To our valued guests, both past and future:
Don’t we all wish we had a magic wand we could wave to make the COVID-19 virus disappear? While the world is on “pause,” we worked with hospitality and government officials to develop a comprehensive set of new procedures and protocols that will help keep everyone – our guests and our staff – safer and healthier.
At Sunset at the Palms, we’re all about “Sensory Magic,” and now is no different. When you visit our resort, you’ll be able to see, smell and feel the changes we’ve made to keep you more comfortable, both physically and mentally.
We also want to remind you that Sunset at the Palms is a different type of resort, and some of the characteristics that help set us apart may also give you additional peace of mind.
We’re a small property – just 85 treehouse-style rooms – so it never feels crowded. There are no elevators and no busy nightclubs. And we’re surrounded by nature, with guest rooms spread throughout a beautiful jungle garden. Your closest neighbor might just be a hummingbird! Even our beach, where you can go to watch a beautiful and calming sunset, has plenty of space for the number of guests who consider us their home away from home.
We know you’re drawn to Jamaica because you want to relax. You want to escape the pressures of daily life, and those stressors have truly multiplied in the past few months. We want you to enjoy a worry-free vacation, so we’ve put dozens of new protocols in place and we’re eager to share them with you.
A complete list of enhancements is available in the document below and we encourage you to ask us questions before and during your visit – but these are some highlights:
- We have an in-room check-in system that allows you to skip the standard front-desk arrival process.
- Our staff undergoes temperature checks and wear face shields and/or masks plus gloves (dependent on job function). All guests must wear masks, too, and and we encourage you to bring your own so you’re sure it’s comfortable. However, we can provide one if you don’t have your own.
- You’ll see an abundance of hand-sanitizing stations throughout the resort. We encourage you to use them.
- You’ll notice our team frequently cleaning the resort, including the use of a specially designed sanitizer on our beautiful hardwood floors and furnishings. Surfaces will be treated throughout the day.
- Each public space has been rearranged to encourage social distancing, including our lounges, bars and beach.
- Housekeeping service will be available daily, but we are asking our guests to let us know if they want our housekeepers, equipped in special gear, to enter their rooms to perform our housekeeping and sanitizing protocols.
- Dining is now available by reservation only to ensure proper distancing. In addition, we’ve eliminated buffet options and all meals will be offered with our usual gracious service.
We’re committed to your overall good health, so you’ll also find menu additions designed to enhance your immune system. Jamaicans have long known the benefits of natural ingredients such as lemongrass and ginger, for example, so take a tip from the islanders and try some of these local remedies while you’re here!
So, there you have it: We’re turning up the Sensory Magic, right down to taste. You might call our new program Sensory Magic 2.0, and we think you’ll appreciate it as much as we appreciate you, our valued guests.
There’s one part of the magic – the feeling part – that was hard for us to wrap our heads around, but it’s the right thing to do and it’s an important change. In the past, guests were greeted with a smile as warm as the Jamaican sun and a hearty handshake. They generally left with a hug, which is also how we welcomed them back as return guests.
In this new era, guests will still be greeted by our warm smiles, but we’re doing something different with our hands. You’ll see us put one hand to our heart in a simple but meaningful gesture that lets you know we’re welcoming you with Heartfelt Hospitality. It’s our new way of telling you how much we love our guests while remaining committed to our top priority: Keeping you, our staff and our beautiful island home safe and healthy.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sunset at the Palms when the time is right for you to travel!
Our Enhanced Health and Safety Protocols
GENERAL
- We’ve always prided ourselves on our high standards of cleanliness and now we’re taking additional efforts to deep-clean our guest rooms, public spaces , high-touch surfaces and staff facilities using hospital-grade cleaning solutions that adhere to CDC and Jamaica’s Ministry of Health guidelines.
- Automatic hand-sanitizer dispensers are strategically positioned in public areas.
- Social distancing is implemented in all public areas, including:
- Spacing of seating in the lobby area.
- Spacing of dining spaces, with fewer tables.
- Spacing or removal of stools in lounges, bars and the piano bar.
- Pool, gym and hot tub capacities have been reduced.
- An increased sanitation schedule is in place for public areas, with a concentration on high traffic areas and those places most often touched by guests.
- Key touch points are sanitized no less than once per hour between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m.
- We’re using a special product from Ecolab that sanitizes our beautiful natural-wood surfaces without marring them.
- Any Covid-19 symptoms displayed by staff or guests will be reported to the Ministry of Health for follow-up according to government protocol.
STAFF
- All staff have their temperatures taken upon arrival at work and at least once more during their shift.
- Temperature readings adhere to CDC and Jamaica’s Ministry of Health guidelines and recommendations.
- All staff are equipped with face shields and/or masks and gloves, dependent on their job responsibilities and level of contact with guests and other staff.
- Staff have their own sanitizer bottles and/or larger bottles are positioned strategically for their use.
- Staff receive a monthly supply of sanitizing detergent to launder their uniforms and do not travel to and from work in that clothing.
- All staff are misted with a sanitizing spray once they’re dressed in their uniforms.
- Social distancing is implemented in all staff areas.
- Virtual meetings are held whenever possible to avoid congregating the staff.
- Outside contractors and delivery people have access to handwashing stations and are misted with a sanitizing spray upon their arrival at the resort.
- There’s a designated area for receiving and sanitizing all deliveries.
ARRIVAL AND CHECK - IN PROCESS
- All guests are encouraged to check in online to expedite their arrival process.
- Guests are provided with health and safety protocol information via email once they check in online.
- Upon arrival, guests are met by their personal concierge, who wears a face shield.
- Our staff has adopted a new greeting – the “hand-to-heart” – to replace our former handshakes and hugs.
- Bags are tagged and sanitized by our bell staff and delivered just outside the door of the guest room.
- Guests are taken directly to their rooms to complete the check in process in-room by their personal concierge.
- The personal concierge completes any missing information for registration and takes the guest’s credit card deposit in-room.
- Key cards have been sanitized before they are inserted into the welcome packet and presented to the guest.
- Guests are asked to supply emergency contact information.
GUEST ROOMS
- When a guest checks out, the entire room – both hard and soft surfaces – is completely misted and sanitized before the next guest arrives.
- Daily housekeeping is available and will be provided by attendants wearing a face shield, mask and gloves, which are sanitized before entering each guest room.
- Guests are asked to hang the Please Make Up My Room sign on the door by 9AM if they would like housekeeping.
- Guests are asked to remain on the balcony or leave the room during housekeeping service.
- Guests are encouraged to use the Do Not Disturb sign and rooms will not be entered.
- Stocked fridges have been discontinued to adhere to the guidelines of the Jamaican government.
- Nightly turndown service has been discontinued.
- All in-room printed material has been removed or replaced with laminated materials, which will be sanitized between guests.
- Glasses and china have been replaced by disposable cups.
- Guests may request that ice be delivered to their room.
DINING
- We require reservations for dining at all restaurants, including the Palm Grove, our former buffet restaurant. Guests may choose from these dining times in the Palm Grove:
- Breakfast: 7, 7:45, 8:30 or 9:15 a.m.
- Lunch: 12:30, 1:15 or 2 p.m.
- Dinner: 6, 6:45, 7:30 or 8:15 p.m.
- Reservations can be made by email in advance of arrival, with the personal concierge upon check-in, or at the concierge desk during the stay.
- Reservations can be made for all days of the stay at one time, if desired.
- All dining areas have been reconfigured to ensure social distancing.
- All restaurants are misted with a sanitizing spray between each meal service.
- All servers wear face shields.
- Servers provide each table with a pitcher of water and/or carafe of coffee to avoid multiple returns to the table.
- Palm Grove restaurant, which used to have several entrances, is now limited to three points of entry so staff can monitor the number of guests arriving at any single time and direct them to the host stand.
- Guests must check in at each restaurant’s host stand to be seated.
- The host offers all guests hand sanitizer and performs a temperature check.
- Once they’re seated at Palm Grove, guests are presented with menus for plated breakfast and dinner – which comes from the resort’s popular themed menus – and a la carte lunch, all served at the table.
- We’ve added special offerings to our café menu to bolster guests’ immune systems, including lemongrass, ginger and garlic teas.
BEACH GRILL
- Food orders are taken by our “Beach Buddies” and delivered to guests’ loungers or tables.
- Guests may choose to get their own drinks from the bar while maintaining social distancing, or our Beach Buddies can deliver beverages to guests’ loungers or tables.
- Guests can continue using our “flag-in-the-sand” system to indicate a desire for service. Those flags are sanitized after each guests’ use.
BARS
- All bartenders wear face shields.
- The bartenders sanitize their hands after preparing each order.
- We have discontinued drink garnishes.
ACTIVITIES AND RECREATION
- Beach towels are no longer left in guest rooms but are now kept on special shelving at the pool and beach for guests to help themselves. The shelving was specifically built for this purpose.
- Beach loungers are misted and sanitized at the beginning and end of the day and between each guest.
- Our non-motorized water sports, complimentary to all guests, are operated by an outside vendor who adheres to all protocols issued by Jamaica’s Ministry of Health.
- Guests are encouraged to bring their own books and games for their entertainment, since our Take One, Leave One library and board games are no longer available.
SPA
- Each spa technician wears a mask.
- Upon request, the spa technician can wear gloves while performing treatments.
- The spa technician wears a disposable gown for each treatment and immediately discards the gown when the treatment is complete.
- Guests will be asked to shower in the spa before their treatment.
GIFT SHOP
- A maximum of four shoppers are permitted in the gift shop at one time.
