FAQ

A private air-conditioned vehicle with a personal driver will be waiting for you on arrival (note: for week-long and 5-day stays). The drive to Coconut Cottage Villa is about 20 minutes and is a wonderful first introduction to the island.

We recommend you travel with some small change if you require a porter as Airport Carts are not allowed outside the Terminal Building. The cost is about US$1 per bag.

US dollars are accepted island-wide. Exchange rates vary if you choose to purchase Jamaican dollars (JAD). You can see the latest Jamaican-USD conversion rate for reference. Credit cards are accepted at Round Hill, grocery stores, and most restaurants. Local street and market vendors typically accept US dollars or JAD. There are several ATMs in Montego Bay and one in the nearby town of Hopewell.

Jamaica is truly a world away. Its natural beauty is breathtaking and its people charming and laid back. Time slows down. To enjoy your time on the island, you must come prepared for this. Learn more about why you’ll fall in love with Montego Bay.

• dedicated licensed driver/tour guide
• airport transfers both ways
• anywhere/anytime service*
• 1 tank of gas (additional gas paid by guests)

*Long-distance trips require an additional fee, such as to Kingston, a 2 ½ hour drive from Montego Bay

A typical grocery budget is approximately US $50-60 per day per person for adults and $20-30 for kids. This includes full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wine and liquor are extra and will be pre-stocked at your request. Most of our guests like to stop at one of the big grocery stores on their way from the airport so that they can personally stock up on the things that they want for their stay.

If stopping at the store is not something that you want to do, Coconut Cottage staff can also stock the first day’s food (lunch, dinner, and breakfast) based on instructions you provide on our Guest Arrival Information Form. Our staff can also shop for you every few days, as needed. You and your guests may also decide to shop at the grocery store once you have gotten settled from your travels.

If you wish to go to the various markets or grocery stores with your chef or cook, you are welcome to do so (grocery stores accept major credit cards, but they will likely need to see identification such as a passport).

At the beginning of your stay, the Chef and House Manager will work out how you want to pay for your food. Please be prepared to pay for your groceries with cash unless otherwise arranged. Both US and Jamaican dollars are accepted.

You can ask the Chef and the House Manager to help find whatever reasonable food or drink item you might need during your stay but know that certain things are hard to find in Jamaica like you would find in the U.S., Canada, or Europe.

Learn more about dining at Coconut Cottage.

Included with your complimentary Round Hill Resort membership is access to exclusive dining options including a lovely rooftop restaurant offering panoramic seaside views, the intimate Restaurant at Round Hill with menus updated daily, cocktail bars, buffet dinners, and more. Monday is the fabulous Beach BBQ and every Friday is “Jamaican Night”, with an amazing array of local and international dishes, a steel band, and a Jamaican floor show. Afternoon Tea is very special, too. Not to be missed!

If you feel the need to venture out, there are some wonderful dining choices all over the island, including some of our favorites:

The Houseboat: Floating waterfront restaurant in Freeport offering a unique setting. Enjoy dinner downstairs in the cozy dining room or we recommend dining in the upper-deck to sit beneath the stars. The Houseboat features a constantly evolving fusion menu created by internationally trained Chef Rich Nurse. Casually elegant. Although the kitchen closes around 10pm, the bar opens every day at 4pm and remains open until the owners feel like shutting it down.

Montego Bay Yacht Club: Another casual, waterside dining and bar open for lunch and dinner. This establishment offers a blend of Jamaican and International cuisine in beautiful surroundings. The kiddies’ play area and small pool make this restaurant kid-friendly. Closes at 10pm.

The Sugar Mill:  This is one of Jamaica’s most elegant restaurants and has one of its most evocative settings, with tables set on the grassy lawn carved from the jungle or on a patio against the 300-year-old stone walls of the romantically crumbling Sugar Mill and its restored waterwheel. It is the place to splash out for an elegant while on the other side of Montego Bay (about 45 minutes from Round Hill and Coconut Cottage). The menu marries local and Caribbean flavors with a dash of Asian spices and international style: jerk-curry dusted chicken with gungo peas, mashed pumpkin with thyme and crispy bacon; snapper poached in coconut and saffron; pork tenderloin in an “island spice” rub of coffee, cocoa, and pimento under a piña colada sauce and served with a vegetable and herb stew. Reservations are required; the dress code is “casual elegant” (no jeans, shorts, sneakers, or flip-flops).

Round Hill Resort, to which our guests receive complimentary membership, provides nightly entertainment that ranges from a torch-lit beach barbeque accompanied by a live Calypso band to romantic jazz and dancing under the stars. Please see Round Hill’s event calendar for the most up-to-date entertainment options.

For those of us who are active, an abundance of water sports, tours, and scenic walks are also accessible at Round Hill, including snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, water skiing, and sailing. The Resort houses five tennis courts and also gains you access to nearby Tryall Golf Club, the 18-hold par-72 championship course.

There are many other fun and interesting places to explore:

Rose Hall Great House: Tour this 18th-century home presiding over a 6,600-acre hillside estate supposedly haunted by its infamous mistress, Annie Palmer, called the White Witch. The legend is that she murdered all three of her husbands and several slave lovers to boot.

Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club: Join the club with a day membership to enjoy crystal-clear water that remains at a temperature between 78ºF to 84ºF, and is said to have curative powers.

The Gallery of West Indian Art: A treasure trove of Jamaican and Caribbean paintings, woodcarving, and craft pieces that you will find in the Catherine Hall neighborhood of the Bay. Look for the gallery’s signature “spotties” — carved wooden animals, hand-painted in bright hues and decorated with white polka dots.

Learn more about exploring Montego Bay, Jamaica.