OCHO RIOS, Jamaica -- If only these walls could talk. The property
that opened in 1959 as the Playboy Club debuted earlier this month
as the 224-room Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club.
And now, that property is courting families at the place where
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner played and Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie
Fisher honeymooned.
Hefner's 10th-floor suite now is a one-bedroom suite, and the
game center once was the two-bedroom cottage where Taylor and
Fisher spent their first married days following their notorious
affair and Fisher's divorce from Hollywood's sweetheart, Debbie
Reynolds.
Beaches Boscobel, located 10 miles east of Ocho Rios, "will
surprise former guests," according to Jeff McKitty, general
manager.
McKitty, who previously managed Beaches Negril, said that
expansions and renovations at Beaches Boscobel totaling more than
$18 million "transformed" the resort. And its clientele.
"We cater to children from 6 months old, and we expect a lot of
grandparents and single parents," McKitty said. Boscobel's
children's center, open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., has separate
facilities and staffs for kids, depending upon their ages. Groups
include those up to age 4, ages 4 to 7, 8 to 12 and 13 and
older.
The teen center is "like a nonalcoholic sports bar with karaoke,
movies and music," McKitty said. Two of the resort's four tennis
courts are reserved for kids. Golf and instruction also are
available for them at Sandals Golf & Country Club, located 15
minutes away.
Animals, such as donkeys, rabbits, goats and birds, can be
observed in a supervised mini-zoo and aviary at the resort. In
addition, children have their own dining section and chef at
Boscobel's Bayside buffet restaurant, while the resort's
Caribbean-themed restaurant is adults-only at dinner.
Boscobel's introductory rates start at $285 per person, per
night, double, through Aug. 22. Beaches pays 13% commission.
For information, call (888) BEACHES or visit the Web site at www.beaches.com.