Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Luis Riu, president of the Riu Group of hotels. - File

The St James Parish Council is yet to determine whether the Riu Group has under-taken major redesign it demanded on Riu's Montego Bay property, but the Spanish hotel chain says the controversial 681-room hotel will open before month-end.

"Yes, we open August 29," said Niurka Garcia, sales manager at the Riu chain of hotels in Jamaica.

Garcia said Riu has complied with all requirements.

The hotel, at Mahoe Bay on the island's northwest coast, will be Riu's fourth in Jamaica. It has been dogged by controversy.

St James local government officials complained at first that buildings in the flight path of Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport surpassed the heights set by the island's aviation regulatory authorities.

Minor breaches

It was originally assumed that the breaches were minor, involving only decorative parapets that took some building marginally above the regulated heights.

It later emerged that some buildings on the property carried fourth floors that were not on the plans formally approved by the Montego Bay local government, although they appeared on the building plans used by Riu and signed by a parish council official.

Jamaican authorities ordered the unapproved floors demolished, deepening a contentious public debate over what is perceived in some circles as a hostile reception by some domestic players to the entry of Spanish competitors into the island's tourism industry.

"The floor that they requested for Riu to knock down, it was knocked down," Garcia said.

The planned opening of the Mahoe Bay property has been promoted on the website of the Jamaica Tourist Board, the government agency that promotes the industry, and the August 29 date was confirmed by the company.

Surprised

But Montego Bay's mayor, Charles Sinclair, was surprised at the advertising of an opening date, while his agencies were still carrying out inspections to determine whether there was full compliance with its demands.

"We removed an entire fourth floor of building, (and) there were adjustments on others. A resubmission (of the building plans) was made, which is being considered by the relevant authorities, including, National Environment and Planning Authority," Sinclair said.

No date has been set for a final inspection of the property.

"It has not been resolved yet," Sinclair said. "Nobody has signed off on anything.

"When we do the inspection we will see where they have reached and whether there is anything else they have to do," he said.