THE ROUGH GUIDE 2000 by Polly Thomas and Adam Vaitilingam page 130. Portland Accommodation Jamaica Heights Resort, Spring Bank Road, Tel.993 3305 Mellow guesthouse that offers excellent value in a great location high up in the hills, with its own 'private' river and waterfall, as well as a small pool. Taxis from town charge around J$ 200. Frommer's Caribbean 2001 and Frommer's Jamaica, 2000 edition. By Danforth Prince, co-author. [star] Jamaica Heights Resort, Spring Bank Rd, Port Antonio, Jamaica, WI. Tel. 876/993-3305. Fax 876/993-3563. e-mail: aaaja@cwjamaica.com. 8 units. $60-$75 double. No credit cards. If you're not particularly adventurous, and if a bland, mass-produced motel beside an interstate highway is your idea of a great vacation, this is definitely not the hotel for you. But if you're looking for a hyper-sophisticated retreat where you might run into a band of holidaymaking rock stars from Dusseldorf, a team of avant-garde filmmakers cranking out tomorrow's cult film, or a place where your artistic hopes and dreams might actually be encouraged and nurtured, this might be the place for you. It's set at the top of a rutted and very steep series of roads, the best of which were privately built by the very worldly and attractively jaded owner, Helmut Steiner, former professor of philosophy and literature in Berlin, who built the place between 1984 and 1996 after skippering his own sailboat around the world. (He awoke one morning after a circumnavigation of Cuba and a nighttime entrance into Port Antonio, and became entranced with his view of the surrounding hills.) Today, with his wife Charmaine and their two children, he maintains the funkiest, most amusing, and most hyper-hip guesthouse in town. Scattered amid the wedge-shaped eight-acre property are a half-dozen buildings, each white-walled with blue shutters, artfully scattered gazebos, masses of climbing vines, and a Moghul-inspired pavilion that was specifically designed for meditating over views of the forested terrain that cascades down to Port Antonio's harbor. Amid sturdy retaining walls that might remind you of a postmodern version of a castello in Italy, you'll find a garden of exotic palms, a gurgling stream with its own waterfalls, the most elegant ping-pong pavilion in the world, and dozens of botanical oddities imported from around the world. Accommodations are spotlessly clean, evoking feelings that are both nautical and minimalist-the kind of place where you might improve both your yoga skills and interpersonal friendships. Each has a four-poster bed and unusual lighting fixtures whose rays filter through soldered-together computer circuit boards. Doors can be opened or closed within this scattered hotel to create suites with between two and four bedrooms. Don't overlook the possibility of renting the entire compound for a worldly, and ultra-private retreat at a place that's much, much more iconoclastic than what you might have found at a typical hotel or guesthouse. Dining/Entertainment: There's an in-house restaurant that's open only to residents of the hotel and their guests, a swimming pool, a riverfront gazebo for swimming, and the possibility, through Helmut, of arranging any of the land- or watersports available in the surrounding region. Lonely Planet Jamaica 2nd edition-January 2000 By Christopher P Baker page 375 The best place to stay is the Jamaica Heights Hotel (Tel. 993-2156) on Spring Bank Rd southwest of Boundbrook. Housed in an exquisite hilltop plantation home, Jamaica Heights is set amid lush lawns with a spectacular setting. Columned verandas,whitewashed walls, aged brick and dark hardwood floors, and sky-blue louvered windows and French doors all around provide a gracious environment. Rooms are tastefully furnished with white wicker and antiques,including four-poster beds. Two gazebo decks (one inset with a pool) have hammocks and lounge chairs. The office (Tel. 993-3305) is at 1 Morris Ave.

Our hotel consists of eight rooms built on six acres of tropical vegetation with it's mountain top castello. It was designed and built in the years 1984 until 1996 by it's owner Helmut Steiner. One half of the property resembles an impressionistic painting. For fifteen years we planted every available flower, palm and fruit tree, with no other concept than shape and color. You will find an italian fountain shaded by a breadfruit tree. There are tables and benches to hide out, rest or read: in the pimento grove, under the coconut trees or the banana leaves or next to the small fish pond with papyrus and waterlillies under the outstretching almondtree. The other half we left untouched: bamboo and tropical rainforest. Three hundred steps lead you to your own private waterfall and river-jacuzzi away from any sound of civilisation, surrounded by nature pure and hummingbirds only. You can rest at the river gazebo and after ascending from this hidden paradise swim again in the pool. For no-sun-seekers: half of the pool area is covered by a cedar shingled roof.

The four rooms on the mountain top are 95 US$ downstairs and 125 US$ upstairs, each, per day. The two rooms at the pool are 75 US$ each per day. The exclusive rental gives you the option to share all above with family and friends. The exclusive rental is 500 US$ per day. The Ridge Cottage is 175 US$ per day. We also offer the Gate House at the driveway to backpackers and students for 45 US$ per night. (The Ridge Cottage and Gate House are not included in the exclusive rental.). Breakfast is 12.50 US$ per person. Dinner ranges between 18 and 28 US$ per person. The deposit is 20% of total.

You can take a flight from Kingston or Montego Bay to Port Antonio's Ken Jones Airport, from where we will pick you up at no charge. choose Kingston as your flight destination, where you can take a taxi for about $120, rent a car or have yourself picked up by our driver. Travel time is about two and a half hours. Jamaica car rental guide http://jamaica.caribbeancar.com/

Our children were so happy and thrived in that natural environment. We will be back soon! Mahen and Luca Bonetti, New York City. Wenn ich in Berlin voll im Stress stecke, denke ich an Helmut's Platz und alles relativiert sich. Noch nie hab ich einen derartigen Himmel gesehen. Alle Farben, Wolken, Wetter. 3 Stunden auf der Terrasse zu sitzen und zu fruhstucken ist keine Zeit. At Helmut, i always find everything i desire for my good time... the food, the beach, the dirt motorbike, ginger beer, Reggae music and all these beautiful people. Alex Kayser, New York City. Ich war mit meiner funfjahrigen Tochter an den Reach Falls. Ich trug sie auf meinem Rucken durch den Fluss zu den Quellen. Es war warm und einige local kids spielten im Wasser. Als die Sonne durch die Dschungelblatter brach, musste ich daran denken, dass so das Paradies aussehen muss. Staying at the Jamaica heights was not just a holiday but an experience through the owners' kindness and pleasant company (I officially nominate Helmut as the perfect local guide 2004!!!), the stunning view that holds your breath as it changes its colours with the day, the romance of the rooms and the sound of the tropical forest that overwhelms you with crickets, frogs fire flights, stars.. The best place I have ever stayed so far! Paola Andrea from Italy Paola Testarmata, Delta Group Desk Delta Meeting Network

Helmut Steiner is your host, living here permanently with his wife Charmaine and their young children Zora and Marcus. Helmut had left Germany in 1976 on his sailing vessel, sailing around the world for several years until he discovered and fell in love with Port Antonio. you can send email to Helmut at helmut@JamaicaHeights.net. I like it here and there is no place in the world that i would trade for. When i told this to my friends, they came to visit, then they told their friends, who also came and then told everybody, meanwhile it's a great international community of special guests that just keep coming back. - that is really nice.

 Baby chairs and cots are provided
 Luggage storage
 Central situation
 Playground for children
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Currency exchange service
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Facsimile services
 Access to internet
 Kitchen
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Licensed bar
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Fridge
 Restaurant
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Swimming pool
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phone at reception
 Patio, summer terrace
 Cheques accepted