JHTA president welcomes Hyatt

News

BY MARK CUMMINGS Editor-at-Large, Western Bureau cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.comThursday, August 29, 2013

MONTEGO BAY, St James — President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Evelyn Smith has welcomed the planned reopening of the former Ritz-Carlton hotel in Rose Hall, which closed its door four months ago.The hotel, which is to be managed by the international chain Hyatt as an all-inclusive resort, is scheduled to open for business early next year under the brand Hyaat Ziva.Smith told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday night that the planned reopening is “certainly welcome news”. She, however, could not provide details on the initiative.“The location is a prime area for tourism and if the reports are so, then it is welcome news,” said Smith, stressing the importance of tourism to the country.“Tourism plays a pivotal role in the country’s economy, so any addition to the room stock is good news for the sector.”It has been reported that the Hyatt invested in the Playa Hotels and Resorts Company earlier this year, as part of a plan to increase the all-inclusive portfolio.Playa reportedly purchased the former Ritz-Carlton at the end of spring.Efforts to get a comment from the resort chain were unsuccessful.Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall began operations in 2002 as a high-end tourism property and closed its doors in May, putting roughly 400 workers out of work.SMITH… the location is a prime area for tourism

HOUSE RULES

1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.

2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.

4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.

5. Please don’t use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed:mailto:advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.

6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.

7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

comments powered by

View the original article here

JHTA president welcomes Hyatt