Great River House

Description from the manager

Set on five acres of gently sloping land with sea view and surrounded by manicured lawns, todays Great River House is the product of a massive renovation in 2008, recreating it as one of the newest homes in this group.

In a private gated neighborhood of other upscale villas, the entire property is fenced and entered through wrought iron gates, ensuring complete privacy. Grounds include a hard-surface tennis court and a spacious grassy lawn with badminton and croquet. Royal Palms, citrus and pimento trees are gently lit each evening.

Built in 1956 by a member of the Dupont family, a renovation by modernist architect Tom Reed... combines elegance, an expansive pool terrace, state-of-the-art technology including wireless Internet throughout, and cable televisions.

Locally-crafted mahogany furniture reflects an old Jamaica ambience, complemented by contemporary designer fabrics, a chefs kitchen, and Kohler en-suite bathrooms with water tiles. Interiors are distinguished by artwork by famous illustrator Arthur Taylor, George Rodrique and original botanical and Jamaican watercolors and oils. Candlelight dinners are served in an interior air-conditioned dining room where guests may enjoy a view over the pool and its infinity edge to the seabeyond. Meals may also be served al fresco on the 2,400-square-foot pool terrace. The large serpentine pool features an infinity waterfall edge, fountain, expansive stone terrace and divided shallow childrens pool.

The chef treats guests to fresh fish and grilled lobster, and everyone's favorite, jerk pork and chicken prepared on our own jerk drum.

Various nooks and crannies are thoughtfully provided for individual escapes. A flower-filled side courtyard with out-door shower offers a special hideaway for rejuvenating spa treatments on request.

A supplemental generator ensures that Great River House is never without electricity and air conditioning.

Accommodations

Master Bedroom 400 sq ftAntique Jamaican 4-poster kingsize bed, and sliding doors to a private verandah with Caribbean Sea view. 200-square-foot en suite bathroom with walk-in shower, side and overhead water tiles, and marble vanity with his and hers sink basins. Opens to pool terrace, also to private terrace.

Sea View BedroomKingsize bed; en-suite bathroom with walk-in Turkish tiled shower, rain tiles and his and hers sink basins. Private terrace with view of Caribbean Sea and garden. Connecting door to Garden View Bedroom for parent-child suite.

Garden View BedroomOptional kingsize or twin beds; also twin bed sleep sofa for a child. En suite bathroom with tub/shower combination. Connecting door to Sea View Bedroom for parent-child suite. Garden view.

Tennis View BedroomOptional kingsize or twin beds; en suite bath with walk-in shower and rain tiles. Writing desk and over-stuffed reading chair. Overlooks tennis court and garden.

Lower Level BedroomKingsize bed in very private bedroom. En-suite bathroom with large walk-in shower with ceiling and wall rain tiles, marble counter with his & hers double sink basins. Writing desk. Opens to private patio and seating area with garden view.

Round Hill Membership

A special amenity available to guests in this villa is membership at Round Hill ... just five 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 and tennis on hard-surface courts lit 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, Wednesday Manager's Cocktail Party, 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, a range of water sports and parties (Monday beach party and Friday Jamaica Night).

Note: Round Hill will be closed September 3 till October 8, 2013.

Photos courtesy of Nigel LordRead more

Additional Location Information

What Past Guests Are Saying

• TAR1976
  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Flattered to Deceive - Overpriced and Undelivered - Never Again!

  Left on 09/04/2012 for a stay in July 2012
  
  

  Our family booked Great River House for almost 2 months from July-August. We had been promised a luxury 5* villa with amazing staff. What we got was a lovely house with a kitchen which was badly in need of renovation and a Chef who was a terrible cook with a very bad attitude and questionable book keeping. We had originally agreed to be provided with 1 dinner and 1 breakfast upon arrival and following that I would do my own food shopping. After day 2 I was handed a bill for almost USD$500 (pre-shop). Many items on the handwritten receipt were not in the fridge or pantry. The food prepared was substandard even though our only request was for Authentic Jamaican food (I am Jamaican). When I complained to the Chef, who is also the Head of House, about the quality, handling and storage of the food, he responded by becoming aggressive and defensive and he reported the incident to the neighboring property's management (as GRH doesnt seem to have its own manager). I then proceeded to explain to the very nice manager of S W (stunning property) that GRH's kitchen was poorly equipped and very dirty. Some of the food in the fridge was also from previous guests and was outdated to the point of rotting. Pots were being used in the freezer to store food. The garbage bin was open and being invaded by cockroaches and rats! The generator was broken at times, so we also had to throw out fresh food. The cooker's pilot lights were constantly lit and it also harbored rats. Every surface was covered in grease and simple items like a working kettle and decent pots could not be found. Thankfully after much deliberation, the owners removed the Chef for the duration of our stay but are yet to even apologise or compensate for the distress caused. During our stay we did not see any health & safety certificates, smoke alarms or even a fire extinguisher! Our experience was greatly improved when we were left under the care of the amazing Butler Stanford and our security guard who with the help of our booking Agent really went out of their way to rescue our holiday. We feel that the Owners of this property have a lot to answer for seeing as they and their family were the last guests to have stay at the property prior to our arrival and also taking into consideration that they telephoned the property at least twice a day to speak to the staff while disrupting our holiday peace and quiet. p.s. Gratuity should be earned not demanded...

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? No

  Recommended for: Families w children

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