Jamaica
News - Real Estate - Tourism (January
16, 2005)
Hibiscus Wing at Half Moon
The Caribbean
Marketplace trade extravaganza was hosted this past week by one of
the jewels in Jamaica's tourism crown - the Half Moon Montego Bay.
Fresh from celebrating its first
half-century of providing stellar service and accommodations in
2004, the Half Moon has recently invested US$ 8.5 million to
further enhance and update the resort. The property is the only
Caribbean resort to have been awarded four diamonds by the AAA for
twenty consecutive years.
The elegant facility was decorated
by Elizabeth Simonitsch, wife of the retired long-time Half Moon
managing director, Heinz Simonitsch.
The scale of this hotel is quite
overwhelming: 400 beautifully manicured acres, 419 unique
accommodations, conference centre, shopping centre, 52 swimming
pools, championship golf course, private dolphin lagoon and just
about any recreational activity you could desire.
The hotel's new Hibiscus Wing of 68
beachfront rooms and suites comes as part of the recent
renovations. The variety of deluxe rooms, junior and royal suites
are outfitted with a contemporary plantation-style theme and
furnishings.
In the Hibiscus Royal Suites,
balconies with comfortable lounge beds overlook the two-mile
stretch of white sand beach. The natural fibre finish of the
chairs is complemented by rustic, sand-coloured tiles.
In the living room, Planters chairs
with a tropical print flank the sofa. Silver hardware on the
entertainment unit and other mahogany pieces adds a modern accent
to Half Moon's traditional elegance.
The bedroom is dominated by a
gorgeous four-poster bed with elaborate carvings. The posts swirl
upward, drawing one's eye to the ceiling that is raised slightly
over the bed. White crown mouldings finish this lovely detail. The
red and greens of the stripes in the bed's dust ruffle are picked
up again in the floral print of the pillow shams - debunking the
myth that stripes and florals can't mix. Ornate lamps on the
bedside tables could almost stand alone as works of art.
The enormous bathroom also has a
raised ceiling. A sandy beige tone dominates the room with tiles
that have stone-like grain and also the shine of mother of pearl.
The modern touch comes via chrome fixtures for the faucets, towel
bars and hooks. This deluxe bath has both shower stall and tub. A
thoughtful touch for couples is the window between the shower and
tub.
This suite is only one of the
ten categories of rooms at the Half Moon. Other accommodations
include 34 three to seven bedroom Royal Villas.
There are also 23 beachfront Royal
Suites. These spacious accommodations are in an elegant
Georgian-Colonial-style building and each has an entrance hall,
large living room, terrace and bedroom.
Queen Ann and Chippendale
reproductions in Jamaican mahogany furnish these suites. The
individual decors have an air of informality with a blend of
native, island style. The property's crisp white plantation style
architecture is complemented by the lush green lawns and gardens.
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