Jamaica's room inventory ramps up
Ann Ruppenstein
It’s fair to say that Jamaica has weathered the storm when it comes to maintaining the number of resorts and hotel development projects in the pipeline.
“90% of our pre-pandemic investments remain in place,” announced Donovan White, director of tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, during a recent destination update briefing held in Jamaica.
Over the next two years, more than a dozen hotel developments are underway, amounting to 5,000 additional rooms.
A new kid on the block in Jamaica’s hotel inventory is part of H10 Hotels’ developments in Trelawny.
The 444 room adults-only Ocean Eden Bay just opened in November, with an official launch slated for December 9. This follows the opening of the adjacent family-friendly 513 room Ocean Coral Spring, which debuted in Dec. 2019. The all-inclusive resort features a six-lane bowling alley, operating right now with every second lane to allow for social distancing.
Ocean Eden Bay has a variety of different accommodation options ranging from swim-up suites to two-storey rooftop suites. Specialty restaurants include a steak house, a Caribbean restaurant, and the romantic adults-only Bluemoon.
Meanwhile, a longtime island resort recently expanded its offerings. Half Moon, which was established in 1954 when 17 investor families purchased 35 acres of land on a crescent-shaped bay on the north coast of Montego Bay, debuted Eclipse at Half Moon in 2020.
The new build Eclipse at Half Moon features 57 keys, an infinity-edge pool, a natural swimming cove, and seven bars and restaurants. The heart of this section of the resort is the Great House, which provides amazing views of the ocean upon arrival. The building houses the spacious 3,000 square foot Great House Ocean Suite. Eclipse also features 32 Prestige Ocean Rooms, which are positioned in low-profile individual cottages.
Upgrades and renovations were also just completed in the Hibiscus section, which feature fun local artwork.
