My recent conversation with Jamaican entrepreneur and investor Kirk Anthony Hamilton focused on an important question: how should Jamaica rebuild its economy, and its hospitality sector in particular, following Hurricane Melissa?

More specifically, we discussed the emerging opportunities for investors, capital advisors, and real estate developers.

Before the hurricane, Jamaica’s hospitality sector was demonstrating strong demand. In 2024, average hotel room occupancy reached 65.6% nationwide and 73.9% among all-inclusive hotels. Ocho Rios achieved an average occupancy rate of 77.2%, according to Jamaica Tourist Board data.

That same year, Jamaica welcomed approximately 4.15 million visitors, including 2.9 million stopover visitors and 1.25 million cruise passengers, generating approximately US$4.3 billion in tourism revenue. (Jamaica Ministry of Tourism)

Hurricane Melissa materially changed the supply picture. Jamaica ended 2025 with 3.7 million visitors, including 2.6 million stopover visitors and 1.1 million cruise passengers — approximately 11% fewer than in 2024. (Jamaica Ministry of Tourism)

At one stage in the recovery, only 42% of Montego Bay’s hotel room inventory had reopened. The loss of approximately 1,000 rooms in the Montego Bay area alone produced a measurable economic impact. (Jamaica Ministry of Tourism)

When Kirk and I spoke, eight Hyatt-affiliated properties and five Sandals properties had been offline. The current reopening schedule shows seven Hyatt-affiliated resorts expected to return in 2027; Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall alone account for 621 rooms and suites.

Three Sandals resorts remain on the reopening schedule, representing approximately 931 rooms:

Sandals Montego Bay — 260 rooms
Sandals Caribbean Cay — 291 rooms following its expansion
Sandals South Coast — 380 rooms

(Current Jamaica hotel reopening schedule)

The Investment Opportunity

For investors, capital advisors, and developers, the opportunity extends across three areas:

1. Restore and reposition existing inventory. Properties require capital for reconstruction, modernization, energy efficiency, hurricane resilience, and market repositioning.

2. Introduce new supply. Strong pre-hurricane demand, combined with the current inventory shortage, creates an opening for well-capitalized hospitality and mixed-use developments.

3. Expand beyond the traditional all-inclusive model. Jamaica can build on its successful all-inclusive foundation while introducing boutique hotels, branded residences, wellness properties, and mixed-use resorts that connect visitors more directly with the island’s culture and communities.

The immediate need is to restore hotel inventory. The larger opportunity is to help shape what comes next — and it is a window that will not stay open indefinitely as capital and operators make allocation decisions over the next 12 to 18 months.

By Adam Greenfader, Chairman of AG&T

About AG&T

AG&T is a Caribbean real estate capital advisor founded in 1998. Principal-led, AG&T has been involved in over 55 development projects across Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean markets — connecting institutional capital with regional opportunity. www.agandt.com · Contact AG&T