THINK The Plaza on New York’s Fifth Avenue, The Savoy on London’s River Thames, or the Pullman located a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower in France. Those are the circles now being travelled by LCH Development Limited’s US$450-million The Pinnacle, nestled on the Reading Peninsula in Montego Bay.

LCH recently announced that it has inked a deal that will see The Pinnacle’s 240-key branded luxury hotel and its 417 luxury residences benefiting from the expertise of Accor Ennismore (AE), the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company.

Accor, which has majority stake in AE, a four-year-old joint venture, is the second-largest (behind only Marriott) hotel parent brand when measured in terms of completed and upcoming projects. Meanwhile, Ennismore operates 184 hotels in 40 countries, with another 140 planned. Also under the Ennismore umbrella are more than 500 restaurants and bars in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East.

One Ennismore brand will operate The Pinnacle’s 28-floor hotel tower while another will manage the residences and 12 luxury villas. The names of the two brands are expected to be announced later this year.

According to Jason Hsiang, executive vice-president of development for the Americas at Ennismore, The Pinnacle is the perfect fit for Accor’s entry into Jamaica.

“We’ve been growing quite rapidly in the Americas and, from an aspect of growth, very selective where we go [in] growing the business,” he said during a recent media briefing to announce the deal with The Pinnacle.

“With all the given nuances and particular opportunities we have here at The Pinnacle it just allows such a phenomenal opportunity for Accor to launch here in Jamaica,” Hsiang added.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett sees Accor’s entry as a catalyst for other big brands to follow.

“Accor, we’ve wanted you so long. We’re happy that you have finally landed in Jamaica,” he said.

As noted by the independent development consultancy firm Global Branded Residences, Jamaica has only a handful of luxury residential developments — The Tryall Club, Round Hill, Soleil Residences in Montego Bay, and The Camden in the centre of Kingston — and The Pinnacle will be the first to have branded residences on the island.

Bartlett is keen on local employees’ skill levels and remuneration being elevated to match the product.

“I’m excited about… training and building the capacity of our people to provide high-end luxury offerings in the tourism space — that’s very, very important,” he told Ennismore’s Hsiang.

“We talk about low-end jobs and low-paying jobs, and we talk about how do we make that transition into the value added — and this is it. It is when you bring brands of this nature at a higher end of offering that you will then require a higher quality of productivity and a higher level of income,” the minister added.

In response, Hsiang gave an assurance that the Ennismore approach is to become an integral part of, and grow with, communities in which it does business. In addition, LCH’s Chief Operating Officer Tanya Golaub provided details on how the local labour force will benefit from Ennismore’s world-renowned brands’ “reputation for flawless service”, along with its “gold-standard hospitality model that is refined, personalised, and consistently excellent”.

“This partnership will benefit our wider community. We are dedicated to nurturing a strong Jamaican workforce. This we will achieve through Ennismore’s international training programmes and with our own Pinnacle Foundation where our education and housing programme is created to empower our people, raising the bar of excellence,” said Golaub.

The Pinnacle’s overall project consists of four 28-storey towers, a 15-slip marina for yachts, a five-storey members’ only club exclusively for occupants of its luxurious apartments and villas, along with a long list of impressive features and amenities.

Phase one — made up of towers one (The Swallowtail) and two (The Canary), along with seven-floor parking — is expected to be completed by 2027. LCH is counting on its announced partnership with Accor Ennismore to boost interest and sales.

Architectural render of an interior view of The Pinnacle

CEO of LCH Development Limited Yangsen Li (left) signs on the dotted line as LCH Chief Operating Officer Tanya Golaub (second left), Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett (second right), and executive vice-president of development for the Americas at Ennismore Jason Hsiang look on. The occasion was a recent signing ceremony in Montego Bay, St James, for The Pinnacle’s partnership and landmark agreement with Accor Ennismore.

Architectural render of a living room and terrace inside The Pinnacle

Render showing one of four towers that will make up the US$450-million luxury development, The Pinnacle.