Villa Hikaru has just completed a massive renovation of the entire
house! Check out our new look at www.villahikaru.com.

I had a chance to see the rennovations first hand and Villa Hikaru looks fabulous! Congrats on the face-lift!!

Don, You and your wife have a WONDERFUL looking home! Thank-you.

Hi, Don. Things are looking good at Hikaru!

I fondly remember the wonderful time my parents and I had when we stayed there a few years ago.

Thanks from me too.

Looks good. I see that the rates vary with the number of guests. Do villas generally count children when calculating the rates? My wife and I have a 7-y-o and a 3-y-o and might have 2 adult friends as well, so if the children are counted it would make a big difference to the total cost. Short of emailing them all, how can I know if there are some particular villas (nice ones like Hikaru) which are more economical for families with young children?

Help me understand why the rates at some of these villas are so expensive? Not to compare but a 5 star in Montego Bay all inclusive is $2000 for two weeks- am I missing something? I love my home town!! and times are hard!! things are expensive but come on!!! am I off my rockers?? or I just dont get it? am I the only one thinking this.

Frenchman girl I totally agree with you.I love Treasure beach never ever would I spend those kind of monies to stay there.Each time i'm vacationing I stay in the hills and drive down daily love everything about TB.but not those rediculous prices.Money don't grow on tree.Still love y'all

To briefly answer Frenchman's girl question, my take on it is that you can stay at an all inclusive for cheaper, but you're sharing the facilities with dozens/hundreds of others. So the AIs go for quantity, the villas go on quality.

Like most things in life, its left to personal preference.

Daddy, we count the 7-year-old but will not count the 3-y-o

Eric I hear you - and you are correct it is personal preference - and nothing against this villa but they are quite expensive - but who can afford please enjoy Treasure Beach, it's my home. I will have to go to Cuba or other places.

Frenchman girl have you ever stayed at an all inclusive? Try doing so and then compare.

Nice updates, Don! We've spent many hours on the terrace/patio, enjoying that scene.

Hoping, wishing . . . . Soon come!

There is no comparison between an all inclusive and a villa in TB! I would pick TB anytime - even with a $2000 price tag. Where else can you have a tropical paradise to yourself? Great people, great food, and beautiful weather in TB are second to none.
I'll leave the all inclusive resorts to those who don't know about TB and keep it a perfect paradise for a special few.

Villas and all-inclusives are quite different.

Villas give you several advantages such as a LOT more space, a lot more privacy, a staff that's there only for you, meals and snacks prepared to your particular tastes. There's also no dress code. When we stay at a villa, the villa is our home; we know and like the staff; and we know and like our neighbors. We have formed an ongoing bond with them.

All-inclusives give you the all-you-can-eat-and drink advantage. They usually have nightlife, and they often have more sports equipment and activities. However, you are essentially sharing a large hotel, and you are sharing it with people who may not be to your taste or liking.

To me, one of the most annoying things about all-inclusives is they wall you off from the local environment and make it difficult (and undesirable) to see the local countryside, make friends with locals, and so forth. Someone staying on one island in an AI may as well be staying in almost any AI on any island because there is hardly any local flavor, merely palm trees and the sea.

Pearl, I have stayed at all inclusive- I have stayed AT no inclusive, at Villas there are differeces for sure starting with the price- I will leave the beautiful villas of Treasure Beach to those who can afford them and keep my people working. NUFF SAID FROM ME.

Simply put IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE, I have being on several vacation, both all inclusive and villas. Dominica Republic is one that is also very reasonable and beautiful as well.This is expensive. Yes, u have privacy, but come on regardless of all that how much time do u really spent at "home", there is so much to see and do, when it all said and done, u sleep and eat occasionally. so Freshman Girl u are so right.

I have been coming to Jamaica for over 25 years. I NEVER stay at an All-Inclusive resort, nor do I stay at Staffed Villas. In my opinion, both are way to expensive, so I always stay at the local guesthouses !!
In my opinion, I do not see the point in paying alot of money to sleep and wash for a few hours !!
However, I do understand the saying "to each his own". So Jamaica offers all manners of accomodations to meet each individual needs.
ONE LOVE !!
Mike

Seeing Rebecca's just-posted handsome picture of a Spanish pear delectably posed reminds me that I meant, a few days ago, to credit her with the dazzling new photos at www.villahikaru.com. Rebecca, you've gotten to be slick-magazine-quality good!

A beautifully appointed villa like Hikaru with a private pool and staff sleeps eight adults comfortably. For a group this size, I seriously doubt any all-inclusive could compete. The cheapest halfway decent place I've found on the island was $100 per night per person off season. That's a minimum of $5,600 US for seven nights. By choosing a villa, a group of eight could save over a thousand dollars after all expenses for food, tips, transport etc. Sometimes villas are the best choice, it just depends on the circumstances.

Thanks so much for the compliment Don. It's pretty easy when the subject matter is so beautiful. This lovely country never stops giving me plenty of that beautiful subject matter to photograph.

I'm sorry am I missing something? I don't see pics of a massive reno at Hikaru? It did indeed need a facelift so I was hoping to see some updated decor in the shots....didn't really see much.

New paint, new linens, cushions, art work, decorations, esthetics, etc. Lots of color added and overall a warm welcoming feeling.

Worth every penny. Location, location, location.

Thing is I would not even notice the interiors. As long as I don't smell insecticides or mold or have to sit in chairs made to dislocate.

Up at dawn, good breakfast, sea and bush.

Back at sunset to sleep on the varandah and breath salt air.

I know....Mr Different. Got to keep the ladies happy though, I don't forget myself in that department. Thing is where else can I sleep deep in the open without a second thought...maybe a croc...nahhh.

The upgrades look great, Don. Nice work.

To the folks upset about cost: I understand where you're coming from, but part of the reason we started going to Treasure Beach was we were looking for a beachfront place in Florida for a week. Now THAT'S expensive. Hikaru was much, much cheaper and offered a lot more. And in Florida, you don't get the advantage of meeting and hanging out with Jamaicans. I can't wait to return ...

I've never stayed at Hikaru, but have visited there when staying at other villas in BIlly's Bay. It's lovely. As for price: Obviously the guest houses are less expensive than the staffed villas. If i was on my own or maybe just with another adult I'd probably try a place like Ital Rest. But with kids, the staffed villas are more convenient, and worth it if you have the cash.

As for a 5-star resort in Montego Bay - it's all down to taste, but I think those of us who like to vacation in TB (I've been there for a week in the spring 4 of the last 7 years) are just different kinds of customers than those who like the big resorts. The price isn't all that different. The one time i ever went to an AI - Beaches in Negril five years ago, with my wife and 2 kids - we spent only a bit more than we'd have spent at a place like Hikaru or La Sirena. But I've never wanted to go back there - we just keep coming back to TB instead. Mostly because it's a real town rather than a manufactured environment. And as a non-Jamaican who loves Jamaican cooking and wants to learn more about it, I get a lot more kitchen knowledge from ladies like Miss Ida and Miss Verlin than i ever would from a resort buffet.

Another consideration on price is how many people you have. If you're paying $1500/wk for 6 people, that's $35 per person per day.

Thanks Paul, I hope our tourism planners are listening.

There seems to be more encouragement of the 'manufactured' experience than the real local experience many enjoy. I wonder how much is decided by MBA's, bankers, accountants and others far from the communities that have their lands and beaches 'developed'?

I believe more Jamaicans would benefit from community tourism if this were encouraged at all levels everywhere on the island.

The supply of our magnificent beaches and magical spaces is finite. Our hospitality and ingenuity are unlimited.