This All-Inclusive Resort in Jamaica Just Reopened Months Ahead of Schedule After the Storm That Shut It Down
More than 660 rooms are back online at one of Runaway Bay's biggest resorts, marking another major step in Jamaica's post-hurricane comeback.
Bahia Principe Luxury Runaway Bay is officially back in business. The 660-room all-inclusive reopened on April 1 after months of restoration work following Hurricane Melissa, the storm that battered Jamaica's north coast last autumn and forced dozens of resorts offline.
The reopening brings hundreds of workers back to their jobs and marks one of the largest room counts restored to the Jamaican market since the storm hit. Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts accelerated the schedule after initial plans would have kept significant portions of the resort closed for a far longer renovation cycle, choosing instead to prioritize getting rooms back into inventory to support the island's tourism recovery.
The property didn't just reopen — parts of it got a refresh. The group extended the lobby terrace, redecorated the lobby bar, and fully refurbished three of the resort's marquee restaurants: the Jazmín main buffet, the Mediterranean-focused Picasso, and the Indian restaurant Thali. The upgrades give returning guests a different experience than the one they left behind, without the multi-year closure that has kept some nearby properties dark.
The return is significant for Runaway Bay, a stretch of Jamaica's north coast that has been slower to recover than higher-profile destinations like Montego Bay and Negril. With this flagship property restored, Runaway Bay regains one of its largest drivers of air arrivals and tour-operator volume.
It also fits a broader pattern. Jamaica tourism officials recently said roughly 80 percent of the island's hotel capacity is now operating again, with a target of having all 33,000 pre-storm rooms back online by the end of the year. Bahia Principe's decision to rush Runaway Bay back to market — ahead of its sister property Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica, which remains closed for a comprehensive refurbishment until December — is one of the more visible signs that recovery is accelerating.
Bookings are open now, with the resort back on sale through tour operators and direct channels.
