Avalon is in the elegant and safe Jamaica Beach area.
It is 6 km east of Ocho Rios, on a pretty drive leading to a gentle blue house in Avalon's green field.
This is a big house with a large garden
and a generous pool.
We also have plenty of birds and butterflies
who come to enjoy the gardens and lend a touch of nature to the day.
Recommended for young lovers, retired couples, and for families with young kids.
And now, you can bring your pets on holiday with you!
Give it a try!
The space
In the gardens, our purpose is to provide visitors with a serene, relaxing, and beautiful backdrop for their vacation. Jamaica is many things to many people... however, it represents the beauty of nature to everybody.
That is why we first turned to the gardens, which have been replanted and relandscaped.
They look lovely now.
This is what we have been trying to do in Avalon. The house is an older house, built in the eighties,
and one with a lot of history and charm that
we are gradually modernizing, between visitors.
The property has a housekeeper, caretaker, and gardener who usually guide and assist the guests and look after the public areas.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE HOUSE HAS ONLY FOUR BEDROOMS. HOWEVER, WE USUALLY GET REQUESTS FOR EXTRA SLEEPING PLACES AND SO WE HAVE CONVERTED A LOFT-TYPE SPACE INTO A EXTRA BEDROOM WHICH CAN SUFFICE IN MOST CASES.
IT HAS A BED AND A BLOW-UP MATTRESS ON THE PROPERTY. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT A FULLY EQUIPPED BEDROOM, NOR DOES IT CLAIM TO BE ONE.
IT HAS WORKED OUT QUITE WELL SO FAR.
PLEASE VIEW THE PICTURE TO GET A CLEAR SENSE OF THE SPACE.
SOME STAFF MEMBERS LIVE IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY IN A SEPARATE STRUCTURE BEHIND THE MAIN HOUSE.
PLEASE NOTE: Jamaica law requires hosts to record all their visiting guests. We have, therefore, an obligation to know and maintain a record of how many people are in the group. Therefore, we ask all group leaders to inform us accurately how many people are coming to stay.
They can also offer general advice and assistance.
Avalon is a 5-minute walk from the main road, a shopping plaza with restaurants and groceries, and a chemist.
We have recently purchased two bicycles for the use of our guests.
The area is very calm and pretty.
The general topography is flat, and there is a ribbon of the highway that can take you to many exciting places in the general locality.
As a child, I knew my world mainly from the bike saddle.
I recommend the method highly!
It is a good way to get to know this warm and lovely Island with its good-humored and fascinating people!
It is also close to a major highway where taxis are readily available.
However, in my view, renting a car would be a good option. It would significantly enhance your ability to gain familiarity with our Central and Eastern North Coast with its many charms and attractions.
Jamaica Vacations and Apartment grocery supply and cleaning policy:
1) We provide our apartments with enough grocery items to last a few days. After that, the responsibility shifts entirely to them.
These items include groceries and consumables like garbage bags, toilet paper, and other supplies.
2) Several guests have spoken about our " Housekeeping Department, " complaining that they do not see them cleaning up around the place.
The reason is that there is NO SUCH DEPARTMENT.
We are Airbnb and not a hotel.
The only cleaning we do is on request by the guests, which attracts an additional fee.
3) THERE IS NO CHEF ON THE PROPERTY. The guests do all cooking.
HISTORY OF AVALON
Jamaica Beach is a safe upper-class area located in St. Mary, about 10 minutes East of Ocho Rios.
Many houses have elegant and extensive gardens, and some are on the sea.
Most are well looked after and reflect the care and protection
of concerned and loving owners.
But, some of them are neglected and carry the hangdog look of
a home that is falling into slow decline.
That was the situation with Lot 81, Bayswater drive.
It looked neglected.
When I first saw the house that we would later call Avalon, it looked sad.
I am not fanciful nor usually attribute human emotions to houses!
Yet, I felt that as I stood there, staring at it.
The generous lawns that encircled the house were burnt away by heat and lack of water. The swimming pool was silent, and the old trees looked tired.
They were mainly fruitless.
Yet, despite all this. It was a lovely place!
Its lines were clean and open. The pool was substantial, and there was an attractive patio. This patio led to the large living area, which then took you to a good-sized kitchen.
In there were four bedrooms, elegant and entirely private. They were also generous and well-windowed.
Windows that could have well looked at lovely gardens, but there were none at the time.
I listened for birdsong, but there was little or none.
It was strange.
It made me think of lines by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
"Thus, in the winter, stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished, one by one,
Yet knows its boughs, more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
I only know that summer sang in me
a little while that in me sings no more."
I was deeply attracted to this property.
It had just the challenge I needed.
I wanted to change this sad place into a happy one.
I hoped to fill it again with birds and flowers and butterflies.
And to have, once again, the sounds of children's laughter and their footfall on the grass.
That is what we have tried to do here, and to an extent, we have succeeded. We have had several guests and many with kids in this brief time. They all seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
And we are continuing to bring this place back to the enormous charm it must have once had.
Are we succeeding? We think so. Our best advisors are our guests, and they seem to like what we have done so far, and with their guidance and support, we shall continue the task.
Hopefully, we will get there soon!
Guest access
The guests are of course entitled to the exclusive use of their rooms.
The internal and external entertainment areas are also available to them for their relaxation
and exercise.
There is the main garden, quite large and well-lit.
There are many Jamaican trees and flowers bearing examples of local fruit and flora.
There is a pool area. A good-sized pool is attached to the house via a patio that leads directly from the Living Room.
Then, there is the back garden.
That is where we have our aviary, and there is also a fountain and a bench with a table where
people can eat, drink and enjoy the atmosphere.
Other things to note
1) PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY! TAKE DUE PRECAUTION, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS!
2) We intend to develop this property as a venue for various family
occasions, such as weddings, reunions, cocktail parties, Bar Mitzvahs, etc.
We believe that with its generous gardens and evident beauty
all around you, this would be an excellent location for a
family celebration. If you are interested in having such a function please send us a message containing relevant information such as the number of attendees and timing details. This may require an additional cost depending on the size of the event that is requested.
Speak to us about your plans, and we will discuss the rate, etc.
NOTE: THE DRYER IS OUT OF SERVICE, WE ARE PRESENTLY SOURCING PARTS TO GET IT FIXED. IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE CLOTHES LINES OUTSIDE THAT CAN BE UTILIZED. SORRY ABOUT ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE. (APRIL 2024).
SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE HOUSE, FOR MANY REASONS.
HOWEVER, THE POOL DECK AND THE GARDENS ARE BY FAR THE BEST PLACE TO ENJOY A GOOD SMOKE.
UPDATE: UPDATE: UPDATE
THE COVID SITUATIONS AND AIRBNB'S NEW RULES AND JAMAICA'S OWN LAWS HAVE PROHIBITED PARTIES OR EVENTS FOR THE TIME BEING.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ASK AIRBNB AND SPEAK TO US BEFORE MAKING ANY SUCH ARRANGMENTS.
THIS DOES NOT AFFECT SMALL FAMILY EVENTS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE MORE THAN A TOTAL OF 15 PEOPLE, TO INCLUDE RESIDENT GUESTS AND OTHERS.
3) Please note that this listing does not come with any form of a meal plan and also that the host is not required to supply groceries to the guest.
4)Electricity is a huge expense in this big old house. We have routinely received bills exceeding US$1000.00 a month. We are "begging" our guests to have some pity on us!! It is especially galling to see all the air conditioners on full blast, and the guests are not even present on the property.
Please be informed that, in such a case, we will turn off the A/C s ourselves. We have placed on/ off switches outside the window for this purpose. Please, all guests kindly do not leave the AC running as it is bitterly expensive, and to nobody's benefit.
5) The initial cleaning that we provide our guests is charged for as part of the original booking.
New cleanings are very easy to arrange!
All you have to do is ask for a fresh cleaning and one will be provided at the same cost as the first.
