Iberostar Hits Jamaica

April 11, 2008 By: Judy Bernhardt Travel Agent

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Roses that smell just as sweet in the Caribbean

Iberostar’s latest all-inclusive resort recently opened in
Rose Hall, Jamaica, only 20 minutes from the Montego Bay Airport.

The Iberostar Rose
Hall Beach (876-680-0000) is the chain’s first foray into Jamaica and the first of three
planned resorts on the island.

Decorated in a combination of European and Caribbean
accents with exterior and interior design details executed by local Jamaican
artisans, the resort opens its doors with 366 rooms, 32 Junior Suites and one
Presidential Suite. All rooms have air conditioning and ceiling fans,
complimentary minibar (with soft drinks, beer and bottled water), coffee maker
and a built-in safe.

The best room to book is the Presidential Suite, which has a
separate bedroom, living room and kitchen. The large outdoor balcony, equipped
with a Jacuzzi, affords guests amazing views of the ocean and beach. The Junior
Suites are also a great option, as they have a king-size bed, a sofa bed and a
full ocean view. Junior and Presidential Suites cannot be booked over the GDS,
so travel agents can contact General Manager Philip Hofer (p.hofer@iberostar.com.jm) for VIP
guests.

The all-inclusive daily rates include all meals and snacks,
drinks and cocktails, room service, use of the hotel gym and kids’ club, onsite
activities, nightly entertainment and gratuities.

The resort’s four restaurants are sure to satisfy any
palate. Three are reservation-only specialty restaurants, including Uncle
Tony’s, a family-style steakhouse; Samurai, a Japanese restaurant; and a Cajun
establishment called Jambalay. After-dinner entertainment can be had at any of
four bars, including a theater bar and cigar bar.

Clients don’t have to leave the property to enjoy the
Jamaican sunshine. The resort boasts a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar,
plus a separate infinity pool. Guests can also take advantage of the many
activities the resort offers, including aerobics, volleyball, table tennis,
outdoor dance lessons and Spanish classes. Additionally, non-motorized water
sports, such as sailing, snorkeling, kayaking and windsurfing are included.
Activities such as scuba diving and a variety of motorized water sports are
available at an extra charge.

The children’s program, the Lucy Mini Club, is quite popular
at the resort. It’s open daily from 10:15 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. year-round and
takes children ages 4 to 12. Activities include face painting, arts and crafts
and story time. Additionally, younger guests can partake in organized activities
led by the Star Friends animation team.

The spa is currently under construction and is slated to be
completed by summer. Currently, services can be performed in the guest’s room
or at the outdoor hut on the beach.

Weddings are very popular at the resort, and agents can
contact wedding coordinator Loreto Lazo (weddings@iberostar.com.jm, 876-680-
0000, ext. 1516) on behalf of soon-to-be newlyweds.

More Hotels Planned

Off-property activities can be as low-key as shopping in the
nearby Half Moon Shopping Center and the Rose Hall Shopping Center or as physically challenging as a
visit to Dunns River Falls,
where groups of people actually climb to the top of the waterfalls, while
walking hand in hand for support through the water and rocks. This a
particularly good activity for families. We observed everyone from children to
grandparents having a lot of fun at the Falls.

Many guests at Rose Hall Beach
will likely spend a day or two taking in the sights of Jamaica,
including the Rose Hall Great House, an old plantation that has been restored
and now serves as a museum. It is said that the spirit of Annie Palmer, known
as the White Witch of Jamaica, haunts Rose Hall, along with other ghosts
believed to be her victims.

Iberostar is planning to open two other properties in the
near future; the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites Hotel is the next in line. It will
feature 375 suites and junior suites, a panoramic swimming pool, an activity
slide and a lazy river. There will be four restaurants and seven bars.

The Grand Hotel Rose Hall will be the third and most
luxurious of the hotels. Slated to have six restaurants, including the Surf
& Turf and an Italian eatery, it will incorporate a music bar, lobby bar
and special smokers’ area. A full entertainment complex, which it will share
with the other two hotels, will include a clubhouse, a wedding area, a shopping
center, a convention center, teen and adult nightclubs and a dive center.