ONE LOVE KDHamptons readers!

Talk about a culture shock: I recently spent three weeks in the Middle East, came home to a blizzard called Nemo, and then hopped a plane to Jamaica! Traveling is my prescription for keeping the Hamptons winter blues at bay, and I can’t wait for my next adventure~ heading to Gstaad this weekend to go skiing with my sister! But first up, here is my KDHamptons Travel Diary for Round Hill, a storied resort overlooking the turquoise water of Montego Bay, Jamaica…

 

 

I am in love with the Round Hill resort, and have visited there probably ten times in my life. It is very private and very special. Many of my experiences at Round Hill centered around fashion shoots from my editorial years at Glamour magazine. Our NYC fashion mob would descend up this bucolic resort including: wild supermodels, eccentric photographers, hair & makeup artists that dressed like pirates, and trunks of designer clothes plucked straight off the runway. This was the ONLY place to shoot in the Caribbean. Needless to say, this recent trip with a husband and my 13-year old stepdaughter, Lily, was quite different— in an equally enjoyable way, proving Round Hill sprinkles its magic over every type of guest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Round Hill experience sort of sneaks up on you. On your first visit during the initial days you may wonder: What is so special about this place that makes people like Clark Gable, John & Jackie Kennedy, Paul Newman, British royalty, Ralph Lauren [who built a family compound], and more, fall utterly in love with Round Hill? And then, by day three~ you “get it”….

 

There is simply something magical about Round Hill. It could be the gardens, the scent of hibiscus and sandalwood that weaves through the property, the charming fanciness about it that is not typical of island life. People dress up for dinner here. No shorts or flip flops allowed in this dining room. I like traditions like that.

 

 

 

 

The history of the resort is interesting~ yes, Jack and Jackie honeymooned there, but that’s just one chapter of the rich history of Round Hill, conceived by well-connected, Jamaican-born entrepreneur John Pringle, whose mother was a social fixture in Montego Bay. Opened in 1953, Round Hill was the first resort of its kind in the Caribbean [still operating on the same basis today], with 27 villas being owned by individual ‘shareholders’. Pringle, and his glamorous wife Liz, invited Hollywood icons, literati, artists and socialites to build private cottages and invest in the hotel. Check out the old-school glamour in the dozens of black and white photos that line the walls of the resort, retelling past stories to the new generations of Round Hill.

 

 

 

Round Hill offers lots of options in terms of accommodations. Personally, I think a villa is the way to go~ especially if you are traveling with kids. Each villa features open-air living rooms, verandas, lush lawns and landscaping, a private pool, and magnificent views of Round Hill Bay. Each villa is unique in design style, so it’s fun to stay in a different one each time you visit. Nice Touch: Villas come with a dedicated staff who cook made-to-order breakfast every morning. Doc kept requesting Melvina’s coconut pancakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite villa is Reid’s End, a four-bedroom villa refurbished with nautical design details inspired by its history, starting with a giant replica of the real Captain Reid’s ship in the foyer. Captain Reid was a Scotsman who came to Jamaica in the 1700’s, sold his merchant vessel, bought some land and settled on the Round Hill Estate. Centuries later, Reid’s End is now the favorite retreat of Paul McCartney and his family when they come to Jamaica. Adorable old photos of Paul, Linda, and Stella playing on the beach as a little girl are framed in the library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For exercise, we played pretty good tennis nearly every day, paddled the kayaks out around the reef, popped in for one little workout in the gym, and Doc & Lily braved the banana boat ride [below]!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dining and cocktail scene at Round Hill is TOPS! We all loved every meal. Award-winning Executive Chef Martin Maginley [pictured below] incorporates fresh local ingredients to create dishes inspired by the Jamaican region. Fresh vegetables and herbs from the Round Hill Organic Garden [below] are part of every meal. Make sure to take the Garden Tour with Dave Hamilton!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most guests don’t leave the resort for meals because everyone loves the longstanding theme nights like Friday’s Jamaican Night Buffet served on the seaside terrace, and the Beach BBQ on Mondays overlooking the bay.

 

 

 

 

Beyond the local, organic chicken and fish, our other favorite dishes from The Grill at Round Hill included the Caribbean Lobster Tail [Doc’s fav], Jamaican Rock Shrimp [Lily’s fav], and the Pimento-Rubbed Beef Tri-Tip [my fav]. Got a sweet tooth? Don’t miss the coconut-milk banana custard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the coolest surprises about Round Hill is that they have amazing live entertainment~ every night! From really great singers that croon like Lionel Richie or Al Green on Monday, to a funky steel drum band on Tuesday, and a hot DJ who got us all dancing to Rihanna on Friday. All so different, so great, and so much fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a fun night swaying to the steel drum band with a rum punch in hand, I drifted over to the Elemis Spa in the morning, located in a beautifully restored 18th century plantation house on ten acres of beachfront lawn. I followed my therapist up the garden steps (below) for an incredible outdoor deep tissue massage, which I promptly fell asleep during. But hey, I felt great after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After 60 years, the cottage colony of Round Hill still maintains its special allure, largely in part due to the inspired capacities of its beloved manager, Josef Forstmayr. The first question all of my friends asked when we returned home was, “How is Josef? We love him!”

 

 

 

*For more information go to www.roundhill.com or call 876.956.7050