ST JAMES, Jamaica—Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has lauded the achievement of S Hotel Montego Bay on being named the best all-inclusive Caribbean resort for 2026 by USA Today Readers’ Choice 10 Best Awards.

Bartlett, in a media release on Thursday, also commended Sunset at the Palms Resort, Negril, on securing fourth place in the same USA Today ranking.

Bartlett said, “This is a tremendous accomplishment and welcome news as the tourism sector recovers following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. To be able to remain top of mind among travellers and secure such prestigious accolades is proof of the resilience of our local properties, including S Hotel Montego Bay and Sunset at the Palms, and their continued commitment to always providing excellent service regardless of the circumstances.”

His comments came on Wednesday as he gave the keynote address at the launch of recording artiste Suga’s remake of Bobby Bloom’s global hit song, Montego Bay and the celebration of S Hotel Montego Bay’s seventh anniversary. The occasion was marked by the announcement of S Hotel Montego Bay securing the coveted award.

“We didn’t know how well we were going to do, but we were really hopeful. Especially with the after effects of Melissa, we felt that if we won this award, it would be a good boost for Jamaica, for our tourism industry, and we’re so happy that we did,” said Chris Issa, owner of S Hotel.

Congratulating the hotel’s team for making it possible, Issa also pointed out that this was the hotel’s third international tourism award in just three months.

Recording artiste Suga was also commended for her version of Montego Bay, which is supported by VP Records and Penthouse Records, with a highly professional video that promotes the iconic city.

Bartlett also revealed that a major transformation of the waterfront from Montego Bay’s cruise ship pier in the west to Falmouth in the east is being explored under a bold plan to reimagine Montego Bay, to enable it “to be the most significant tourism destination in the entire Caribbean.”

In outlining the new vision for the area, Bartlett gave an assurance that “there will be no single destination within the Caribbean area that will have the kind and quality of product that Montego Bay will have when we are finished.”

The reimagined look of Montego Bay will include two mega hotels in the Rose Hall area, creating what Bartlett described as “the casino crescent of the Caribbean” and the world’s first innovation township to be developed in the nearby community of Barrett Town.

He said discussions with a leading international architect with Jamaican roots, but who was not named, commence on Thursday.

In response to concerns that post Hurricane Melissa only 42 percent of Montego Bay’s room stock has been reopened, with the others scheduled for November, Bartlett urged understanding of what is being done, promising that “we’re coming back with a bigger, better and more exciting experiential tourism offering that is going to drive Jamaica to another dimension in growth and development.”

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s aggressive marketing drive to fully rebuild tourism post- hurricane Melissa, picks up on Wednesday, January 14, when Bartlett will leave the island to lead a team on a marketing blitz beginning in New York; to be followed by a trip to attend the FITUR international tourism trade show in Spain; a visit to London; three days in South America before going on to Canada and then to India.