72 February 2016 - Business View Caribbean
rooms and has just begun its second phase of con-
struction with plans to add another 149 rooms by May
of 2017. All of its guests presently come from the Unit-
ed Kingdom, but Miravete says that with the expan-
sion, the hotel will be able to provide enough inventory
to be able to draw guests from the U.S. and Canada,
as well. And while the ongoing development at the Azul
will only exploit the space that already exists there, the
Karisma Group is interested in developing five or six
additional hotels on a big piece of land that it recently
acquired on the northern part of the island. “Tourism
is an industry that never stops growing,” says Mirave-
te, “even though it is very sensitive to prevailing eco-
nomic conditions. But Jamaica is begging to sustain its
economic growth on tourism. So, this is a good time to
be in Jamaica.”
Miravete believes that the Azul has “broken the mold”
in Jamaica and that in years to come, other hotels will
follow its lead vis à vis design and décor. But he just
as fervently believes that the real attraction of the Azul
Sensatori is in the hands of the hotel’s 250 employ-
ees. “It’s a beautiful property,” he maintains. “I can
tell you about some of the features of the architecture,
but at the end of the day, a building is building is a
building. The building is not going to take care of you.
Our staff is going to take care of you. We are known for
having such a friendly and accommodating staff for
our customers. We will attend to you like you were part
of our family.”
