MONTEGO BAY — Several hoteliers in Montego Bay have pinned their hopes on the upcoming Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, which they believe will help to boost lagging occupancy levels and provide the less than stellar winter season with a shot in the arm.

The February 8-10 bash was officially launched in Kingston this week, and some hoteliers have already put together package deals for prospective patrons of the three-day show.

The deals include attractive accommodation offers, at discounted rates. According to one promotional brochure, festival attendees will be able to book anything from a single room to a mini villa. For instance, the Coyaba Beach Hotel is offering double occupancy rates of US$188 a night. Meanwhile, the Sandals properties’ prices range from US$151 to US$200, and the villa style accommodations at El Greco go up to US$130 per room. A shuttle bus will also be available to and from the concert venue.

However, despite the slow winter season, some Montego Bay properties have managed to hold their own. One such property is the Coral Cliff Hotel and Casino, which views the festival as an opportunity to do even better.

According to public relations manager Brian Brown, Coral Cliff has relied on its local clientele’s attendance of staged events to keep afloat after the fallout from September 11 began.

“We started out with the Halloween show at the end of October, then there was the whole hype with the Buzz Productions’ Divas in Concert show, and we were a big part of that,” he explained. “At the end of the month, we had the Jamerican Film Festival which carried over into November. Then we had a big Christmas bonanza… we are about events, what we want is to provide something exciting and entertaining.”

With its emphasis on local events, Coral Cliff is among several properties involved in the funding of the upcoming music festival to be staged at the Wyndham Rose Hall Three Palms, on the outskirts of Montego Bay.

According to head of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Josef Forstmayr, the show is expected to be the western city’s main winter event. In this regard, the local chapter of the JHTA has pumped a significant amount of cash into its staging in the hopes of reaping benefits down the line.

“It’s going to be the main event of our winter season, and it’s expected to draw a lot of attention to Montego Bay. The local chapter has put up US$50,000 cash, and that’s very hard to find. But we all realise we need to create an energy,” Forstmayr said in a recent interview. “And even if we don’t directly get bookings from it, our taxi drivers, our people on the street can benefit and ensure that there are some highlights to the season,” he added.

The festival will kick off at 8:00 pm on Friday, February 8 with featured acts that include Beres Hammond, Byron Lee, Yolanda Adams and Angelique Kidjo.

The next day’s events are scheduled to get underway at 3:00 pm, with a lineup featuring Babyface, Carl Thomas, Bobby Blue Bland and Karen Smith. Then on February 10, Harry Belafonte, Bebe Winans, Stephanie Mills and Classico del Son will take the stage.

Each night, the party moves to the Hip Strip at 11:00 pm, where the Gloucester Avenue Restaurant Association will keep the vibes going.