07 NOV 2018: Get set to add Panama Jack to the growing list of Playa Hotels and Resorts properties in Jamaica. While not open yet, Playa executive VP and CMO Kevin Froemming told media at the recent Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) that discussions are under way to determine the best way to introduce the family-friendly brand to the destination “in the not too distant future.”

“We continue to be very excited about Panama Jack and the reaction it has got in the marketplace,” said Froemming. “It’s a successful lifestyle brand and a priority and Jamaica is a place we believe that product will do extraordinarily well.”

Froemming says the options are threefold: to convert an existing Playa resort, to build it from the ground up on property the company owns, or to acquire something new and convert it.

In any case, the addition of Panama Jack to a Playa roster that already includes the Hyatts Ziva and Zilara, four Jewel resorts, and the recently added Hilton Rose Hall, which followed a “strategic partnership” with Hilton announced in September, will only add to Playa’s position in the market in Jamaica, which has seen it quickly rival Sandals and surpass Riu in the number of resorts it operates.

“Jamaica continues to be a growth priority for us and we are looking to add significantly more rooms,” said Froemming.

Symbolic of Playa’s intentions is the now formidable four-resort block of neighbouring properties in the Rose Hall area just outside Montego Bay: Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Jewel Grande, and Hilton Rose Hall, constituting close to 1,400 rooms alone. The two Hyatts already share the same footprint, but synergies with the Jewel Grande and Hilton are also likely in the offing. The latter will also receive significant upgrades.

Playa, which currently owns or manages 20 resorts with close to 7,800 rooms in Mexico and the Caribbean, including Panama Jacks in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, has been present in Jamaica since the opening of the twin Hyatts in late 2014. Its position in the country was fast-tracked with the completion of a merger in June with the Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited, which added five all-inclusive resorts (including the four Jewels) and two adjacent oceanfront developable land sites located on the desirable North Coast of Jamaica.

“This transaction with Sagicor elevates Playa into a strategically dominant position in Jamaica, diversifies our resorts portfolio and will allow for several years of strong profit growth as we execute our rebranding, expansion and renovation projects,” Bruce Wardinski, Chairman & CEO of Playa Hotels & Resorts, said at the time.

Hilton Rose Hall joined the Playa fold in September as part of a partnership with the hotel company that extends beyond Jamaica and importantly gives Playa access to 78 million Hilton Honors members worldwide, with Wardinski stating, “This alliance will empower us to reach more guests, on more occasions, and in more geographies, than ever before.”

Froemming says the Sagicor and Hilton deals demonstrate Playa’s “commitment to Jamaica.” It’s “an opportunity for us to continue to grow, so from our standpoint, we’re very excited.”

As for Jamaica, Playa’s expansion plans were clearly welcomed by tourism officials at JAPEX, including tourism minister Edmund Bartlett. Noted Froemming: “They’ve seen the opportunity of the all-inclusive in destinations… and they are looking for growth as well.”