Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie embraces Christa Lundh, co-owner of Hotel Four Seasons, while looking on is Michael Stern, state minister for industry, commerce and investment.

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

It's the kind of scenario made for a Lifetime Movie Network film.

Two sisters from a European nation arrive in a small island, start a hotel and it turns into one of that island's most famous places.

What makes this script great is that it's 100 per cent real. German-born Helga Stoeckert and Christa Lundh, co-owners of the Hotel Four Seasons on Ruthven Road, are living the story, and on Thursday, the women celebrated the hotel's 50th anniversary.

Rich history

Regular guests, business associates and officials from the hospitality industry, showed up to celebrate the occasion. They viewed photos spanning the history and learned interesting trivia about the hotel, like the fact that the hotel catered for the filming of the first James Bond film, Dr No. All this from siblings who started selling dolls to promote the island.

Shining example

Camille Needham, executive director of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, said the women were a shining example for businesses across Jamaica and said they had a winning formula of excellent food (that drew whoops from the crowd), excellent ambience and innovation. And that innovation was again illustrated, when Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie, helped unveil the plans for 54 additional rooms that will be added, with the necessary parking to go along with it.

Guests included Peter Bangerter and wife, Faye, Earl and Beverly Levy, Emile George and wife Pamela, Damian Obiglio, Tony Ray, Celia Steele, Boyd James, Chris Issa, Cecila Maxwell-Lewis, George and Julie Habib, Rohan Wade and Claudia Beckford.