Hurricane Melissa Jamaica Hotel Reopenings Timeline

Published on Nov 21, 2025, 11:41 am CST

9 min read

Key points

Tourism officials are targeting a broad restart of Jamaica's visitor economy by December 15, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa
Roughly 30 to 40 hotels and resorts are already welcoming guests in key areas such as Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril, while others remain shut for repairs
Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay has largely resumed normal operations after initial damage and gate closures from the storm
Eight Hyatt Inclusive Collection resorts around Montego Bay are closed through January 31, 2026, and three major Sandals resorts will not reopen until May 30, 2026
Travelers with near term trips should reconfirm hotel status, stay flexible on dates and locations, and build extra time into flights and transfers while repairs continue

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: The tightest capacity and greatest risk of last minute changes are around Montego Bay, where clusters of large all inclusive resorts remain closed while Sangster airport fine tunes operations
Best Times To Travel: Trips from mid December onward should see a stronger set of options, but travelers who want the widest resort choice may prefer late January through spring 2026 once more properties reopen
Onward Travel And Changes: Expect some excursions, dining options, and room categories to stay limited even at open hotels, and leave generous time for airport transfers and island hops while crews finish road and utility work
What Travelers Should Do Now: Confirm the status of your specific resort in writing, monitor airline waivers, consider shifting bookings to open parts of the island, and travel with flexible dates and insurance that covers weather disruption
Health And Safety Factors: Tourist zones now generally have power, water, and cleared roads, but visitors should respect that some local communities are still rebuilding and follow any government advisories on affected areas

Hurricane Melissa Jamaica hotel reopenings are unfolding faster than many travelers expected, as resort corridors report steady progress less than a month after the storm made landfall on October 28, 2025. Tourism leaders say the core visitor experience in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril is coming back quickly, with several dozen hotels and resorts already back in service. At the same time, some of the island's largest all inclusive properties face months of repairs, so travelers need to pay close attention to which specific resorts and dates they choose.

The central change for trip planning is that Jamaica now has a two speed recovery, with many smaller and mid sized properties largely back on line by mid November and a smaller group of high profile resorts staying shut well into 2026 while they rebuild. In practical terms, the Hurricane Melissa Jamaica hotel reopenings picture means most travelers can resume planning trips for late 2025, but they may need to be flexible on brand, location, and room type if they usually stay in the largest Montego Bay all inclusive clusters.

Airport and infrastructure recovery

On the aviation side, the three international gateways are mostly back to work. Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, which saw the most direct damage, reopened for limited commercial flights around October 30 and expanded operations after initial testing, although several gates stayed closed for repairs in the first days. Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) and Ocho Rios' Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) resumed flights more quickly and supported both relief and commercial operations while crews worked at Montego Bay.

By early November, airlines including American Airlines had restored scheduled service to all three Jamaican airports, with temporary waivers on some change fees and baggage charges for affected routes. Government and airport officials say power, water, and basic services are back in the main tourist zones, even as repairs continue in harder hit communities away from the resort corridors.

For travelers, that means flight options are broadly available again, but exact schedules and aircraft types may continue to shift as carriers match capacity to the returning hotel inventory. It remains smart to favor nonstop flights when possible, avoid tight self connections through other hurricane affected hubs, and arrive at the airport earlier than usual until operations clearly stabilize.

Which hotels and resorts are already open

Tourism officials, including the Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board, say their goal is to have the bulk of the tourism economy operating again by December 15, 2025. They report that roughly 30 to 40 hotels and resorts are already welcoming guests, with a concentration in areas that saw less structural damage, such as parts of Ocho Rios and Negril, and on properties that weathered the storm with only cosmetic impacts.

Deputy directors and other spokespeople have emphasized that visitors can expect electricity, running water, and cleared main roads in the primary resort belts, thanks in part to local volunteers and hotel staff who joined cleanup efforts around key tourism zones. Many open properties are operating close to normal, although some are still using partial inventories of rooms, limited dining outlets, or scaled back entertainment while repairs finish.

If you already hold a booking at a smaller or independent hotel, chances are higher that the property has either reopened or provided a clear update by now. Larger brands with more complex facilities tend to publish detailed advisories, so checking the latest statements on their official websites is essential before you finalize flights or nonrefundable add ons.

Major closures, Hyatt and Sandals timelines

The biggest gaps in the Hurricane Melissa Jamaica hotel reopenings picture are around Montego Bay's high density all inclusive strips. Hyatt's Inclusive Collection has suspended operations and stopped accepting new reservations at eight resorts in and around Montego Bay until January 31, 2026. Those properties include Breathless Montego Bay Resort and Spa, Dreams Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Secrets St James Montego Bay, Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay, Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa, and Zoetry Montego Bay Jamaica, all of which remain closed for repairs and assessment.

Sandals Resorts International has confirmed an even longer closure window for three of its flagship Jamaican properties, Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast. Company advisories and briefings state that those resorts will stay closed until May 30, 2026, with plans to carry out significant upgrades and reopen them in what executives have described as a more modern 2 point 0 configuration.

Several other brand name resorts and villas across the island have announced December 2025 reopening dates after repairs and inspections, while a small number of properties in heavily damaged zones are still evaluating structural issues and have not set public timelines. In most cases, guests at closed resorts are being offered rebooking options at sister properties, date changes, or refunds, although the exact terms depend on whether the reservation was booked directly or through a third party.

Tourism strategy and booking momentum

The government has activated a Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and a Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee to coordinate public and private sector efforts, both to restore capacity and to reassure travelers who may be unsure whether to keep bookings. Officials are explicit that tourism is central to the recovery, and messaging from the Jamaica Tourist Board and major hotel groups stresses that spending nights in open resorts is one of the most direct ways visitors can support the island's rebound.

At the same time, spokespeople have been careful not to claim that everything is back to normal. They frame the current phase as a swift but uneven return, where the core tourism product that drew travelers in the first place, beaches, music, hospitality, and scenery, remains intact, yet some familiar resorts and excursions are offline or running at reduced capacity. That honesty has helped restore booking momentum, with many guests choosing to shift dates or switch properties instead of cancelling outright when their original hotel remains closed.

For cruise travelers, port schedules and shore excursions have their own timeline, including recent adjustments and reopenings around Ocho Rios. Readers planning sailings that call in Jamaica should cross check their ship's latest itinerary and can refer to Adept Traveler's coverage of Jamaica cruise port shifts and the reopening of Ocho Rios for port specific detail and excursion guidance.

How to choose dates and locations now

If you are booked for late November or early December, the safest strategy is to confirm, in writing, that your specific resort will be open on the nights you plan to stay and to understand which facilities might still be limited. Travelers who value a full slate of dining options, spa services, and excursions may prefer dates from mid December onward, when more inventory is expected to be back online in line with the government's restart target.

Montego Bay will continue to feel the absence of its large Hyatt and Sandals complexes into early 2026, so visitors who usually stay in that cluster might look at other Montego Bay properties, shift to Ocho Rios or Negril, or choose smaller boutique resorts along the north and west coasts. Those willing to travel in spring or early summer 2026 will likely see the widest choice, once the major brands complete repairs and reopenings.

Regardless of dates, plan for a bit more friction than in a normal year. Airport lines may fluctuate as airlines rebuild schedules, transfers can take longer if alternate routes are in use during road work, and some popular tours, particularly those that rely on heavily damaged natural sites or infrastructure, may be paused or rerouted. Buying travel insurance that covers weather and infrastructure disruption, keeping at least one buffer day on complicated itineraries, and avoiding separate tickets on tight connections are all reasonable precautions for the next few months.

Background, how Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa intensified rapidly in late October, eventually striking Jamaica with winds that rank among the strongest on record for a landfalling storm on the island and causing widespread flooding, power outages, and structural damage in multiple parishes. International coverage and local reports note that more than half a million residents lost electricity at the peak, thousands were displaced to shelters, and key roads and bridges needed emergency repairs before recovery work could begin.

While tourist zones benefited from priority restoration of power, water, and road access, many residential neighborhoods and rural areas face a longer path back. Travelers returning to Jamaica in the coming months should be prepared to see signs of ongoing rebuilding away from the main resort belts and are encouraged to follow local guidance, respect any restricted zones, and support community led initiatives where appropriate. The tourism restart may be relatively swift, but it is happening alongside a broader national recovery that will continue well past the reopening dates on hotel advisories.