MoBay gears up for winter season’s start in days
Published:Monday | December 1, 2025 | 12:09 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
With the winter tourist season set to open on December 15, Montego Bay’s major resorts and attractions are accelerating their final recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa.
Among the properties already at full operational capacity is the award-winning S Hotel, which never closed during or after the storm. General Manager Ann-Marie Goffe-Pryce said the boutique resort has been in continuous demand despite the impact.
“The S never closed, not before the storm, not during, and not after,” she said. “Our rooms have remained in steady demand, and we continued accommodating leisure guests as well as relief workers who needed a dependable place to stay during the recovery.”
The beachfront property on Doctors’ Cave sustained only minor damage and quickly resumed full service.
“We haven’t had a break since the storm,” she added. “Just days after Melissa, we welcomed a group who travelled to Jamaica specifically to play pickleball. That level of confidence means a great deal to us.”
Meanwhile, Margaritaville Caribbean Group says it is fully prepared for the winter rush, with most of its locations already operating. Chairman and CEO Ian Dear said the entertainment and lifestyle company is eager to continue delivering the signature experiences that have defined the brand for 30 years.
“We are 100 per cent ready to take in guests and to create the experiences we have been known for over the past three decades,” Dear said.
He confirmed that four of the brand’s five locations—Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, and the Margaritaville outlet inside Sangster International Airport—are open, with their fine-dining restaurant Marguerites Seafood by the Sea set to reopen on Tuesday. Their sister property, Coral Cliff Gaming, reopened two weeks ago, helping to re-energize the Hip Strip’s entertainment offerings.
In his role as chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Dear added that the majority of Montego Bay’s major attractions are back in operation.
“Chukka, Doctors’ Cave Bathing Club, Harmony Beach Park, Main Street Rose Hall, and the river rafting experience at Martha Brae are all up and running,” he said.
All the properties reported strong rebound momentum and confidence in their ability to welcome winter-season arrivals without disruption.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett led a comprehensive readiness tour of Montego Bay’s resort corridor on Saturday, visiting the S Hotel, Toby’s Resort, the RIU hotels, Iberostar, Margaritaville, Dreamer Catamarans, and Sangster International Airport (SIA). Early signs point to a strong overall rebound, with hoteliers racing to restore rooms, amenities and visitor services to peak condition for what remains the most lucrative period in Jamaica’s tourism calendar.
“Today’s tour is about ensuring that Montego Bay is fully ready,” Bartlett said. “The winter season is upon us, and this city, our tourism Mecca, must be firing on all cylinders.”
He emphasised that Montego Bay’s readiness is not only operational but fundamental to the country’s economic performance.
“Montego Bay is one of the great hubs of Caribbean tourism. When Montego Bay is strong, the Jamaican economy is stronger,” he added, noting that Sangster International Airport processes more than 70 per cent of Jamaica’s stopover visitors.
Bartlett’s recovery tour began on November 21st in Ocho Rios and continued last Friday with visits to hotels in Hanover and Westmoreland, reinforcing destination assurance and aligning stakeholder efforts for the critical winter season.