At left is Carter. An aerial view of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.Al Edwards, Business Co-ordinator
THE PRESTIGIOUS Ritz- Carlton Hotel located in Montego Bay and built at a cost of US$150 million will now be looking to offer its guests an exciting new package deal. Essentially an European Plan (E.P.) hotel, the Ritz- Carlton will now offer an inclusive package.
The Ritz-Carlton's Public Relations Director, Verona Carter, talking to Sunday Business explained this new strategy: "It's fair to say that after September 11, 2001, corporate America stopped travelling and there has been a discernible downturn in that level of business. With 60 per cent of our business aimed at that level we have decided to offer an attractive package to the more sophisticated traveller. We now offer a US$899 per night VIP package on the fifth floor of the hotel and we are expecting to do good business. Jamaica is viewed as an all-inclusive destination and our decision to go the inclusive route is market-driven."
The Ritz-Carlton has a chain of 50 hotels worldwide with four located in the Caribbean and one currently under construction in the Cayman Islands.
Recently, United States- based publishing powerhouseConde Nast Traveller magazine rated the Ritz-Carlton Montego Bay among "The top 10 best resorts in the Caribbean," the only hotel in Jamaica to be included in this poll with a score of 82.4 per cent.
With their most recent Gold List Poll for January 2003, Conde Nast Traveller has again chosen the luxury resort as one of the best places to stay in the world. The hotel got a 93.9 per cent rating for service excellence, 91.8 per cent for room categories and 82 per cent for location.
Accolades continue to come the Ritz-Carlton's way with the hotel securing the highly ac-laimed AAA Five Diamond Awards for the second consecutive year after been opened for just over two years.
