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• glamorous 9,000-square-foot private estate on 6 landscaped acres overlooking the sea
• 6 bedrooms plus 3 daybeds for children … 6½ bathrooms
• air-conditioning in Great Room, all bedrooms, dressing room and study
• large, deep private pool with surround sound system iPod dock + CD player and adjacent bar
• outdoor poolside bathroom with view of sea and rainforest shower
• full staff: butler, cook, housekeepers, gardeners, laundress
• wireless Internet access and complimentary laptop
• 6 flat screen cable TV’s in 5 bedrooms and 1 in living room, 3 DVD players
• 4-speaker system with iPod dock and CD player
• child friendly:  daybeds, baby monitors, complimentary crib and 2 high chairs
• 1 portable crib that doubles as a secure playpen and can be used poolside
• open-channel baby monitering system
• Playstation 3, movie library for parents and children
• complimentary fulltime private driver and air-conditioned van for excursions to the beach and elsewhere
   

ROUND HILL MEMBERSHIP
Complimentary: beach, tennis, two connecting heated pools for parents & children, jogging trail, Manager's Cocktail Party
For various fees: Pineapple Kids Club, fitness room, tennis lessons, hair salon & spa, bars & restaurants, gift shops, 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
 

Pimento Hill is a spacious private home with a legendary history. The villa overlooks the Caribbean Sea and is located just five minutes from chic Round Hill where guests enjoy complimentary membership. It was originally built in the late 1950’s for French Count and Countess Jacques and Vera di Sibour in the period when Jamaica was a glamorous party destination for the early jet set. It attracted the likes of Noel Coward, Ella Fitzgerald, Ian Fleming and the Kennedy’s, among many other notables. The Master Suite was the residence selected for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Jamaica to open the Queen’s Highway.*

Pimento Hill was extensively renovated and refurbished to a high standard while retaining many period features. Today, owned by a family in London, Pimento Hill's essence is the tasteful marriage of Colonial grandeur of a bygone era complemented by modern amenities and comforts one would expect in a luxury villa. Priceless chandeliers and antiques define character. Marvelous meals emerge from the modern kitchen. Comfortable bedrooms feature top-of-the-line mattresses and en-suite bathrooms. Delicate orchids adorn the rooms. The grounds include water gardens, hidden walkways, an arched bridge and sprawling grassy lawns.

Pimento Hill’s six acres are a virtual orchard of mango, orange, grapefruit, breadfruit, lime, tangerine, avocado and even a cotton tree! Large lawns encourage children to run around and even learn a bit of cricket from senior gardener Ralston.

Architecturally, the villa is constructed in four defined areas connected by footpaths:

Entrance Hall and Main Villa
One enters the Main Villa through a classic Italianate pink and cream marble entrance hall. This building houses the 1,000-square-foot Great Room on original mahogany floors and the extraordinarily large modern kitchen with six-burner gas stove and wide granite countertops. The inside formal dining area features a gleaming mahogany table and 10 Queen Anne chairs under a stunning crystal chandelier. The Great Room opens onto the long verandah with bar, comfy couches for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and al fresco dining area for up to 20 guests.

Completing the Main Villa is the 800-square-foot Blue Bedroom with antique French crystal chandelier. The en-suite bathroom includes a bathtub and separate shower. The Blue Room offers optional kingsize or twin beds plus a daybed for a child. French doors open to a small garden porch where eye-opener coffee or tea is placed early each morning.

Master Villa 2,000 square feet
Just across a porte-cochere is the second building which houses the impressive Master Suite with renovated his & and hers bathrooms, jacuzzi bathtub in ladies room, kingsize four-poster bed and two adjoining 175-square-foot rooms. The children's room is fitted out with two twin beds; the second has a 13‘ antique dressing table and daybed for another child. Both the children’s room and the dressing room open to their own individual en-suite bathroom with mosaic-tiled circular sunken bathtubs with showers.

The 1,500-square-foot Master Bedroom opens through 12 louvered doors to garden and sea views, and to a private porch where eye-opener coffee or tea is quietly presented early each morning. French doors on the south wall of the Master Villa open to a 35’ covered brick walkway to the Study.

Study 540 square feet
Just across the covered walkway from the Master Bedroom is the cozy Study. Its 100-square-foot bedroom has optional king or twin beds, small shower room, and separate small toilet room. The adjoining study has a 32” flat screen TV, desk for laptop users (wireless Internet access), and twin-size daybed for an additional guest.

Pool Cottages
A 80' path through the shaded water garden leads to two more private bedrooms located on the pool deck. One bedroom has a kingsize bed; the other has optional king or twin beds. Each has an en-suite bathroom with bidet and tiled bathtub with shower.

While the large, deep swimming pool gets all-day sun, the adjacent terrace has a covered sitting area and unique copper bar for poolside drinks. On request, lunch will be served by the pool in sun or shade.

Summary of Accommodations
2 kingsize beds (Master Suite and 1st Pool Cottage)
3 kingsize which are also optional twin beds (Blue Room, Study and 2nd Pool Cottage)
2 twins (Children’s Room in Master Suite)
3 daybeds (Master Suite Dressing Room, Blue Room and Study)

Maximum desired occupancy is 15 guests. Pimento Hill is a remarkable venue for weddings and entertaining. Additional charges apply for events with guests in excess of 15 live-in guests.

* THE QUEEN'S VILLA

In early 1966 the Queen and Prince Philip made a 5 week tour of the West Indies which culminated in their visit to Jamaica.  They spent 3 days in Jamaica, arriving in Montego Bay on the Royal Yacht, Britannia.  The lights of the Royal yacht twinkling in the Montego Bay harbour became a brief sight-seeing attraction.  There was huge excitement as the Queen made history visiting small villages and towns in the Parishes of Hanover and Westmoreland, which had never before received a royal visit.  After their last official engagement which was a civic reception in Charles Square, Montego Bay, on the morning of March 6th, the Queen and Prince Philip had some time to themselves.  They went to stay at Pimento Hill House with the Count and Countess De Sibour who owned Pimento Hill at that time.  This was an incredibly precious time for the Queen and her Prince as it gave them some time to relax and rest in complete privacy before the Queen flew back to London ahead of Prince Phillip. The Prince remained at Pimento Hill until Tuesday 8th March when he flew on to the US and Canada. They must have treasured this time together at Pimento Hill as they knew that they would be apart for the following 2 weeks.  

In the Gleaner on March 6th 1966 it is reported that: "the acting prime minister, the Honourable Donald Sangster, has asked the public to cooperate and so allow Her Majesty and Prince Philip to spend a quiet afternoon and evening today and, similarly, after Her majesty's departure, to permit His Royal Highness a few days of rest."

*ROUND HILL HOTEL & BEACH CLUB MEMBERSHIP

A special amenity available to our guests in this villa is membership at Round Hill ... just minutes away and one of the finest private resorts on Jamaica's North Coast. Membership entitles guests to access Round Hill's private beach and tennis courts, lit for night play and with pro on call.  (Charges apply to lessons and ball boys.) As members, you are also invited to enjoy the Manager's Cocktail Party, jogging trail, gift shop, logo shop, beach bar, Ralph Lauren-designed piano bar, Jamaican and 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, fitness center, parties (Monday night beach party and Friday Jamaica Night) and a range of water sports.

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

The Tryall Club

A significant amenity for guests in this villa is membership at the excellent Tryall Club.  On 2,200 acres, Tryall’s golf course is among the most beautiful in the world.  Its 18 hillside and seaside fairways have been home to the Johnnie Walker, Mazda and other PGA championship events.  The resident pro offers workshops and private lessons.   The Tryall tennis club features nine Nova Cushion courts, some lit for night play, with world-class pro’s on call.  All whites required. 

The beach is well planned for parents and children. Have lunch at the beach bar.  Work out in the well-equipped gym.  Jog the marked trails. Snorkeling, kayaking, hobie cat and sunfish are complimentary.  Glass bottom boats, charter fishing, a boat to the reef and any captained craft attract various fees.  Enjoy the week’s events, including the Monday Night Manager’s Cocktail Party and the Wednesday and Friday night beach parties (Friday Seafood Night on the Beach Buffet is excellent).

On the hill, enjoy the historic Great House for afternoon tea and a magnificent view from the terrace.  Shop at the commissary and boutique, meet for happy hour at the bar, and browse a wealth of Jamaican, Haitian and Cuban works and souvenirs in the Gallery of West Indian Art.  And don’t miss the massive Tryall pool!

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

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

 © Copyright Villas by Linda Smith
This page updated Jan 5, 2012 Linda Smith