UPDATES:
- Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Montego Bay sustained little damage from Hurricane Melissa but closed temporarily due to regional issues and is set to reopen Dec. 8, 2025. The resort now serves as a relief hub, providing meals to over 500 people daily, housing displaced employees and supporting local police. The Board also implemented financial aid for staff.
- One week after Hurricane Melissa, The Tryall Club and The Tryall Fund remain focused on recovery efforts and supporting team members, guests and nearby communities. Most employees are safe, with on-site housing and daily meals provided. The Club sustained moderate damage and will reopen on Dec. 13, 2025, after restoration. The Tryall Fund is delivering over 1,000 relief packages, shelter materials, and solar generators to affected areas, with plans for long-term rebuilding. Guest inquiries: reservation@tryallclub.com. Donation inquiries: fundtryall@gmail.com.
It’s not too soon for travel advisors to start planning trips to Jamaica again, despite the extensive damage caused to the island by Hurricane Melissa in late October.
There’s no denying the impact of the Category 5 hurricane, which made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, on Oct. 25 (very close to the Sandals South Shore resort) and cut a path of destruction across the westernmost third of the island. The storm caused widespread electrical outages, wind and water damage, and at least 32 people died.
Recovery is still very much underway, and many Jamaicans—including some who work at the island’s resorts, restaurants and attractions—had their homes damaged or destroyed.
However, about a third of Jamaica’s economy revolves around tourism, and the government is making visitation to the island a priority. All three of Jamaica’s international airports reopened to commercial traffic within days of the storm, and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has outlined a recovery plan that would see 70 percent of hotels reopened by Dec. 15, 2025; 80 reopened by January 2026; and 100 reopened by May 2026.
Currently, 33 of Jamaica’s more than 200 hotels are open for business following clean-up and structural and safety assessments, according to tourism officials.
“Travelers can continue to enjoy the sights, sounds and culture of Ocho Rios, St. Mary, Portland, and Kingston, where hotels are operating at near full capacity,” said Bartlett. “In the west, recovery is progressing and several of our hotel partners in Montego Bay, Negril, and along the South Coast are already welcoming guests.”
For example, on Nov. 4, Sandals Resorts International announced that its five Jamaica properties in Ocho Rios and Negril will begin welcoming guests back on Dec. 6, but that three others—Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast—will remain closed until May 30, 2026.
Hyatt International said eight of its Jamaica resorts—Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa, Dreams Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Secrets St. James Montego Bay, Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay, Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa, and Zoëtry Montego Bay Jamaica—won’t begin accepting reservations again until at least Jan. 31, 2026.
RIU resorts in Jamaica will restart reservations on Nov. 9, with the Riu Negril scheduled to reopen on Nov. 15, Riu Reggae Montego Bay on Nov. 20, and Riu Palace Aquarelle on Dec. 15, according to the Jamaica Gleaner, which also reported that the Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay will reopen on Dec. 8, and that the S Hotel on Mobay’s Hip Strip stayed open through the storm and continues to welcome guests.
The Sandals Foundation is one of a number of charitable organizations that have set up special funds to aid recovery from the hurricane. For more information and to donate, visit sandalsfoundation.org. Other places to donate can be found at the Jamaican government’s information portal: supportjamaica.gov.jm.
“Jamaica needs support now more than ever, and one of the best ways to support us will be to visit us,” said Bartlett.
