Following a multi-million dollar transformation of what was formerly the Sunset Jamaica Grande, Ocho Rios, Moon Palace Jamaica Grande has become one of the hottest hotels of choice since opening in July, boasting more than 700 guestrooms and suites with oceanfront views of the Caribbean. Such are the achievements that the hotel ranks at ten out of 40 hotels in Ocho Rios on the world renowned travel website, Trip Advisor.
Not only does the hotel focus heavily on satisfying the tourist product, but it also recognizes the importance that its human resources (its employees) play in the development of the resort. This interest in the welfare of staff and their families, which also entails the community that surrounds the hotel, is to be facilitated by the philanthropic side of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, the Palace Foundation.
The Palace Foundation is an institution created in 2004 by the directors of the Palace Resorts hotel chain. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to bring hope to the most in need, to look out for the environment and the communities, by offering their resources, time and effort.
Head of Moon Palace Jamaica Foundation at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande, Natalie Boreland, explained that the hotel through its foundation will seek to focus on, firstly, “staff welfare and their families and then expand to entail communities in and around the Ocho Rios resort area.” The foundation’s areas of focus are on areas to include health, wellness education, environment and dreams and to further collaborate with local organizations including Dolphin Cove, Jamaica Cancer Society and local doctors.
“We have formed an alliance with various medical entities to provide assistances in health. Say if a staff has a health situation, such as a lab test, surgery or even to provide that transportation for them or their families to get that health service maybe in Kingston, we will arrange that,” explained Ms Boreland. A health fair was also staged at the hotel on Wednesday, October 21 that catered to staff getting various medical tests done.
In areas of wellness, if the staff needs to have a psychologist or therapy, then sessions can also be arranged. In addition, a Wellness Day for staff to include preparing a fitness plan and planning for the family, aerobics and self-defense classes on Saturdays are some of the initiatives available to staff under its wellness programme.
Under the education arm of Moon Palace Foundation Jamaica, Ms Boreland explained that: “staff members or their family members who are desirous of completing a degree in area of choice will be provided with assistance.” In the summer, the hotel collaborated with a bookstore to afford parents the chance of purchasing their books and stationary for their children with the hotel paying the prices upfront. The staff would then be given the time to pay after.
The dreams programme of the foundation has seen the hotel partnering with several institutions including Edgehill School in St. Ann’s Bay, Inspire Jamaica, Jamaica Cancer Society (the St. Ann and St. Mary chapter), the hospitals and St. Christopher School for the Deaf in Brown’s Town to make the dreams come true of children living with special needs. A total of four children have been catered to thus far.
The environment initiative of the foundation sees the formation of alliances between Moon Palace Jamaica Grande and recycling companies as it relates to the recycling of plastic bottles and other waste materials.
The hotel further has created partnerships with companies to allow their staff to receive special discounts. These companies include Rapid True Value and Veronique’s Day Spa, among others.
Moon Palace Foundation Jamaica is setting out to cater to the needs of its most valuable assets, its employees, their families and extending to the community.
