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• 6½-bedroom private villa on 3 acres ... 7,000 square feet of living space
• 40 x 40 private pool plus 1,700-square-foot upper level sundeck
• ping pong table
• full staff:  cook, butler, housekeepers, laundress, gardener
• wireless Internet access (bring your own laptop)
• spectacular view of the sea and night lights of Montego Bay
• satellite dish ... television, DVD and VCR ... cassette/CD player
• considerately designed for families, nannies and children
• Round Hill membership: complimentary beach, tennis, gym, heated pools for parents
  & children, jogging trail. For various fees: Pineapple Kids Club, tennis lessons, hair salon & spa,
  bars & restaurants, gift shop, water sports, Internet room, beach parties Mon-Wed-Fri
• Tryall Club membership: complimentary beach, tennis, gym, pool, Hummingbird Kids Club,
  non-motorized water sports, Internet room, art gallery, jogging trail, afternoon tea & Manager's
  Cocktail Party. For various fees: golf, tennis lessons, Happy Hour, hair salon & spa, bars & restaurants, cigar & jewelry shop, motorized water sports, beach parties Mon-Wed-Fri

If you're not looking for the bells and whistles of modern Caribbean architecture, Hanover House is right for you.  Its high ceilings and small treasures from another century evoke the former grandeur and elegance of a dignified past Jamaican lifestyle.  When I've had enough of glass block, stainless steel and lucite, this is where I want to be for a week or more every year to remind me of the more traditional Jamaica I came to love.  I appreciate its polished brass hardware from England, its massive master bedroom with balconies on three side, its crooked old chandeliers and its oh-so-genuine longtime staff.  Gazing over its picture postcard views recharges my soul and reminds me why I love Jamaica.

A sweeping staircase brings guests up through the three-story entrance foyer to the salmon-hued soft brick pool terrace ... a 1,500-square-foot outdoor living space around the 40' x 40' private pool, picturesquely framed in white stone arches. The adjacent large living room has satellite television and opens to more terraces and views. Four shaded sitting areas, poolside chaises, and two dining tables seat 15 guests. The breakfast table overlooks a 500-acre coconut plantation. Home-cooked meals here by Pam, the jolly and talented Hanover House cook, merit special mention.  One evening, let Pam feed the kids early.  Then linger over a long candlelight adult dinner till the stars come out.  Then, with drink in hand, move to the master suite balcony for the light show of a lifetime.  (Some guests have chosen to sleep on the balcony rather than leave the meserizing view.)

No words can adequately describe the many views from Hanover House ... truly breathtaking every hour of the day and night.  The villa's architecture was designed to capture both glorious sunrises across the sea and unforgettable huge sunsets beyond the hills.  If you rise early, look for the storybook clouds of mist wafting down over the Great River just to the east.  Don't miss those precious and memorable times of day!

Interiors at Hanover House are characterized by a few priceless Empire pieces and several antique mahogany case pieces, richly restored with their original hardware and fluted bases.  English botanicals adorn the walls.  The large bathrooms have their original plain cabinetry and laminated countertops, but the very comfortable beds and views from each bedroom more than make up for the lack of Corian and granite.  In summary, Hanover House feels like home and has a very distinctive brand of charm and spaciousness that have drawn many families back again and again.

Hanover House has become known for its beautiful and extraordinarily photogenic weddings.

If you've left your own pets behind while you take a vacation, be advised that Hanover House is home to our beloved chocolate lab pup, Pesto.  He loves people, sticks and tennis balls.  He stays out of the house and is playful and gentle with children in the yard.

Accommodations
Thoughtfully designed for families, the upstairs and downstairs bedroom layouts provide both privacy and proximity for parents and their children nearby.

Upstairs Bedrooms
Master Bedroom
1,000-square-foot suite. Kingsize bed; antique writing desk; sitting area; 32" flat screen television; en-suite bathroom with double sink, tub-shower combination.  Air-conditioning; large wrap-around balcony with magnificent view of Montego Bay day and night.

Connecting door to adjoining nanny's or child's room with twin bed.  Locking door to upper sundeck. Shares master bathroom. Second twin bed can be added to create kingsize sleeping accommodation for one couple. This is the only non-air-conditioned bedroom. However, cool air from double air conditioners in the Master Bedroom tends to cool this small room.

Bedroom 2
Kingsize or twin beds; air conditioning; cathedral rafter-and-beam ceiling; shared bath with Bedroom 3; tub-shower combination; door to upper sundeck.  View over pool.

Bedroom 3
Double bed; air conditioning; shared bath with Bedroom 2; tub-shower combination; door to upper sundeck.  View over pool.

All upstairs bedrooms open onto the 1,700-square-foot sundeck with chaises and trade winds ... a lofty perch for lovers of sunrises and sunsets.

Downstairs Bedrooms
Bedroom 4
Kingsize or twin beds; large private bath with tub-shower combination; mini-fridge; private shaded porch with sea view.

Bedroom 5
Kingsize or twin beds; large private bath with tub-shower combination; ceiling fan; mini-fridge; private porch with sea view.

Bedroom 6
Kingsize or twin beds plus sofabed; television; large private bath with tub-shower combination; ceiling fan; overlooks pool.

Maximum desired occupancy is 13 guests in 6½ bedrooms. Addtional guests may be accommodated on request for a nightly fee of $30. 

Updated May 5, 2010 Linda Smith

*ROUND HILL HOTEL & BEACH CLUB MEMBERSHIP

A special amenity available to Hanover House guests is membership at Round Hill ... just minutes from the villa and one of the finest private resorts on Jamaica's North Coast. Membership entitles guests to access Round Hill's private beach, fitness center (treadmill, free weights, rowing machine and guided aerobics) and tennis on hard-surface courts lighted for night play and with pro on call. (Charges apply to lessons and ball boys.) Round Hill also offers a jogging trail, gift shop, logo shop, beach bar, piano bar, Continental cuisine in the hotel restaurant ... and unforgettable long sunsets from the waterfront terrace. For additional charges, members may enjoy the spa, Pineapple Kids Club, a range of water sports and parties (Monday beach party, Wednesday Caribbean Curry Night, Friday Jamaica Night). Here too is the Business Center with high-speed broadband stations and printers.  Round Hill was chosen by Condé Nast Traveler for its Gold List of "the best places to stay in the whole world."

Tryall Golf Tennis & Beach Club Membership

Among the most beautiful golf courses in the world, Tryall's 18 hillside and seaside fairways have been home to the Johnnie Walker, Mazda and other PGA championship events. The resident pro offers workshops. Spend days on the sunny beach while waiters serve you from the beach bar. Play tennis on nine Nova Cushion courts lighted for night play ~ all white required. Jog the trails, use the excellent gym and the complimentary Internet room. Snorkeling, kayaking, hobie cat and sunfish sailing are complimentary. Glass bottom boat trips, charter fishing boats, a boat to the reef and any captained craft attract various fees. Enjoy the historic Great House with afternoon tea, bar, boutique, cigar and jewelry shop. Here, too, is the Great House Restaurant for Continental and Jamaican dining should you wish to dine away from the villa an evening or two. Tryall is truly one of the distinctive private clubs of the world.

The Tryall Club was chosen by Condé Nast Traveler for its Gold List of "the best places to stay in the whole world."

Tryall Club Temporary Membership Fee
Tryall is a private club whose members may use most Club facilities at no charge with the exception of golf, food and beverage, and spa services. Complimentary amenities include the beach, water sports, tennis, the excellent gym, the Hummingbird Kids Club, Great House afternoon tea, the Manager's Cocktail Party and various special events.

The Tryall Club requires all villa and condo guests to become members during their stay via a Temporary Membership Fee of US$100 per week for each guest 18 or older, or US$20 per day per person for stays of less than 7 days.

Plan to pay your Temporary Membership Fee locally at the Front Desk in the Great House when you register. Credit cards are accepted. You will be given a temporary membership card to enable your access to all Club facilities.

Club Jamaica
For a great write-up of the Tryall Club, see Dana Vachon's article Club Jamaica in the December 2008 issue of Departures Magazine.