Golden Clouds
Encyclopedia
Golden Clouds was the name given by the first female US ambassador
, Ruth Bryan Owen
, to her house in Oracabessa, Jamaica. It is situated between Goldeneye (estate)
, where Ian Fleming
wrote many of the James Bond
novels, and Noel Coward
's Firefly Estate
. The ocean front 9-bedroom mansion
is located on 6 acres (2.4 ha) of manicured gardens with over 700 feet (213.4 m) of shoreline and its own private beach. Owen oversaw the construction of the luxurious villa
and entertained many famous guests there including Clark Gable
, Carole Lombard
, and Charlie Chaplin
. Ambassador Owen purchased the property from Chris Blackwell
's mother, Blanche, who at the time owned several thousand acres of real estate near Oracabessa, and had also sold properties to both Fleming and Coward.
During the 1970s the estate was sold to Richard and Linda Keeson, who restored the property. The Keesons began renting the villa to the public, and over the years the clientele has included a number of celebrities such as musicians Willie Nelson
and Jimmy Buffett
, and film stars Denzel Washington
and Robert De Niro
. The villa has also hosted many weddings and is consistently ranked as one of the top Caribbean wedding destinations.. In addition to being a popular wedding location, Golden Clouds has also served as a movie location and was featured in the film The Mighty Quinn, starring Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, and Mimi Rogers
.
Golden Cloud’s neoclassical
architectural design was based on Casa Figueras, an 18th century luxury villa that Owen stayed at during her first trip to Spain
, and reflects Oracabessa’s heritage as a Spanish settlement. In 1996, Golden Clouds received the prestigious Governor General’s Award from the Jamaica Institute of Architects for its outstanding design, which combines historical elements with modern amenities.
In 2009, Golden Clouds was purchased by bestselling author
and musician
Colin Simpson and his wife, Oksana. The Simpsons were married at Golden Clouds in 2001, and in an interview with The Jamaican Observer, the new owners indicated their intention to carry on the century-old tradition of luxurious accommodations and casual elegance that has made the villa world-renowned.
One of Golden Cloud’s most famous early guests was Charlie Chaplin, who was a good friend of original owner, Ruth Bryan Owen. In a note to Owen, Chaplin described Golden Clouds as “A wonderfully magical place where time stands still. It is, simply paradise.” . While these words were written over 100 years ago, very little has changed since that time, and guests still use words such as “magical” and “paradise” when describing their stay at Golden Clouds.
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
, Ruth Bryan Owen
Ruth Bryan Owen
Ruth Bryan Owen was the daughter of William Jennings Bryan and mother of Helen Rudd Brown. A Democrat, in 1929 she became Florida’s first woman representative in the United States Congress, coming from Florida’s 4th district. Representative Owen was also the first woman to earn a spot on the...
, to her house in Oracabessa, Jamaica. It is situated between Goldeneye (estate)
Goldeneye (estate)
Goldeneye was the name given by Ian Fleming to his estate in Oracabessa, Jamaica. He purchased the land next door to Golden Clouds estate and built his house on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a private beach. The original house was a modest structure consisting of three bedrooms and a swimming...
, where Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
wrote many of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novels, and Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Firefly Estate
Firefly Estate
Firefly Estate, located 10 km east of Oracabessa, Jamaica was Sir Noel Coward’s vacation home and is listed as a National Heritage Site by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. Although the setting is Eden-like, the house built in 1956 is surprisingly Spartan, considering that he often...
. The ocean front 9-bedroom mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
is located on 6 acres (2.4 ha) of manicured gardens with over 700 feet (213.4 m) of shoreline and its own private beach. Owen oversaw the construction of the luxurious villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
and entertained many famous guests there including Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
, and Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
. Ambassador Owen purchased the property from Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
's mother, Blanche, who at the time owned several thousand acres of real estate near Oracabessa, and had also sold properties to both Fleming and Coward.
During the 1970s the estate was sold to Richard and Linda Keeson, who restored the property. The Keesons began renting the villa to the public, and over the years the clientele has included a number of celebrities such as musicians Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, and film stars Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
and Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
. The villa has also hosted many weddings and is consistently ranked as one of the top Caribbean wedding destinations.. In addition to being a popular wedding location, Golden Clouds has also served as a movie location and was featured in the film The Mighty Quinn, starring Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, and Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Early life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip C...
.
Golden Cloud’s neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectural design was based on Casa Figueras, an 18th century luxury villa that Owen stayed at during her first trip to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and reflects Oracabessa’s heritage as a Spanish settlement. In 1996, Golden Clouds received the prestigious Governor General’s Award from the Jamaica Institute of Architects for its outstanding design, which combines historical elements with modern amenities.
In 2009, Golden Clouds was purchased by bestselling author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Colin Simpson and his wife, Oksana. The Simpsons were married at Golden Clouds in 2001, and in an interview with The Jamaican Observer, the new owners indicated their intention to carry on the century-old tradition of luxurious accommodations and casual elegance that has made the villa world-renowned.
One of Golden Cloud’s most famous early guests was Charlie Chaplin, who was a good friend of original owner, Ruth Bryan Owen. In a note to Owen, Chaplin described Golden Clouds as “A wonderfully magical place where time stands still. It is, simply paradise.” . While these words were written over 100 years ago, very little has changed since that time, and guests still use words such as “magical” and “paradise” when describing their stay at Golden Clouds.