FDR reopens welcoming first group – and they’re Jamaicans
HOTELS ON Jamaica’s north coast continue to welcome local guests and Jamaicans continue to take up the offers. Newly promoted Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay and her batchmates who graduated from the Police Academy on November 12, 1990, took their annual reunion over the weekend to the recently refurbished Franklyn D Resort (FDR) in Runaway Bay, St Ann, and had a blast. The hotel was closed for renovation on September 1 and reopened November 1, after extensive upgrades which saw two new suites being built and major physical improvements to the plant and menu options, among other things. Lindsay’s group was the first to book since the hotel reopened and being a Jamaican group, there was some significance for FD’s Executive Assistant Manager, Trishawana Davidson, who hailed the continued support of the hotel by locals. For Lindsay, who also used the occasion to celebrate her recent promotion, the facility was ideal for her group of 40 this year, after they made the decision to bring family members to the get-together. “This year we were looking for an alternate that was a little different because we’ve been to most of the resorts in Jamaica, and our search took us to FDR,” Lindsay explained on Saturday. “It’s a smaller facility than we’re accustomed to, so it feels very intimate. Also, there is a lot of nature, so we were quickly drawn to the facility. This year, we decided we were going to take family members, especially the children, so I think one of the highlights is the nanny service that they offer.” Speaking of the support from Jamaicans, Davidson suggested this was the norm. “We do get huge support from our Jamaican market, especially over the summertime and weekends. You know, once school is out, everybody always come down and treat their families, and everybody loves the nanny concept. We also have a very high level of repeat clientele as it relates to our local market as well; we have like multigenerational families that come here all the time,” she explained. Looking forward to the upcoming winter season, Davidson said the Thanksgiving weekend will kick-start what is expected to be a busy period for FDR. According to Davidson: “Things are going well. All the guests are pleased with the improvements, they love the food, they love the hospitality, the service from the staff and it’s a positive vibe, so I encourage everybody to remember the little family place with the nannies in Runaway Bay, FDR!”