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Special report: Jamaica hotels prioritise community following 'devastating' 2025 hurricane

“Recovery ’still ongoing’ six months after storm but island 'as warm, vibrant and welcoming as ever'”

Special ReportApr 28, 2026by Katie Byng-Hall

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Luxury hotels across Jamaica have raised funds and facilitated initiatives to support staff and communities following the damage caused by hurricane Melissa in autumn 2025.

The category five storm swept through Jamaica between October 21 and November 4 last year, killing 45 people and affecting the homes and livelihoods of more than 600,000 Jamaicans.

Luxury properties including Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Half Moon, Jakes Hotel and Bluefields Bay Villas and Suites all sustained significant structural damage but prioritised community recovery to support hotel staff and local residents.

Funding efforts

Josef Forstmayr, managing director at Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay, said the property experienced downed roofs, a broken pier and widespread debris, while many small villages nearby were badly damaged and members of the hotel team lost their homes.

“Two days after hurricane Melissa hit, our board of directors voted to grant each worker an immediate cash gift to start rebuilding,” he said.

“Additionally, I was given free rein to use all of Round Hill’s resources to offer housing to staff who lost their homes, and to feed all staff and locals three meals per day for as long as necessary. At the height of the crisis, we were feeding 1,000 people a day.”

All of the resort’s staff returned to work with full pay to help with the clean-up efforts.

Forstmayr said the support the resort provided helped the property “bounce back faster”, reopening on December 8 just six weeks after the hurricane had passed in time to host a wedding.

Neighbouring Montego Bay resort Half Moon also raised money for employees through its Half Moon Staff Relief Fund, which amassed more than $500,000 in the hurricane’s aftermath.

The fund facilitated financial assistance, targeted funding for critical roof and housing repairs for those most critically affected, and care packages for nearly 900 employees and concessionaire partners.

The hotel’s general manager Shernette Crichon said: “Hurricane Melissa had a profound impact across Jamaica’s north coast, including at Half Moon, where we experienced significant damage to certain buildings, infrastructure and sections of the coastline.

“More importantly, many of our colleagues and members of the surrounding community faced personal loss, with homes damaged and livelihoods temporarily disrupted.”

She added: “Recovery has been shaped by collaboration between private sector partners, government agencies and community organisations. While rebuilding physical infrastructure is essential, restoring a sense of hope and momentum is just as critical.”

Half Moon relief efforts

Community spirit

Despite sustaining significant damage to its collection of villas, Bluefield Bay Villas and Suites on the west coast opened accommodation for staff and their families to shelter.

Almost $600,000 was raised through the Bluefields Bay Villas Foundation, funding more than 16,000 hot meals for locals across 36 days.

Managing director Houston Moncure said: "Five of the six villas on the property sustained significant damage, one of which was catastrophic, but the storm didn’t just impact the buildings; it upended the lives of our staff and their families, many of whom lost homes, belongings and daily stability, with roads completely demolished."

Jakes Hotel on the southwest coast also prioritised creating a safe space for the community, reopening its restaurant Jack Sprat in a “temporary, patched-up state powered by generators”.

Chief operating officer Justine Henzell said: "It was important to create a space where the community could gather, regroup and begin the rebuilding process together.”

She added: “At the same time, we made available whatever rooms we could for relief workers, ensuring they had a base as they supported recovery efforts."

Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios was lucky not to sustain any major structural damage, though members of staff experienced considerable destruction to their homes.

Olivia Morrow, co-owner and assistant director of European sales and marketing, said: “Funds raised by our Jamaica Inn Foundation were thoughtfully allocated across three areas – immediate relief, home rebuilding and longer-term community support.

“This included providing every Jamaica Inn team member with essential vouchers through a local supplier, assisting staff with repairs to their homes and contributing to a larger community project – the rehabilitation of a local school and healthcare facility.”

The foundation also provided Starlink internet devices across isolated communities so families could stay in touch and children could continue their schooling.

“As recovery continues, we are seeing team members return to safe and secure homes, and wider community projects begin to take shape,” Morrow added.

Rockhouse Hotel in Negril saw negligible damage as a result of the storm, but nearby Sav Inclusive School - which is supported by the Rockhouse Foundation - lost the majority of its learning resources, leaving children without an education.

The hotel’s Hurricane Recovery Fund has since supported the rebuilding of the school, with the site also being used as a community kitchen, distributing more than 50,000 meals in western Jamaica since the hurricane hit.

The property’s woodwork team has been deployed to help rebuild employees’ homes, and staff members were welcomed to shelter in the property during and after the storm and use its internet connection to stay in touch with loved ones.

The hotel’s chairman, Paul Salmon, said: “What we’ve witnessed in the weeks immediately following hurricane Melissa is the unconquerable Jamaican spirit in its purest form – neighbours helping neighbours, communities lifting each other up and everyone pitching in for this island we love.”

Jamaica Inn Starlink devices for local schools

Optimistic outlook

Despite the hurricane’s widespread impact, hotel representatives on the island remain positive that Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure and the sector at large is recovering well, and that the country is safe and ready to welcome tourists.

Crichton said: “Historically, the country’s tourism sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, and we are seeing that pattern continue.

“As recovery progresses, there is also an opportunity to evolve, enhance sustainability initiatives, refine the guest experience and deepen our connection to the local community.”

Henzell agreed: “Much of the island shows little to no sign of hurricane Melissa’s impact, and in areas that were affected, the recovery is both visible and inspiring.”

Morrow said the island remained "as warm, vibrant and welcoming as ever, and very much open to visitors”.

"Visiting Jamaica is one of the most meaningful ways to support the island as tourism directly sustains livelihoods and helps communities recover and rebuild,” he said.

“Quite simply, the best way to support Jamaica right now is to come and experience it.”

Forstmayr advised agents selling Jamaica itineraries to “trust the ingenuity, hard work and passion of the Jamaican people to always put their best foot forward”.

He added: “Selling Jamaica with confidence is easy once you experience that commitment, and visitors can rest assured they will have a restful and rejuvenating holiday.”

If clients are keen to help, Moncure encouraged advisors to suggest guests bring household essentials such as clothing, nappies and non-perishable items as donations.