FORMER civil rights lawyer-turned-resort owner Dana Kurtz grew up being part of large family gatherings, and that’s something she also wants for her daughter, Reanne. So Kurtz has made the tough decision to sell Blue Skies Beach Resort — 16 suites and rooms nestled on Negril’s seven-mile beach — and move back to America.

The asking price for the turnkey operation that already has approved permits for further expansion is US$3.995 million ($627 million).

While Kurtz waits for the perfect buyer, Blue Skies remains open.

“We are taking reservations now and into the future. We are still running promotions and marketing. I am very active in ensuring that our standards are met every day. I hope someone will love the property as much as I do and will pour that love into making it even better than what it is now,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“I have about 30 staff — contract, part-time, and seasonal, as well as full-time — that I support along with their families. I hope that whoever buys the property would keep the staff. I have worked very hard to find great staff and have been blessed, as many of them have been here since I opened, been promoted through the ranks, and are committed to Blue Skies’ mission,” she added.

The Sunday Observer’s Real Estate on the Rock spoke with Kurtz about the resort she opened in 2019 and has put so much effort into creating, but now has to leave behind.

What’s the history behind Blue Skies Beach Resort, and why sell now?

Dana Kurtz (DK): I was a civil rights lawyer in Chicago for over 20 years. I got tired of arguing for a living and wanted to make people happy. I have been coming to Jamaica for over 30 years — one to three times or more a year. I love the island, the people, culture, food, everything. I decided I wanted to own a hotel on the beach and retired after winning the third-largest single-plaintiff sexual harassment verdict in the United States.

I have always wanted to have a child and I guess you have to come to Jamaica to do it. I was blessed to get pregnant and now my daughter is 11 months old. I was raised with a very big family where we did holidays and birthdays together — 30 or more people at the dinner table for Christmas, as an example. I have decided to move back to Tulsa where almost all of my family lives. My parents are getting older and I do not want them to miss out on my daughter growing up, and I do not want her to miss those family memories that you can never get back.

What makes Blue Skies attractive for guests?

DK: We are a boutique resort; it is our mission to provide gracious hospitality with a family-like atmosphere and world-class service to remember. We have really good food – international and local cuisine. We do live reggae dinner shows on Tuesdays and Saturdays that are very intimate, where the artistes come up to your table and sing to you.

Our second-storey lounge is just amazing to hang out in and watch sunsets, with a view of the entire seven-mile beach. The [sea] right at your footsteps is pristine and clear.

Our beach bar has swings on it and is just a cool, chill vibe.

What have occupancy levels been like?

DK: I bought the resort right before COVID-19 and finished renovations one month after all of the lockdowns internationally. We stayed open the entire time. I ran really good specials to stay open. Then when the Jamaican Government locked down the country, we had a lot of local business because people could walk the beach, get in the ocean, get some healthy Vitamin D.

I remember having to go to Kingston and it was a ghost town, but [at Blue Skies] people were walking the beach and wanted to get out. It was great for social distancing and healthy living.

We have built a great brand, and I think people locally and internationally have now heard of us, or are hearing about us. Word-of-mouth referral is the greatest compliment!

What makes Blue Skies Beach Resort a good purchase/investment?

DK: The property is gorgeous and has room for expansion that has been approved for seven more rooms, five high-end suites, and a two-bedroom villa, a pool, spa, workout room, so [it has] even more income potential. There is a lot of development planned in Negril, and I believe [the town] will become an even more popular place for tourism.

I hope the buyer is someone who loves the property as much as I do and can make it flourish even more. We are also open to “crowd funding” — 15 interested cash buyers can have a piece of a stake in paradise.

I would love to come back and visit and see the expansion finished, and the service and food as good as it is now or even better — which I think is hard to beat.