Bartlett Welcomes Grand Jewel in Tourism Crown

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, September 27, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has welcomed the addition of Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa to the range of resort accommodations being offered by Jamaica’s diverse tourism industry.

Speaking at Jewel Grande’s official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Sunday (September 24), Minister Bartlett said he was particularly pleased because “we are in a very interesting period in the development of tourism in Jamaica. While not trying to impute the great performances of any individual brand within the Jamaican space, I believe it is fair for us to say that we are now establishing international brands that have recognition and responses from across the world.”

The all-suite hotel, formerly The Palmyra, was refurbished at a cost of US$96 million. Now boasting all the amenities for it to become a five-star resort, the upgraded Jewel Grande is now the flagship among the six Sagicor hotels, all of which are being operated by X Fund Properties Limited and the internationally known Aimbridge Hospitality.

Congratulating Aimbridge for their role in the industry, Minister Bartlett credited them with “making Jewel a jewel in the crown of Jamaica.”

He pointed to global changes to which Jamaica had to be responsive and said note must be taken of “the extent to which Jamaicans are becoming involved in the stakeholdership of tourism.” In the last five years, he said, there has been a significant movement of more Jamaican investment in tourism led by Sagicor and, together with the Hendrickson family and Sandals, they now control the largest block of hotel rooms.

The hotel, which Aimbridge has committed to making one of the best plants in the Caribbean, has a total of 217 units, including one and two bedroom suites, and three-bedroom villas (totaling 322 rooms) that are equipped with Wi-Fi and interactive HD TV.

Senior Vice President Caribbean Operations and Development at Aimbridge Hospitality, Rich Cortese revealed that every room at Jewel Grande has butler service. “What we’re doing is creating a personal relationship between the guest and the butler. The butler is your arrival experience all the way through to your exit.”

He said Jewel Grande was also “making a huge commitment to golf on this coast.” With four international courses from Rose Hall to Tryall, he envisages “making this the golf coast of Jamaica.”

The opening was celebrated with a spectacular display of fireworks on the beach and the musical repertoire of Third World Band.