Escape to Negril

Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

NEGRIL IS world-renowned for its legendary seven-mile beach, five star all-inclusive hotels and as an idyllic tourist destination.

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA GARDNER The Negril Escape hotel (formerly Mariner's Inn) at West End on the resort town.

But, anyone who visits Negril Escape will no doubt agree that the rustic, colourful boutique hotel on the West End, certainly adds 'charm' to Negril's other accolades.

Tucked away on the cliffs of Negril's West End, the resort which was battered and scarred by the brunt of three hurricanes in the past 15 months, has now made a dramatic comeback, having being remodeled, refurbished, dropped its old name, and taken over by a new owner.

Just under six acres, Negril Escape has a blend of 10 colour-coded thatched roof cottages, each with its own distinguishing features and named to reflect Jamaica's heritage, and from where guests are able to lie in their beds and watch Negril's spectacular sunsets. The cottages which total 52 rooms, include the African Cottage, the Oriental Express, Passage to India, Atlantis, Country Cottage, Coconut Grove, Royal Jamaica, Banana Walk, Honeymoon block and the Rastafari-inspired Jamrock Cottage.

Among the facilities, are a spa, which offers massage services, body scrubs and facials, as well as a yoga retreat and swimming pool lined with thatch umbrellas. The Negril Scuba Centre at the property offers diving services, while the restaurant and bar, an array of food and beverages, chief among them is its pan-fried snapper, Mariners Inn Special - a mixture of Appleton Special, white rum, lime and orange juice ­ and the Mariners salad ­ a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables such as melon, pineapple, tomato, lettuce and cucumber, dressed with honey fruit punch and lime juice.

EARLY BEGINNINGS

The property's early beginnings date back to 1974 when Mr. Albert Wallace bought the property and started a restaurant, at a time when Negril was 90 per cent forrest.

He later bought the adjoining and adjacent properties, which increased his acreage. He later built several cottages in the 1980s and named the resort Mariner's Inn.

According to chief executive officer of Negril Escape, Carey Wallace, when he bought the property from his parents earlier this year, he did an analysis on the market and on the other hotels on the West End to ascertain how they were able to survive.

"I realized the successful ones are those which target a higher-end market, are private, peaceful, secluded close to nature, with a lot of plants and tropical colours," he said.

Why the name 'Negril Escape'?

"I had reserved the domain name Negril Escape some years ago for parties we used to stage in Negril," he said. "Those two words describe so much of the kind of resort I am creating, so this choice was automatic. We are trying to make the experience one that is hard to replicate elsewhere, or certainly hard for a large hotel to replicate, because as a small property, you really have to carve out your niche, because you don't have the volumes of rooms to play the 'volume game," he added.

The resort over the years, has been a popular choice for weddings, graduations and banquets among church groups and European tourists.

"Our job is not just to make sure our guests are OK, but to make them into raving fans," he added. "Because when this happens it makes the marketing process easier, because they leave here bragging and they tell anyone who will give a listening ear how great it was."

He said his staff are trained to provide personalised service because this is one of the things small properties can do, which larger properties find more difficult. When we can know our guests by name, what drinks they like and so on without them asking, they will always come back for that kind of experience."