Good Hope Plantation

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10+ Bedrooms
Cockpit Country
(Near Discovery Bay area)

More Photos Photographs Copyright Nigel Lord

18th Century country house on 2,000-acre plantation high in the lush landscape of Cockpit Country

16 air-conditioned bedrooms in 5 buildings

stables and miles of riding and hiking trails through untouched forests

hard surface tennis court lighted for night play (racquets and balls provided, lessons available)

four Mongoose mountain bikes and helmets

river for swimming, tubing, picnicking

rustic beach, beach bar and more wonderful swimming 19 minutes downhill

bonfire nights (good food and drink ... gorgeous evenings)

18' x 30' pool ... adjacent lunch and party terrace ... ping pong table ... yoga room

hot tub with incredible view across the Queen of Spain valley (amazing sunsets)

air-conditioned family room: DSS TV, VCR, conference table, movie library

bar room with pool table ... music room with 100-CD sound system

lily pond, hummingbird garden, bird sanctuary with 22 varieties and yellow parrots

resident sculptor’s studio, pottery, kiln and gift shop

full staff: waiters, chambermaids, laundress, gardeners, night watchman and superb chefs

children’s playground ... nannies available

helicopter landing pad

Coaster bus that seats 22 passengers or 28 passengers with 6 jump seats unfolded ($200 per day)

favorite location for family reunions ... wonderful for children ... renowned for weddings

membership at Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club
(40 minutes west)

GOOD HOPE PLANTATION AND GROUNDS
Sitting high in the lush secluded landscape of Cockpit Country stands an Eighteenth Century Great House named Good Hope. On 2,000 acres 600' above sea level, Good Hope is framed by dramatic blue-gray mountains and renowned for its exquisite gardens and country trails. Its valley is fertile with papaya, oranges, ackee, breadfruit, bananas and coconuts as well as fields of flowers and grasses where cows and horses graze. The road up from Falmouth weaves by 200-year-old stone fences past fields and orchards, cattle and horses ... gradually leading back in time to an era of grace and gentility.

This magical perch commands sweeping views of the Queen of Spain Valley, endless hills and the refreshing Martha Brae River that wanders through the thick untouched bamboo forests below. The entire panorama takes in 20,000 acres of softly rolling mountains whose velvet texture changes with the light hour by hour. While extraordinarily private, Good Hope is less than an hour from the Montego Bay airport.

Built in 1755 in classic Georgian style, the Great House was owned by the Tharpe and Tenison families in past centuries. Its current owners have lovingly updated the buildings while retaining many of its original features, including the first hot water bath in the Caribbean made in late 1700's and 14' tall Palladian windows trimmed with plantation shutters. Today, Good Hope is an exceptional home ... privately nestled above tidy citrus groves and fields of coconut palm and sugar cane. Tables set with Spode china ... rooms warmed by the patina of old mahogany ... floors of smooth worn stone and honey-toned orangewood. It is intriguing to quietly imagine the scores of ancestors who walked these floors, dined in these rooms and discussed politics of the day for the past two centuries.

Sunrises, sunsets and night skies are remarkable from this summit. It would be remiss not to mention also the sounds of Good Hope. To stand still for several moments invites the sounds of horses neighing across the valley, the braying of a distant donkey, perhaps the bellowing of a calfing cow, the chirping of birds and merely the wind. Stopping quietly merely to listen connects guests to the magic of Good Hope ... a tranquil and spiritually uplifting retreat.

Guests may enjoy tennis, hiking through the luxuriant unspoiled grounds, and horseback riding (many miles of trails, different trail rides possible each day from mountaintop to cool riverbed through untouched bush country).

Trail rides will cost $35 per person. Youngsters too small for trail rides may be led around the stable yard by one of the grooms. Older children love to wake early and help the grooms round up the horses.

Good Hope has hosted countless ambassadorial parties, weddings, photo and fashion shoots (Vogue, Mademoiselle, Travel & Leisure, Elle, Conde Nast, Laura Ashley, Guess) ... and has been the vacation retreat of artists, writers, diplomats, royalty, sports personalities, film stars and other celebrities ... grateful for its seclusion.

Food at Good Hope is extraordinary. Its chefs rank with the best. Favorites are grilled tenderloin, curried shrimp and blackened snapper as well as homemade hors d’oeuvres, soups and desserts. Mealtime at Good Hope will be one of your fondest memories. Guests are asked to prepay for groceries ($45 per adult per day, $25 for children 12 and under). Wine, liquor, soft drinks, bottled water and snacks are additional and are billed locally.

ACCOMMODATIONS

THE GREAT HOUSE; 3 BEDROOMS
Sitting Room, Music Room, Dining Room and Bar with pool table
Barley Room             Queen size bed, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination
Blue Room                Optional king-size or twin four-poster beds, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower
Copper Room            Queen size bed, en-suite bathroom with 18th Century antique copper tub/shower

CARRIAGE HOUSE; 6 BEDROOMS
Once a Coach House for horses and carriages ... now private quarters with canopied beds, full kitchen including microwave, dining and sitting rooms, CD player, large deck with tables and chairs, and an exquisite view.

Partners Room         Queen size bed, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination, 2 antique wardrobes
Tharpe Room           King size bed, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination
Tenison Room          Queen size bed, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination
Williams Room        Twin four-poster beds, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination
Thompson Room     Twin four-poster beds, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination
Sitting Room            Upstairs room with 3 additional twin beds for children, shares the upstairs hall bathroom
STUDIO                  Queensize bed, en-suite bathroom (below family room)

COUNTING HOUSE ; 1 Bedroom
PRIVATE HONEYMOON SUITE
Romantic private room, four-poster bed, en-suite bath with tub/shower combination

All twin beds can be kissed together for king-size sleeping accommodations. While Good Hope can accommodate 33 guests, its configuration in individual buildings and cottages makes it perfectly suitable for 2 or 3 couples or a small family.

3 MORE BEDROOMS
A three-bedroom cottage, just a few minutes down the valley, River Cottage. Good Hope now offers 13 bedrooms to accommodate 26 guests.
    3 air-conditioned bedrooms ... each with bath or shower: 1 full, 1 queen,
      1 king or 2 twins
      Swimming pool
      Living room with TV, VCR, sound system
      Shaded verandah trimmed in lacy bamboo
      Staffed by cook/housekeeper/laundress and butler/gardener
      Next to the river ... 2-minute walk across 300-year-old stone bridge to a delightful swimming hole with a rope swing and floating platform in a green bamboo garden.
Have cookouts at the river as often as you wish!

PLEASE NOTE: Government Consumption Tax of 8.25% must be applied to the villa rental rate.

TIME 'N' PLACE BEACH
For various fees, the Good Hope driver will take you to the beach (and anywhere else if you ever wish to leave Good Hope).

Time ‘n’ Place is a rustic white sand beach next to the beautiful turquoise Caribbean ... just 19 minutes down the hill. Conde Nast described the beach bar here as “the best beach bar in the Caribbean.” Play checkers and listen to music under its thatched roof, have lunch and some brew, nap in its shade.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Bamboo poled rafting down the Martha Brae River is just 20 minutes away
Silver Sands resort is a 40-minute drive east ... half mile of white sand beach, good swimming, dining, windsurfing
Rose Hall Beach is a 30-minute drive west ... good beach and water sports
Golf is available at Wyndham Rose Hall, a 30-minute drive west
Windsor Caves are nearby for caving
For an unforgettable thrill, take a helicopter tour over the mountains and valleys that surround Good Hope
The incredible new Ritz Carlton Hotel and golf course ... a 40-minute drive west
Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club (excellent) is a 40-minute drive west ... Robert Trent Jones championship golf course; tennis day and night on 13 courts; squash; fitness center with sauna, Jacuzzi, weights and fitness machines, aerobics; mini-golf, croquet, putting green and driving range; jogging trails; volleyball, boccia and crown green bowling; shows and dancing; children's playground; long white sandy beach; sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, scuba; horseback riding; biking; spa, massage and hairdresser; shopping village; medical center; bars, restaurants and nightclub
Time 'n ' Place Beach ... You're found the most seductive beach bar in Jamaica on a deserted two-mile beach." "Good Hope is the ultimate escape ... a stress-free environment unique in all the world... off the beaten track... a romantic, memorable mountaintop retreat ... a panacea for the soul. Bring a good book and a lover." -Conde Nast Traveler, July 1998 Copyright V L S, Inc.

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