KNOCKANDO VILLA, ROUND HILL RESORT, JAMAICA
by Paula Hughes Court
Editor, Family Travel Fun
Tired of the same old beach vacation? Consider booking a fully-staffed Jamaica villa
for a luxurious vacation even budget conscious families can afford. Though there are
many villa rental agencies and even individuals offering Jamaica villas for rent, we've
found Villas by Linda Smith to be the most knowledgeable and dependable. After
booking two Jamaica villas through Villas by Linda Smith we've learned to fully
appreciate the extra touches that can mean a difference between a frustrating vacation
and a great one.
Linda Smith spends several weeks each year personally inspecting the villas, training
staff members and consulting with villa owners on any improvements she feels are
necessary. Linda believes in attention to details and it shows. From the freshly
laundered clothes presented folded on a platter decorated with pink hibiscus blooms
to the elaborate table settings of fine Royal Worcester china at dinner, her little touches
puts the "wow" factor into every one of the 60 villas she represents.
KNOCKANDO VILLA, ROUND HILL, JAMAICA
On a recent visit to Jamaica, we had the good fortune to stay at one of the most family
friendly villas in Villas by Linda Smith's collection, Knockando at Round Hill. The feeling
of being treated like a queen began the moment we cleared customs at the Montego
Bay airport. Our driver (prearranged by Villas by Linda Smith) grabbed the luggage,
loaded us into a roomy air-conditioned van, and passed around a cooler of ice-cold
drinks. Twenty minutes later we drove through the wrought-iron gates of Knockando,
the original villa in the award-winning Round Hill resort.
Upon arrival, the staff quickly introduced themselves and carried our luggage inside.
Velma, the head housekeeper and senior staff member, gave us a quick tour of the
spacious villa and offered suggestions for choosing bedrooms. Believe me, the
decision was difficult. We finally decided on the 650-square foot Master Bedroom with
sunken tub just off the main Living Room, the connecting Middle Bedroom for our
daughter, and the 400-square-foot Blue Room with connecting children's room for my
parents. The villa also features a gorgeous upstairs bedroom, The Treetops, with a
wraparound wood balcony and sweeping ocean views, and The Cottage, a
400-square-foot freestanding bedroom with a wheelchair accessible en-suite
bathroom. For children, there's every child's dream room, Olivia's Treehouse, complete
with bunk beds, videos, television, stuffed animals, books and toys.
Once we were settled in, Knockando's butler, Reggie, urged us to enjoy a cold drink on
the veranda and admire the view while the staff set the table for lunch. When I first
learned Knockando's large staff of six included two butlers, I couldn't imagine what a
butler would do. The short answer is everything. Reggie arrived at 6:30 every morning
to open the house, squeeze fresh orange juice and prepare coffee. He tended the bar
during the day, helped serve meals, chaffeured my husband and took care of any
questions or concerns we had during our stay. The other five staff members also went
out of their way to make our stay as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.
After drinks, Knockando's talented cook, Iva, served a light lunch-the first of many
fabulous meals to come. Iva was one of several cooks chosen by Villas by Linda Smith
to attend a special five-day gourmet cooking course under the direction of professional
chef Nicky Farquharson. Since Jamaican food is one of the main reasons we visit, we
requested that Iva prepare her personal favorite Jamaican recipes such as Jerk
Chicken, stuffed chou chou, and Caribbean style red snapper. Iva also prepared
several specialty desserts from the cooking class, our favorites being the Chocolate
Mousse, Key Lime Pie (with limes from Knockando's own lime tree) and Jamaican
Rum Baked Bananas.
MORE ABOUT KNOCKANDO'S MENU AND RECIPES
RECONNECTING WITH FAMILY AT KNOCKANDO
We spent our days during something we normally don't do on vacation-rest, relax and
spend quiet time with family. In these days of adventure vacations and whirlwind tours,
it was a welcome change of pace and a great opportunity for us all to reconnect. During
the day, the ladies lounged by Knockando's gorgeous tiled pool , while the men played
complimentary tennis at the Round Hill Resort. For those interested in golf, Round Hill
offers a shuttle service twice daily to the nearby championship golf course at Tryall
Club. Round Hill also offers exercise classes and a complimentary fitness room.
ROUND HILL'S PINEAPPLE KIDS CLUB
At ten, my daughter felt she was a little too old to join the complimentary children's
program at Round Hill, but the other children in the program seemed to be having tons
of fun. On the day I visited the Pineapple Kids Club, a local basket weaver was patiently
teaching the children how to weave their own baskets. I would've loved to join in, but
unfortunately was a little too old for the program. The other activities included face
painting, nature walks, arts and crafts, reggae contests and talent shows. The
Pineapple Kids Club is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for children 3-12. After 5 p.m.,
excellent nannies can be hired at an economical rate.
PHOTOS OF ROUND HILL'S PINEAPPLE KIDS CLUB
EVENINGS AT KNOCKANDO
Our evenings were spent enjoying sunsets on the verandah, followed by Iva's
not-to-be-missed dinners served in the formal dining room. Darkness falls early in
Jamaica which gave us plenty of opportunity to gather together every night over lively
board games and Cranium Congo. You might think a family vacation with parents and
grandparents wouldn't be a ten-year-old child's idea of fun, but our daughter said the
quality time spent bonding together in Jamaica made it the "best family vacation ever!"
HOW TO PLAN YOUR "BEST FAMILY VACATION EVER" IN A LUXURY
JAMAICA VILLA
MORE PHOTOS OF KNOCKANDO VILLA, ROUND HILL, JAMAICA
by Paula Hughes Court
Editor, Family Travel Fun
Tired of the same old beach vacation? Consider booking a fully-staffed Jamaica villa
for a luxurious vacation even budget conscious families can afford. Though there are
many villa rental agencies and even individuals offering Jamaica villas for rent, we've
found Villas by Linda Smith to be the most knowledgeable and dependable. After
booking two Jamaica villas through Villas by Linda Smith we've learned to fully
appreciate the extra touches that can mean a difference between a frustrating vacation
and a great one.
Linda Smith spends several weeks each year personally inspecting the villas, training
staff members and consulting with villa owners on any improvements she feels are
necessary. Linda believes in attention to details and it shows. From the freshly
laundered clothes presented folded on a platter decorated with pink hibiscus blooms
to the elaborate table settings of fine Royal Worcester china at dinner, her little touches
puts the "wow" factor into every one of the 60 villas she represents.
KNOCKANDO VILLA, ROUND HILL, JAMAICA
On a recent visit to Jamaica, we had the good fortune to stay at one of the most family
friendly villas in Villas by Linda Smith's collection, Knockando at Round Hill. The feeling
of being treated like a queen began the moment we cleared customs at the Montego
Bay airport. Our driver (prearranged by Villas by Linda Smith) grabbed the luggage,
loaded us into a roomy air-conditioned van, and passed around a cooler of ice-cold
drinks. Twenty minutes later we drove through the wrought-iron gates of Knockando,
the original villa in the award-winning Round Hill resort.
Upon arrival, the staff quickly introduced themselves and carried our luggage inside.
Velma, the head housekeeper and senior staff member, gave us a quick tour of the
spacious villa and offered suggestions for choosing bedrooms. Believe me, the
decision was difficult. We finally decided on the 650-square foot Master Bedroom with
sunken tub just off the main Living Room, the connecting Middle Bedroom for our
daughter, and the 400-square-foot Blue Room with connecting children's room for my
parents. The villa also features a gorgeous upstairs bedroom, The Treetops, with a
wraparound wood balcony and sweeping ocean views, and The Cottage, a
400-square-foot freestanding bedroom with a wheelchair accessible en-suite
bathroom. For children, there's every child's dream room, Olivia's Treehouse, complete
with bunk beds, videos, television, stuffed animals, books and toys.
Once we were settled in, Knockando's butler, Reggie, urged us to enjoy a cold drink on
the veranda and admire the view while the staff set the table for lunch. When I first
learned Knockando's large staff of six included two butlers, I couldn't imagine what a
butler would do. The short answer is everything. Reggie arrived at 6:30 every morning
to open the house, squeeze fresh orange juice and prepare coffee. He tended the bar
during the day, helped serve meals, chaffeured my husband and took care of any
questions or concerns we had during our stay. The other five staff members also went
out of their way to make our stay as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.
After drinks, Knockando's talented cook, Iva, served a light lunch-the first of many
fabulous meals to come. Iva was one of several cooks chosen by Villas by Linda Smith
to attend a special five-day gourmet cooking course under the direction of professional
chef Nicky Farquharson. Since Jamaican food is one of the main reasons we visit, we
requested that Iva prepare her personal favorite Jamaican recipes such as Jerk
Chicken, stuffed chou chou, and Caribbean style red snapper. Iva also prepared
several specialty desserts from the cooking class, our favorites being the Chocolate
Mousse, Key Lime Pie (with limes from Knockando's own lime tree) and Jamaican
Rum Baked Bananas.
MORE ABOUT KNOCKANDO'S MENU AND RECIPES
RECONNECTING WITH FAMILY AT KNOCKANDO
We spent our days during something we normally don't do on vacation-rest, relax and
spend quiet time with family. In these days of adventure vacations and whirlwind tours,
it was a welcome change of pace and a great opportunity for us all to reconnect. During
the day, the ladies lounged by Knockando's gorgeous tiled pool , while the men played
complimentary tennis at the Round Hill Resort. For those interested in golf, Round Hill
offers a shuttle service twice daily to the nearby championship golf course at Tryall
Club. Round Hill also offers exercise classes and a complimentary fitness room.
ROUND HILL'S PINEAPPLE KIDS CLUB
At ten, my daughter felt she was a little too old to join the complimentary children's
program at Round Hill, but the other children in the program seemed to be having tons
of fun. On the day I visited the Pineapple Kids Club, a local basket weaver was patiently
teaching the children how to weave their own baskets. I would've loved to join in, but
unfortunately was a little too old for the program. The other activities included face
painting, nature walks, arts and crafts, reggae contests and talent shows. The
Pineapple Kids Club is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for children 3-12. After 5 p.m.,
excellent nannies can be hired at an economical rate.
PHOTOS OF ROUND HILL'S PINEAPPLE KIDS CLUB
EVENINGS AT KNOCKANDO
Our evenings were spent enjoying sunsets on the verandah, followed by Iva's
not-to-be-missed dinners served in the formal dining room. Darkness falls early in
Jamaica which gave us plenty of opportunity to gather together every night over lively
board games and Cranium Congo. You might think a family vacation with parents and
grandparents wouldn't be a ten-year-old child's idea of fun, but our daughter said the
quality time spent bonding together in Jamaica made it the "best family vacation ever!"
HOW TO PLAN YOUR "BEST FAMILY VACATION EVER" IN A LUXURY
JAMAICA VILLA
MORE PHOTOS OF KNOCKANDO VILLA, ROUND HILL, JAMAICA
VIEW FROM KNOCKANDO VILLA POOL
VIEW FROM KNOCKANDO'S TREETOPS BEDROOM
AERIAL VIEW KNOCKANDO
KNOCKANDO'S OUTDOOR GYM
LIVING ROOM
KNOCKANDO'S BUTLER, REGGIE
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