Extended closure of Hyatt and Bahia hotels not a sign of deeper trouble in tourism - Bartlett

 

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the suspended reopening of Hyatt Hotels and the extended closure of Bahia Principe Hotels and Resorts does not signal deeper issues within Jamaica's tourism investment climate.

 

Earlier this month, Hyatt announced the suspension of operations for seven of its hotels until November 1, 2026, while Bahia Grande Jamaica and Bahia Principe Luxury Runaway Bay said its hotels would close indefinitely in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

 

Roughly 4,000 rooms are closed as a result of the hurricane, out of the 28,000 on the market.

 

Minister Bartlett says despite the damage to the country's tourism infrastructure, the overall product remains ripe before investment. 

 

He says the product's resilience has fortified the country's position in the global market. 

 

"It's strictly a case where the damage that was done to those properties was severe, and after their assessment was done and the adjusters came, it was very clear that they had to do a far more detailed repair job than had been anticipated. And that's why they are now putting a date into 2026. The hard, cold facts are that the market is strong. The response, as you notice, when airlines are adding flights and when, just weekend that passed, we had over 28,000 visitors, crews and stop over, and that almost approximates what a normal weekend is - it tells you that it's not a market situation," he insisted.

 

Minister Bartlett said Bahia will return to the local market in short order.

 

"It is not that these hotels are closing. They are going to be repaired to come back within the next few months. Bahia is under a massive refurbishing exercise and building a new hotel of 350 luxury rooms. So when they are back in early [20]27, you will have 15-1600 rooms and employing over 3,000 people. In addition to that, Bahia is in negotiation for a bigger expansion programme, which you will hear about shortly. Jamaica has lost none of the investments that was in the pipeline," the minister stressed.