A-listers party for a cause at Round Hill

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Well, my daahlings, it's been long the signature social event for many of the international glamourzons, the haute snobissimo, social gad-abouts, the glitterati, and of course, the blue bloods. And little wonder as, indeed, the event is not only a social humdinger, giving peers a chance to catch up with each other, it is, in reality, the uber classes holidaying and taking time out of their annual vacation to celebrate and, in doing so, give back to the community and people who have hosted them for generations!

And, when it comes to the international uber classes, my dears, Jamaica has been their summer and winter getaway ever since this fabulous island was said to be 'discovered' by the Europeans. But when it really comes to enjoying the flavour and essence of Caribbean chic and island grandeur, my darling dears, the super fab do not do all-inclusives!

And so it is, my dears, the uber classes not only prefer their own society, when they vacation, they prefer to do so in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. And hence, the growth in more recent times of fortified estates, owned and occupied by the uber rich and the super-snotty. But these new 'estates', my dears, are primarily the habitue of the nouveau riche, as old money is not ostentatious, and in this respect, Jamaica, with its multilayered and multi-textured society and culture, which treasures the hospitality industry, is a treasure trove of preferred vacation residences. And one such, is the Round Hill Hotel and Villas, located just west of Montego Bay, on the border of the parishes of Hanover and St James.

Dears, simply put, Round Hill Hotel and Villas is a masterpiece and nothing but! Nothing gaudy or gauche here. And little wonder as, indeed, to own a piece of Round Hill (which is almost next to impossible, as the villas rarely, if ever, go on the open market), one would have to shell out something in the region of US$2 million for a two-bedroom villa. And as they say, my dears, if you have to ask how much, you probably cannot afford it!

PREFFERED DESTINATION

It is a
fact that most of the villas at Round Hill have been owned by the same
families for generations, coupled with the immaculate service and
pristine style and comfort which are the hallmarks of the property,
which has made it a bastion of civilised good taste and a preferred
destination for the international globetrotter and nationals
alike!

Well, with the Round Hill Hotel and Villas
being home away from home to a slew of international A-listers, and its
Managing Director Josef Forstmayr being the quintessential host and
'inn-keeper', Round Hill has emerged from its cocoon as one of the
world's best-kept secrets to being the grand dame of fabulousness and
arbiter by which other such properties are
judged.

Now, part of its cachet is the fact that Round
Hill is not only the preferred enclave of the upper class, the
unwritten but clearly understood protocol forbids grandstanding or any
other form of boorish behaviour by owners and/or guests. And in this
respect, the time-honoured tradition has evolved into the signature
style of the property, to complement its natural beauty and culinary
wonders.

Well, my dears, enter the Hanover Charities,
chaired by the indefatigable Katrin Casserly, with intent to right as
much social wrongs as it can, that affects the communities surrounding
Round Hill, and with each and every guest or owner of Round Hill only
too willing to help in improving the well-being of the residents of
Hanover. The Sugar Cane Ball was born to channel the goodwill of owners
and guests to the benefit of Hanoverians!

Well, my
dears, last Saturday saw the 57th annual staging of the Annual Sugar
Cane Ball by the Round Hill Hotel and Villas, under the theme 'The Black
and White Ball', inspired by Truman Capote's famous 1966 ball at the
hotel. But pumpkins, The Black and White Ball 2014 at Round Hill Hotel
and Villas was an international humdinger and then some, as villa owners
and their guests - as well as supporters of the annual fundraising gala
- came out for the event, and fabulously so!

Oh, my
word! The glitz, the glamour, the elegance and unabashed style, my
dears, made for a social spectacle that will long be remembered for its
endearing razzmatazz, as it was not only a roll call of the
international and national who's who, but it was, for many, the perfect
getaway from the rather foul weather many have been experiencing. And
precious angels, here they were, basking in the glow of the Caribbean,
in a resort property styled for grand living, and fabulously
so!

Dears, hot to trot and nothing but, with HRH
Prince Michael of Kent being the guest of Caroline St George; his
cousin, Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, also out; Lord Charles Spencer
Churchill and Sarah Goodbody; uber designer Ralph Lauren, and his wife,
the style goddess Ricky, jetting in in time to participate in the
festivities as their jet was snowed in in New York; Countess Gabi Von
Hahn, in from Germany, all turning up to
celebrate.

OTHERS OUT TO PARTY

Also
out were Sir Ian and Lady Lawson; US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney;
Ambassador Brenda LaGrange-Johnson; Michelle Rollins; Edward and Pat
Falkenberg; James and Manuela Goren; Nigel Pemberton; Joe and Leslie
Fogg; Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli; New York power couple Roddy
Klotz and his wife, the charming Nazee Klotz; Bob Donlon and his
beautiful wife, Buffy Donlon, in from Alabama; Jim and Jennifer
Flanagan; the lovely Alexis Gregory; Rainer and Bettina Schoenbach;
Shelagh Routh; the stunning Christina Baxter; Walter and Jane Maynard;
Nan Brenninkmeyer; Thomas and Ricky Lloyd, in from
Washington.

Brazilian Ambassador Dr Antonio DaCosta
Silvio Neto, his very lovely wife, Sylvia de Leoni Ramos, and their son
Bruno DaCosta; the revered Tony and Sheila Hart, their son Mark Hart and
his wife, Candace, were also out. So, too, were the esteemed Robert
Levy and wife, Judy; master painter Barrington Watson and wife, Doreen,
and his son, sculptor Basil Watson; Monika Maitland-Walker; Dr David and
Angela Stair; Mark Kerr-Jarrett and his family, wife, the uber-fab
Paula Kerr-Jarrett, and their children, Joshua and Rebecca; Phillip and
Christine Gore, she looking unquestioningly fabulous; the charmingly
lovely Jeanne Robinson-Foster; Barry Byrne and wife, the fabulous
Charmaine Byrne; Capt Michael and Thalia Lyn; Valerie Marzouca; Jennifer
Lim; Gerry Niessen and the très élégant Lorna Myers;
the charming Sue MacManus; the supremely elegant Nerissa Braimbridge;
the dapper William Craig and his gorgeous wife, Candis Craig; Patrick
Casserly and his wife, the fab Katrin Casserly; David Holland and his
absolutely 'dee-vine' wife, Fenella Kennedy-Holland; the lovely Debra
Lopez-Spence; the charmingly fab Gilou Bauer; the charming Melanie
Browne; Paul Washington and the ever-gorgeous Ann Chen Euker; the fab
Marika Kessler; Rajesh and Neha Kripalani; Andrew McGlone; Ron McKay and
the lovely Diedre Rose; the debonaire Omar Robinson; plus a number of
others.

My daahlings, amid the glitz, high glam and
champagne, when the feasting and celebrations were over, over US$250,000
was in the kitty for the Hanover Charities. So talk about partying for a
cause!