Milk River Spa still beckons

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

THIS TIME of the year, business usually slows, but the recession has made things even worse. Still the Milk River Hotel and Spa, located along Jamaica's south coast in Clarendon, is holding its own, according to General Manager Diane Sommerville.

"We have our good and faithful customers who will weather any storm to get here. Milk River is real peaceful, and if you want to get away, there's nothing to distract you," she told The Gleaner.

In fact, getting to the facility is a major feat, given the poor state of the roadway. Still, visitors keep coming - the curative powers of its mineral bath being the main drawing card, and even though they complain about the road, this doesn't keep them away. In addition to the bath, Milk River offers much more, according to Sommerville.

"Our rooms are not five-star but are comfy and clean and take you back to the days of spending holidays with your grandmother as a kid," she boasts. Our wooden flooring and real Jamaican cooking, taking a stroll along the stretch here and telling yourself that you've exercised - that is Milk River!" Local guests outnumber foreigners four to one, even with a lot of repeat visitors.

"People really believe in the water, so they keep coming back, even though the road is bad. It is really quite relaxing, and even though I don't have any aches or pains to cure, I sleep well afterwards," the general manager says.

Since taking up her post last August, this is the slowest business has been, but Sommerville says laying off workers is not an option, as the staff structure, comprising permanent, temporary and seasonal workers, works very well.

In addition to providing jobs for people in Milk River, the hotel is also a source of income for farmers who provide callaloo, sorrel, pepper and green banana. The area is not big on fruits, which is sourced from the May Pen Market or delivered by farmers from St Elizabeth, while fishermen from the Farquahar Beach fishing village, two and a half miles away, supply fish.

What's to enjoy?

So after braving deplorable road conditions, which have pushed up travel time from 30 to at least 45 minutes and sometimes an hour, what can one expect to enjoy?

For now, the baths and accommodation, which includes three meals per day and a bar open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., along with recreational activities centred around board games, dominoes and cards, are the main draw. However, Sommerville says plans for the state-operated facility include wireless Internet access that should be in place by year end. And don't worry about power cuts because the resort has standby generators.

So even with the mineral pool and a park located across from the facility in dire need of rehabilitation, the Milk River Spa and Hotel still beckons as a place offering peace of mind and body at an affordable price.