Travel trends have recently shown an increase in boutique hotels driven by travelers’ desires for more authentic, local experiences. Although Jamaica was previously known for its wide variety of all-inclusive resorts, the island is dotted along its coastlines and mountain peaks with beautiful Jamaican-owned boutique hotels and inns that offer the true Jamaican hospitality that keeps visitors coming back for more.
New website launched
To provide an online marketing and reservation system to create greater visibility and allow guests to make direct bookings at these properties, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has launched a new website, www.jamaicainnsandhotels.com, which already has nearly 300 participating boutique hotels and small inns.
Travelers seeking intimate experiences
“Trends in the hospitality industry indicate that travelers are opting for intimate experiences such as those offered by boutique properties,” said Marcia McLaughlin, Deputy Director Tourism Marketing, Jamaica Tourist Board. “Empowering Jamaica’s vibrant small accommodations sector is critical for the destination to maximize the benefits of this growing market and we anticipate this marketing resource will be extremely beneficial.”
The program is in partnership with GuestServe Inc., a Canadian-based provider of online reservations services for businesses of all sizes to engage and improve their online brand presence.
GuestServe platform
The Jamaica Tourist Board is funding the development of the GuestServe platform making it free for property owners to participate. Through this extranet platform, hotels, inns, and villas with 100 rooms or less will be able to manage their own content, room inventory, property images, discounts, and offerings, in real-time to the consumer.
For more information about Jamaica, please visit www.visitjamaica.com or contact your local Jamaica Travel Specialist.
