S Hotel Builds Shelters for Victims
S Hotel Montego Bay has launched 'S for Shelters', a programme building one-bedroom wooden units to house hurricane victims, aiming to have families moved in by Christmas. The hotel has already delivered three units and is completing more, with staff, guests and the projects team mobilised to construct two to three homes per day.
S Hotel Montego Bay has launched a rapid-response housing initiative, dubbed "S for Shelters", to provide one-bedroom wooden homes for people left homeless by the recent hurricane. The hotel says the goal is to have the units built and occupied in time for Christmas, turning part of its car park into a temporary construction site as teams work to deliver shelter quickly. "This initiative is very important to us.
It is very important to our hearts," hotel manager and brand ambassador Andres Cope told reporters. He said the project grew out of emotional appeals from overseas guests who felt guilty travelling while parts of Jamaica were devastated. "As a Jamaican-owned hotel, it’s important for us to give back to those who are in need," Cope said.
Workmen were putting finishing touches on two units in the hotel car park as Cope spoke. The lumber-built 10-by-12-foot units are designed to be sturdier than many of the temporary board houses commonly seen after storms; S Hotel projects manager Tardo Nelson estimated they can last 10 years or more with proper maintenance such as repainting and basic care.
The hotel said it has already delivered three of the homes — two in Hartford, Westmoreland and one in Black River, St Elizabeth — and construction is under way on additional units. The projects team has become highly efficient, with Nelson noting the crew can complete two houses within 24 hours.
The aim is to complete two to three homes per day as the effort intensifies ahead of the holidays. Recipients are identified through information provided by S Hotel employees who live in affected communities and personally know residents who lost their homes. Cope highlighted cases of severe need, including a paralysed man who was the first recipient of a shelter. "We will do our part to ensure that we are delivering these homes to persons who are really in need," he said.
The initiative has also drawn volunteer support from guests. Self-employed visitor Mike Vanbuskirk of Florida described helping to build homes as a meaningful way for tourists to contribute to recovery. Retirees Tim and Marva Joseph from Virginia praised the hotel’s clear communication during and after the storm and said witnessing the construction in the car park was heartening.
For BVI residents, the S Hotel effort underscores how the tourism sector can play a direct role in disaster recovery — providing immediate shelter, mobilising staff and guests, and demonstrating practical models for private-sector support in the wake of storms. The project remains modest in scale but offers urgent, tangible relief to families while reinforcing links between hospitality and community resilience.
Primary source: VINO