This is a long overdue review. I've been browsing this site, looking for another all-inclusive place to go next year on family vacation, and what I'm discovering is that NOTHING seems to compare to Round Hill. We were there in December with our 3- and 5-year-olds. I have traveled pretty extensively in my lifetime, so I have a good sense of what constitutes a quality resort.

ACCOMODATIONS: Just beautiful, elegant Caribbean (dark wood and white). We stayed in a one-room in The Pineapple House. They told us to book one room and an adjoining one for the kids, but they wouldn't sleep alone so they allowed us to cancel the other room.

KIDS ACTIVITIES: We left our kids at the Pineapple Club for parts of the day. The nannies there were incredibly sweet and caring. The club is small--really, just two rooms--and the toys are old-ish and worn. But, that's me seeing it through my adult eyes. The kids didn't care, they had a lot of fun! And they did activities with them, drawing pictures, making pictures, etc. We had a dedicated nanny, Francine, because my son has some disabilities, and she was just so wonderful. One day, she paddled my son around on a paddleboat for a half hour because he didn't want to get off! Speaking of staff...

THE STAFF: Unparalleled; we have never had such courteous, genuinely nice, NO attitude service. Everyone was cheerful and incredibly accomodating at all times.

THE FOOD: Like a reviewer below, we probably gained 5 pounds on this vacation! We've never before experienced this level of quality in resort food. We got the all-inclusive plan, and wow, did we eat. My husband basically ordered a crab leg with every meal! I loved the salmon, the steak, the salads. Everything.

In sum, Round Hill is an outstanding resort. We like to see new places every year so we're not going back but I may regret that decision because after Round Hill, everything else will pale slightly in comparison.

Round Hill is a beautiful, quiet resort. We visited twice, in 2005 & 2006.

The villa:

We stayed in villa #2. There were three couples and 2 small children. The view was stunning. The staff at the villa were very kind & accomodating. The rooms & ground were very clean, neat & beautifully decorated. Everthing about the villa simply brings on a feeling of relaxation. No pool at this villa, but we did not mind this at all.

(It may sound obvious, but be sure to lock up your valuables in the safe provided, especially in the villas. We had a really nice ipod stolen from our room. I don't mean to imply that Round Hill is swarming with theives. This could have happened anywhere. We just let our guard down, and forgot that you should ALWAYS lock up your valuables!)

The beach:
Small but perfect, as there were never a shortage of chairs or spaces to sit. The water was calm & clear. There is some decent snorkeling just off the beach where we saw some beautiful coral & fish.

The infinity pool:
Really amazing. We spent hours there. The kids enjoyed it too.

The spa:
There is a small workout room with up to date equipment. Excellent yoga classes. I had 2 massages, both of which were very good.There is a large selection of body, hair & nail treatments.

The restaurant:
Overall it was very good. We had a few mishaps in 2006. It seemed very poorly managed. But 2005 was perfect, and I haven't read a lot of negative experiences since our visit. in 2006. The food was top-notch, and I am a bit of a stickler for freshness & taste. Even the buffets were great.
We loved the "afternoon tea" & went almost everyday for a the delicious Blue Mountain coffee & some snacks.

Recreation services:
We had a disappointing "fishing" trip. We should have researched a little more first, because it seemed it wasn't the right time of year (or day?) to go. Wish the resort had helped us out a little with this... or simply didn't offer a trip whent they knew there wouldn't be any action. It cost quite a bit, and we didn't even get one nibble. It was a beautiful ride though. We saw some flying fish, and enjoyed the scenery so it was not a complete loss!

We also had a boat take us (twice) to some snorkeling sites closer to Montego Bay. We had an amazing time doing this. The ride itself was fast & fun... even the 4 year old loved it. The snorkeling was amazing. Our hosts, brothers Sun & Moon, (real names, I swear), were so much fun to be with. Funny & relaxed but also conscientous.

The service overall was excellent. The whole experience was relaxing & still something we think about today.

I highly recommend Round Hill & can't wait to go again!

Absolutely Fabulous! Many levels above The Four Seasons and Ritz-Carltons. Very, very kid-friendly; they even allowed kiddie floats in the main pool. It is very clubby and if you like all-inclusive resorts you probably will not like it here. It is also quite expensive and the food is a bit boring after a while, but overall it is our favorite resort so far. The only thing that has come close is Hualalai. It is more kid than singles-friendly and there is little nightlife to speak of. A couple seeking some romance might enjoy it; the children are overall well-behaved. We did not notice any wild ones during our stay. It is very much more like a country-club and the cottages are owned by families who are Round Hill shareholders and that is the way it feels. It seems like some of the guests have been going there forever; the staff gets to know you and everyone is exceptionally pleasant and accommodating. We are returning for Thanksgiving. I can't say enough nice things about it . I was loathe to leave! Also, the spa was exceptional and reasonable given spa rates in the US generally. There is no golf course, but there are golf privileges at Tryall (we had dinner there and RoundHIll is FAR nicer!) and RoseHall. Each villa is owned by a family and so is very different; I suggest one with a pool. The Pineapple rooms were redone about a year and a half ago by Ralph Lauren and are also very, very nice. Sigh... I wish I was there now. Oh, and there kids club and nanny staff are terrific!

Round Hill is a Gem of a resort. The grounds are lush and beautiful, the accomodations (we stayed in a cottage) were beautiful, and the service was excellent. This resort really cares that you're happy. They want to make sure that you're enjoying your stay and they work really hard to that end. I HIGHLY reccomend this resort!