Meliá Braco Pledges to Help Communities
By: , January 6, 2016The Key Point:
Photo: Marlon Tingling
Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill (left), and National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting (centre), share a moment with General Manager of Meliá Braco Village Hotel in Trelawny, Dimitri Kosvogiannis (right), at the ground breaking ceremony for renovation of the hotel in April 2015.The Facts
- A sum of US$23.5 million was spent to renovate the property and the General Manager has indicated that the expenditure was well within budget.
- The Meliá Braco Village comprises two hotels on one all-inclusive property, catering to couples and families as well as providing exclusive concierge level brand service for other guests.
The Full Story
The management of the Meliá Braco Village Hotel in Trelawny has committed to ensuring that the hotel contributes to the development of communities within the vicinity of the 24-acre property and the wider parish.
“It is my absolute intention to ensure the parish of Trelawny sees the direct and immediate benefits,” said General Manager, Dmitri Kosvogiannis.
“We are on an immediate plan to engage with Rio Bueno Primary School. It is one of the schools we have adopted and we have contributed via money and teaching support,” he informed.
Mr. Kosvogiannis, who was speaking in an interview with JIS News ahead of tomorrow’s (January 7) official opening of the property, said there are also plans to engage community members in sporting activities such as football competitions.
He said monthly picnics will be held for the families of staff members “so they can feel a part of their hotel.”
Owned by the National Insurance Fund (NIF), the hotel, previously known as the Grand Lido Braco, is being managed by the Meliá Hotel Group under a 15-year lease agreement with the Government of Jamaica.
It consists of 225 rooms located inside colonial-style buildings with breathtaking views of the beach and the Caribbean Sea.
A sum of US$23.5 million was spent to renovate the property and the General Manager has indicated that the expenditure was well within budget.
“It combines Jamaican culture with Meliá’s vision of hospitality. We have revamped everything to assure it meets the most modern and technological comfort. It is a new concept within a traditional environment,” Mr. Kosvogiannis told JIS News.
The Meliá Braco Village comprises two hotels on one all-inclusive property, catering to couples and families as well as providing exclusive concierge level brand service for other guests.
Some 400 Jamaicans are permanently employed at the hotel.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kosvogiannis said that while the hotel has already welcomed a few guests, it will be fully ready for occupancy next month.
“We haven’t opened fully for sales yet. We’re looking at February and March and we’re very excited,” he said.