The Munasan, a new Japenese restaurant added to Breezes Runaway Bay under a five-month expansion of the resort property.

SuperClubs has wrapped up a $21 million project to upgrade its Breezes Runaway Bay property in St. Ann, a location which according to hotelier John Issa that has a high rate of repeat business, necessitating an increase in room count.

The hotel has added an entire three-storey block to its infrastructure, boosting its room count from over 220 to 266 suites.

Now reopened

The property has now reopened after five months of work.

The expansion exercise, which started in August 2006, was completed early this year in time to be back on the market for the winter tourist season, which began December 15 and ends April.

"Repeat business continues to expand sharply," said Issa, chairman of SuperClubs, in a statement issued through a publicist.

"There has been growing clamour from within the general international tourism destination marketplace for more rooms at Breezes Runaway Bay," said the hotelier.

Wednesday Business understands that repeat business at that location is close to 30 per cent.

The expansion featured 40 oceanfront rooms and suites, including six one-bedroom suites and eight verandah suites with private plunge pool.

Garden-view rooms expanded

Thirty garden-view rooms were expanded and transformed into verandah suites with private plunge pools.

Experiencing some of the business trend of using Jamaica as location for destination weddings, Breezes Runaway Bay also added a new state-of-the-art wedding and general photo centre spanning 155 acres to its resort, as well as two restaurants - the Munasan, offering Japanese food, and Reggae Caf, featuring Jamaica cuisine.

The Japanese restaurant appears to have been named for one of Issa's twin daughters, Muna Issa.

Renovations were also made to the lobby, adding a piano bar, a skyline a swimming pool with swim-up bar and a misting pool.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com