Catalonia to turn former Holiday Inn into Marriott all-inclusive in Montego Bay by 2028

ST JAMES, Jamaica — Montego Bay is set to get its first Marriott all-inclusive hotel in 2028, after Catalonia Hotels & Resorts confirmed plans to remake the former Holiday Inn Resort as a 522-room property under its control.

Marriott International, Inc and Catalonia Hotels & Resorts issued a joint statement on Thursday detailing the project. The same release said Catalonia will launch an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in 2027.

Catalonia bought the former Holiday Inn Resort in May 2024. Under the conversion, the site will operate as The Marriott All-Inclusive Resort in Montego Bay. Plans include multiple restaurants, close to 13,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness centre, and tennis and pickleball courts. The finished resort will have 10 more rooms than the inventory recorded when Catalonia took ownership in 2024.

“This agreement reflects leading international brands’ recognition of our operational excellence and the strength of our management model. It also aligns with the company’s expansion strategy, including collaborations that support our growth in strategic markets,” said Manuel Valenzuela, Catalonia’s chief commercial & operations officer, in the press release.

The Jamaica deal is Catalonia’s first in the country. The group already runs five all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and four in the Dominican Republic. The project also brings the Vallet family into Jamaica, joining other Spanish resort operators already active on the island — Riu Resorts under the Riu family, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts under the Piñero family, and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts under the Fluxà family.

“These agreements represent a significant milestone in our all-inclusive strategy and demonstrate the strength of our relationships with experienced owners seeking to maximise value through Marriott’s globally recognised brands,” stated Laurent de Kousemaeker, Marriott chief development officer, Caribbean and Latin America (CALA).

The Montego Bay all-inclusive is the second Marriott project recently flagged for the tourism capital. Last year, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Executive Chairman Adam Stewart said an AC Marriott Montego Bay would rise on the Hip Strip. That 165-room lifestyle hotel is due in 2027 and will run on the European Plan (EP). Stewart also owns the AC Hotel Kingston, which opened in June 2019. He is the executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer.

Jamaica’s first Marriott-branded hotel was the Courtyard by Marriott Kingston, which opened in November 2015 at a cost of US$22 million. Caribe Hospitality Jamaica Limited manages that property; Pan Jamaica Group Limited holds a 35 per cent stake in the management company.