The Palmyra, A Solis Resort, Was Worth the Wait

Mar 19, 2011

On more than one occasion in 2010, during visits to Jamaica, I passed The Palmyra, A Solis Resort & Spa and wondered when it would be open to guests. The summer 2010 opening date came and went with rumors of delays due to the stagnant economy in the U.S. From the highway, it was an impressive build that looked to rival the highest end of luxury resorts in the Montego Bay area. The Palmyra would be North America's introduction to the Solis hotel brand.
Finally, on Dec. 15, 2010, The Palmyra received its first guests, and opened with the distinction of being a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

The property sits on 16 oceanfront acres and is a 15-minute drive from Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport. The Palmyra is the latest addition to Jamaica's "Elegant Corridor." This corridor is essentially the Mobay region, between the airport and the new convention center, and it is studded with five-star properties, luxury shops and championship golf courses. This is a fairly new branding gambit, and it remains to be seen if the label will stick.

The all-suite Palmyra currently has accommodations in a number of categories, including one-bedroom suites, deluxe one-bedroom suites, two-bedroom suites, deluxe two-bedroom suites and three-bedroom junior penthouse suites. Suites have luxe features such as marble countertops in the bathrooms and Bosch appliances in the kitchens. There's also free Wi-Fi in rooms and public areas.

Further down the road, the resort will be adding 11 three-story villas. The villas will have 2,600 square feet of living space, and each villa will come with a personal chef, butler and housekeeper.

"We're not an all-inclusive hotel, we're an EP hotel," said Dominique Peterkin, director of sales, The Palmyra, a Solis Resort & Spa. "We'll be going after the luxury market, and we'll stand with Round Hill and Half Moon."

Two of the resort's three towers are completed. When all three towers open, the total suite count will be 299, and all suites in the 12-story resort will have sea views or partial sea views.

"The higher you go, the better the view," said Peterkin.

In mid-May, the resort's Espa is scheduled to open. The standalone, 30,000-square-foot, two-story spa will have 14 treatment rooms, water gardens, terraces and courtyards overlooking one of Jamaica's iconic attractions: the great house at Rose Hall. Body and facial treatments and massages will use high-end products from around the world, as well as indigenous ingredients. In-room massages and oceanfront massages in seaside cabanas are also offered.

The resort has two main restaurants, Eve's Table, and Coco Grove Bar & Grill, which is the more informal of the two. According to Peterkin, the two restaurants will not be showcasing a specific cuisine but will offer specialties that could be described as Jamaica gourmet cuisine.

The Palmyra also offers guests the option of an in-suite private chef, 24-hour in-room dining, a gourmet shop offering organic foods and delicacies from around the world and a wine cellar featuring international reserves.

Active guests have a choice of non-motorized water sports, horseback riding, two pools that overlook the sea, a swimming cove and a private white-sand beach. Guests also receive privileged access to three nearby golf courses -- the White Witch Golf Course, Cinnamon Hill Golf Course and Half Moon Golf Club. Guests receive preferential tee times and special greens fees of $125 per person during low season and $159 per person during high season. The greens fees include a caddie, a cart rental, taxes and roundtrip transportation to and from the golf course.

The Palmyra has 23,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Intimate groups have the option of arranging an outdoor event at a panoramic gazebo that extends 300 feet into the bay offering spectacular 360-degree views of the Caribbean Sea.

The Palmyra offers a number of packages, including family, spa, golf, wedding and honeymoon promotions. Travel agents with special requests should go through reservations; their requests will be routed to the concierge. Peterkin also noted that the resort is preparing to offer special travel agent rates.