Marriott taking over former Catalonia property in Montego Bay, to develop beachfront resort

Montego Bay is set to welcome another international hotel brand as Marriott International has signed an agreement to convert the former Catalonia Montego Bay hotel into a 522-room all-inclusive Marriott resort, which is scheduled to open in 2028.

The project forms part of a dual agreement between Marriott International and Spain-based Catalonia Hotels & Resorts that will also see an Autograph Collection all-inclusive resort developed in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

According to Marriott, the beachfront resort, located near Sangster International Airport, will feature 522 guest rooms, 13 dining outlets, three swimming pools, meeting facilities, a spa, fitness centre, tennis and pickleball courts, a lazy river and more than 2,100 feet of beachfront.

The property, formerly the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort before becoming the Catalonia Montego Bay, closed following Hurricane Melissa and was already earmarked for a major refurbishment.

It is now slated to reopen in 2028 under Marriott's flagship hotel brand.

Laurent de Kousemaeker, Marriott International's Chief Development Officer for the Caribbean and Latin America, described the agreements as an important step in the company's expansion of its all-inclusive portfolio.

"These agreements represent a significant milestone in our all-inclusive strategy and demonstrate the strength of our relationships with experienced owners seeking to maximise value through Marriott's globally recognised brands," he said.

He noted that Catalonia already has a relationship with Marriott through its ownership of the Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel and said the company was pleased to expand that partnership into two leading leisure destinations.

The Montego Bay project is expected to strengthen Marriott's presence in Jamaica's tourism capital, where several of the world's leading hotel brands already operate or are expanding.

Marriott said demand for all-inclusive resorts continues to grow, with the company now operating 38 all-inclusive properties across nine markets in the Caribbean and Latin America.

A further 16 projects, representing about 5,600 rooms, are currently in the region's development pipeline.

Manuel Valenzuela, Chief Commercial and Operations Officer of Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, said the agreement reflected the company's confidence in Marriott's brands while supporting Catalonia's own international growth strategy.

"We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Marriott International through these two significant projects," Valenzuela said. "This agreement reflects leading international brands' recognition of our operational excellence and the strength of our management model."

Marriott said the addition of the Montego Bay resort will also provide guests with access to Marriott Bonvoy, its global loyalty programme, which now has nearly 283 million members worldwide.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

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