Lucea
Lucea is its capital of the parish of Hanover and it’s main town. From the middle of the 18th century, the people of Lucea provided the rest of Jamaica with most of its produce but mainly exported bananas to Europe until the 1960s. Lucea is the home of the Lucea yam, which was exported to feed Jamaicans working abroad. One of the notable tourist attractions are Fort Charlotte in Lucea which was built in 1761.
Alongside the fort is an impressive Georgian brick structure known as The Barracks, which was built in 1843 to provide shelter to the British soldiers stationed there. In the early 20th century it became the educational center for the town and has now been transformed to become part of the Rusea High School complex. The still fully functional Lucea clock tower was built in 1817 and stands in the town center near the Old Lucea courthouse. Other notable tourist attractions are Lucea’s many historical sites that date back as far as the 18th century.
Lucea Parish Church (the Parish Church of Hanover) is one of the oldest churches in Jamaica. Although no record of when it was first built exists, the first baptism record dates back to 1725, the first burial was in 1727, and the first marriage in 1749. It is said that there is a tunnel that leads from the church to nearby Fort Charlotte, which was a safe haven in time of war. The Hanover Museum sits on the site of a prison dating back to 1776 and houses many historical artifacts significant to Jamaica’s history.
So, amongst all this history, rises the Grand Palladium resorts. These shimmering sister properties with their domed lobby areas and Roman architectural spa complexes, sits on a mile long stretch of the coast and dominates the natural cove across from the town of Lucea.
The Grand Palladium Jamaica is a 540-suite property that is almost identical in layout to the Grand palladium Lady Hamilton, which is right beside it. The differences are that the Lady Hamilton has 468 suites, but also has 48 private villa suites located on a natural outcrop of land that offers a spectacular view of the ocean and the cove. The Lady Hamilton is also much closer to the beautiful Roman-styled Palladium Grand Spa complex. It is with much anticipation I checked into the grand Palladium Lady Hamilton.
Rooms
I stayed in an ocean-front one-bedroom suite. This suite is very large and spacious with a sofa bed in the living room. The suite has a balcony for the bedroom as well as a sun deck off the living room. Both balconies afforded me a view of the ocean and I was able to basically watch the sunrise from my bedroom and see it set from the the living room balcony. There are 30-inch flat screen televisions in both rooms and a fully stocked mini bar. The bathroom has a fairly large Jacuzzi and a separate shower with bathroom amenities that while not of the designer brand of products, were functional. Room service was available, but they werent always very prompt in getting the meal to me. I kind of gave up on that once and just went to the restaurant instead of waiting. What I think I liked most about the rooms was the space. Up to four adults could stay comfortably in the one bedroom suite with out feeling claustrophobic. A family of five, with two adults and three children would fit easily.
Cuisine
The Lady Hamilton has seven a la carte restaurants, three buffets and 13 bars distributed throughout the property. I had a range of experiences dining at this resort, truly from the sublime to the ridiculous. The evenings I ate at the Reggaetoni Restaurant and the Bhogali were wonderful dining experiences. The Reggaetoni is an Italian/ Jamaican fusion restaurant. The food was presented in a very artful and decorative manner. I almost felt guilty eating it. But, oh, how tasty it was! Bhogali is an Indian restaurant and a big part of the dining experience is its location. The Bhogali is located on an open-air patio that offers views of the ocean. The cuisine is delightful and spicy, perfect with a fine glass of Chardonnay or just an ice-cold Jamaican Red Stripe beer.
I also ate at the main buffet and I would say eating breakfast there is a challenge. Just think of a busy train station and not having your ticket to board yet. Maybe I just got there when everyone decided to eat, but it was really busy. People bustling around, and the staff working at break-neck speed. The main buffet was, let’s say, a challenging dining experience. Then, there was dinner at the Lotus House. The Lotus House is the Oriental restaurant at the Lady Hamilton. The common belief that Oriental dishes can be prepared fast and easy, is for those who have never been to The Lotus House. After being seated, I spent 90 minutes waiting to get served sweet and sour chicken. Really, now!? The food at least was tasty, but I wonder, if I could have been so hungry that I might have eaten anything at that point.
Beach, Pool and Activities
The Palladium Resorts have three main beach areas of which one is reserved for adults-only. The beach areas are rated “above average” and have ample area to sunbathe and socialize. The resort is noted for their pools of which they have five. The main pool is the largest pool in all of Jamaica. The Lady Hamilton has an expansive infinitiy pool overlooking the sea that is just beautiful. When you are sitting on a lounge chair by the pool, the view seems to blend the pool and the ocean continuously towards the horizon. It is truly amazing to look at.
The resort complex boasts one of the largest and most complete spa & wellness centers in the country. In addition to offering exclusive and personalized services, the Renova Spa also features a gymnasium with modern facilities, jacuzzi, sauna and vapor baths that will fly you to a haven of tranquility and pleasure.
Activities
Located midway between Negril and Montego Bay affords the Palladium resorts the ability to offer activities in both areas at only a 40 minutes transfer to any location. The property is self reliant with night clubs, convention centers and water sports activities available. With such a sprawling locale, I was able to move around the property and find many quiet areas to relax and just getaway. The well maintained grounds and fountains lends itself naturally to another very popular specialty for the Lady Hamilton and that is weddings. There were at least 3 weddings taking place over the 3 days I was there.
The resort highlights exotic & romantic weddings, vow renewal ceremonies, and golden or silver wedding celebrations. You can make the wedding of your dreams a reality, or enjoy the most passionate honeymoon at the resorts majestic beachfront resort. Celebrate that special moment at the romantic clifftop gazebo overlooking the sea, surrounded by palm trees and lush tropical gardens, specially decorated for the occasion. The beautiful beaches offer the perfect scenery or the ceremony could be held in the spa, with classic columns in the background. That wedding was actually quite beautiful.
The evening entertainment was very authentic. There was a live band on the grand patio area for evening entertainment as well as a beach barbecue that is scheduled at least once a week. The staff were wonderful and couldn’t stop being as helpful as they could be.
If you are looking for a competitively priced all-inclusive resort that has spacious suites, great pools and beautiful vistas, the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort in Jamaica is a very good choice.
For more information on visiting Jamaica, please call 1-866-875-4565 or visit www.stsvacations.com
