SALAMANDER 2024_March | Page 75

ARMANDO RAFAEL
Curtis – bought 35 acres of land where they built 17 cottages and 30 beachfront rooms that became known as Half Moon Hotel and Cottage Colony .
The allure of Jamaica ’ s tourism predates the original opening by about 50 years , when it was acknowledged as a tourist enclave in the early 1900s . The earliest hotels opened in Port Antonio and along the northern coast in St Ann ’ s Bay and Ocho Rios . The period that followed was an ebb and flow for the tourism industry – in the 1930s , sugar and banana sales plummeted so the government poured money into the alternative industry of tourism to save employment . At the end of that decade , World War II saw German submarines patrolling the Caribbean , which saw a decrease in tourism .
In 1947 , Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay began welcoming regular flights from Miami , which is when Harold and Genevieve deLisser opened Sunset Lodge in Montego Bay . In the 1950s , tourism was again increasing and , in 1951 , Harold held the first shareholder meeting for what would become Half Moon .
“ Workers used to take a donkey to get to the hotel ,” says Steuart , recognizing the
LOREN BEDELI
1980s - A timeshare concept was developed for 260 25-year club membership contracts ( valid only for one week per year ).
1988 - Jamaica was struck by Hurricane Gilbert , a Category 4 hurricane . Twenty-foot waves damaged Half Moon , with palm trees uprooted and bungalows heavily damaged . Not to mention , 80 % of Jamaican homes lost their roofs .
1997 / 1998 - A kitchen spark ignited what became known as the Grand Fire , which destroyed the main building , including dozens of original artworks by Michael Lester
Leszczyński , otherwise known as Michael Lester .
2003 - Sixty-six first generation Hibiscus suites and all but one of seven cottages east of the main lobby were replaced . The newer Hibiscus suites were subsequently renovated in the summer of 2021 .
2019 - Salamander Collection was appointed to manage the resort and prepare to open the Caribbean ’ s finest new property in a generation : Eclipse at Half Moon .
2020 - Eclipse opens to great acclaim after years of planning , creating three resort experiences at Half Moon : Founders Cove ,
Eclipse and the Rose Hall Villas . However , just three weeks after Eclipse ’ s opening , Jamaica closed its borders due to the
COVID-19 pandemic . Half Moon closed for several weeks , but rebounded exceptionally well .
2022 - Half Moon attains the coveted Forbes Four- Star award , making it the highest-rated property in Jamaica . Additionally , Prince William and Princess Katherine pay the resort a royal visit .
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