Marriott is ramping up its Caribbean all-inclusive expansion in a big way 

The company, which several months ago announced plans to enter the increasingly competitive all-inclusive market, had already announced five new projects and plans to purchase Barbados’ popular Elegant Hotels brand. 

Now, it’s adding two more high-profile projects in Jamaica and Curacao, respectively. 

That will include an 800-room Marriott-branded all-inclusive in Jamaica, and a 283-room Autograph Collection-branded hotel in Curacao. 

The 800-room Marriott Al Amaterra in Jamaica will be set in a mixed-use development in the Trelawny area of Jamaica, with plans to launch construction early in 2020 and complete construction in 2022, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. 

“The Amaterra Group is excited to welcome Marriott International as our Hotel Management Operator,” said Amaterra Group Chairman Keith Russell. “The Marriott brand is internationally renowned and well respected and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board and be one of their first all-inclusive properties globally. This is a great step not only for Amaterra but also the Jamaican tourism industry and we look forward to partnering with Marriott’s other iconic brands as we go forward.” 

Jamaica Tourism Minister said Marriott’s all-inclusive entry in Jamaica was “a major step in the right direction.” 

It’s yet another new project for what has become the hottest hotel investment in Jamaica: Trelawny, set just outside Montego Bay and home to a slew of new projects like the recently-opened Excellence Oyster Bay.

Indeed, prior to the Amaterra deal, Trelawny already had some 6,000 new hotel rooms in development, according to Bartlett.

Marriott’s Curacao project will be set in the Pietermaai district of Curacao’s capital of Willemstad, with plans to begin construction in June 2020. (Completion is targeted for 2024). 

“The signings for these two incredible, all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Curacao underscore the tremendous momentum for our all-inclusive platform, which leverages Marriott International’s iconic brands, leading business support systems and Marriott Bonvoy travel program,” said Laurent de Kousemaeker, Chief Development Officer, Marriott International Caribbean and Latin America.

The two new Caribbean projects join four previously announced all-inclusive hotels in Mexico, along with a 650-room Autograph Collection all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic. 

In a statement, Marriott International said the signings were part of a goal of “growing a global portfolio of resorts in popular vacation destinations by leveraging the company’s operational and development expertise, its Marriott Bonvoy travel program with roughly 137 million members and seven of its iconic hotel brands.”

— CJ