New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

[evanovitch]

New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore
Published: Monday | November 16, 2009



WESTERN BUREAU:
Hundreds of jobs could be created in and around Montego Bay as early as March next year, with the construction of two new five-star hotels - Secrets St James and Secrets Wild Orchid.

Chairman of Seawind Key Investments Limited, Salvador Luque García, told the Montego Bay business community his company was created for the sole purpose of resort development in Jamaica.

García was giving the main address at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Annual Awards Banquet, held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa on Saturday night. Currently, there are approximately 1,400 Jamaicans employed at the construction sites.

The hotels are being built at Montego Freeport. Each hotel will have 350 rooms and will have nine restaurants, nine bars, a theatre, a convention centre, a gaming lounge, a spa, and other facilities.

"Apart from this, we are doing a beach club for the residents of Montego Bay," he added.

Seawind Key Investments is owned by Spanish and South American companies, including the Spanish Fuerte group and the American-based AM RESORTS, which will operate the hotel. These investors are involved in various business sectors, including agriculture, fruit trading, airlines, solar energy, construction, commodity trading, real estate, private banking, García explained.

Beauty the drawing card

García added that the investors were simply captivated by the beauty of Jamaica and Jamaicans, which convinced them to invest in the country.

"It is true that on the surface this may not seem like a good reason to make a business, but in our business, the tourism business, the power to capture hearts and inspire the imagination is very important. Jamaica needs to remember this and always fight to preserve this," he said.

Said García: "I think we have been able to attract great people to our effort because we have always been able to demonstrate that our motives are for everybody involved to do well. And I hope the Montego Bay community continues to recognise this and support us."

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[evanovitch]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

It's an open Secret

Seawind Key outlines big investment plans

BY PAT ROXBOROUGH-WRIGHT Editor-at-Large/Western Bureau

Monday, November 16, 2009

MONTEGO BAY, St James - Seawind Key Investments Limited, the Spanish company that is opening the five-star Secrets St James and Secrets Wild Orchid resorts in Montego Bay's Freeport, is anticipating phenomenal success under the management of Douglas Brooks, the former manager of the Ritz-Carlton Rosehall and Tryall resorts when it opens next year.

"With the help of AM Resorts (Brooks), and also with the help of God, the hotels will be opened, as planned next year..." Salvador Luque, Seawind's CEO, told the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce's 77th annual banquet at the Rose Hall resort Saturday night.



In a keynote address that outlined the background and future plans of the investors, Luque told the banquet that the hotels, which are set to open in March, will both have 350 rooms, nine restaurants, nine bars, a theatre, a convention centre, a gaming lounge and a spa, and other facilities. Additionally Seawind, which was created by Luque's family-owned Fuerte Group to facilitate the investments, will develop a beach club for the residents of Montego Bay.

According to Luque, the 2007 decision to invest in Jamaica was inspired by several factors.

Among them:

. the beauty of the country and its people;

. the perceived importance that the government of the day placed on the tourist industry through its development of the infrastructure;

. Efforts by JAMPRO (now Jamaica Trade and Invest) to attract European hotel chains; and

. the country's 100-year tradition as a Caribbean destination that had been carried on successfully by the older hotel chains.

Luque also thanked a number of individuals, as well as the administrations of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the Opposition People's National Party and the municipal authorities for the support rendered to the investors.

"As you can imagine, there has been a range of key circumstances and decisions that have led us to successful development so far, but through it all, it has been people giving of their time and demonstrating a dedication to development that has brought us this far," he said, noting that some 1,400 Jamaicans have already been contracted in various capacities in connection with the developments.

[Marilyn]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

Well at least there will be someplace new and updated to stay in in Montego Bay,, but I bet it's going to be spensive

[lonewolf]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore



Good for Jamaica,(jobs) but bad for Jamaica(identity)

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

To hell with identity if it does not produce results!!
Jamaicans can't live off identity. They need results. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lonrwolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Good for Jamaica,(jobs) but bad for Jamaica(identity)
</div></div>

[evanovitch]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jamaicans can't live off identity </div></div>

u need to send a letta to Bartlett..him tek di newspapers to task bout dem sensational stories of the murders dat happening is potentially damaging to our tourism identity...

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

Him no must be taking a page out of the books of the other Caribbean Islands including Bermuda that have serious gun problem. But you would never know it. Bermuda just last week march fi peace and even had a coffin , a brand new one too in the march. as for cayman. they shot a police officer in his cruiser last week. So it is not that they don't have crime. they just don't have the reputation.
That have a lot to do with the news reported.
but with all the unreported crimes. the places are so small that the visitors know even without the news media's help. so they communicate it to prospective visitors.

even the tour operators are wary of sending visitors to those places. That is why Jamaica is doing so well.
They know about us and evaluate the safety factor before.

Now the ones who use to be too squeamish to come to Jamaica, are afraid to go to the places they thought was safer for them.

At least we don't have direst attacks on visitors on a regular basis.
this happen in every other destination. They Just don't bet reported. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jamaicans can't live off identity </div></div>

u need to send a letta to Bartlett..him tek di newspapers to task bout dem sensational stories of the murders dat happening is potentially damaging to our tourism identity... </div></div>

[lonewolf]

Re: New Montego Bay hotels to bring jobs galore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">To hell with identity if it does not produce results!!
Jamaicans can't live off identity. They need results. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lonrwolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Good for Jamaica,(jobs) but bad for Jamaica(identity)
</div></div> </div></div>

Dudd, you state the obvious. That is a given. I was making an observation based on the RIU/SEACRETS brand changing the landscape of the Jamaican Hoteliers. The Spanish have invaded(again)the backyard of the usual players and will be in direct competition with Stewart, and the Issa family. It seems that thier rule is over. John Issa has stated that he has changed the names of all the Super Clubs to the Breezes brand because of the new competitors. He stated to the fact of consolidation of the Breezes brand to make Super Clubs more recognizable and less confusing of a resort choice. (Hedo exempt for the obvious reason.)

That's the rest of the story behind the obvious that these hotels will provide MUCH NEEDED EMPLOYMENT for the Jamaican people, of which we both agree.