Sandals Whitehouse: Far from Jamaicas tourist path

WHITEHOUSE, Jamaica -- The south coast of Jamaica is relatively unexplored terrain as far as hotel development is concerned.

The few properties that are here are small, funky, charming, quirky -- and fanatically protected by devoted guests who want to keep these finds their secret.

That all could change now. The opening of a new Sandals resort last February put a village called Whitehouse in a parish called Westmoreland on the map of Jamaica and on the radar of Sandals devotees, a group always eager to explore a new resort in a new destination but expecting all the trappings and inclusions theyve grown to know and love.

Sandals purchased the 50 acres of wooded headlands fronting a two-mile stretch of beach in the sparsely populated area around Whitehouse in 1991.

With an eye toward opening up the Westmoreland parish to visitors looking for a distinctive Jamaican experience, Chairman Gordon Butch Stewart promised to bring jobs, training and opportunity to the community.

Tourism means opportunity in Jamaica. Weve enjoyed working with the people here to prepare them for the demands of the hospitality industry, and we look forward to a lasting partnership with the community, Stewart said.

That partnership began to grow legs once Sandals broke ground in 1998. In the seven years of construction, the resort hired close to 1,000 construction workers, many of whom were drawn from the surrounding towns and villages.

Also, many of the full-time staff of 600 now employed at the 360-room resort also hail from the surrounding community, which has helped to boost local employment and revenue.

I tramped through this resort last December on a grueling, hot, three-hour hard-hat tour led by Brian Roper, director of operations, and Jeremy Jones, general manager.

We didnt miss even one corner of the vast resort on the tour, from the dive pier at one end of the two-mile-long beach to the wedding gazebo at the other end (one of several gazebos on the property).

In between, we ducked into three themed villages, dodging armies of carpenters, electricians, tile-layers, fountain installers, landscapers, crane operators, pipe fitters, beach dredgers and other tradesmen and craftsmen putting a resort together.

Theyd lost some time and fallen behind schedule due to skirmishes with hurricanes and delays in supply deliveries, but Roper and Jones were confident that the February 2005 opening date would be met.

At that moment, viewing the scene below from a rooftop suite still under construction, I had some doubts about that.

There was no need to worry. The $80 million Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa did open on time on Feb. 10, with 356 guests checking in that day.

By August, six months later, the occupancy topped 86% and Jones reported a near sellout for the Christmas period.

The opening marked Sandals return to where it began in Jamaica in 1981 with the opening of Sandals Montego Bay.

The last Sandals resort built from the ground up in Jamaica was its Dunns River Resort 13 years ago. (Other Sandals have opened on the island since then but were acquired properties and not new-builds.)

I returned in August to see and sample the product. (Agents visiting Sandals Whitehouse on site inspections should wear comfortable shoes and carry water, as the resort is spread out. A thorough tour takes well over an hour).

As Jones said during a walk-through, We have more land on the western side of the property, but no plans right now to expand. Were tweaking a few things here and there, and were happy with the finished product.

The resorts wow factor starts right at the air-conditioned entrance, dominated by the gold dome atop the lobby and its wide-open view of the pool and beach beyond.

The infinity pool at the heart of the resort is the largest in Jamaica, and its got all the bells and whistles: a swim-up bar, a signature tower, trademark Greco-Roman statues, row upon row of lounge chairs, nearby bars and places to eat.

No guest ever has to walk very far to swim, drink or eat, Jones said.

With four pools, a two-mile beach, seven bars and seven restaurants, hes got that right.

The Dutch-, French- and Italian-themed villages (the rooftops help identify which is which) bring a sense of intimacy to the large resort. There is a small-town feel within the villages.

Each village complex has its own pool and bar, which makes it a lot like a neighborhood for the guests in that village.

Six of the seven restaurants serve a la carte meals, and the evening dress code in three of them is described as resort evening attire, a subtle way of banning tank tops, shorts and flip-flops at dinner.

Guests I spoke with gave the Red Lane Spa high marks for the variety of treatments, atmosphere, setting and products.

Prices seemed on a par with other high-end spas, and there were enough treatment rooms and specialists to ensure that appointments started on time.

The demographics didnt seem to vary much from other Sandals properties. There were couples on honeymoon and couples tying the knot on site. (Jones said an average of five weddings take place each day.) But I did see many older couples. (Older is a relative term. In this case, they were people in their 50s and up.)

A woman from Massachusetts was typical. We were curious. Weve been to many other Sandals, and we wanted to see this one. Its new, and so is the location.

I met up with her again on a horseback ride through the nearby hills, which had been arranged by the resort.

Ive never done this before, but it looked like fun, she said.

Jones is all for that. Its good to get our guests off the property. We want them to explore this area and to let the locals benefit from this new influx of tourism, he said.

To contact the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Gay Nagle Myers at [email protected].