Jamaica's big hotels will not be implementing the US$10 room surcharge proposed by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Wednesday Business checks have revealed.

JHTA president Wayne Cummings and manager of a Sandals Resort property in Negril, was unable to say on Tuesday how many of his members had implemented the surcharge.

The Spanish hotels, including Gran Bahia Principe, the Riu group, and Iberostar, have not, but "It is something that is being taken under consideration by the head offices in Spain," Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva told Wednesday Business.

The Sandals chain, which initially backed the programme and had implemented the charge, has since withdrawn it.

"No one disputes the very real challenge of meeting escalating energy costs. But we respect and highly value the opinion of our travel partners who are on the consumer front lines," said Sandals chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart in a statement to the media. "We always want to do what is in their best interest and, therefore, after much discussion with them, we feel that now is not the time to enact this new policy."

According to Stewart, Sandals Resorts will instead adopt energy conservation across all of its resorts.

Energy conservation

The Hendrickson-owned Sunset Resorts have taken a similar stance.

"We certainly have been impacted by the growing energy costs that we are incurring as a company," said managing director Ian Kerr. "However, we have decided not to pass this charge along to our guests at this time."

Kerr also said his company would be adopting more energy efficiency and conservation programmes.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com