Round Hill Hotel & Villas

The service staff were professional and kind, and breakfast was included. I stayed three nights in villa n. 10, the villa where JFK spent a holiday. It has four rooms, plenty of space, a private pool, and staff available around the clock. The villa’s style reflects the colonial period, and it was built in the early 1950s. The main building is close to the beach and has a restaurant, bar, and other facilities. Amazing, luxurious hotel.

The dinner service was awful. They didn’t bring a menu or wine list. My salad arrived without any dressing because they’d forgotten it, and the food was terrible. A meal was about $100-150 per person. McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A would have been better.

The place feels authentic, with a history of hosting writers, artists, musicians, and travelers since the 1950s. Round Hill is on a 110-acre peninsula outside Montego Bay, with lush gardens, a protected beach, and 27 Ralph Lauren-designed villas spread across the hillside. The views kept stopping me in my tracks. I could keep to myself in a villa with its own pool, or spend time at the beach club and main restaurant. The staff learned my name right away and remembered it throughout the trip. The food was the best Jamaican cooking I’ve had at a resort, from jerk and fresh fish to garden vegetables, all prepared with care. Jamaica is a complicated island, and Round Hill gave me a way to experience its best side. It’s the original Caribbean hideaway, and it still has the qualities that made it legendary. Timeless.

It’s a charming place with classic island decor that made me feel like I’d stepped back in time. I heard Ralph Lauren decorated it, and I can believe that. The staff were kind and attentive throughout, and the facility was great. The food was amazing, with Michelin-star chefs. There were shows every night, plus a beautiful beach and pool and water sports. This isn’t somewhere I’d go to be rowdy.