The Forum Hotel Jamaica, the first full-service resort on the island’s south shore, opened in Port Henderson under Inter-Continental Hotels Corp. Blending a “Great House” design with 200 guest rooms and 75 island-style cottages, the resort offers luxurious accommodations, a crescent beach, extensive water sports, and vibrant dining options. With proximity to Kingston and rich historical surroundings, it sets a new standard for south coast tourism.

Published Saturday, December 22,1973

New hotel opens in Port Henderson

The Forum Hotel Jamaica, the first complete resort hotel on Jamaica’s south shore, has recently opened in Port Henderson under the management of Inter-Continental Hotels Corp.

According to John P. Sutherland, President of the Americas/Caribbean Division, the Forum Hotel Jamaica is a unique blend of a “Great House” with 200 guest rooms surrounded by 75 island-style cottages.

Each cottage, situated on an individual garden site, features two bedrooms, two baths, a complete kitchen, a salon, and an outdoor verandah. The cottages overlook a crescent of sandy beach, just 10 minutes by hydrofoil from the Kingston Palisadoes International Airport and 20 minutes by taxi from downtown Kingston.

The Forum is a comprehensive vacation resort offering five lighted tennis courts and a range of water sports, including boating, snorkelling, scuba diving, sunbathing, and swimming in either the ocean or the on-site swimming pool. A smaller pool is available for children.A Jamaican mini-market provides supplies for snacks and light meals for cottage guests.

The hotel boasts a vibrant cocktail lounge, the Lime Cay, located off the lobby in the tower building. Guests relaxing poolside can enjoy refreshments at the Banana Bunch snack and cocktail bars, while the Pawpaw coffee shop and brasserie faces the pool.
The Forum Hotel Jamaica features meeting and reception facilities for up to 250 guests, with banquet seating available for up to 180.

For added convenience, ice machines are located on each floor of the main tower and in the cottage areas. Coin-operated washers and dryers are also available in the cottage sections.

Golf enthusiasts will find the Caymanas Golf Club, featuring an 18-hole championship course, a mere 20-minute drive from the hotel. Horseback riding facilities are also located nearby.

The décor in the public rooms and main building highlights Jamaican island crafts and paintings. Many of these Jamaican memorabilia are available for purchase in the hotel shops while typical Jamaican music and entertainment enhance the ambiance in the public areas.

The Forum Hotel Jamaica, located at Port Henderson directly opposite the city of Kingston, offers breathtaking views of the city, particularly at night.
The Jamaican National Trust has restored historic buildings in the area, including Rodney’s Lookout, where Admiral Rodney observed French movements before defeating them in the Battle of the Saints in 1782. Guests at the Forum Hotel Jamaica can enjoy not only modern holiday facilities but also a rich historical setting.

Situated in the lee of the Hellshire Hills, the hotel forms a natural headland at the western end of Kingston Harbour.

Inter-Continental Hotels has three additional projects under way in Jamaica. The 500-room Rose Hall Inter-Continental in Montego Bay, featuring a championship golf course and full resort amenities, is set to open in July 1974. The Inter-Continental Ocho Rios, with 360 rooms, is expected to be completed in October 1974. The Hotel Inter-Continental Kingston, with 390 rooms and part of the new Kingston waterfront development plan, is slated to open in 1975.

The Forum Hotel Jamaica is the newest addition to the 19 hotels in the Americas/Caribbean Division of Inter-Continental Hotels. Inter-Continental Hotels, the world’s largest international hotel chain, is a subsidiary of Pan American World Airways.

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