MONTEGO BAY, St James — Hailed as a “champion” of Sandals Resorts who was there from the very beginning, Brian Roper has been posthumously honoured with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Lifetime Achievement Award. It was one of two presented during the JHTA annual general meeting last Saturday, with the other bestowed on Pierre Battaglia, former general manager of Couples Sans Souci.

Roper passed last year and family members accepted the award on his behalf.

“Brian Roper was, in every sense, a tourism stalwart, dedicating over four decades to the growth and excellence of the industry he loved. As one of the original champions of Sandals Resorts, even before its first property opened, Brian helped shape the guest experience into an art form,” the award citation read.

“His warmth, wit, and remarkable ability to connect with people made him a beloved figure across the Caribbean hospitality landscape,” it continued.

Known for his work in a variety of departments throughout his career, Roper was labelled as the consummate professional with an extraordinary eye for detail and a genuine passion for people.

“His generosity of spirit and commitment to excellence remain an enduring part of Caribbean tourism’s success story. Though he is no longer with us in person, his influence, humour, and humanity continue to resonate through those he mentored and those he served,” the citation said.

Battaglia, for his part, was recognised for more than 52 years of dedicated service to the hospitality industry.

Also among the evening’s honourees was sprint legend Usain Bolt who was honoured with the Abe Issa Award for Excellence. The Olympian was honoured for having brought international recognition to the island, among a raft of other accomplishments. Most recently, in May, the Jamaica Tourist Board appointed Bolt Jamaica’s Global Tourism Ambassador.

There were several other awards on the night as the JHTA recognised the industry’s best. Among them was Half Moon General Manager Shernette Crichton, who was named Hotelier of the Year. She has worked at Half Moon for 18 years and has been general manager for the last six.

Hotel Manager of the Year was awarded to Pegasus Head Chef Mark Cole; Hotel Supervisor of the Year went to Royalton Blue Waters’ Steward Supervisor Odaine Brady; Hotel Employee of the Year went to Sandals Royal Caribbean’s Nahdira Spence; while Tourism Employee of the Year went to Marilyn Monteith from Dispatch Jamaica Tours.

In addition, Jamwest Motorsports & Adventure Park Limited was named Attraction of the Year; Tropical Tours Limited topped the category for Local Transportation/Destination Management; and Caribbean Airlines walked away with the International Airline Award.

Allied members of the JHTA were also recognised, with Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited copping the Allied Member Services Award while the Allied Member of the Year title went to Rose Hall Great House.

Of note, Jamaica Inn walked away with the Environmental Sustainability Award for small accommodation and Bahia Principe for the large accommodation category.