Marriott Hotels Comes to Montego Bay, Jamaica

For years, all-inclusive Jamaica has largely belonged to a familiar cast of brands — Sandals, Riu, Iberostar, Excellence. Marriott, despite its sprawling global footprint, has stayed mostly on the sidelines of the Caribbean’s beach-and-buffet economy. That’s about to change in a meaningful way.

Marriott International announced this that its namesake Marriott Hotels brand will make its all-inclusive debut in Montego Bay, one of Jamaica’s busiest and most beloved resort corridors. The 522-room property, born from the conversion of the former Catalonia Montego Bay, is slated to open in 2028 — and it’s arriving with the kind of scale that suggests Marriott isn’t just testing the waters, it’s diving in.

The deal, signed in Barcelona on July 22, pairs Marriott with Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, the Spanish hospitality group that already operates the beachfront site near Sangster International Airport. Once converted, the resort is planned to include 13 dining venues, three pools, a lazy river, tennis and pickleball courts, a spa, and more than 2,130 feet of beachfront — plus close to 13,000 square feet of meeting space, signaling Marriott wants this property to pull double duty for leisure travelers and groups alike.

That airport proximity matters more than it might seem. Montego Bay’s location minutes from Sangster International has long been one of the destination’s biggest selling points — less transfer time, more beach time — and it’s part of why the area continues to draw steady leisure demand year-round, particularly from North American travelers chasing quick, direct flights.

Laurent de Kousemaeker, Marriott’s Chief Development Officer for the Caribbean and Latin America, framed the signing as part of a broader strategic push. “These agreements represent a significant milestone in our all-inclusive strategy and demonstrate the strength of our relationships with experienced owners seeking to maximize value through Marriott’s globally recognized brands,” he said, noting that Catalonia already has ties to Marriott through its ownership of the Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel.

This isn’t a one-off. It’s part of a pattern. Marriott now counts 38 all-inclusive properties across nine markets in the Caribbean and Latin America region, with another 16 in the pipeline representing roughly 5,600 rooms. Add in a growing push across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa — including a companion resort announced the same day for Zanzibar, Tanzania, under the Autograph Collection banner — and it’s clear the all-inclusive model has become one of Marriott’s fastest-growing bets globally.

The strategy makes sense against the backdrop of where travel demand has been heading. All-inclusive resorts, once viewed as a budget-conscious or family-focused niche, have increasingly attracted a wider range of travelers drawn to predictable pricing, easier planning, and less friction on vacation. Major hospitality groups — Hyatt, Hilton, and now Marriott — have all expanded into the space in recent years, chasing the same appeal that made the Caribbean’s original all-inclusive players so durable.

For Jamaica specifically, this is a notable vote of confidence. The island remains one of the Caribbean’s most visited destinations, and Montego Bay in particular continues to draw major hotel investment as demand for beachfront leisure travel holds strong. A brand with Marriott’s international recognition — and its 283-million-member Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program — entering the all-inclusive fray here could reshape expectations for what an all-inclusive stay in Jamaica looks like, particularly for loyalty-driven travelers who’ve previously had to look elsewhere to redeem points for an all-inclusive experience.

For anyone who’s been loyal to a hotel points program but frustrated that it didn’t translate to Caribbean all-inclusive stays, this shift is the headline. Once open, the Montego Bay resort will give Bonvoy members a way to book (or redeem points for) an all-inclusive vacation without stepping outside the ecosystem — something previously more associated with competitor loyalty programs.

It also raises the bar on amenities. Thirteen dining venues and a lazy river alongside more traditional resort staples like a spa and fitness center suggest Marriott is aiming for a property that competes directly with the top-tier all-inclusive resorts already established in Montego Bay and nearby Ocho Rios, rather than a scaled-down entry into the category.

Jerome Briet, Marriott’s Chief Development Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, noted that the dual signing “highlight[s] Marriott’s ability to grow strategically across multiple regions while serving owners with differentiated solutions tailored to local market opportunities” — a signal that more announcements like this, spanning multiple continents, are likely on the way.

Jamaica isn’t the only Caribbean destination benefiting from this kind of investment cycle, but it remains one of the region’s anchor markets for all-inclusive tourism. Montego Bay, in particular, has seen a steady wave of renovation and rebranding activity in recent years as international operators look to modernize aging inventory and capture a broader traveler base.

Manuel Valenzuela, Catalonia’s Chief Commercial & Operations Officer, described the agreement as validation of the company’s operational track record, saying it “reflects leading international brands’ recognition of our operational excellence and the strength of our management model.” Catalonia currently operates 82 hotels and more than 12,000 rooms across 25 destinations, with a strong existing presence in the Caribbean, including Mexico and the Dominican Republic — meaning this won’t be its first rodeo with the all-inclusive conversion playbook.

The Montego Bay resort won’t open until 2028, giving travelers time to watch how Marriott shapes the guest experience before the first Bonvoy point gets redeemed there. But the signing itself tells a clear story: the era of major global hotel brands treating the Caribbean’s all-inclusive market as someone else’s territory is ending. As Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton all continue building out all-inclusive footprints, travelers loyal to those programs may finally get more flexibility in how — and where — they spend a beach vacation without leaving their preferred loyalty ecosystem behind.

For now, Jamaica’s tourism industry gains another major international name betting on its long-term appeal — and travelers planning ahead have one more reason to keep an eye on Montego Bay.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.