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Moon Palace Jamaica Grande
Developer:
Palace Resorts
Location:
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Product:
Vacation club program with 292 units in the 730-unit property
Website:
moonpalace.com/jamaica-grande/en-us
FAST FACTS
there. It was important to us. Even now, we have people we send to
Mexico for orientation.”
The reverse is also true: Some employees of Palace Resorts’
Mexican properties come to Jamaica for training. “We try to orient
them to the culture, the food, and the history of the island. The gov-
ernment runs a program that teaches these things, also. We want any
employee to be able to answer a guest’s questions,” Reader says.
But the company strives to forge deeper bonds between the
Jamaican and Mexican employees, he continues. “We really believe in
making the exchange staff a part of our family and having cross-cultural
experiences. We invited one of our Mexican chefs to cook for one of our
Chaîne dinners, and it was one of the best we ever had.”
Not Just Buffets
Chaîne dinners are multicourse events celebrating the finest in gas-
tronomy and table art, Reader explains. The custom is credited to La
Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, which was founded in 1248 and
revived in Paris in 1950. It is a high honor to be either a guest or a chef
preparing a Chaîne dinner, he says.
The dinners dovetail with the resort’s emphasis on fine food, which
includes importing chefs who trained at top culinary schools. “We
are setting the standards for restaurants in Jamaica. I am proud
to say our Italian restaurant is the No. 1 in the chain. We have
a wonderful Caribbean seafood restaurant overlooking the
water. We want to eliminate the idea that all-inclusive is just
about buffets. We want people to know that you
can
come to
an all-inclusive and enjoy upscale, gourmet cuisine.”
Marketing the Resort
The brand has put a strong emphasis on marketing the resort,
along with the incredible destination of Jamaica, working in a
variety of ways through key travel partners. Reader says that
the brand works heavily with destination and industry partners
to make sure the hotel is considered top of mind when planning
a vacation to Jamaica.
“We have radio stations broadcasting from the property from
time to time,” says Reader. “We work with travel media to help
spread the word, and we work hand in hand with top names such
as Ellen DeGeneres and Wendy Williams, just to name a few.” He
recalls that in one highly visible marketing event, TV host Ellen
DeGeneres gifted audience members with trips to the resort as
part of her 12 Days of Giveaways show promotion.
The destination, which offers some of the most beautiful beaches in
the Caribbean, as well as a laid-back vibe and a wide variety of outdoor
activities, is also a huge draw.
Homegrown Employees
Reader observes that Jamaica is a strong tourism market, noting that
the tourism industry is projected to grow by 50 percent over the next
three to four years, and hotels are steadily being built.
“We also may end up doubling in size in the next two to three
years,” he says, with a golf course and other possible enhancements
planned for the future. “For that reason, we are investing heavily in our
human capital, in our employees.”
If the tourism and labor-market projections are correct, Moon
Palace Jamaica Grande may eventually need many more employees.
Rather than recruit them from outside, “I very much prefer to grow my
own,” Reader says.
Catherine Lackner, based in Miami, Florida, writes for newspapers, magazines, and
various media, and has been covering the vacation ownership industry for 12 years.
MOON PALACE
JAMAICA GRANDE
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