Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica and Runaway Bay Closed Indefinitely
by Marsha Mowers
Bahia Principe Properties in Jamaica –the Grand Jamaica and the Luxury Runaway Bay are both closed indefinitely due to original planned renovations and the additional wallop of damage created by Hurricane Melissa.
When Melissa ripped across Jamaica in late October, both properties were hit with extensive structural damage driving up the cost of the original renovation plan. Last week, damage across the two properties was assessed at $815 million – in addition to the planned original $15-billion renovation.
An email to employees November 15, 2025 says “We regret these developments and will do what we can to assist employees and arrangements will be made with service providers to assist employees and seek alternative employment or who require counselling.
The company will be closely monitoring the situation ongoingly from the detailed technical assessment which must now urgently be undertaken and through the renovation and reconstruction which lie ahead.”
Speaking with the Jamaica Observer, Bahia Principe’s Managing Director Jonay Guerra said “the hotel’s year-long shutdown and redundancy plans were already in motion weeks before Hurricane Melissa struck, and that the storm did not trigger the resort’s closure but instead magnified a restructuring that was quietly underway.”
“We didn’t escape the wrath of the hurricane. We suffered almost $800 million in damage. The hotel is tired, so we need a new product to be competitive. We want to reopen bigger, brighter and like a phoenix; new and better for Jamaica and our guests,” Guerra said.
“We want to reopen as soon as possible, but we don’t know when. It’s impossible to estimate when the exterior environment is not ready. You need electricity for construction, you need water, you need transportation. Even communication is an issue right now.”
Guerra told the Observer that the renovations will likely take longer than the original 12 month plan, as many of the basic utilities in the parish are still being restored. Until then, it’s causing a chainlink of delays for their construction.
Bahia Principe had originally planned to start renovations in January 2026, with the Grand reopening roughly a year later.
