The basics
Round Hill is one of those classic Jamaican destination wedding hotels (Half Moon and the Jamaica Inn are two other stellar examples) that have held on to the luxurious ambiance that existed when they were known as hideaways for British aristocracy and American celebrities. A combination of cottages and hotel suites that look to the sea amid a lush green setting, Round Hill’s attraction for such guests as JFK and Jackie Kennedy, who vacationed there, and Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote some of his musicals in one of the cottages, is easy to imagine. Today, the luster lives on in the resort’s association with such A-listers as Ralph Lauren, who had a hand in some of the décor and maintains a private villa on site.
Wedding details
You’ll dig deep for a destination wedding here, but perfection is pretty much guaranteed. The setting is Caribbean tropical at its best, with the Seaside and Spa Terraces serving as outdoors venues. The resort limits weddings to one a day—and a limited number per year—with 150 guests, max. The spa has a special package for brides, including makeup and nail services, and if you have enough wedding guests special spa rates are available, as well as for other amenities and services throughout the resort. Racquel Graham Bernard is the on-site wedding planner at the Round Hill and my email address is racquel@roundhill.com. She work with couples from the initial proposal until the night of the wedding celebration.
Getting there
Round Hill is 25 minutes west of the Montego Bay airport. A taxi is about $40.
Keep in mind
Even if there are lots of families among your guests, don’t be put off by the upper-crust ambience of Round Hill. They love families here, especially young ones, as you’ll recognize by the number of nannies on staff.