WE felt like glamorous stars of Old Hollywood as we made our way up the cut stone driveway of Goat Hill to be met by the owners who are (might we hasten to add) as gracious as their absolutely de-vine pied a terre.

Goat Hill truly reflects the owners - firstly, their love of stones and secondly, it's neither showy nor pretentious, reeking not of marble and gilt but of an edgy, classy and sophisticated sensitivity of life.
Champagne was what was being poured and Patricia, the cook - elegant in Wright Style bandana uniform - passed around dainty, tasty marlin bites. It's difficult not to keep dropping the jaw, especially as one steps across the courtyard with its fountain framed by stones, which were excavated from underground.
And then there's the view; not one but several. The east one plays suitable homage to the sunrise (which we experience the following day), Montego Bay and the Great River; while the west view is that of Round Hill, the Caribbean Sea and the sunset.

The courtyard with its fountain framed by stones and a view to the east.

A tour takes us through an ingenious arrangement of individual pavilions enclosed in cut-stone terraces and balconies. There are three bedrooms - a surprise perhaps, but truth be told, why have more people around in such an intimate setting?

The bedrooms are designed so that there's connection as well as a sense of separation and each is accessible by its own stairway. The master bedroom boasts a four-poster Johnny Hamilton bamboo bed, plus three glass walls that open on to a balcony with an ocean view. Next to the balcony is a 10x10 jacuzzi and an adjacent waterfall that flows to a pond below. The en suite bathroom has a large open shower in the midst of a lighted garden of ginger lilies. And there's more - a hidden tub-for-two in a private, walled garden.

The second bedroom on the upper balcony also boasts a four-poster bamboo bed, three glass walls that open to a wrap-around balcony and a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea. The third bedroom is by the poolside so you can actually step from the bed into the pool. We love the cosy twin beds (these can be converted to a king) and there are glass walls that open to a cut-stone terrace, swimming pool and Caribbean Sea view. The en suite bathroom has a large, open shower area and a lighted, walled garden.

Each bathroom has a large, sunken shower area with wooden flooring.

Each room has the new South American cherry hardwood floors, ample sizes (15x20) and Italian cotton linens. Each bathroom has a large sunken shower area, a west wall of louvres that open to lighted gardens planted with ginger lilies. Fans of Starfish aromatherapy products will be thrilled to know that there are lots (soaps, bath oils, hot tub fizz and candles).

Each pavilion has three walls of single-panel glass doors and wow factors include textures of rich mahogany, highly polished brass and white canvas upholstery. A tiled bar with warm, contemporary glassware has original art and unique objets d'art, and 50-inch television that is equipped with dishnetwork to receive overseas channels.

The bedrooms all have flat-screen TVs and DVD players, a DVD library, and music selection. Each bedroom, living room and pool terrace area has wireless Internet access and

Bose docks for iPods.
There's a lot to see, touch and enjoy, like the stylish Kreiss furniture in the ample living room, Panasonic PBX telephone system with intercoms to all rooms, electronic security generator, standby generator and access to Round Hill Hotel & Villas, which is a mere three minutes away.

We've been told not to be strangers and to return every two months. Huge mistake! They're going to have to turn off their phones.

Additional info on Goat Hill courtesy of Linda Smith.

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