway Bay, an 18 hole 72 par, 6,814 yard course and the Grand Lido Braco Golf Club, west of Rio Bueno, a 9 hole par 28, 1,357 yard course. Both are around 10-15 minutes by car. About an hour away, in the hills east of Ocho Rios, is Sandals Golf and Country Club, an 18 hole, 72 par, 6311 yard course. Established in 1951, it was formerly known as the Upton Golf Course. Headed the other way there are also several courses just before Montego Bay.
The nearest stables for riding or polo are both in the Parish of St Ann. Chukka Cove at Laughlands is 25-30 minutes by car and St Ann Polo Club and Equestrian Center in Drax Hall is approximately 30-40 minutes away. |
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Locality
Fortlands Point is set within an extremely popular and exclusive residential enclave, Fortlands Road, which is often referred to as “Millionaires Row” and has around a dozen luxury Jamaica holiday rental homes. They line the eastern shore line of Discovery Bay about an hour east of Montego Bay and about 30 minutes west of Ocho Rios. The majority of homes along this strip are owned by wealthy Jamaican families. On approach to the villas you will pass Puerto Seco Beach, a pretty white-sand public beach. Local fishermen operate from here and it is a popular spot with the Jamaicans, particularly at the weekends. You can easily kayak along the strip of villas from the top of the bay at Fortlands Point down to Puerto Seco.
The area around Discovery Bay is fairly ‘un-touristy’ and so there are not that many restaurants and bars. While the outlook on Discovery Bay is largely blue water, it has an interesting industrial aspect. The most prominent building in sight is the large metal, dome-shaped storage tank of the Kaiser Bauxite Plant on the western corner of the bay. This is where some of Jamaica’s bauxite is shipped from. Nearby is the small Columbus Park Museum, a commemorative park at the roadside to mark the 1494 landing of Christopher Columbus in Discovery Bay (though this has since come into dispute, in favour of Rio Bueno not far off). There is an open-air collection of artefacts including a water wheel from a sugar estate, an Indian dug-out canoe, cannons and agricultural equipment. The village just across the road from the Fortlands Road entrance consists of a post office, public library, petrol station, police station, small supermarket and patty shop. You will need to go to Ocho Rios if you wish to do serious shopping, dine out or sample the local nightlife. |
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Useful Hints
Provisioning: The cook at Fortlands Point will assume that you will require a welcome meal for your arrival and that initial food and drink supplies should be purchased. 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 them with funds for all subsequent shopping, including transportation costs.
The cook at Fortlands Point is a graduate of Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith’s “Le Chef” 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 Le Chef menu. This 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 them on arrival. You may opt to go with them 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% in 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 villa manual, where you may find an envelope provided.
Fortlands Point has a wine cellar with a small choice of imported wines ranging in price from US $23-41 a bottle.
The owners of Fortlands Point request that the bedrooms are to be kept as non-smoking zones.
Laundry: Your villa’s laundress will attend to your personal laundry (excluding dry clean items). If it is handed over in the morning it will usually be ready later that same afternoon.
Two dogs (German Shepherds) live at Fortlands Point and normally have the run of the grounds. They are said to love children, however if you have any concerns, this should be mentioned on booking, so that they can be put away during the day. Please note that the only area with fencing is on the point and the rest of the shorefront is unprotected, so you will need to keep an eye on small or adventurous children.
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 numbers for the ceremony/reception exceed the villa’s maximum occupancy. The fee for Fortlands Point is currently US$100 per non resident villa guest, for a maximum number of 50 guests. Also note that in this case it is normally also a requirement that you take on the services of an outside catering company for food and beverage. |
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Rates
| Fortlands Point | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2009 | Thanks- Giving 2009 | 15 Dec- 15 Apr 2009-10 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2009-10 | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2010 | | 1-3 bedrooms 4-5 bedrooms 6-7 bedrooms | 14,000 16,000 18,000 | 19,500 19,500 19,500 | 19,000 19,000 21,000 | 27,500 27,500 27,500 | 14,000 16,000 18,000 | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP). Rates are based on double occupancy per bedroom. There is a surcharge of $29 per night for each extra guest in any room. 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 29 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 and 120 days for Christmas and New Year) and no refunds will be made during this time. For cancellations made more than 60 days prior to scheduled occupancy, deposits will be refunded less a 10% cancellation fee and relevant credit card processing or wire fees. If you are booking within 60 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. A US$1,000 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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Locality
Keela Wee is one of a dozen or so villas set in an extremely popular and exclusive residential enclave, often referred to as “Millionaires Row”, strung along the private Fortlands Road on the eastern shore line of Discovery Bay. It is around an hours drive east of Montego Bay and around 30 minutes west of Ocho Rios. There is a certain sense of community about the villa on the strip. Amanoka villa is to the left and Whispering Waters, built by the same family, is on the right. Here you can expect to smell the barbecues coming from neighbouring villas, and to hear and see other villa residents.
On the approach to the villas you will pass Puerto Seco Beach, a pretty white sand public beach from which local fishermen operate. It is a popular spot with locals. You can easily kayak along the strip of villas from the top of the bay at Fortlands Point down to Puerto Seco. The village of Puerto Seco, which is just across the road from the entrance of Fortlands Road, consists of a post office, public library, petrol station, police station, small supermarket and patty shop. You will need drive to Ocho Rios if wanting to do some serious shopping, dine out or sample local nightlife.
Discovery Bay itself is fairly low key and there are just a handful of other rental properties dotted around the hillsides. Visible from the villa is the Kaiser Bauxite Plant, whose large dome shaped storage tank is the most dominant building on the bay. Nearby by is Columbus Park Museum, a commemorative park to mark the 1494 landing of Christopher Columbus in Discovery Bay, though it now appears that it was not actually on this spot (that is supposedly at Rio Bueno). It is an open-air park with a collection of artefacts including an old water wheel from a sugar estate, an Indian dug-out canoe, cannons and agricultural equipment. |
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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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