Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
LEE ISSA
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
THE FUTURE of Jamaica's tourist industry received another vote of confidence with local hotel chain, Issa Hotels and Resorts, revealing plans to add 450 new hotel rooms, by way of a new hotel.
The company which operates under the Couples brand currently owns Couples Ocho Rios, Couples Negril, Couples Swept Away Negril and Couples San Souci, which was recently acquired from the Carerras group.
Chairman of Issa Hotels and Resorts, Lee Issa, who made the disclosure during an interview with The Gleaner on the weekend, said the company would be building a new hotel and expand an existing property. Mr. Issa said that the new property, to be named Couples Trelawny, will be built on land adjoining Harmony Cove, in Trelawny. The hotel will consist of 350 rooms.
He was unable to give a date for the start of the new project saying that it depended on how soon the necessary approval was given.
PUTTING NUMBERS TOGETHER
"We are just putting together the numbers and we will go to our partners in the financial sector and have them put together a package that makes sense and all go, once that is approved," he said.
The chairman also disclosed that the chain would be utilising some of the 35 acres of land at Couples San Souci by building 100 new rooms on that property in keeping with the objective to make it a 250-room hotel. The hotel now has 148 rooms.
Mr. Issa, who was in Ocho Rios last Friday night for the 28th anniversary celebrations of Couples Ocho Rios, said all the chain's properties were doing well.
He said bookings were up over last year and that the properties were in the 90 per cent occupancy bracket. An upbeat Issa said, "Generally speaking, we have no complaint. The people keep coming back year in year out; they love Jamaica; they love the Couples products and we keep fine-tuning them, and the guests tell us that every year it gets better and better."
