Spanish Hotels Account for a Third of All Guestrooms in Jamaica

The presence of Spanish chain hotels in Jamaica has ramped up so much that they now amass a third of all guestrooms on the Caribbean island, with half a dozen companies taking the lion’s share of the total.

By the end of 2018, Jamaica boasted a total of 25,000 rooms in 203 hotels, with more than half of them clustered in small hotels with fewer than 50 rooms apiece.

Spanish hotel chains on the island run 13 hotels in all, with a stock of nearly 7,100 rooms (28.4%). Six of them rank among the top ten with the largest number of rooms.

Bahia Principe Jamaica Resort (two hotels): 1,375 rooms

Grand Palladium-Lady Hamilton: 1,056 rooms

Club Hotel RIU Ocho Rios: 901 rooms

Hotel RIU Montego Bay: 681 rooms

Hotel RIU Negril: 600 rooms

RIU Reggae Hotel: 454 rooms

“Spain leads the presence of European hotel brands in Jamaica,” said Marc Meister, director of SERGAT, Jamaica's Representative Office for Spain and Portugal.

In addition to those mentioned above, Iberostar also operates in the country with three hotels (Grand Rose Hall, Rose Hall Beach, Rose Hall Suites) and Meliá with the Meliá Braco Village Hotel & Spa and Excellence with Excellence Oyster Bay.

The intention, explains Meister, is to "continue strengthening ties and expand this portfolio,” so the interest hinges on achieving “permanent airlift between the two countries,” he added.

"Direct air service, which we currently lack, would be a determining factor in the future growth, not only for the Spanish outbound market but also for other markets in Europe which, through Madrid or Barcelona, could be used to fly to the island. The lack of a regular direct flight is, at the same time, our main limitation and also the greatest opportunity for the future to attract more Spanish and European visitors to Jamaica,” Mr. Meister concluded.