As new parents, we were initially scared by the talk that vacations were a thing of our past.  Long gone were the days of free spirited trips to Greece, sailing into the night on the waters of Santorini, late night dinners in Capri and long walks on the beach.  WAIT…snap out of it!  This is not a forgotten dream but just needs a little tweaking.  Boat rides can still exist, walks on the beach just include some sand toys, and late night dinners are planned after the little is in bed.
This new altered reality has not stopped us from traveling but it has pushed us to plan differently and select our locations carefully.  Now, I’m not ready yet to jump on a slide with hundreds of kids around or forgo the luxury of a beautiful pool but I am more realistic about the locations we travel to and places we stay in. And this leads me to the Hillside House in Jamaica. My new sanctuary for the perfect vacation…with kids!
Okay, brace yourself as I am about to introduce you to THE most heavenly, perfect vacation place that you, your family and…get this…your friends and their families, will ever visit.  Hillside House is a 5-bedroom house that sits on the Round Hill property which means you get a private home with resort access.  Translation – you can take a peaceful swim in the privacy of your own home but then hit the resort for play time with other kiddies.  Oh, and the resorts beach access makes lugging all those beach toys a cinch, or nonexistent, since they have the toys already there waiting for you!
Okay, back to the heavenly house.  When I first heard about this home, I quickly called my BF and told her to start packing.  She too has a toddler and had been contemplating a vacation so this was perfect timing.  The house can sleep up to 5 families but since this was our first “family” trip, we decided to test the waters with just the two of us (babies and baby daddies too).  We knew the place sounded great and when we heard it was fully staffed with a butler, cook, housekeeper, laundress and gardner, well, tears came to our eyes.  Here’s the thing.  You can view pictures of how magical a place is but it’s hard to truly relay how amazing the people are.  The staff has been with this home for over 25 years and the energy they bring and love you feel from them is the real magic.

I know what you are thinking, a place in Jamaica that is fully staffed – how could you not like it? But seriously, we all know that it’s the people that make the place and Hillside is all heart…and a beautiful view, spacious floor plan, serene pool, delicious food, gorgeous landscape, impeccable decor…okay, okay you get the picture.

Jamaica-Intro3JamaicaHillside Housepool-viewhillside-house-staff2The staff at Hillside House Jamaica makes you feel welcome from the moment you arrive! Zelda DrivesThe house includes a four person golf cart for your personal usehillIt’s a quick three minute golf cart ride or ten minute walk down the hill to the resortembroidered-mini-dressLeading your into the Round Hill House is a lush green walkway.walking-down-the-pathneon-and-chambraykids-chambray-dressbedroom-collageOur view from the lower level suite was gorgeous, we had views of Montego Bay and the pool!bedroombreakfast-timeLive morning breakfast entertainment! Hey, whatever it takes to get the kids to eat their veggies, right?!zelda-eatsWhen you arrive you’ll meet with the chef, Fay, to discuss any special requests, dietary restrictions and desired meal times so you feel right at home.milly-striped-toppoolbeachsand-with-dadMake sure you hit up Pebble Beach, it’s perfect grounds for shell collecting and sea glass!hermit-crabcoconut-waterWhen Zelda requested a coconut, the man may or may not have shimmied up a tree, grabbed the branch and chopped the top of the coconut for her!mother-sonluca-looksJamaica is so lush and beautiful, everywhere you turn is a picture perfect moment.island-zeldaexcited-about-everythingSomebody embraced island life VERY quickly!accessoriesfreindsresort-viewzelda-pathmini-and-mecorri-mcfadden-and-zelda-jamaicazelda-flowerszeldas-basketsbasketsRichard is a local artisan on the Round Hill property who makes these awesome baskets. jamaican-purseAs soon as we got to Round Hill, Zelda spotted Richard and picked out the perfect bag to enhance her island style.zeldas-island-bagZelda’s island treasures.hillsidedad-and-bottleI told Spiro if he didn’t take Zelda’s bottle out of his mouth that I would post this picture. So here you go. zelda-reachesI would highly recommend the glass bottom boat tour. When we got off both kids were sleeping!showerZelda refused to take baths about half way through the trip, but luckily there an outdoor shower at the house that she didn’t mind.poolsidezelda-and-lucajamaican-flagWe went into town so Zelda could pick a special outfit for our Jamaican house party, featuring The Turbines.the-turbineszelda-marleyjamaican-bandcalypsosbandThese are the moments that stick with you forever!zelda-kardashianzelda-grinkids-bathing-suitzelda-loves-jamaicacatching fishFresh fish, anyone? He literally got off his boat and walked up to the house!palm-and-flowerpalm-treeskayakThere’s a variety of water sports availableoceansidetoddler-striped-swimsuitkids-in-the-poolNot only is there a beautiful infinity pool, but there is a separate kiddie pool for the littleszelda-and-dottie 2Bonus: you can book private nanny services directly though Round Hill. Dottie spent the entire week with us, and it was so nice to have an extra set of hands. The service allows you to enjoy a drink by the pool, and I’m not talking about the kiddie pool!water-gun-funhanging-at-the-poolcoconutsswimmingpalmwater-trampolinebeach-timeThe water is super warm in Montego Bay and the sand is so soft. I usually gravitate more toward pools, but this beach was awesomekids-clubYou have full access to the Pineapple Kids Club.kids-bandfamily-loveThe bartender mastered the virgin strawberry daiquiri for usfit-mombalconydinner-timeThere are several dining spots to choose from, we chose to eat al fresco most days. I mean this view is begging for itlucaplayingsceneflowersvincekids-swim-cover-upside-stairshammockThe perfect place to sneak off for that nap you’ve been trying to get since you’ve become a parent< a href=”https://glitterandbubbles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/zelda-sleeps.jpg”>zelda-sleepsspirro-and-corridotty-and-familyshellsWe left a small trinket for the house, and decided to make it tradition since we plan on returning for our annual “Jamaicuary” trip!hillside-house-jam

Stay-at-Hillside-2House

SHOP CORRI & ZELDA’S VACATION STYLE