Good Hope Plantation

Good Hope Plantation

10+ Bedrooms
Cockpit Country (Near Discovery Bay area)

More Photos Photographs Copyright Nigel Lord

Majestic 18th Century Great House on 2,000-acre plantation
10 air-conditioned bedrooms ... each with en-suite bath
Full staff: 3 chefs, waiters, chambermaids, laundress, gardeners, night watchman
Breathtaking scenery, "the best place in the Caribbean to wake up" [Conde Nast]
Hard surface tennis court lighted for night play ... racquets and balls provided
18' x 30' pool, a Jacuzzi, massage room and yoga room
Children's playground ... nannies available
Helicopter landing pad (helicopter tours available over the mountains and down the coast)
Bird sanctuary, lily pond, hummingbird garden, flocks of yellow parrots
Air-conditioned family room: Digital Satellite System TV, VCR, movie library,
Conference table, ping pong table
Cozy bar room with pool table
Formal dining room ... or al-fresco dining in the garden
Great Room with original antiques and music room with 100-CD sound system
Stables and 100 miles of private riding and hiking trails through untouched forests and a cool river for swimming, tubing, picnicking
Four Mongoose mountain bikes and helmets
Resident sculptor's studio, pottery and kiln in the valley
Beaches, water sports, golf, caves, shopping and other activities a 19 minute drive away
Bonfire night at Time 'n' Place beach (good food and drink ... gorgeous evenings)
10 passenger van and driver service included; first tank of gasoline provided

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 $25 per person. Youngsters too small for trail rides may be led around the stable yard by one of the grooms.

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.

*Guests are asked to prepay for food ($35 per adult per day, $20 per child per day) and may pay locally for alcohol and other beverages. Special note: The food at Good Hope is extraordinary. Our chefs rank with the island's best. Mealtime at Good Hope will be one of your fondest memories.

ACCOMMODATIONS:
THE GREAT HOUSE; 4 BEDROOMS
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           Optional king-size or twin four-poster beds, en-suite bathroom with 18th Century antique copper tub/shower
Sage Room               Queen size bed, en-suite bathroom with tub/shower combination

CARRIAGE HOUSE; 5 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           Queen 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

COUNTING HOUSE ~ 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.

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.

TIME 'N' PLACE BEACH Our driver, Mark, will take you to the beach (and anywhere else you want to go if you ever wish to leave Good Hope). Time 'n' Place is a sugary white sand beach next to the beautiful turquoise Caribbean ... just 19 minutes down the mountain. Conde Nast described the rustic 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. Lunch at Time 'n' Place beach is included in Good Hope's grocery budget (jerk chicken, lobster, escovitch fish, hamburgers and fries, full bar). Have a picnic anywhere you want on this secluded two-mite beach.

Bonfire Night at the Beach is available to Good Hope guests every week ... as often as you wish. Have a beach party and watch the bioluminous lights on the water from a boat ... a phosphorescent lagoon glistening in the moonlight.

Here are also two modest Time 'n' Place beachfront cottages available for extra overnight guests.

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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