Ja to build first innovation township, Caribbean’s tallest hotel in Rose Hall
Bartlett unveils bold five-year vision set to redefine Montego Bay’s tourism landscape
Published:Tuesday | July 1, 2025 | 12:07 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Jamaica is poised to rewrite the blueprint for tourism development in the Caribbean with the establishment of the region’s first-ever Tourism Innovation Township, and the construction of what will become the tallest hotel in the Caribbean, a 33-storey Moon Palace tower, to be built in Rose Hall, St. James.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, speaking during the 64th Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) last Saturday, described the move as a historic convergence of innovation, scale, and inclusivity that will set a global precedent.
The township, to be developed around the Unico, Hard Rock, Moon Palace mega-resorts, and Iberostar, will anchor what Bartlett says will become the largest concentration of hotel rooms in any single space in the Caribbean, with over 5,000 rooms within walking distance of each other.
“This is a game-changer for tourism in the region,” said Bartlett. “It will be the first tourism innovation township in the Caribbean, arguably in the world.”
Designed as a circular economy, the township will see hotels supplying electricity and water to the surrounding community, while residents provide the goods and services needed to support resort operations. Plans include a STEM school, expanded health infrastructure, upgraded schools, supermarkets, and the development of light manufacturing and cottage industries.
“We are building a model where backyard farming, the production of condiments, sheets, pillowcases, and other essentials will be done right there in the community, feeding directly into the hotel supply chain,” Bartlett explained.
LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENT
The township will be located near Barrett Town, with additional commercial development planned for the Rollins lands (Rose Hall Developments) across from the Dreams Rose Hall Resort and Spa (formerly Hilton), which have already been sold for construction of service stations and retail outlets.
Bartlett projected that by 2030, Jamaica will have added 10,000 new hotel rooms, with major developments including Harmony Cove, the Palladium and Bahia Principe expansions, the Unico, Hard Rock, and Moon Palace resorts, along with two new Sandals properties, one in Runaway Bay and the other, the recently announced AC Marriott in Montego Bay.
“Montego Bay is on the verge of an unprecedented tourism renaissance,” he declared. “This is a level of coordinated, large-scale investment that we have never seen before, not just in Jamaica, but in the Caribbean.”
The 33-storey Moon Palace tower, being led by developer Gibran Chapur, will not only reshape the Rose Hall skyline, but also represent a symbolic and physical elevation of Jamaica’s tourism ambition. Bartlett emphasised that its presence, alongside the other resort developments, reinforces Jamaica’s emergence as a luxury destination grounded in community, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
As construction ramps up, the Government will also prioritise training and workforce development to ensure that locals are equipped to benefit from the transformation.
“This model brings the people with it. It does not leave them behind,” Bartlett stated. “It is a future where tourism doesn’t just create jobs and builds communities.”