IN JAMAICA, HOTEL AND RESORT UPDATES ANNOUNCED AT JAPEX (Jamaica Product Exchange)

Jamaica’s Accommodation Sector Is On a Roll with More Beds for Heads

Melanie Reffes

Special Correspondent

Montego Bay Convention Center, Sept. 2023:  Celebrating Jamaica’s booming accommodation sector, Hon Edmund Bartlett, Min. Tourism noted, “Jamaica is one of the few destinations in the world that went from zero to hero, “ referring to tourism recovery from the pandemic. Speaking at JAPEX (Jamaica Product Exchange )  at the Montego Bay Convention Center, Tourism Minister Bartlett added, “The island’s room count is expected to increase by 5,000 “.  www.visitjamaica.com  With visitor arrivals sky high and new hotels and resorts coming onstream, Hon. Min. Bartlett said,  “This includes the first 500 of the committed 2,000-room Unico (Hard Rock) Hotel, Princess Grand Jamaica to open in Feb. with 1,000 rooms, Riu adding over 700 rooms and 228 rooms by Marriott in Falmouth. Additionally, ground will be broken for other hotels over the next few months at Richmond in St Ann, Negril, Montego Bay, Paradise, Savanna-la-Mar, and also in Trelawny. “  As well, Sandals Resorts International will redevelop Jewel Runaway Bay and Beaches Negril.    “We’re beginning to see the fruits of our work and it’s not because we’re lucky,” said  Donovan White, director of tourism, JTB, “ it’s because of hard work and commitment, ensuring that we engage in the right places, but, more importantly, that we do what we say we’re going to do. “

Beds for heads

In Ocho Rios, Sandals Dunn’s River is open as the  17th resort in the all-inclusive adults-only upscale Sandals Resorts portfolio. Fronting a stretch of white sand beach, the resort sits pretty on a site selected by  Sandals Resorts International founder,  the late Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart,  when the first Sandals Dunn’s River debuted over 30 years ago.  In Negril,  all-inclusive adults-only Sunset at the Palms is offering guests who book 7 nights or more between Oct. 1-31 or Nov.  16-30   a $1,000 air credit. The offer is available for those dates if guests book by Sept.  30  at www.ThePalmsJamaica.com and use the code “PALMS”.  Starting in Jan. 2024, Karisma Hotels & Resorts will convert Azul Beach Resort Negril into an adults-only property. “Azul Beach Resort Negril offers the perfect destination for romantic getaways,” said Frank Maduro, president Premier Worldwide Marketing,  and global sales and marketing representative for Karisma Hotels & Resorts, “we are committed to elevating your experience; whether you seek a luxury wedding destination or unforgettable anniversary trip.”  www.karismahotels.com/

In Montego Bay, the 120-room S Hotel Jamaica  on Doctor’s Cave Beach is now an all-inclusive hotel. “ We are proud of our island’s rich culture which plays an integral role in visitors’ overall impression of Jamaica,” said Ann-Marie Goffe-Pryce, general manager,  “ new amenities allow our guests to fully immerse themselves in the timeless aspects of Jamaica.”  Rooms are outfitted with dominoes, a record player with Bob Marley’s greatest hits on vinyl and Red Stripe Beer.  On the 5th floor, the bobsled pays tribute to the Jamaican four-man bobsled team that debuted to the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.  In Ocho Rios,   Jamaica Inn is offering a ‘ Fall Into Savings ‘ promotion of 20% off daily rates when a 4-night stay is booked from Nov. 1 through Dec.  24.   www.jamaicainn.com/  Offering travelers peace-of-mind during hurricane season, the 512-room Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay has reinstated its Hurricane Guarantee through Nov. 30.  The Hurricane Guarantee provides protection against possible travel disruptions caused by Category 1 or higher hurricanes. www.caribbeanhi.com/ . Following its recent addition to the Blue Diamond Resorts portfolio,  Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only, will welcome guests in  Nov. and is available for bookings at this time.  The 352-room resort is 35 minutes from the Sangster International Airport.

Niche markets

A delegate at JAPEX,  David Shields, Vice President, Sales,  Island Routes Adventures Tours is a tourism leader in the Caribbean, ‘Jamaica offers an impressive vacation variety for our visitors from stays at the popular adults-only Sandals and family-friendly Beaches all-inclusive resorts to day trips, excursions and activity options offered by Island Routes. ”  www.islandroutes.com/ With tours available in 13 Caribbean countries, Island Routes offers boatloads of options in  Jamaica that depart from Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Kingston, Negril, and the South Coast.  A treasure trove of tours includes sunset catamaran sails, snorkeling day trips, and horseback beach rides to ziplining, waterfall adventures, and dolphin encounters. Booming worldwide,  the health and wellness market is an important niche market on the island. “Jamaica not only offers sea, sun, and sand, we’re now focusing on the health and wellness experiences that  tourists are looking for,” said Nicola Madden-Greig, president Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association ( CHTA), “our offerings  include yoga retreats and endorphin tourism designed to offer travelers a natural high.   Also with a renewed focus, the diaspora is a vital part of tourism in Jamaica.    “ Social media is making it even easier for us to find Jamaicans living abroad, “ said  Philip Rose,  deputy director of tourism for the Americas, Jamaica Tourism Board, “ we are appealing  to their sense of nostalgia to promote the island  .” Visit  www.visitjamaica.com  1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at visitjamaica.com/blog.