“Affordable, spacious and near luxurious.” Visited Whistling Villa May 16th - 23rd with 4 friends. I chose this villa primarily because of proximity to attractions in Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay. Osburn always responded to my emails within minutes of sending them, which was comforting. I stayed at another property owned by him, and therefore trusted him. General: The villa was almost too large for 5 friends, but we each had our own space. The layout of the villa maximized the space so that the living area was extremely large. It was clean and well decorated but not so much so that you are aware that you're on an island villa; it had a really cozy feeling. Housekeeper: We had a cook!! We begged her to come home with us. Dorothy made everything we asked for and on the days we asked her to surprise us, we had heavenly meals! Breakfast was always prompt and we had breakfast in the outdoor dining area near to the pool. Pool: At the deepest end, the pool was 8ft deep. It was large and with 5 of us in the pool at the same time, we were not crowded. Bedrooms: The bedrooms were large with en suite bathrooms, a small television with cable TV, closet, air condition and dresser. It was clean and cozy. The bed sheets were outdated, but who goes to Jamaica to stay in bed right? Groundskeeper: Chris, who's the grounds man, kept the property clean and most mornings when he woke up to rake the grass, I interrupted him for some chit chat. He's soft spoken and extremely helpful, always asking if we needed anything. Amenities: We celebrated one birthday while there, and needed some music, but the reception on the radio was a bit poor and had static, so walk with many CDs. Wifi was strong in most areas, but weakest in the bedrooms. Appliances were as expected for an island villa.

“My favorite spot in the world!” I have travelled extensively, but have now found my favorite place. Nothing compares to the experience my friends and I had at Norse Hill. From the moment we entered the villa, we were greeted as if we were dear old friends that had been gone too long. The welcoming smiles of the staff made you feel at home immediately. The accommodations were top notch. All sleeping rooms were ensuite with wonderful linens and tastefully decorated. Perfect for a large group or family with lots of great entertaining space. The surrounding Botanical gardens had generous paths that wound around the 8 acres the home is situated on. Hours can be spent wandering these beautiful gardens. The staff has many wonderful recommendations for excursions that are all conveniently located close by. The meals prepared by the chef were amazing. He made sure we experienced all the local favorites served in a beautifully set dining room, open to the view of the ocean. I would highly recommend Norse Hill to the most astute traveller. My week at the Villa will standout in my fondest of memories.

“Great Family Vacation” Excellent facilities, wonderful staff with extraordinary cook, food exceeded expectations as well as accommodating children's requests. Pool, kayaks and snorkeling gear provided, we took kids fins and goggles. Would not hesitate to return.

“Being in Paradise” The Villa was more than I could have Dreamed!! My friends and I decided to take a trip and then experience was breathe taking. The staff made us feel like Kings and Queens and it was AMAZING. I highly recommend if travel with a large group!

“A vacation like no other” We were greeted at the airport by Norman, the most professional driver ever, he made our transition smooth and for a group of 12 adults, that is tough! He had thought of everything - including bringing a second van for our luggage! The staff at the villa greeted us at the door with warm smiles and cool towels, they made sure all our luggage was safely delivered to our rooms and then the fun began! We all stopped and stared at the huge view of the Caribbean Sea spread out in front of us, the breeze, the way the rooms are laid out and the villa itself takes total advantage of that view. We quickly changed, and began the most perfect seven days of nothing but relaxing, laughing and eating punctuated by an occasional sightseeing trip. Derek, the butler completely made the trip, he was attentive, but quiet, helpful but never intrusive - he made us feel so special. Ruby, the cook gave us gormet meals three times a day. We discussed our likes and dislikes the first day and she made it all happen. We did not need to go out to dinner and the one night we went to a lovely restaurant in town, we all agreed that we could have stayed home and eaten at Restaurant Ruby for an even better meal. It is tough to please 12 distinct people, but the staff and managment at Serendipity did just that, from organizing the most incredible massage at the villa, to driving us to out of the way Mayfield Falls, they never stopped working. All the rooms were large and private, we never felt on top of one another, we ate meals in different places, by the pool, in the dining room, on the deck, where ever we felt inspired to eat that day, Derek made it happen. I do not have one bad thing to say - I loved every minute, and would recommend Serendipity to a group like us, a large family, or just a few people that want to get away - It was truly a vacation to remember.

“My stay here was heaven on earth.” My stay on this villa was great. Everything I could imagine and more Food was delicious and authentic; not process or frozen. The master suit where I stayed was immaculate. The power shower to the huge jacuzzi bath. The king size bed made my night rest wonderful. It's felt like I was sleeping on clouds. This villa was hard for me to leave, from pool, xbox, board games and a fantastic pool why must I go outside.(lol). When I decided to go outside it was also a great and wonderful experience. I visited duns river falls, when to the hot spot night club margarita ville, oceans 11, and amnesia. We sang karaoke had great Jamaica drinks and watch the beautiful scenery. All these great attraction only 12mins tops from the villa. However my highlight of the stay is the private beach, only 2min walk from the villa. Great vacation I'm booking another stay for January andirons can't wait...

“Wonderful place to be!” We were looking for more of a cultural experience and this was a wonderful place to start! Vivienne and Lloyd are amazing and we so enjoyed the time we had with them. We are already planning another vacation and will definitely be staying here again when in Kingston!! Our new home away from home!! Thanks again Viv and Lloyd for such great hospitality!!!

“Best Service” I had one of the best New Years weekends at Spicy Hill. The staff was more than accommodating, meals were excellent thanks to Denny! The bedrooms were immaculate and comfortable. I would suggest all when visiting Portland to stay at Spicy Hill!

“Most amazing vacation and service I've ever had” There are so many wonderful things to say about this vacation its hard to consolidate it down :) The house is absolutely amazing. Each bedroom is special and unique and the outdoor living space is more than we could dream of. Hio and Nadine were our chefs and housekeepers and I couldn't say anything better about those two - they made the most delicious food, helped us with any favors or questions we had, and probably made too many trips to the grocery store (and liquor store!) than usual for us! Robert was awesome as the groundskeeper - as soon as it started raining (which probably lasted 5 minutes the entire trip) he would appear out of thin air to get the outdoor seat cushions out of the rain. We had such a great time and it was my husband and mine's first time bringing our friends - its a different kind of vacation, much more authentic and cultural than most are used to so we were a little nervous about how they would like it but everyone agreed - this vacation was amazing. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a more relaxing, private, and less touristy vacation spot.

“Our family of 10 with ages from 20 months to 70 years had a magi” Our family consisting of my husband and I, our two children, their spouses, and four children ages 20 months, 22 months, 3 years, and 6 years wanted a place to have a family reunion and to get a shot of sunshine in the middle of Winter. We could not have asked for a more perfect place for our reunion for all ages. The scenery was beautiful, the plantings inspiring, the rooms so comfortable, and the staff so welcoming and attentive. There was plenty of fun activities for everyone at our fingertips- a lovely veranda for reading and sunning, a 4 ft. lap pool where our 6 year old learned to swim and the other small ones could play, a lovely beach with a shallow area for swimming and plenty of sand for sand castle building, a tennis court perfect for beginners, even a croquet set, and a picturesque gazebo on the beach where there was always shade and a breeze. The climate was perfect with sunny and dry temperatures of about 85 every day. We loved the fact that we were actually in a fishing village and got to know some of the warm and friendly local people. There were lots of nearby trips to interesting areas which would have been fun to explore if our children were not so young. But our family just enjoyed staying right at Hikaru with only one trip into Treasure Beach and a hike up into the local mountains with Patrick who was part of the staff. The only challenging thing for us was the fact that it takes 2 1/2 hours to drive from Montego Bay over the mountains on two lane bumpy roads to Treasure Beach. We brought the kids car seats and fortunately hired the recommended Treasure Tours. Kevin was our driver and he was excellent having traveled these roads many times each week. This was a trip of a life time which our family will never forget. We hope to be able to return in the near future.

“Fabulous, relaxing, beautiful, private...” This was my second time staying at Tranquility, (15th trip to Jamaica), My stays at Tranquility, were by far the best! Each stay gets better and better! I love the home, it's beautiful, spacious, clean, private, and the view is priceless! It's far enough away from everything, that you have the privacy you desire, but it's close enough to experience everything Jamaica has to offer. The food the cook made was fabulous, it was wonderful to have exactly what we wanted for our meals. (Helpful if your'e vegetarian, or have special dietary needs- one of us is vegetarian and the other, not). Can't pinpoint what I like most. Meals outside with a beautiful view and flower decorations on the table, lots of sun on both sides of the house, the food, swimming pool...? I loved, loved, loved everything! All of my vacation needs were met, and then some! Can't wait to get back!

“You Promised...You Delivered!” Our group of 18 (13 adults and 5 children) stayed at L’Horizon for a week in January 2015. The entire experience, from booking to the time of the stay, was amazing. The owner, Barrington, was more than helpful and very responsive during the planning phase. And then we arrived! We were greeted by the Manager and staff with smiles, “welcomes”, and rum punch. The house was immaculate and the rooms were very spacious and more than sufficient for our large group. The staff kept the house spotless the entire stay even with 5 young kids doing what they do best (making a mess). The first day, we were provided a cell phone to reach the Manager (Kelly) if there were any issues that needed to be addressed. The cell phone also gave us the opportunity to make local calls which came in handy. We had pre-arranged a formal family dinner (details worked out with Barrington) for the day after our arrival which turned out to be a huge success! The food was amazing and included everything we requested. Each night thereafter we had delicious dinners prepared by the cook (thank you Miss Rose!). We did not purchase the all-inclusive package so we had to purchase our own food which was a bit inconvenient. This was a lesson learned (not the owners fault) and we all agreed that next time, all-inclusive would be the way to go. Regardless, breakfast and dinners were tastily prepared to order. We mostly went out for lunch or brought lunch back to the house. This gave us a chance to go out and see what the area had to offer and try some local foods. We even tried the local KFC which we were told was much different from those in the US. We proved that was true . While we didn’t get an all-inclusive package, inclusive in our package was a personal driver who took us wherever we wanted to go locally. We had the opportunity to go shopping, eat at local seafood and jerk spots (yummy), visit the Dunn’s River Falls (a must-do), and our “party group” even got driven to local dance clubs and picked up at 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning! On the nights we stayed in, we hung out at the Jam Eng Bar on the property by the pool, danced, and sang! The bartender was amazing and tons of fun! As for the younger kids, they lived in the pool and had an amazing time. When they were not in the pool, the private beach was only a quick 5-minute walk away. But let’s not forget the older crowd. My mom, aunt, and mother-in-law spent their days relaxing poolside and around the house (so many places to relax) chatting it up with the staff that were all so very friendly. The entire family agreed that this was one of their best vacations ever! We’ve even talked about the next time we’ll vacation at L’Horizon. A special thank you to Barrington and his wonderful staff at L’Horizon for making this vacation one of the best my family has ever had! For us, you more than delivered on your promises!!

“Wow!!” Dave, the Villa bus driver, picked us up at a local hotel where we had spent the previous night. The trip from Montego Bay to Mais Oui took a little over an hour but we did have one stop at a grocery for snacks and drinks. Dave was available the entire week and his advice on day trips and what to see was really appreciated. Upon arrival at the Villa we were greeted by Miss Ruby and the entire staff that presented us with cool towels and rum punch. We got a quick tour of the property while our luggage was unloaded and placed in the appropriate rooms. We were a group of 11 adults--all family and close friends. The Villa was spotless and all the items that we had requested in advance were on site for our arrival. This included the first two days' food and drinks. Arrangements for the food and drinks had been made with a local grocery where the Villa can charge and get delivery. The items were a bit pricy but for the convenience of having everything on site at arrival it is worth a little extra. On Tuesday Chef Arthur and I shopped at a large grocery store in Ocho Rios and purchased food for the remainder of our stay. Prices at this store were excellent as was the selection of food available. Our week at Mais Oui was exceptional. The staff was superb. Miss Ruby, the manager, was always available if we had questions or needs. Audrey and Janice kept the Villa in immaculate condition with fresh linens and towels daily in each room as well as fresh towels for the pool and beach as needed. Max kept the pool and grounds spotless and made sure the hot tub was ready as requested. Paul was always on hand also to serve our meals and get anything our group needed. A security guard was on site from dusk to dawn. Everyone in the group enjoyed "spa" day on Wednesday when massages were provided for our entire group. These were done by therapists whom the Villa arranged to have on site that day at an additional charge. The pool area is wonderful as it provides areas of shade, partial sun and full sun depending on how you locate your loungers. The pool is not heated but very refreshing when cooling off from the warm sun. We were a little saddened that the tennis court was in need of some repair but we were still able to use the court just not play competitively. The food at the Villa has to be considered a high point. Chef Arthur is a wonderful cook and prepared some of the finest meals we have enjoyed. He took the menu we had arranged and prepared almost everything we had requested. He asked permission to vary some dishes to give us a little more flavor of Jamaica and everyone agreed his selections were first rate. He is preparing a cook book with all his recipes and we look forward to getting a copy!! Overall, we felt like we were treated like members of the Mais Oui family. There were plenty of tears when on our last morning we were serenaded by the entire staff. Totally unexpected was a call from the Villa owner to see how our vacation was progressing and if all our needs were being met.