El pasado 30 de abril de 2008, las autoridades municipales de Bahía de Montego, Jamaica, paralizaron las obras de construcción de un hotel de la cadena Riu, de capital español, debido a la edificación de un cuarto piso sin los permisos correspondientes. Según lo autorizado el 27 de junio de 2007 por la municipalidad, la cadena Riu sólo tenía permiso para construir hasta tres pisos de altura; pero no más, debido al riesgo que supone la proximidad con el aeropuerto internacional de Sir Donald Sangster, el mayor del país.
A raíz de esta polémica, se ha abierto el debate en los medios de comunicación locales sobre los impactos negativos de la creciente inversión turística española en la isla. Desde estos medios se acusa a la hotelería española de estar degradando el turismo en Jamaica, con su apuesta por el sistema de todo-incluido y la competencia a la baja para la atracción del turismo. El mismo primer ministro de Jamaica, Bruce Golding, manifestó que “Jamaica no puede permitirse ser el Torremolinos del Caribe”. Y acusó a los empresarios españoles de que el sistema de “todo incluido” estaba reduciendo la derrama económica hacia los negocios locales. En el mismo sentido, diversos testimonios han acusado a las empresas españolas de estar provocando una bajada de precios generalizada en el sector. Las malas condiciones de trabajo, tanto en la construcción como en los servicios vinculados a la hotelería, ha sido otro de los aspectos de la inversión española que han levantado fuertes críticas en los medios de comunicación locales.
En el caso concreto de Riu, además del problema ocasionado por la vulneración de permisos, se acusa a la empresa de que los trabajos de construcción se estarían desarrollando más allá de los horarios permitidos y en domingo; provocando molestias por ruidos a los huéspedes del hotel Sandals adyacente. También se acusa a Riu de haber provocado problemas de contaminación por aguas residuales en la playa de la Bahía de St. Anna. Pero no sólo la Cadena Riu ha recibido críticas. Otra de las empresas señaladas por un comportamiento negativo, especialmente en el terreno medioambiental, ha sido el Grupo Piñeiro, propietario del Hotel Gran Bahía Príncipe Jamaica.
HOSTELTUR, 2 de mayo de 2008.
Las autoridades jamaicanas paralizaron el pasado miércoles la construcción de un hotel de la cadena española RIU, tras encontrar que la empresa no tenía permiso para levantar un edificio de cuatro plantas, según informó a EFE una fuente oficial. La construcción del hotel, situado en una zona turística de Montego Bay, 180 kilómetros al oeste de Kingston, fue paralizada después de que una comisión del distrito indicara que RIU no contaba con el permiso para levantar un hotel de cuatro plantas.
La cadena RIU tenía previsto construir 700 habitaciones distribuidas en un edificio con instalaciones de lujo.
Sin embargo, un portavoz del hotel señaló que un funcionario de la oficina de permisos había garantizado la licencia de construcción. El primer ministro de Jamaica, Bruce Golding, ha pedido que se investiguen a fondo los hechos.
Por su parte, los funcionarios del ayuntamiento reiteraron que ellos sólo aprobaron la construcción de un edificio de tres pisos.
Alegaron que había advertido a los directivos del hotel de que una cuarta planta pondría en riesgo su seguridad al encontrarse muy cercano a la pista de aterrizaje del aeropuerto internacional de Sangster.
El alcalde de Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair, descartó por su parte presentar cargos criminales contra los directivos de RIU, declarando al respecto: “tenemos que averiguar si hubo o no un intento criminal antes de presentar los cargos contra los responsables del hotel”.
The Jamaica Observer, April 25, 2008
The surge in Spanish hotel operators building all-inclusive emporiums is said to have benefited Jamaica's tourism product, but is that necessarily the case?
Many laud the extra room count and regard the Spanish invasion as a fillip to Jamaica's leading industry. Over the last six years, some six hotel chains coming out of Spain have established cheap but cheerful all-inclusive hotels catering to a more down-market visitor at a time when Jamaica has been trying to reposition itself as a mid- to high-end destination in order to extract the most out of the tourism dollar.
Environmental and quality issues
The rate at which the Spanish hotels have been constructed has been most expeditious, begging the question: have they sacrificed quality for expediency? The collapse of the Fiesta Hotel in Lucea, Hanover last year could support this view.
On September 20, 2007, a section of the upper-level concrete slab collapsed at the 1,960-room hotel, resulting in the injury of four persons.
Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding expressed deep concern at the reported frequency of accidents and injuries associated with the construction of the Fiesta Hotel and ordered that the necessary investigations be carried out to determine whether the developers are adhering to approved safety measures in the construction process.
According to the investigating team, "the Hanover Parish Council, in its condition of approval of construction (Clause 16) given to the Fiesta Hotel developer, stipulated that only quality metal scaffolding and false work (props) be used in the construction of concrete works". They stated that, "this condition was subsequently relaxed to allow for a variant solution comprising a mix of four inches by four inches sawn timber and metal scaffolding and false work props".
Concluding, the team stated that, "it is our conclusion, following on the observed mode of failure of the round wood props, that if condition 16 and or its subsequent modifications had been followed, the likelihood of a collapse would have been minimised and it is our recommendation that this clause be adhered to for the remainder of such concrete works on the Fiesta Hotel site".
Compounding matters further, construction workers protested against unsanitary working conditions, including insufficient toilet facilities, a lack of drinking water, medical facilities and areas for obtaining food and shelter at the site.
Again, this week, another Spanish hotel chain was found breaching building regulations. The RIU Hotel in Montego Bay breached its building permit by putting up four floors instead of three as approved on June 29, 2007.
According to the permit in question, the hotel should be no higher than three floors for safety reasons, because the building is in the flight path of aircraft utilising the Sangster International Airport, which sits in close proximity to the hotel.
The mayor of Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair, has ordered an investigation into possible breaches by Riu, which could result in a stop-order on the construction of the hotel.
Earlier this week it was revealed that construction activities at RIU Montego Bay are taking place well beyond the agreed time period and on Sundays, thus forming a nuisance to the guests at the adjacent Sandals hotel.
Speaking with Caribbean Business Report yesterday, the general manager for Sandals Royal Caribbean located in Montego Bay said: "RIU has unceremoniously asked us to leave every time we go to their premises to complain about the noise levels. We continuously hear all kinds of banging, drilling and construction activity taking place in the wee hours of the morning and late at night. Now the permit makes it clear that RIU can begin construction work at 8:00 am and knock off at 6:00 pm, which is reasonable. When we go to RIU's management to complain about the breaches they run us off like we were dogs."
Another complaint levelled at RIU is that it has polluted the beach in Mammee Bay, St Ann and continually breaches the Environmental Act by disposing of what can be deemed toxic wastewater, which has caused skin irritation to many bathers.
Chairman of the board of the Mammee Bay Beach Club, Ken Thompson, said that there was no other recourse other than legal action to prevent such wanton environmental breaches, as RIU's management appeared unperturbed by their actions. Board member of the club, Herbert Murdock, described the management of RIU as arrogant and disrespectful of Jamaican people and that the only way to resolve the issue is through the courts.
Another Spanish hotel chain, the Piñero Group, has been prevented from constructing any further hotels because of environmental issues brought to the attention of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). This has infuriated the chairman of the Piñero Group, Pablo Piñero, who is responsible for the Bahia Principe Hotel in Jamaica.
Speaking in Mallorca on the matter last week, Pinero said: "I am very mad with NEPA because they are preventing me from developing my hotels in Jamaica. The Jamaican Government promised that I would be able to develop three hotels and I still have another US$200 million to invest in two more hotels in Jamaica. What NEPA has to realise is that you can't live in trees."
A leading Jamaican hotelier said: "The Spanish hoteliers get away with breaching environmental regulations and building codes and it is plain to me that they have very little regard for Jamaican law. The previous Government made all sorts of promises to the Spanish and has allowed them to construct these monstrosities with little attention paid to the environment. One just has to take a look at how they have damaged the coastline of Jamaica irreparably. Jamaican hotel builders could never get away with the breaches committed by the Spanish."
Cheapening the Jamaican product
In the heyday of Caribbean tourism, Jamaica was regarded as a high-end destination whereas Spain was seen as down market - a short hop for the working-class and students fresh out of college with beer money in their pockets. Men like John Pringle and Heinz Simonitsch made Jamaica the destination of choice.
Many local hoteliers now realise that it is not enough to just offer a basic all-inclusive package and are now looking to upgrade their properties and provide value-added services.
The Sandals Group, with 13 hotels in Jamaica, is now in the process of propelling its brand in the luxury category as evidenced by its advertising campaign in both North America and Europe apperaing on highly popular programmes such as CNN's Larry King Live. Sandals is now in the never before achieved upper-market for all-inclusives. It is the standard bearer for Jamaican hoteliers and has spent some half-a-billion US dollars upgrading its hotels over the last two years.
The Tavistock Group, headed by Joe Lewis, sees Jamaica as once again inhabiting the high-end market and to that end is planning the launch of the US$5-billion Harmony Cove project in Trelawny aimed at high-end visitors. Only this week, Prime Minister Golding announced that the Government will be entertaining casinos for high rollers with the revenue it brings providing a boost to Brand Jamaica.
"Jamaica cannot afford to be the Torremolinos of the Caribbean," said an industry analyst. "A glut of all-inclusive hotels at US$120 a room per night will hurt us, and the likes of Four Seasons, Mandarin and Trump will steer well clear of Jamaica. The trickle down effect will be minimal. Let's not forget that the industry depends on gratuities, and these cheap all-inclusives do not provide those. What you will see is that the Jamaican tourism dollar will contract."
"I would argue that the Spanish hotels have not brought in incremental business to Jamaica. All they have done is target the North American and Canadian markets. They have brought nothing to Jamaica and are undervaluing local hotels," added the analyst who opted for anonymity.
To support this premise, she pointed to the fact that wherever there is a Sandals hotel in Jamaica, one finds a RIU serving to dilute one of the Caribbean's leading brands.
"It is utter nonsense when RIU says that it is just a coincidence that their hotels are next door to Sandals hotels and that they go where the land is available," said the analyst. "You can clearly see what their strategy is. Many of the Spanish hotels have allotted themselves five-star status but anybody who knows this business will tell you that most of these hotels are nothing more than three-star all-inclusives masquerading in shiny tinsel and cheap stucco. The Spanish hotel players would like to turn Jamaica into the concrete jungle that is the Dominican Republic!"
The arrival of the Spanish hotels has spelt the demise of the smaller local hotel operators and in many instances they have had to endure their rates being reduced by 50 per cent. Negril Gardens, a small hotel that once commanded rates of US$130 per night, now has to settle for US$65 per person per night since RIU has established itself in Negril.
"The small hotel sector reflects the indigenous culture, and they should be given all the help they can get," said another tourism industry player. "Instead, the previous administration chose to help the Spanish chains, who are well-capitalised and have operations across the world and do not need government assistance."
A Montego Bay businessman, speaking with Caribbean Business Report yesterday, said: "You take Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay - yes, it is very good that it is being upgraded, but why are contracts being manipulated to favour the Spanish? Local workers are treated badly there and no one does anything about it. Why? Because there are those who say Jamaica is in dire need of foreign investment, but at what cost?"
Sandals continues to win the industry's top awards
Last year, the world tourism industry acknowledged the Gordon 'Butch' Stewart-owned Sandals and Beaches resorts with 16 of its awards, thus proclaiming it the best all-inclusive brand in the Caribbean. For the 14th year in a row it was voted the Caribbean's Leading Hotel Brand, beating out the likes of SuperClubs, RIU, Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, The Hilton and Iberostar.
The year 2007 also saw Sandals voted the top hotel by Canadian travel agents for Baxter Travel Media Agent Choice Awards. Just over 4,000 Canadian travel agents voted in the annual survey in which they named their favourite hotel and best all-inclusive resort, among a list of categories.
Again here, Sandals, a Jamaica-based chain, topped renowned brands such as Fairmont, Riu, Bahia Principe and Sheraton.
"To be recognised as the favourite hotel chain - a first for Sandals and for a Caribbean company - is proof that our long-standing partnership with Canadian travel agents is paying off," said Stewart.
Sandals Resorts International (SRI) still has more rooms in Jamaica than any other hotel brand and the group, comprising Sandals, Beaches and Royal Plantation also have more luxury quality suites than any other player in the Jamaican market.
While other brands place an emphasis on room count, SRI has focused on quality and is continually upgrading its product. It is differentiating itself from the Spanish operators as a luxury brand and associating itself with some of the world's leading goods and services like Beringer Wines and Preston Bailey wedding service.
"Stewart is leading the charge for Jamaica as the Caribbean's destination of choice. He is the country's leading hotelier but has not rested on his laurels," said a leading international hotelier operating from Dubai. "One only has to see what he is doing with the brand now by upping the ante and attracting more discerning visitors who demand a richer vacation experience.
"The Spanish hoteliers have said that they can bring more visitors from Europe, but only four flights a week come out of Europe. I suspect that the Spanish are eyeing the more lucrative North American market, a market that Stewart helped develop while he was at the helm of Air Jamaica by adding new routes. The Spaniards have just piggy-backed on that pioneering work and it is disingenuous to say that they have placed Jamaica's interests first," added the hotelier.
The Jamaica Observer, abril 27, 2008.
A mysterious construction plan which was signed, stamped and apparently back-dated but did not go through the established channels is being used to build an unapproved fourth floor on the multi-million dollar RIU Montego Bay Hotel in St James.
The plan, which appeared on the St James Parish Council files within the last two or three weeks, and for which the relevant fees were not received by the council, was signed by its Superintendent of Roads and Works, Tubal Brown, the mayor of Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair confirmed.
Sinclair has launched a full investigation into the matter and has requested an explanation from Brown as to how his signature and the council's stamp appeared on the unapproved plan.
"This (second) plan only came about after I had visited the site three or four weeks ago and ordered the superintendent to give me a report on the hotel building," the mayor said. "It has not gone through the regular channels and was not logged with the council. We have no evidence of any fees being paid as would be required. Clearly, we have internal issues (in the council) which we are moving expeditiously to deal with," Sinclair told the Sunday Observer, following a visit to the site by him and his team Wednesday and a subsequent meeting with RIU officials.
Brown is on his way to the St Ann Parish Council, following his transfer by the Parish Council Services Commission, a move Sinclair said had been in train before the current problem emerged.
Contacted by the Sunday Observer at a send-off function for him Friday, Brown said he had no comment. Sinclair did not attend the function.
The RIU hotel is being built at Mahoe Bay, about three kilometres east of the Sangster International Airport, putting it in the flight path of aircraft landing and taking off.
Not wanting to jeopardise the safety of aircraft using the airport, the St James Parish Council and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) had earlier rejected the initial plan to build four floors and approved six three-storey buildings instead.
The scandal is the latest to hit a Spanish-owned hotel, construction of which has drawn the ire of environmentalists and community groups who accuse the hotels of flouting local laws.
RIU also owns hotels in Negril and Ocho Rios, where neighbouring properties have complained that their operations are dragging down rates that benefit the town's economy and hotel employees who are seeing falling gratuities.
The 701-room RIU Montego Bay Hotel now under construction has attracted additional claims that it is building dangerously close to the highwater mark, with dire consequences for beach erosion nearby.
But it is the building of a fourth floor without approval of the relevant bodies that has raised the greatest concern.
Sinclair said RIU would have to account for their breaches of the building permit and the appearance of the latest plan.
"They will have to account to me for that plan which was sent to the superintendent of roads and works," said Sinclair, an attorney and the son of former Montego Bay mayor, Charles Sinclair Sr.
"We welcome investors and want to see them do well. But they have to comply with our laws which are there for very good reasons," he insisted.
Earlier in the week, Sinclair also rapped RIU for other breaches, including construction activities outside of the stipulated 6:00 am to 8:00 pm hours during weekdays and Saturdays, as well as on Sundays and public holidays when no work is permitted, because of noise nuisance to hotel guests nearby.
The building permit breaches have also attracted the attention of the umbrella Jamaica Environmental Advocacy Network (JEAN) which called on the Parish Council and NEPA to "insist that the hotel company demolish the fourth floor".
"JEAN hopes that the Government of Jamaica will take this opportunity to demonstrate its stated commitment to enforce environmental and planning laws... While JEAN supports the initiative taken by the St James Parish Council to investigate the breach and consider enforcement action, we question whether the hotel, now nearing completion, was being adequately monitored by the relevant authorities.
"The fact that an extra storey escaped the notice of both NEPA and the Parish Council illustrates the repeated concerns raised by civil society groups about the qualifications, resources and powers of monitoring personnel to deal with serial breaches by many development projects in Jamaica," JEAN's Danielle Andrade complained in a press statement.
NEPA's Dr Leary Myers earlier in the week confirmed that the agency had not received any requests from RIU for variation of the original plan to build three floors.
Asked for its comment, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it would support the Montego Bay mayor if he and his council decided to close down the hotel, once it was clear that there was a breach of the building permit.
"We approved a maximum height of 14.89 metres above ground level and 16.89 metres above sea level," said Oscar Darby, deputy director of the CAA. Anything outside of that would be a breach." Attempts to contact the consulting architects for RIU proved futile. The approved building permit was signed by Isiaa Madden-Brownie on behalf of RIU Jamaicotel Limited/Deton Enterprises Limited on June 29, 2007.
Mayo de 2008