Jamaica Tourism Gets a Major Resort Boost as 12 Hotels Open or Reopen Across Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and South Coast

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Jamaica is moving into an important phase of tourism recovery and hotel development, with a series of resort reopenings scheduled across Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and the South Coast in late 2026 and 2027. Official information from the Jamaica Tourist Board shows that several major resorts are preparing to return to operation, while UNICO Montego Bay is expected to enter the market as a new hotel in March 2027. The reopening programme comes as Jamaica continues restoring tourism infrastructure following Hurricane Melissa, while keeping its airports, cruise ports and many visitor attractions operational.

Jamaica’s Hotel Recovery Moves Forward

The official Jamaica Tourist Board hotel status page shows a clear reopening pipeline across several of the island’s major resort areas.

The first major reopening in the current schedule is Sandals South Coast, which is expected to resume operations on 18 November 2026. The resort is located in Jamaica’s South Coast tourism region and is one of the key properties listed with a confirmed reopening date.

This will be followed by Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica in the Ocho Rios region, which is scheduled to reopen on 1 December 2026.

Montego Bay will then see two important resort returns on 18 December 2026, with both Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean scheduled to reopen on the same date.

Official Jamaica Hotel Openings and Reopenings Schedule

All dates and statuses above come from the Jamaica Tourist Board’s official hotel reopening schedule. The tourism authority also states that reopening dates can change and that the page is updated on a rolling basis.

Montego Bay Has the Largest Reopening Pipeline

Montego Bay stands out as the centre of the current hotel reopening programme. Ten of the 12 properties listed in this group are in the Montego Bay tourism area. This includes two resorts with confirmed December 2026 reopening dates and several others scheduled to return during 2027.

Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean are both scheduled to reopen on 18 December 2026. Other large Montego Bay resorts currently listed for reopening in 2027 include Breathless, Dreams Resort & Spa, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Jewel Grande, Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid.

The official Jamaica Tourist Board page does not currently provide specific 2027 reopening dates for these properties. It lists them only as reopening during 2027.

UNICO Montego Bay Adds New Hotel Supply

UNICO Montego Bay is different from the other properties in the table. The Jamaica Tourist Board lists the property as opening in March 2027, rather than reopening. This means it represents a new hotel addition instead of the return of an existing resort.

That distinction is important for travellers, travel agents, tour operators and other tourism businesses because the property could add new accommodation supply to Montego Bay during 2027.

The official listing currently gives March 2027 as the opening period.

Ocho Rios Prepares for Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica Return

The Ocho Rios tourism region is also part of the recovery programme.

Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica is scheduled to reopen on 1 December 2026.

The official hotel status page shows that many other properties in the wider Ocho Rios area are already open. These include Bahia Principe Luxury Runaway, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Tower Isle, Goldeneye, Jamaica Inn, Moon Palace, RIU Ocho Rios, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Ochi and Sandals Royal Plantation.

This means the scheduled return of Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica will add another major resort back into the region’s available hotel inventory.

Ocho Rios also has many visitor attractions operating. The Jamaica Tourist Board currently lists attractions such as Dunn’s River Falls and Park, Dolphin Cove, Green Grotto Caves, Mystic Mountain, Konoko Falls, Puerto Seco Beach and Yaaman Adventure Park as open.

South Coast Adds Sandals South Coast Back to the Market

The South Coast will see one of the earliest scheduled hotel reopenings in the current pipeline. Sandals South Coast is scheduled to reopen on 18 November 2026. The official hotel status page also lists several South Coast properties as already open, including Bluefields Bay Villas, Bridge Palm Hotel, Golfview Hotel, JamGolia Place and Jakes Hotel.

Important South Coast attractions are also operating. The Jamaica Tourist Board currently lists Black River Safari, Holland Bamboo, Lover’s Leap and YS Falls as open. This gives the region a combination of operating attractions and accommodation, with Sandals South Coast scheduled to add more resort capacity in November.

Jamaica Remains Open to International Visitors

The hotel reopening schedule is part of a wider recovery across Jamaica’s tourism industry. The Jamaica Tourist Board states that Jamaica is open to visitors and that its international and domestic airports are operational.

Full operations have been restored at the country’s three international airports:

• Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay
• Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston
• Ian Fleming International Airport near Ocho Rios

The official tourism authority also says Jamaica’s seaports are open and able to receive cruise visitors.

This is important for the hotel recovery programme because functioning airports and ports provide the transport links required to support the returning resort capacity.

Many Resorts Are Already Operating

The reopening list should not be read as meaning that Jamaica’s wider hotel sector is closed.

In Montego Bay, the official status page currently lists many major resorts and hotels as open. These include Half Moon Jamaica, Excellence Oyster Bay, Hotel 39, Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites, JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar, Ocean Coral Spring, RIU Montego Bay, RIU Palace Jamaica, RIU Reggae, Round Hill Hotel and S Hotel Montego Bay.

Many properties are also operating in Negril, Kingston, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio and the South Coast.

The picture is therefore mixed. Jamaica already has a substantial operating tourism base, while selected resorts continue preparing for reopening during late 2026 and 2027.

Key Hotel Recovery Figures

The figures above are compiled directly from the Jamaica Tourist Board’s official hotel reopening schedule.

What Travellers Should Know Before Booking

Travellers planning Jamaica holidays in late 2026 or 2027 should check the latest hotel status before booking.

The Jamaica Tourist Board clearly states that reopening dates are subject to change.

Travellers with existing reservations are advised to confirm details directly with their hotel, travel adviser or booking agent.

This is especially important for properties currently listed only as “Reopening 2027”, because exact reopening dates have not yet been published on the official schedule.

Jamaica’s Tourism Recovery Continues Into 2027

Jamaica’s hotel sector is entering another important stage of recovery.

Sandals South Coast is scheduled to reopen first on 18 November 2026. Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica is expected to follow on 1 December. Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean are both listed for 18 December.

Several major Montego Bay properties are then expected to return during 2027, while UNICO Montego Bay is scheduled to open as a new hotel in March.

At the same time, Jamaica’s international airports, domestic airports and seaports remain operational, and many hotels and attractions across the country are already welcoming visitors.

The official reopening pipeline therefore shows a tourism sector that is continuing to rebuild while gradually restoring resort capacity across some of Jamaica’s most important holiday destinations.