By Stephen Jardine From Daily record

Stephen Jardine goes off the beaten track in Jamaica to discover the Caribbean islands hidden treasures.

Think of a holiday in Jamaica and it’s big all-inclusive resorts with Bob Marley blasting from the sound system that will probably spring to mind.

But there is a different side to the fifth-largest island in the Caribbean.

Down the years, it has been home to Noel Coward, Ian Fleming and Ralph Lauren – and it makes you wonder what hidden treasures lie off the beaten track.

We found one of them at Round Hill on the north coast of the island. Although just a short drive from the party town of Montego Bay, the resort is much more about elegance than exuberance.

Founded 60 years ago, its visitor book is a who’s who of celebrities. JFK, Paul Newman, Bob Hope and Pierce Brosnan have all driven through the gates and down the hill to the beach.

One of the attractions for the famous names is that they can enjoy as much or as little privacy as they want. As well as the hotel, the 100-acre estate has 27 private villas that can be rented when the owners are away.

Lauren owns a couple of them, which is how the famous designer ended up coming face to face with a sweaty Scotsman on a path near the beach. I hoped he might have had something witty to say but he seemed to be lost for words.

Just a three-hour flight from New York or 90 minutes from Miami, it’s not hard to see why Jamaica is such a big hit with famous and ordinary Americans.

We got up early each day for a swim and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the restaurant terrace with lots of island fresh fruits. That said, I did develop a taste for Bammy. After extensive tasting research, I can report it is a bit like a potato scone. So now you know.

Mornings were spent on the white sand beach or by the infinity pool, although we did make time most days to snorkel on the coral reef that stretches from the hotel shore across the bay. The multicoloured fish were some of the most exotic I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world.

Each afternoon, the wind got up which was great for anyone who wanted to take out a sailboat or windsurfer. However, for us that meant it was the time to laze in a hammock under the coconut trees, watching the waves break on the shore.

As the sun set and candles were lit in the main house, the sound of the insects grew louder against the backdrop of waves lapping on the beach. One evening they set the tables for dinner on the sand and we sat eating grilled fish and drinking rum cocktails, feeling the sand between our toes.

Without doubt the best thing about the place, though, and the reason so many people visit year after year, is the staff.

From the concierge, who has been there for 40 years, to the chambermaids and pool staff, everyone seems to see it as their personal duty to make sure you have a great holiday.

The main memory I brought home was from my birthday. On the big day, everyone at the hotel seemed to know about it. From the watersports team who christened me Birthday Boy and insisted on taking me for a sail around the bay to the cake and cocktails at dinner, everyone wanted to make it a really special occasion. And it was.

Even when things went wrong on holiday, it wasn’t the drama it would be elsewhere. One day, probably in a bid to get away from me, my wife swam across the bay to a deserted white sand beach. She made it, but returned with a foot covered in tiny sea urchin needles.

My jokes about running spikes didn’t go down well. So I helped her hobble over to the resort’s resident nurse, Myrtle, who brought out special tweezers she kept for just such an occasion and extracted all the needles. Like everything else here, it wasn’t a problem.

Just a few days later, the holiday was over and we arrived back at Edinburgh Airport where it was snowing. By then, Round Hill and old-style elegant Jamaica seemed like a distant dream – but it’s one I would be happy to have again and again.

IMAGES:
Jamaica has hidden treasures
The resort’s beautiful grounds
Getty Snorkeling in the coral reef

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/jammin-jamaica-hidden-treasures-old-style-5834183