Denise Reid, Gleaner Writer

Round Hill burnt hot on New Year's Eve, and (from left) Omar Robinson, Deborah Schindler and Ashley Coke have a ball at the resort's party to herald 2000 & Great. - Photo by Janet Silvera

Montego Bay, being the celebrated city it is, should come as no surprise that it was a celebrity hot spot this holiday season. Star sightings were many as celebs came for Christmas and stayed to ring in the New Year!

For Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Marguerite's by the Sea was the place to eat this Christmas, and proving that he not only has a penchant for film, Emmy award-winning American film director, producer and actor, Spike Lee, found himself at the vibe capital, Margaritaville, on New Year's Eve.

Flair was on the scene from the fringes of Montego Bay to the heart of the city and young and old partied in promenades to ring in 2008.

At The Event Place, folks dropped legs on the dance floor while Byron Lee and the Dragonaires had patrons at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in soca heat.

Hot selections

The partygoers at Coral Cliff enjoyed themselves, and with the hot selections by the DJ, it was impossible for those present not to be infected with party fever!

Next door at Margaritaville, patrons partied like rock stars! A crowded ground floor made the upper level the place to chill and with a slew of stellar selections, patrons danced and sang along to hit after hit.

We saw managing director of Montego Freeport, Faith Thomas, Dr. Anthony Vendryes and his wife Dorothy, April Parchment-Knight, Joan Lee, Nerissa Braimbridge, maintenance projects coordinator at the Tryall Club, Andrew Reid, charming web programmer Cortez Beckford, who flew in from the Cayman Islands, handsome student in from Florida, Rayon Earle, and many others.

The west was the place to be this New Year's Eve, Hanover in particular, and no one realised this more than Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his wife Lorna (left), as well as U.S. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson, who all rang in 2008 at Tryall Club's 50th anniversary ball. - Janet Silvera Photo

Information, Sports and Culture Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange extended the island's warm welcome to billionaire Paul Allen at Goldeneye, St. Mary, where he spent New Year's Eve. - Contributed

Diana and Sonia Baccas and Michelle Benjamin used the fact that black is beautiful to their advantage when they came out to party at Sunset Beach Resort and Spa's New Year's Eve party in Freeport, Montego Bay. - Denise Reid photo

Partying on the upper level at Margaritaville were Roger Diamond of Sovereign Syndicate Entertainment in the United Kingdom and his friend Lauren Edwards.- Denise Reid photo

U.S. director Spike Lee.