Tranquillity Base, Jamaica

Tranquillity

By Valerie Schroth

Do me a favor. When you get there?--walk in, put down your bags and go put your feet in the pool and enjoy. Let Ann Marie unpack your suitcase for you. Americans are always so democratic, always saying, "No, that's okay, I can do it." But you are there to RELAX.

That's Linda Smith prepping me for my first-ever villa vacation in Jamaica. My response: "Do people often break down crying when you tell them that?" With a full staff (butler, cook, housemaid, laundress and two gardeners), four bedrooms (one in the separate beach cottage by the water), pool, adjoining tennis court, the private beachside villa called "Tranquillity" sounded too good to be true.
But truly, it was even better. Never have I felt so relaxed on a vacation, so taken care of. It is indescribably calming not to have to think about anything, to feel you're in your own (though much more splendid) home--with swaying royal palms, poincianas and bougainvillea--without the headaches. And with a staff waiting to attend to you.

The reservations I'd had on that score (whatever would we do with a staff? Wouldn't it be annoying or inhibiting to have all those people around?) quickly melted away.

Everything was calibrated to our desires. Would we like dinner on the veranda or in the dining gazebo by the sea? An iced tea by the pool before lunch or a rum punch? Should Marcia make chocolate cake for dessert or a lemon meringue pie? Hot coffee is put out in thermoses near your room at 7, breakfast served as you like it (scrambled eggs and bacon, or ackee and saltfish?). Meals are not lavish, but they're lovingly prepared in "your" kitchen by Marcia and served with aplomb by Leaford, the butler, who also does the honors at cocktail hour. And the very best table is always your own.

So many intangibles made our stay unforgettable. Junior, one of the gardeners, serenaded us on the guitar one evening, singing reggae songs wonderfully. The house dogs--Sampson, Sally and Lassie (often joined by Jimmy, Junie and Jessie from next door)--added a note of hilarity and love as only dogs can. Each evening (bless Judith!) the laundry we'd placed in the hamper that morning was back in the closet, freshly laundered and hand-pressed. What a kick to return from a vacation with a suitcase of clean laundry!

This is where I should detail all the great things to do in the Montego Bay area, and they are many. Famous Round Hill Resort right down the road is a must for lunch or dinner, and there's world-class golf at The Tryall Club only six miles away. We even did a day trip in Negril. But honestly? Every time we left, it was with a wistful backward glance, vowing that tonight we'd have that walk on the beach before dinner or spend a full afternoon loafing tomorrow.

The good news? Linda Smith has 52 villas in Jamaica--some high in the hills, a couple with helipads, one on a 2,000-acre working plantation--most even more glamorous still than dear "Tranquillity". So it's one down, 51 to go!

How it works: The cost of a villa varies, depending on how many bedrooms are occupied (in our case, the price for a week was $5,700 for two couples), 10 percent gratuity for the staff is obligatory. You pay for groceries, usually $30 per person per day.

For further information on Villas by Linda Smith, call (301) 229-4300 or visit www.jamaicavillas.com.