A Platinum Anniversary

A RICH HISTORY “We’ve come so far from our humble beginnings,” says Guy Steuart III, chairman of the board of Half Moon. Witnessing historical events, from the island's independence to natural disasters such as the 2020 pandemic, Steuart says the resort has endured because of its people and its legacy – not just among guests but also the generational workers who have contributed to every detail.

The story of the iconic Half Moon begins in 1954 when 17 businessmen – among them Donald Deskey, designer of New York City’s famous Radio City Music Hall; Harvey Firestone Jr. of the Firestone Tire& Rubber Co.; and Steuart’s grandfather.

HALF MOON HISTORY AND HIGHLIGHTSTIMELINE:

• 1954-Half Moon opens with six employees.
• 1959-Chris Blackwell released his first record under the Island Records label by jazz pianist Lance Hayward, who was the house band leader at Half Moon. In December 2016,Steuart obtained the original record and found a Volume 2 to be played at an on-site party with Hayward’s family and the original drummer from the band, Clarence ‘Tootsie’ Bean.
• 1960-Rose Hall and Half Moon set out to design Jamaica’s greatest golf course with designer Robert Trent Jones Sr.
• 1961-The Prince of Wales(now King Charles III) first visited Half Moon with his father.
• 1962-Jamaica gained independence Aug. 6.Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, visited to open the Jamaican Parliament and all cottages were fully booked at Half Moon, which served as the official guesthouse for the opening. Queen Elizabeth II visited multiple times years later.
• 1965-Half Moon comprises 60 rooms.
• 1975-Half Moon employs 264 people.
• 1979-Half Moon purchases the Colony Hotel, adding 25 acres of land and 500 meters of waterfront to the Half Moon property. Architect Earl Levy converted the Colony cottages in to one-bedroom villas. The area was known as Oleander until 2017 when it was replaced by Eclipse.
• 1980s-A time share concept was developed for 260 25-year club membership contracts (valid only for one week per year).
• 1988-Jamaica was struck by Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 4 hurricane. Twenty-foot waves damaged Half Moon, with palm trees uprooted and bungalows heavily damaged. Not to mention,80% of Jamaican homes lost their roofs.
• 1997/1998-A kitchen spark ignited what became known as the Grand Fire, which destroyed the main building, including dozens of original artworks by Michael Lester Leszczyński, other wise known as Michael Lester.
• 2003-Sixty-six first generation Hibiscus suites and all but one of seven cottages east of the main lobby were replaced. The newer Hibiscus suites were subsequently renovated in the summer of 2021.
• 2019-SalamanderCollection was appointed to manage the resort and prepare to open the Caribbean’s finest new property in a generation: Eclipse at Half Moon.
• 2020-Eclipse opens to great acclaim after years of planning, creating three resort experiences at Half Moon: Founders Cove, Eclipse and the Rose Hall Villas. However, just three weeks after Eclipse’s opening, Jamaica closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Half Moon closed for several weeks, but rebounded exceptionally well.
• 2022-Half Moon attains the coveted Forbes Four-Star award, making it the highest-rated property in Jamaica. Additionally, Prince William and Princess Katherine pay the resort a royal visit.

“Workers used to take a donkey to get to the hotel,” says Steuart, recognizing the hotel’s immense growth over the years and its impact on the island’s development as a result of tourism. He jokes that the hotel now offers a parking lot, which may seem simple but, in reality, Half Moon, he says, “is an interesting case study over the years of entrepreneurial success and contribution to the region” as the hotel is a home-away-from-home for both travelers from afar and their local staff from the town over.

From 1954 to 2024, the hotel has hosted celebrities from political figures to royalty, and continued operating through cultural, political and natural events that have all become a significant part of its history. The British Royal Family have visited multiple times, including Queen Elizabeth II, (now) King Charles III, Prince Harry, Prince William and Princess Catherine. Politically, George H.W. Bush also visited while, in 1960, John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline and their daughter Caroline stayed over a month at Cottage 9. Hollywood heavyweights Paul Newman, Noel Coward , Patty Page and Rock Hudson all enjoyed vacations at there sort, too.

Today, Half Moon offers three distinctive resort experiences: Eclipse at Half Moon, Founders Cove at Half Moon and Rose Hall Villas by Half Moon. In total, the resort offers 210elegantly appointed rooms and suites, including multi-bedroom villas, two miles of beach front, numerous restaurants and bars, Fern Tree – a Salamander Spa, a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and much more.

Yet there’s a reason beyond its idyllic location that, during peak periods, 85% of guests are return visitors. “We represent a cultural crossroads in Jamaica,” Steuart says. “Whether your intellectual eye is drawn to art, music, cuisine, drinks, architecture or nature, you’ll find it throughout your stay here. ”It’s just how Steuart’s grandfather envisioned it all those years ago.