Go to the beach, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

In 1655 England captured Jamaica from Spain; it seems that now, some 350 years later, the Spanish are back in force. In recent years, Spanish tour operators and hotel companies have been grabbing headlines with large-scale projects all over the island. And they have been welcomed with open arms. Despite Jamaica’s strong position among American and Canadian travelers, Europe has been less consistent in recent decades. Spain has made a big commitment to the island and there is hope that this will lead to the reopening of other European markets.

Jamaica has benefited from positive trends within the travel industry that have, in effect, made the Caribbean a “safe haven” in an otherwise troubled world. In addition, Jamaica’s infrastructure, including its major airports and new roads, which have improved access to remote parts of the island, have encouraged investment. To keep the momentum going, the Jamaican Tourist Board launched a new “Once You Go You Know” ad campaign, focusing on the island’s extraordinary diversity, culture and charms, and designed to sustain that tourism growth. industries

Jamaican tourism officials estimate that foreign investment will add more than 5,000 rooms to the island’s inventory by 2007. In 2004, Spain’s RIU group opened more than 800 rooms between two properties in Negril, and has plans for another 850 in Ocho Ríos in 2005. Sandals Whitehouse on the south coast, with 80 suites among its 360 rooms, welcomed its first guests in February. Sunset Resort Group will launch the 720-room Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort (formerly Renaissance Jamaica Grande) while Negril Cabins is open under the new name Sunset at the Palms Resort & Spa. Country Country in Negril, acquired by the owners of the Coyaba Resort, adds six rooms to the existing 14 this winter and another 50 are expected in 2006; while a new SuperClubs hotel, Rooms on the Beach (formerly Club Jamaica) opens in November with 104 rooms and suites. Other major projects underway or in progress include:

Rose Hall Expansion

In 2004, Prime Minister PJ Patterson broke ground on an $850 million hotel project in the Rose Hall area of ​​St. James, just beyond the Wyndham. It is a joint venture between Rose Hall Developments Limited and Iberostar, a Spanish hotel chain that currently operates in the Dominican Republic, the United States, Spain, Greece and Turkey. According to the president of the Iberostar Group, Miguel Fluxa, his company will build three hotels in a period of five years, which will mean 950 new rooms in Rose Hall. These properties will primarily cater to Europeans. Iberostar will invest US$200 million in the first phase, to build a 350-room hotel that is scheduled to be on the market and ready to operate in the winter of 2006. The hotel will feature, among other things, a pool bar, a theater bar and cigar bar. Rose Hall Developments and Resort Properties Group announced plans in mid-February 2005 for The Palmyra Resort & Spa at Rose Hall, located adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton on 16 acres of pristine coastline. The Palmyra will stretch along half a mile of the Caribbean Ocean and include 26 villas and 504 one-, two- and three-bedroom condominium units. “This is the last of the great beachfront properties,” said Robert T. Trotta, driving force behind Resort Properties Group. “The Palmyra presents the perfect opportunity to create a sustainable luxury community that celebrates the island’s resources through architecture, amenities and experience. We are pleased to offer a ground floor real estate opportunity in a culturally-minded coastal paradise. matchless”. The first phase of the development, consisting of two condominium buildings, the Palmyra E’SPA, the infinity pool and the beach, is scheduled to open in spring 2005, with the project to be completed by the end of 2006. They are also under construction the ‘Shoppes at Rose Hall’, an exclusive shopping, dining and entertainment complex.

Trelawny Development

The most ambitious project underway in Jamaica is the $1.2 billion Harmony Cove development located between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. This 1,400-acre waterfront property will include three major luxury hotels, three themed boutique resorts, two golf courses, more than 200 exclusive residential homes (mansions and villas), more than 200,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment space. , as well as a world-class marina with 300 berths and a private airstrip in Braco. Rumors have even been circulating that Donald Trump is seeking to obtain a government license to operate a casino in Harmony Cove. Other projects in Trelawny parish include the four AM Resorts hotels that will create 1,700 rooms and the three new Grupo Pinero hotels with a total of 1,800 rooms in nearby St. Anne.

i love lucea

Prime Minister PJ Patterson announced in 2004 that plans are well advanced for the acquisition of property on the east side of Hannover’s Lucea Harbor for the construction of a 1,500-room five-star hotel by another Spanish hotel chain. Patterson also confirmed that design work for the construction of the Lucea Shipping Pier was progressing satisfactorily and that negotiations were underway for the acquisition of a parcel of land to facilitate development; this would include a facility for cruise ships. “I am sure that the development of this part of Hanover between the port and the hotel makes the progress of Lucea and its surroundings irreversible,” said the prime minister.

**for more information, visit http://www.jam-boree.com/, Jamaica’s visitor website, the complete source of travel and tourism information featuring carefully curated deals on vacation packages, hotels, villas, flights and car rentals**