From 'Wattle and Daub' to Number One from 'Wattle
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HospitalityThe Gleaner Jamaica KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE BUSINESS OF TOURISM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016 ’’ FromFrom ‘wattle‘wattle andand daub’daub’ toto numbernumber oneone ’’ FromFrom ‘wattle‘wattle and daub’daub’to to numbernumber oneone Paul H. Williams through BREDS, the Treasure Hospitality Jamaica Writer Beach Foundation, but the recent CONTRIBUTED ones are even more significant since HERE SEEMS to be no end A one this year marks the 75th to the number of awards bedroom villa anniversary when Basil Densham, TJake’s Hotel in Treasure at Jake’s. the second ‘outsider’ to build a Beach, St Elizabeth, is winning this house in Treasure Beach, bought a year. lot in 1941, the same year Sally Conde Nast Traveler magazine Henzell was born. readers voted it the sixth-best Basil Densham built a family resort in the Caribbean, and beach house, called Treasure Cot, number one in Jamaica recently, on the property, which was also a and the resort has been rated popular retreat for mainly number five by Afar magazine in its backpackers. Densham kept new ‘Dreamy Bohemian’ category. Treasure Cot a secret, so he did not Add to that the Hotelier of the market it to bring attention to the Year award by Caribbean Journal. area. He did not want it to be In reacting to the commercially developed. Thus, for aforementioned prestigious decades, Treasure Cot was Treasure endorsements, Jason Henzell, Beach’s biggest secret. And, it is to chairman of Jake’s Hotel, said, “I be noted that Alex Haley spent feel God has blessed me. I really nine months at Treasure Cot when found my treasure in Treasure he was writing his now famous Beach.” He also said he is grateful book, Roots. for the day his grandfather, Basil When the Denshams passed Densham, purchased a lot of land away in 1991, one of the daughters at Treasure Beach. Thus, he has got Treasure Cot, while the other, nothing but high honours for his Sally, got the family house in grandparents and mother, Sally Mandeville, Manchester, which she Henzell. eventually sold and bought a Jake’s Hotel has won many other property near Treasure Cot. On it, top awards over the years, including there was a small ‘wattle and daub’ environmental ambassadors awards 2 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016 Another fabulous villa at Jake’s. structure which she turned into a where people can dine at the Beach. There is space for restaurant called Jake’s, named associated Jack Sprat Restaurant. improvement and expansion. after a parrot. The restaurant “We are in a community that is Thus, more rooms will be evolved into a hotel, whose rustic authentic, unspoilt by commercial constructed. The seaside bohemia environment and artsy rooms were development,” Henzell said, and it is already the home of Calabash its major pulling factors. also has the “warmest customer Literary Festival, the biggest lit fest Fast-forward to 1993 and 1994 service”, to complement the in the Caribbean. In addition to when business was slow. Jason artistically designed rooms, the desire to make Jake’s the Henzell got the idea that he perhaps. For its friendly staff, called leader in community tourism in needed to step in to assist his the ‘Jake’s family’, Jake’s is the the Caribbean, future plans mother. In 1995, he resigned his place to work, according to include taking over and position of manager for Pan Henzell, what with its health and transforming Lovers’ Leap, a very Caribbean Bank in Montego Bay. gratuity schemes, and its ongoing popular sight in St Elisabeth. “Everybody told me that I was training programme. Henzell also wants to work with mad,” he shared with Hospitality GIVING BACK government to upgrade the Lionel Denham Aerodrome to Jamaica. But there was a method Jake’s Hotel is also not about to his madness. He expanded by receiving and hosting guests for accommodate larger planes. The creating more rooms to hosting of a food, rum and reggae A cottage at Jake’s. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS profit only, of course. It has been accommodate British and giving back to the community festival is another idea to be American backpackers. luxurious accommodations, it is the laid-back, adventure traveller, through BREDS, a non-profit brought to reality. Farm tours and The hotel now has 65 rooms, 32 known for its artistic, rustic the Bohemian who is looking for organisation that focuses on sports, cooking lessons are on the front on the original property, and some ambience by the sea, a hotel built somewhere off the beaten track. education and conservation. That burners. 33 villas and cottages within by an artist. Yet, Henzell said he And it also takes guest to other foundation has raised millions of “I see a very, very bright future walking distance. He resided on does not even consider it a hotel or scenic spots, sights, and dollars for the Treasure Beach for Jake’s,” Henzell said, “I am very the property for 10 years, washing resort, but an entity that is driving experiences in the parish. It offers sport park, a model for sports for excited about the fact that dishes and waiting on tables, community tourism and sustainable spa services, kayaking, mountain social change. Treasure Beach is finally being among many other things, until he development. But a gem by any biking, boat rides, and outdoor Yet, Jake’s is not just sitting on seen as a community that is hired a resident manager. other name is still a gem. And this movies every Thursday night. It is its laurels, watching the ebb and making its name in a different Though Jake’s Hotel has gem in Treasure Beach is ideal for also a yoga and fitness retreat, flow of the waves at Treasure niche market.” HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016 3 Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett addressing staff at the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios. CONTRIBUTED Bartlett kick-starts winter tourist season with motivational tour HE ISLAND’S tourism winter tourist season, which runs Continuing, he said, “this year Rios and stops in Montego Bay sector has signalled its from December 15 to April 15, will ‘This year is the we’re going to end up with where he visited Riu Reggae, Treadiness for what is soon have little relevance to something like 3.7 million and Sandals Royal Caribbean’s uniquely expected to be the best winter tourism in Jamaica. “This year is last year we’re when you get to four million created over-water suites and Royal tourist season in the country’s the last year we’re going to have arrivals next year, you can’t talk Decameron. All four properties history. anything called the ‘start of the going to have about winter season and summer have incorporated levels of With hundreds of additional winter tourist season’, we have season, because every day is the innovation that give them unique rooms being brought on stream, a graduated beyond that,” he told anything called the season now.” features which appeal to the significant increase in air seats out staff at a number of hotels during a To rousing applause, he further expanding tastes of today’s of key markets and an uptick in preseason motivational tour on the ‘start of the winter assured staff that, for them, this travellers. cruise arrivals, Minister of Tourism weekend. meant a greater degree of certainty “The visitor, today, is far more Edmund Bartlett is beaming with The anticipated end to the tourist season’, we about their jobs as they would not informed than ever before and is anticipation. seasonality of local tourism is based have graduated have to be too concerned about turning everything that we’ve He outlined that because the on the fact that “we will have four seasonal employment. known on its head. At one time, we sector is doing so well and growing million visitors here next year for beyond that.’ The tour included visits to Moon had a slogan in the market that said, consistently, the concept of the sure,” Bartlett assured hotel staff. Palace Jamaica Grande in Ocho ‘Once you go, you know’. With 4 HOSPITALITY JAMAICA | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016 CONTRIBUTED Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International Adam Stewart (centre) shows off the new over-water suites to Director of Tourism Paul Pennicook (right) and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. today’s technology, we have to switch driving the process to have our that around, it has to be now ‘Once you properties use more local produce know, you go’, because there’s so much through our Tourism Linkages Staff that’s out there and such heavy content Network.” at Riu that is flowing in the social space, and As part of the tour, Bartlett and Reggae people are grabbing it and responding other officials from the Ministry of are to it,” said the tourism minister. Tourism and its agencies will also be excited to During the tour, Bartlett also took meeting with workers at the island’s note of the extent to which locally two main international airports and meet the grown fruits and vegetables were made ground transportation operators. The minister of available to guests at the hotels and meetings with industry workers, he tourism urged that greater efforts be made to said, was “to underscore the (not seen) infuse more Jamaican produce in meals importance of the human capital in on his visit prepared at local properties. “These are driving the tourism experience, and to the the things that identify and define a also to motivate them and give them newest destination,” he underscored, adding, my commitment in terms of what we resort in “what visitors come for and what really want to do to assist in building their Montego makes them stay is the authenticity of capacity to deliver more, earn more and Bay.