Frequently Asked Questions

Kotch Villa has three levels, and each level is a private suite, independent of each other, and with full amenities. Like the name implies, each suite is private and comes with its own private entrance, full kitchen, living space, and ensuite bathrooms. If you have a large group, you can book the entire property. For smaller groups, you can book one or more private suites. The beauty of our villa design is that large families can congregate and spend time together in family spaces or splinter off to private suites for more intimate experiences.

The Kotch experience would not be complete without a friendly guide to walk you through all the wonderful things that make our island and our community special. Upon booking with us, our Reservations Manager determines the type of experience you would like to have. then she connects you to our concierge who works with you to develop an itinerary as detailed (or not) as you like. The best part of doing what we do is creating magical experiences and leaving you with lifelong memories.

Kotch – 10 max
Peniwalli – 8 max
Steppaz – 6 max

We are gearing up to open in Fall 2020. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on our construction cycle, so this timeline may change. In the meantime, we are taking reservations for the Winter season 2020/21.

• Kotch has two 2-bedroom private suites with King-sized beds and one master suite with a King-sized bed. In the lower level private suite, the King-sized beds can be converted to 2 Twin xl beds.
• Peniwalli: 4 Bedrooms – 1 Queen, 3 Kings (Each King can be converted to Twin xl beds)
• Steppaz: 3 Bedrooms (3 Kings that can each be split into Twin xl beds)

Bed sizes vary by villa and by suite. Most of our rooms have king-sized beds, but we do have options with queen-sized beds, as well as single beds.

All of our bathrooms are full bathrooms, each with its own shower, toilet and sink.

All villas come equipped with large flat screen TVs – at least one per private suite.

As much as we would like you to completely disconnect from the world during your stay, we know that isn’t always possible. Whether you are taking a work-ation or vacation, you can jump online as you need. Our Wifi is very reliable.

Very sunny. Bring sunblock! You can expect warm tropical weather year round along with warm sea temperatures so you can get your daily dose of vitamin-sea. Kotch villas are located on the South coast of the island, which is surrounded by mountains that shelter the coast from north-east winds. This means the climate is dryer than other parts of the island, even during the rainy seasons (May – June & September – November) isn’t as rainy.

Children of all ages are welcome. The villas are great for family vacations. You and your child can spend hours by the beach and the pool, take long naps in one of our lush beds, grab snacks from the kitch and just be together in a relaxed and beautiful setting. Our rooms are spacious with very little clutter, which is always great when little kiddos are running around. Just bear in mind that our pool is not fenced in so you will have to keep a close eye on the little ones when the doors are open.

Our villas come staffed with a 24/7 caretaker who lives on the property, and security (only at nights). During the day, you will also be taken care of by our housekeeper and cook who are onsite from (8:00am – 5:00 pm) or a bit later based on special request. If you require additional staffing, a request would have to be made two weeks in advance of check-in and would be at an additional cost. We can also provide butler, bartending and nanny service at an additional cost.

We add a gratuity charge of 10% to each invoice—this gratuity is allocated to all Kotch staff. We suggest that a tip of 10-15% be left directly with team members that go above and beyond.

We designed our villas with the surrounding environment in mind. For example, we made sure that our boundary walls do not impede migrational turtle routes. Each villa has built-in solar panels and solar-powered air conditioners that reduce our dependence on grid-powered electricity, and our team has been trained to conserve water and manage waste disposal carefully.

Check in is at 3:00 pm.
Check out is at 11:00 am.
*A late checkout can be requested in advance, but depends on the time and day of our next guest check-in.

There are loads of fun things to do on the South Coast. Swimming is a given, but you can also charter a boat and take a ride out to sea. You can visit a spa or book a massage at the villa. You can choose to eat in or eat out, and we know all the cool spots. Take a yoga class or go for a boat ride, or book an excursion and head out of town on an exciting adventure. Visit our Xpage for a list of options or ask our concierge for some recommendations.

There are 2 main international airports on the island – Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay & Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. We recommend flying into Montego Bay where the travel is 1.5 – 2 hours depending on traffic and road conditions.

We provide a list of certified drivers who we trust so you can organize the options that best suits your needs and budget. Alternatively, you could rent a vehicle. There are several reputable vehicle rental companies with kiosks at the airport. For retreats and large groups, we can organize a JUTA certified bus.

They sure do. We’re a bit off the beaten path, but that’s part of the charm. Many of our guests appreciate a little adventure and opt to drive themselves around. Just be sure you are comfortable with driving on the left side of the road and don’t mind dodging a goat or 2. Other guests prefer to be transported to the villa and move around on foot or bicycle. It’s also pretty easy to find a taxi to take you where you want to go.

Jake’s is a 10-minute walk from the villa. Locals and overseas guests alike enjoy congregating at their Jack Spratt restaurant. They frequently have something going on for public holidays or other special occasions. We’re in an ideal location if you want to book your trip for the Calabash Literary Festival or Jake’s Triathlon.

Great Bay is a 10 – 15 minute drive by car.

Local restaurants and pubs within walking distance
Jakes; Jack Spratt
Calaloo boutique
Great Bay beach,
Pelican Bar
Boat Tours
Bicycle riding
Yoga
Spa
Farm to Table dinners
Sports Park: community activities and matches

The beach is literally right out of the gate, but the swimming area is in the cove located three houses down to the left. It’s about a 3 – 5 minute seaside walk.

There are some rocky areas that are great for exploring. You can discover sea creatures in the water pools, crabs hiding under rocks and shells nestled in the cracks. The swimming areas are great – think fine grains of sand in between your toes.

The recommended swimming area is safe. There is also a flag station on the beach with different colored flags that let you know when it is safe to swim and when it is not, but keep in mind, that there is no lifeguard and it is very important to stay in the recommended swimming area.

They sure do.

Jake’s Hotel has a poolside restaurant that is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but locals and visitors alike enjoy congregating at their beachside restaurant called Jack Spratt. It’s “Harder They Come” retro vibe and casual setting is just plain cool. They make the best pizza in town and always have a menu full of seafood dishes prepared Caribbean style. Frenchman’s Cove is a great spot for Jamaican food and seafood, and Smurf’s is THE place for a proper Jamaican breakfast and other great dishes. There’s also Hold a Vibes, which has great vegetarian and vegan options, but they also have nice fresh hamburgers, homemade breads and smoothies.

Yes, we do. By the time you arrive, we can have your kitchen stocked with ingredients for meals and a selection of your favorite snacks, not to mention some of our own island goodies. This is an add-on service at a fee of $50-$135 for groceries not exceeding US $1200. Anything in excess of that incurs a 15% charge on the value of the groceries. Our concierge will confirm dietary restrictions and budget with you in advance.

Yes. Our villa chefs have been trained by some of the best chefs on the island on how to cook Jamaican and international dishes. They even have experience preparing vegetarian and vegan options.

Kotch is a beautiful location for an intimate wedding of 30 people or less. We don’t have wedding packages, but instead we work with you to create an experience of your dreams.

Kotch is ideal for retreats of 10 people or less. Think corporate get-away,  yoga relaxation or even micro-dosing therapy. We work with organizers to create retreat experiences of all kinds. We have the accommodations, as well as retreat planning services like grocery pre-stocking, catering, itinerary development and on-ground support. One of the villa’s owners, Jodi, used to own a successful marketing firm that executed many exciting and successful events. Let’s just say she’s somewhat of an event aficionado.

We do accommodate video and photo shoots that are in line with our tastes and that will not cause any harm to our properties’ infrastructure or reputation. Any plans for professional photography or filming on site must be discussed and signed off on by management in advance.

Maintaining clean and sanitized spaces has always been a priority for us, but like everyone, we have to take extra precautions in the age of COVID. Click here to visit our Housekeeping and Sanitization page for specific details.

Absolutely. Cleanliness is key to protecting the health and safety of our guests and team.

We can provide a laundry service at an additional cost. Speak with your housekeeper while you are on property and she will make arrangements. The laundry area is on property, but only available to Kotch staff.

Jamaica’s South Coast is full of special things to do. It has a warm and friendly community setting with a very laid back vibe. There are a number of fun adventures to be had, not to mention easy breezy chillouts or relaxing wellness moments. You can check out our Treasure Beach page for a list of adventures and to learn more about the community. In the meantime, here’s a short list of some of our favorites: Black River Safari, Farm-to-table dinners, Shabba’s boat tour, Pelican Bar, Early morning bike rides, YS falls, Jake’s Spa or a private massage at Kotch, Rum bar hopping.

The local currency is the Jamaican dollar. However, most places will also accept US dollars. We suggest that you visit the Bank of Jamaica website to check out the exchange rate closer to your visit. It’s a good idea to have some local cash on you, especially when visiting some of the neighborhood spots.

The closest ATM is at Kingfisher Plaza – only a 5-minute walk from Kotch Villa. There is also an ATM at Jack sprat (10-minute walk). The nearest bank is at town called Junction, which is about ½ hour away.

The nearest hospital is at Black River, which is a ½ hour drive from Kotch.

There is also a clinic with a doctor in Sea View – 15-minute drive away. Mandeville is the next major city about midway between Treasure Beach and Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston, and it has two hospitals (about an hour away).

Our rates are seasonal, so if you make reservations for low season and change your reservation to dates in high season, then your invoice will be adjusted to reflect the higher rates and you will be required to pay the difference.

No. The rental rates are before tax and then all taxes and a 10% gratuity are added to your invoice.

To be announced soon.