Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, based in Spain, announced that it will lay off 320 workers and temporarily close one of it’s 3 Montego Bay hotels effective September 1 (They are also closing their Riviera Maya, Mexico properties effective immediately). There has not been an announcement as to when the hotel might reopen. There is a glimmer of good news if you booked your stay at the Rose Hall Hotel, however. You will be upgraded (slightly) to the nearby Rose Hall Suites.
The Iberostar Rose Hall Hotel opened two years ago, and has not met company expectations for occupancy, and the winter season is not expected to change that, given the weak global economy. Current projections put the occupancy level at only 16% or so, according to Forbes.com.
Travel and tourism is a mainstay of the the Jamaican economy (and that of many of the Caribbean islands). According to the Jamaica Gleaner, other hotels and chains are suffering:
Grand Lido Negril – 19% occupancy
Sandals Montego Bay – 32% occupancy
Bahia Principe – 35% occupancy
Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall – 17% occupancy
RIU Palace – 38% occupancy
The upside for Amphibians like myself is that rates for these resorts are down, and may continue to fall for the foreseeable future.
It is no wonder that Sandals/Beaches Jamaica extended their summer sales through the end of the month…
No comments:
Post a Comment