The Jolly Beach Hotel, a proposal for which is being considered to transfer its ownership to the Social Security Scheme, is currently performing an important role in the overall tourism product of the country.
Tourism Minister Charles Max Fernandez told the debate on the proposal in the House of Representatives on Monday, that the Jolly Beach Hotel’s value to the tourism sector is quite significant.
For example, the minister said the property is one of only two properties that currently cater to the family segment of the market. Additionally, because it is largely seen as an ‘affordable’ property, it provides a demand for economy seats on the airlines, thus increasing demand for additional airlifts.
“There is now an increased demand for this type of property in our tourism product. As a matter of fact, once when we toured the property, one guest approached the prime minister urging him to keep the Jolly Beach open because as a repeat guest, ‘it was the only property available for middle income travelers like her’,” the minister reported.
According to Fernandez, it is just as important to attract the high-end traveler who would usually fill the first or business class seats, as it is to fill ‘the back of the planes’ with travelers who want to stay at a middle-income-type-hotels such as Jolly Beach.
He disclosed that in 2023, Jolly Beach accounted for 23 percent of the visitors to the country. In 2024, the property generated $21.84 million in revenues with an operating profit of $4.35 million. As of May 31, 2025, the resort had generated revenue of $13.31 million which is 6 percent more than for the same period of a year ago. Projected revenue for 2025 is $23 million. There are approximately 200 employees at the hotel.
Currently, the Jolly Beach Hotel comprises of 27.2 acres of beach-front property; the total length of the white-sand beach in front of the. The hotel property is 1,650 feet; the average width of the white sand beach is 120 feet; approximate area of beach is 5.5 acres; there are 382 rooms, 318 of which are now operational with another 20 expected to become operational shortly; 18 suites will become operational in the fall; there are four restaurants (a buffet, pool bar and restaurant, a beach restaurant and a regular restaurant); it has a gym and a gift shop; and there are two pools that are now being refurbished.
The hotel currently has an occupancy 62 percent which is expected to rise following the planned renovations and which will drive further demands for rooms with the attendant airline flights especially in the summer months.
In its current state, the Jolly Beach is a major stop for nationals who spent time there on day-passes. In 2023, 1,383 nationals went there on day passes, in 2024 that amount rose to 2,396 and for the first six months of 2025 it totaled 1,726 persons.
