Half Moon

Jamaica
The Caribbean

The Experience

Spread over 400 acres of coastal wetland and two miles of private beach on Jamaica’s north coast, Half Moon--with its fleet of nimble golf carts and plethora of sporting facilities--has the feel of a tropical country club. Built in 1954, the original resort was the brainchild of Radio City Music Hall architect Donald Deskey and his pals. The original bungalows have undergone successive Colonial-style renovations and additions, each one progressively more luxurious than the last. Even today, with the dramatic columned portico entrance, rigid dress code for some restaurants and local piano legend Winston tinkling the ivories in the lobby most nights, the resort still manages to evoke an era when the Rat Pack ruled the airwaves and the biggest dilemma was how to take your martini.

The Rooms

Half Moon is several resorts in one, listing nine classes of rooms, suites and villas ranging from A-List to surprisingly affordable. Many of the older rooms close to the main lobby sport traditionally proportioned bathrooms (that is, humble by today’s gargantuan standards) but all are being renovated to fit the Colonial-meets-Plantation-Style aesthetic underpinned by checkered tiles, white linen and dark local Jatoba wood. Standouts are the modern freestanding 1000-square-foot beachfront spa suites (added in March 2007 to complement the newly unveiled Ferntree Spa) which feature a dedicated massage room, rain shower with body jets and high-tech Jacuzzi tub with multi-colored lights. Best value for groups are the Royal Villas. With up to seven bedrooms (around $1750 per night) each one comes with a butler, housekeeper, a personal chef and two golf carts. Curiously, internet costs extra.

The Service

From the bellboy all the way up to the new general manager Aram Zerunian (appointed in March 2007), staff at Half Moon tend to strike the perfect hospitality balance: enthusiastic and forthcoming with insider knowledge when you need them; at a discreet distance when you don’t. Mistakes, when they happen, are corrected with a smile.

The Highlights

A sumptuous breakfast buffet feast of fresh pastries, cereals, fruit, cold-cuts and made-to-order omelets should keep you full until dinner. To spend the day lazing by one of the 51 pools (seriously!) may be rather tempting, but it seems a shame to miss out on the superb amenities. Croquet anyone? No? How about challenging your partner to a showdown on one of four squash courts, 13 lit tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts. There’s even an equestrian center. Keen putters will thrill to the par-72 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf course, and, in an unusual twist on the traditional 19th hole indulgence, can even book in for a heated golf ball massage at the 68,000-square-foot Ferntree Spa. Be sure to skip the dolphin lagoon--in an age of eco-tourism this sideshow has no place in a resort of this caliber.

 

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