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Style: Super stylish, very private, with first class service and top quality. Modern with tropical features and touches from Indonesia. Rooms open-sided for indoor/outdoor living
The Beach: The nearest beach with access is Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay
The Rooms: 5 suites with en suite bathrooms: 2 suites with a 2nd guest bedroom sharing suite’s bathroom, and 3 with sitting areas with sofa beds for a maximum of 18 guests, plus owner’s separate 1 bedroom self-contained villa with pool
Key features: One of the best villas in Jamaica, exclusive 18 acre hillside estate with helipad, 80ft infinity swimming pool, 2nd infinity pool, poolside bar, 2 dining pavilions, Yamaha Disklavier baby grand piano and entertainment centre: 48” satellite TV, DVD, VCR and CD surround sound system, video and CD library, computer with internet access, all suites with STV, VCR/DVD, CD player and wet bar, floodlit DecaTurf tennis court with viewing stand, wet bar and ball machine, exercise equipment, sea kayaks, snorkelling equipment, 6 massage tables. Yoga, massages and beauty treatments (extra). Jamaica weddings and special events location fee, driver with van available, electronic gated entrance.
Children: Welcome
Staff: Property manager, assistant manager, butler, chef, assistant chef, housekeepers, laundress, driver, maintenance supervisor, gardeners and night watchmen – total of 16 staff for entire property complete bookings. No resident staff |
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Description
Silent Waters is a truly spectacular villa in a magnificent location. It sits on a hilltop in eighteen acres of lush landscaped grounds five hundred foot above the north coast of Jamaica. The views are mesmerizing. They carry 180 degrees along the coastline, from Montego Bay in the East to Round Hill in the West and then inland over the Great River Valley and to the mountains beyond. The views are even part of the fabric of Silent Waters. With rooms that open up on all sides they are drawn in and form the backdrop instead of walls. And after you have taken in the views, the design will begin to work on you. Silent Waters is innovative tropical architecture at its best. Some traditional Caribbean features are used, but the buildings also owe inspiration to the Orient, in the pillars and eaves, as do the gardens and the decoration. In fact your first view as you arrive at the property is of a hefty Balinese wooden gateway, which gives onto a garden of carp ponds, grasses and a rounded wooden bridge.
Silent Waters sits right at the top of the exclusive Great River Estate just to the west of Montego Bay. It is an extremely private hideaway - the summit of the hill has a helipad, in case you wish to arrive that way. Staying at the villa is not unlike being in your own small luxury hotel, with a private restaurant. It is ideal special occasions, such as weddings and reunions, is a perfect choice for small corporate events or incentive groups. The house shares an electric gated driveway with its sister property Destiny (which was designed by the same architect, Tom Reid, using more traditional tropical styles). Destiny is located below Silent Waters, separated by another electric gate between the two villas.
If the Oriental style is quite understated in the architecture, it is key to the decoration of Silent Waters. The villa’s owner is an avid collector of Indonesian art and antique statuary, which you will see displayed in both the interiors and in the gardens. Much of it is from Bali and Java and some pieces are from Thailand. The larger statues of stone and bronze date from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, but one piece, the bronze elephant by the dining room, dates from the 18th century. The teak furniture was commissioned to replicate that of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and was made in Batubulan, Bali. Carpets come from the Middle East, China and southern Russia and range in age from 45 to over 100 years old. Large ceramic pots are dotted around the property. Again these were specially commissioned for Silent Waters and made in Thailand. The pot outside the dining room is actually an 18th century piece from Tibet.
On arrival at Silent Waters you park and climb the final steps towards the enclosed grounds, entering by a hefty wooden gateway into the landscaped oriental garden. There are lily ponds, grasses, statues of the Buddha and neat gravel pathways. To one side, slightly up the hill, is the owner’s villa, but the main living area is on the other side. A curved wooden bridge leads you to a carved teak Balinese doorway, through which you come to the ‘rooms’ and the pool behind them. Beyond that the bedroom cottages are ranged in a half circle, hidden in greenery on the forward slope of the hillside.
Silent Waters is built very much for open-air living and when it is fully opened up – the glass walls on the sides of the buildings slide back and disappear into the corner columns - it is almost like a series of open-air pavilions. The heart of the villa is an airy living room that opens onto views on all sides, in one direction to the pool and the Caribbean Sea and to the garden and mountains in the other. The room is large and extremely well appointed, with generous, comfortable sofas grouped around a large, low-level coffee table. It is decorated in a tranquil, neutral tone that carries throughout the property, and its floor is laid with travertine marble tiles. The room features Buddhist antiques from temples in Thailand and Burma, including a pair of 17th century wood carved statues of praying attendants, a 17th century temple bell and an 18th century bible chest. To the rear of the sitting area, overlooking a lily pond and the mountains is a Yamaha Disklavier DC2 II XG baby grand piano (a Mark II SG series system that works on standard MIDI files on floppy disk or CD ROM. Software to write and record available in the adjacent Pentium III computer). The computer has internet access and is programmed with games for both adults and children. There is a surround-sound home theatre with 48” satellite TV, VCR and DVD, and a surround-sound CD system programmed to hold up to 200 CDs. There is also a video library with over one hundred titles for both adults and children, and a powder room.
The living room gives onto the pool terrace, also laid with travertine tiles, and then the pool itself, which is exceptional. At 80 feet long, it is huge and runs across the whole of the front of the villa, lacing around the breakfast pavilion and then enclosing the formal dining pavilion on two sides. It has an infinity edge that gives out onto the Caribbean Sea. It is divided by stepping stones which enable you to reach the lower sun terrace, where there are loungers and parasols. It is glorious during the day, but when the pool is lit up at night and the lights of Montego Bay glitter in the distance, it is pure magic.
All the other living pavilions also lead off this main pool terrace. To the left of the pool is a small bar in a gazebo with built-in seating for at least 20 and a TV, VCR and DVD. On the other side of the pool there are two dining areas. One is a small, open-sided pavilion, just four slender columns with a pitched shingle roof, that juts out into the pool. This is usually used for breakfast. The more formal dining pavilion, which can be accessed from the garden or from the pool terrace via stepping stones, has glass doors that slide into walls on three sides, opening it out right over the pool. The fifteen foot dining table is topped with a slab of rare, striated, blue-grey Brazilian granite.
The bedroom suites at Silent Waters are located in five separate units set in a semi-circle beneath the main living area and pool. They are reached by lit pathways through the thick greenery - bougainvillea, bananas and palms (which provide added privacy) - and they have views west into the Great River Valley and down to the north coast. Their design continues the tropical theme of the villa, so again the bedrooms are extremely airy, with large picture windows and doorways where wooden shutters fold right back to give you the best of the views. Inside there is both wicker and upholstered seating and they all have marble floors, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, satellite TV/VCR and CD systems with selection of CDs, intercom, direct dial phones, a wet bar with fridge, icemaker, coffee/tea maker and a private terrace or balcony. The suites are numbered. Suite #1 the furthest from the main pavilion and like Suites #2 and #3, it faces the Great River valley. Suite #4 is just below the poolside gazebo and looks to the coast and Suite #5 has a view to the valley and the coast. The rooms have different configurations and between them sleep a maximum of 18 guests.
Suite #1 has two storeys. Upstairs there us a king-size bed with a sitting area and downstairs, which has a separate entrance, is a second bedroom with a wet bar, a furnished patio and a queen size bed. The shared bathroom has a glass-fronted, walk-in marble shower. Suite #2 is very similar but has two queen-size beds upstairs and downstairs a queen bed and an additional queen size sofa bed. Suite #3 is a single-storey unit with a single spacious room. It has a king-size bed, a large sitting area with a wet bar and a queen-size sofa-bed. There are two patios, one facing the valley and the other with a sea view. The en suite bathroom has a glass-fronted and marble-tiled shower with double showerheads which is open on three sides to the valley. A separate, sunken bathtub opens to the garden through louvered windows. Suite #4 is a split-level unit. The bedroom upstairs has a king-size bed with a sitting area and en suite bathroom with walk-in marble-tiled shower with double showerheads. There is also an outdoor shower and a sunken bathtub with louvered doors to a private, enclosed garden. Steps from the bedroom lead down to a sitting area with a wet bar and a double sofa-bed and outside a large terrace facing the ocean. Suite #5 has a private entrance leading through an inner courtyard and is also on split levels. The upper room has two queen-size beds and a sitting area. From here steps lead to a lower level where there is also a large sitting area, a queen-size sofa bed, a wet bar and a patio with sea views. The en suite bathroom off the bedroom features a walk-in marble-tiled shower with glass front and double showerheads. There is also an outdoor shower and a sunken bathtub with louvered doors that open onto a private, enclosed garden.
If the suites and living areas of Silent Waters sound extremely comfortable, the owner’s exquisite one-bedroom villa is even more impressive and has an added romantic feel to it. It is located apart from the rest of the accommodations, across the gardens at the top of the hill. It is surrounded by water, on one side by a lily pond and on two by a swimming pool. A bridge leads over the pond into an entrance hall with waterfall feature. Inside, it is beautifully furnished, with even more Balinese and Indonesian statuary, ceramics and artwork that the main villa. It has a spacious living room with glass panel doors on three sides that slide back. It has exposed timber frames and skylights, which encourages the open air feel yet more. The sitting room is very well furnished with large comfy sofas and has fabulous views to Montego Bay. There is a 32” satellite TV with VCR and DVD, a 19-speaker CD sound system to the living room, bedroom, bathroom and pool, and a library of 200 CDs. A dining alcove has an unusual sculpted glass dining table with glass so thick it looks turquoise. This overlooks the lily pond, which skirts three sides of the room. There is a small, fully fitted kitchen across from the central foyer, however all meals are normally served from the kitchen in the main house. Upstairs you will find a small office with a rowing machine and access to a private sunroof.
The very spacious bedroom has a king-size four-poster bed, a sitting area, satellite TV with VCR and DVD and two sets of sliding doors which open the room to magnificent views of the valley. One doorway has steps leading straight into the pool. There is a walk-in dressing room and a large en suite bathroom with a double marble-tiled shower that opens to the pool. There is air-conditioning throughout, including the bathroom and most rooms have ceiling fans. The infinity edge swimming pool runs around the bedroom on two sides. Beyond the pool there is a sun terrace, which looks down into the Great River valley. It is possible to set up an area for dining there.
As you head up the hill from the owner’s villa you come to open lawn and a sitting area. It is a short walk up to the tennis court and the helipad near the summit of the hill. |
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Beach & Swimming
The nearest public beach to Silent Waters with good facilities is Doctors Cave Beach on Gloucester Avenue just north of Montego Bay city centre. It is home to the Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club, which charges a daily admission. There are changing rooms, showers, a cyber café and two gift shops, as well as lifeguards, some watersports, beach chairs, umbrellas, lilos and snorkelling gear for hire. The Groovy Grouper Beach Bar and Grill is located on the beach and is open for lunch and dinner.
Silent Waters has a huge 80ft infinity edge, freshwater swimming pool. It is the focal point of the villa and extends across the width of the central areas – the main living pavilion and the dining ‘rooms’. There are entry steps along its length. Stepping stones divide the swimming section from a ornamental section, which meanders to the side around the dining rooms. Beyond the forward infinity edge there is a sunken sun terrace, at one end of which you will find a gazebo and bar.
The owner’s villa also has an infinity edge, freshwater swimming pool which wraps around two sides of the bedroom, from where there are steps leading straight into the pool. There are also entry steps into the pool from another sun terrace the other side. |
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Sports & Recreation
Silent Waters has a private floodlit tennis court, which is shared with guests of the neighbouring villa Destiny. It has a DecaTurf surface and two machines, an Ace Plus Pro with Direction ball machine and Playmate Alumalift Pro Ball serving machine. Tennis rackets are available and in the court-side viewing pavilion there is comfortable seating and a granite wet bar with stocked fridge. Exercise equipment is located on the poolside terrace and includes a treadmill, computerized bicycle, computerized rowing machine and a Total Gym. The owner’s villa has a rowing machine. Snorkelling equipment is available for guests’ use, along with five single and two double Scupper Pro ocean kayaks. The villa’s driver will point out the best areas for sea entry.
There are yoga mats for guests’ use and private yoga classes can be arranged. A qualified yoga instructor will come up to the villa (at additional charge; they must be pre-booked with a couple of days’ notice). The villa also has six massage tables, which can be set up for use in your room or by the pool. A range of services is available for additional charge from on-call beauty and massage therapists (which can be booked one day in advance), including reflexology, Reiki, massages, facials, body wraps, waxing, pedicure and manicure.
There are several excellent 18 hole golf courses in the Montego Bay area. The closest is at Tryall Club, a par 72, 6772 yard course about 10 minutes drive away. The others are on the other side of Montego Bay and can take 30 minutes to reach by car, depending on traffic through the town. The White Witch at the Ritz Carlton is a hilly par 71, 6,718 yard course, the Cinnamon Hill course at Rose Hall is par 71 and 6,637 yards and there is a par 72, 7,119 yard course at Half Moon. The nearest riding stables are at Chukka Blue near Tryall and at the equestrian centre at Half Moon. |
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Locality
Silent Waters sits within 18 acres of landscaped grounds on a hilltop right at the top of the park-like Great River residential estate. Heading west across the Great River you come to Round Hill Hotel and Villas after about five minutes and then Tryall Club, which has an 18 hole golf course. Both properties have popular beach party nights with barbecues and live music (reservations required) as well as their normal fine dining. Just above Round Hill is the village of Hopewell, which has a supermarket and liquor store/off-licence, pharmacy, AMT, post office, library and service station. If you continue driving for an hour west you will arrive in Negril, the famous beach and cliffside hangout. Silent Waters looks down onto the Great River valley, where the popular activity of bamboo river rafting takes place, starting up in Lethe village. Inland from the small community at Reading, on a pleasant drive that threads it way through a rainforested gully, is the Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary where you can hand-feed hummingbirds.
Silent Waters is approximately 20 minutes from Montego Bay, Jamaica’s second largest city and the island’s tourism epicentre. In the downtown area of the city there are several craft markets and shopping centres, including duty free outlets. On the northern edge is Gloucester Avenue, which calls itself the “Hip Strip”. Here there are cafes, shops, craft markets and restaurants serving anything from jerk at the Pork Pit to fine cuisine at The Townhouse by the Sea, as well as some lively clubs and bars, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. The best beach in the area, Doctor’s Dave Beach, is also on the strip. Closer to home is the Freeport peninsular, just south of Montego Bay, where you will find a shopping mall next to the cruise ship berths, and the Houseboat Grill restaurant on the lagoon itself. In nearby Bogue you will find the Fairview Shopping Centre with SuperPlus, a large, well-stocked supermarket, a cinema, department store, hardware store, pharmacy, fast food jerk centre, service station and a KFC. Closer to town is the Westgate Shopping Centre with a bank, supermarket, off-licence, McDonalds and service station. |
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Useful Hints
Provisioning: Silent Waters has a chef who offers a gourmet meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch (packed lunches are available in lieu of lunch at the villa), pre dinner canapés and dinner every day. There is a fixed price of US$65 per adult and $32.50 per child (ages 3-12 yrs with no charge under 3), per day. This should be pre-paid along with the villa rental, and (like the villa rental) is subject to 8.25% local government tax. The meal plan excludes beverages (such as wine, spirits, beer, soft drinks and bottled water). Instead a standard bar is normally set up at the villa, much like a hotel bar (specific requirements can be added) and guests are charged for consumption. The bar bill should be settled locally before departure.
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. Silent Waters currently requires prepayment of gratuities.
Your villa’s laundress will attend to your personal laundry (excluding dry clean items). If you hand laundry over in the morning is usually ready later that same afternoon.
Please note that low walls to some of the terraces and picture windows in the bedroom suites may cause a danger to small or adventurous children if they are left unsupervised.
It is worth noting that because it is so open, Silent Waters is not at its best in the rain. The staff will close all the doors to contain the weather and provide umbrellas if you need to move around.
All prices are subject to change without notice. |
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Weddings
Permission to hold a wedding or any large function at your rental villa should be obtained in advance, when you are making your initial reservation enquiry, as each villa has its own restrictions. Most villa weddings/functions attract a guest surcharge if the guests attending the ceremony/reception exceed the villa’s maximum occupancy. This fee is currently US$15 per person. The maximum number of guests for receptions at Silent Waters is 35 for a seated dinner, 54 for a buffet and 150 for a cocktail party. A location fee of US$2000 applies, unless the full weekly minimum rental for that period is achieved. Please 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.
Silent Waters is happy host day events such as weddings for non-resident guests, on weekends only subject to availability. The US$2000 location fee will apply. An additional charge of US$10 per person (minimum total charge will be US$400) will apply for setting up the villa and for the use of linens, tables, chairs etc.
All prices are subject to change without notice. |
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Rates
| Silent waters | 01 May- 14 Dec 2008 + 09 | 15 Dec- 30 Apr 2008-09 | Thanks- Giving 2008 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2008-09 | Easter 2009 | | 1-6 guests 7-8 guests 9-10 guests 11-12 guests 13-14 guests 15-16 guests 17-18 guests 19-20 guests: incl. owner’s villa | 14,000 16,240 18,480 20,555 22,630 23,315 24,000 32,900 | 19,250 21,450 23,650 25,960 28,270 28,985 29,700 38,600 | 24,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 32,900 | 41,580 41,580 41,580 41,580 41,580 41,580 41,580 50,480 | 23,650 23,650 23,650 | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP), and exclude 8.5% Government Consumption Tax, and staff gratuities. All rates are subject to change without notice. Minimum stay of 5 nights from 01 May-14 Dec except during Easter , Thanksgiving and 15 Dec-30 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. The owner’s villa can be rented on its own for an additional cost of US$8,900, per week on top of the minimum rental cost for 1-6 guests, i.e. US$22,900 low season and $28,150 high season. |
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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$2,000 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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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct you can 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 takes approximately 30 minutes.
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 highly 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 you book 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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