Palladium Hotel Group Announces Major Expansion in Jamaica

Posted in News on 10 March, 2025

Palladium Hotel Group announces it has begun construction to expand Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts in Jamaica, Montego Bay, promoted by asset owner Grupo Empresas Matutes.

The transformative $20 million project will add over 948 new rooms to the resort, which currently has a total of 1,049 rooms, distributed across two hotels: Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa and Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa.

Pictured is Abel Matutes, President of Palladium Hotel Group.

The expansion will strengthen the brand’s presence in Jamaica, introducing the group’s TRS Hotels adults-only, luxury all-inclusive brand to the island, along with the Family Selection at Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts concept. The project will create an estimated 1,500 direct jobs, and another 2,000 indirect jobs in related sectors, once the resort is operational.

With this new expansion, Palladium Hotel Group reaffirms its long-term commitment to Jamaica, further contributing to the island’s tourism development and economic prosperity.

Overwater bungalows

Palladium Hotel Group has been a key player in Jamaica’s hospitality sector since the opening of Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa and the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa in 2008. Located in Lucea, Hanover, these flagship properties have set the standard for all-inclusive luxury in the region. The group is now enhancing its presence through an additional $20 million investment to upgrade the property, expand the amenities provided, and implement sustainability features. With this new expansion, Palladium Hotel Group reaffirms its long-term commitment to Jamaica, further contributing to the island’s tourism development and economic prosperity.

As part of its expansion in Jamaica, Palladium Hotel Group will introduce TRS Hotels to the destination – a luxury adults-only, all-inclusive brand, available in the most desirable destinations in the Caribbean and Europe. The brand will offer sophisticated, modern experiences tailored for couples, newlyweds, and solo travellers. The expansion project will also introduce the club Family Selection at Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts, a VIP club that offers families exclusive amenities and personalised experiences. The VIP service will enhance their stay with dedicated spaces and premium services, currently available in Mexico and soon to open in the Dominican Republic.

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness (left), Mr. Abel Matutes, Vice-President of Grupo Empresas Matutes & President of Palladium Hotel Group (centre), and Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett (right), share a moment as they celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts expansion in Jamaica.

A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of the expansion of Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts in Jamaica, a project set to enhance the island’s tourism landscape and boost economic growth. Pictured (from left): Senator Delano Seiveright; H.E. José María Fernández López de Turiso, Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica; Mr. Abel Matutes, Vice-President of Grupo Empresas Matutes & President of Palladium Hotel Group; Prime Minister Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness; Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism; and Tameka Davis, Member of Parliament for Hanover Western.

Details of the expansion project were announced at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. The event was attended by Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, several Government ministers; other high-level government officials; Spanish Ambassador H.E. José María Fernández López; tourism and private sector stakeholders; as well as Vice-President of Grupo Empresas Matutes and President of Palladium Hotel Group, Abel Matutes.

“Jamaica holds a special place in Palladium Hotel Group’s global portfolio, and we are confident in Jamaica’s continued tourism potential,” noted Abel Matutes. “This development underscores our commitment to supporting Jamaica’s economic growth, providing sustainable employment opportunities, and enhancing the island’s global appeal as a premier tourist destination.”

A boost for Jamaica’s tourism sector: jobs and sustainability
The expansion represents a significant investment in Jamaica’s tourism sector, with far-reaching economic benefits. Beyond the thousands of employment opportunities created during the construction phase, the expansion of Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts will create 1,500 direct jobs once operational and a further 2,000 indirect jobs across related industries, including transportation, agriculture, and local services. The project also prioritises sustainability through energy-efficient designs, including architectural strategies to reduce heat, a Building Management System to optimise lighting and ventilation, and the use of renewable energy from photovoltaic panels and a hybrid trigeneration plant. Water conservation efforts include low-flow fixtures, an intelligent water management system, a seawater desalination plant, and treated wastewater for irrigation.

Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness noted, “This groundbreaking expansion represents another significant investment in Jamaica and our growing tourism industry. I extend a warm welcome to the representatives from Grupo Empresas Matutes and Palladium Hotel Group, who have demonstrated unwavering confidence in Jamaica as a destination for investment. Today as we celebrate this momentous occasion, we are not only breaking ground on a physical structure, we are also laying the foundation for a future where tourism in Jamaica is more inclusive, sustainable and innovative than ever before.”

“One of the wonderful achievements we have made is to build out a policy framework that enables the kind of development that now ensues in tourism. When a development like this embraces the elements of sustainability and inclusiveness it tells us that the policy direction is sound and proper,” shared the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, who was also present to celebrate the milestone. “Tourism is about people and the Palladium Hotel Group’s expansion is about investing in people.”

Palladium Hotel Group is committed to positively impacting the communities where it operates through the Palladium Cares initiative, which focuses on Our People, Our Community, and Our Planet. Through this initiative, the group delivers high-impact, locally focused programs for its employees, such as Palladium Cares Daycare, Scholarship Programmes, and dedicated Breastfeeding Rooms for staff. To support the broader community, Palladium Cares manages seven educational centres across Jamaica, Brazil, and Mexico, enhancing skills to access qualified job opportunities. In line with its environmental commitment, Palladium Hotel Group champions sustainability through renewable energy projects, circular economy initiatives, and agricultural production programmes that promote eco-friendly practices.

About Grupo Empresas Matutes
Grupo Empresas Matutes (GEM) is a diversified Spanish group headquartered in Ibiza (Spain), owning Palladium Hotel Group among other companies. The group has over 50 years of history and assets in seven countries across Europe and America.

About Palladium Hotel Group
Palladium Hotel Group is a Spanish hotel chain with over 50 years of experience, owned by Grupo Empresas Matutes (GEM). The group operates more than 40 hotels and over 13,000 rooms, distributed amongst eight countries: Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Italy, Brazil, the USA and the UAE, and manages ten brands: TRS Hotels, Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts, Palladium Hotels, Fiesta Hotels & Resorts, Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, The Unexpected Hotels, Only YOU Hotels, BLESS Collection Hotels, the Hard Rock Hotels Brand under license with three hotels in Ibiza Tenerife and Marbella and the ephemeral brand 45 Times Hotels. Palladium Hotel Group is characterized by its philosophy of attention to its team and for offering its clients high quality products and services. www.palladiumhotelgroup.com