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Jewel Paradise Cove opens

Published:Sunday | December 15, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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From left: Charmaine Deane, director of communications at Jewel Resorts, with Maxim and Joy Clark.
Richard Byles (fourth left), president and CEO of Sagicor, which owns the Jewel brand, cuts the ribbon to officially open Jewel Paradise Cove with Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill (third right) and Rich Cortese (second right). Looking on are Rohan Miller (left), Carol Bourke (second left), and General Manager Barbara Burton (right).
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Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

The 225-room Jewel Paradise Cove hotel in Runaway Bay, St Ann, officially opened last weekend to become the third hotel in the Jewel brand owned by Sagicor Life Jamaica.

Jewel Paradise Cove joined the Jewel Runaway Bay, and the Jewel Dunn's River in Mammee Bay, St Ann, as Sagicor extended its interest in Jamaica's tourism product. Described by the company as its most contemporary spa resort, the redesigned adult-only property sparkles from its multimillion-dollar upgrade, offering services that are centred on its health, spa, and fitness theme.

Private balconies and patios have been added to the rooms, another evidence of the physical enhancement that has been made to the property. Of the 225 rooms, 15 are junior suites that have been totally refurbished to offer more luxurious accommodation for the guests.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

Sagicor President and CEO Richard Byles noted that Sagicor's US$50-million investment in the tourism sector is a vote of confidence in the Jamaican economy. He called for more Jamaicans to invest in tourism and not just work in the sector.

Tourism and Entertainment Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill said that Jewel Paradise Cove is a welcome addition to the tourism product and an investment in the people of Jamaica.

McNeill said he was elated by the local and international investment in Jamaica's tourism sector and hailed Sagicor's investment, singling out Byles for the role he has been playing.

"I must single out Sagicor and its CEO, Mr Richard Byles, for the leading role they have been playing. In just a few short years, Sagicor has become a major player in the sustainable development of the hotel sector, and I have no doubt that Richard has been a driving force in all this," said McNeill.

He also commended the hotel's management and staff on the excellent start the hotel has made.

Although it has just opened, occupancy average at Jewel Paradise Cove for December is put at a minimum of 55 per cent, and expected to rise to a high of the 70s next February.

Rich Cortese of Aimbridge Hospitality, which manages the hotel, said it was an honour to be associated with Jamaica's tourism product.

Aimbridge manages nearly 200 hotels in the United States and the Caribbean.

Photos by Carl Gilchrist