Round Hill Hotel & Villas: what to know before you book

Rooms

The hotel rooms are in Pineapple House, designed by Ralph Lauren, and all face the sea. Each is 43 m² (460 sq ft) with four-poster bamboo beds (a king or two doubles), a soaking tub, a rain shower and a sitting area. Upper-floor rooms have cathedral ceilings and louvered windows; first-floor oceanfront rooms have a private balcony. Couples should look at the one-bedroom hillside suites, up to 1,800 sq ft, each with a separate living area and its own plunge pool.

The villas are a different kind of stay. There are 27 of them, each privately owned and decorated, with 2 to 6 bedrooms. Most have a private pool, and every villa comes with its own staff, including a cook who makes breakfast. Villas are only rented whole.

Food & drink

Round Hill isn’t all-inclusive unless you choose it. The meal plans are half board (breakfast and dinner), full board (all three meals, no drinks), and the Round Hill Inclusive Plan, which adds drinks by the glass at the bars. The Seaside Terrace is the main restaurant for lunch and dinner, with live entertainment nightly and a casual beach barbecue on Mondays. Breakfast is served in its own restaurant, and there are three bars. Room service runs from 8 am to 9:30 pm. Dinner reservations are recommended, and the evening dress code is long trousers and a collared shirt for men.

My take: book at least one dinner off the property. Round Hill’s own concierge recommends it, and the Hanover and Montego Bay roadside food is half the reason to come to this side of the island.

Pool & beach

The beach is a calm, private stretch of golden sand inside the gate, and the main pool is an infinity pool. Round Hill lists snorkeling, paddleboarding, a glass-bottom boat, tennis and pickleball, a hiking and fitness trail, and yoga in an open-air pavilion. The spa is in a restored 18th-century plantation house overlooking the sea, with an adults-only lounge area by the Spa Lawn.

For families, the Pineapple Club takes children 3 to 6 and the 7-Up Club takes children 7 to 12, with a daily program of beach games, crafts, tennis and nature walks. Cribs and high chairs are free, early dinner from a kids’ menu is available, and nannies can be booked at extra cost. For bigger families, a villa with a cook and a pool is the obvious choice.

Location

Round Hill is in Hopewell, Hanover, west of Montego Bay, about 25 minutes from Sangster International Airport. The resort books private transfers, and parking is free if you rent a car. A free shuttle runs into Montego Bay for shopping each morning, and another runs to a golf course about 10 minutes away. From here you’re well placed for Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, Scotchies for jerk and downtown Montego Bay. See where to stay in Montego Bay for the wider area.