For Montego Bay’s James “Jimmy” Wright, dedicating 61 years to the hotel industry was not the easiest task, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“The industry is very rewarding, but also extremely demanding. You can be called at any hour of the night or any time of the day. You can also be moved from one area, so you have to be extremely flexible,” says Wright.
Luckily, he was able to embrace this nomadic professional life, working in several capacities across different departments in local and international hotels. His introduction to the world of hotel accommodations, he says, came when, on the cusp of adulthood, he journeyed to St Ann.
“When I left high school, I joined a small hotel training school that was operated in Ocho Rios to train employees for the Plantation Inn that was under construction at the time. When the hotel was opened, I graduated from the training school and I started as a bartender,” he shares.
After two years at Plantation Inn, Wright’s burning desire for more encouraged him to pursue a job opportunity at the newly built Arawak Hotel.
“A hotel opened in Mammee Bay by the name of Arawak Hotel and I decided to move there. I started out as a bar waiter for a very short time then I was promoted to bar manager,” Wright recounts.
But, he did not stop there. Wright went on to receive formal training overseas to better equip himself for the opportunities that awaited.
“I was there for about five years, then I migrated to the United States of America for a short period where I attended the Hotel Management Institute of Chicago,” he says.
“While I was in training in Chicago I was recruited by the Runaway Bay Hotel. So, I came back and I was given the position of night manager. I did that for about a year then I was promoted to resident manager,” Wright continues.
His big break, he proudly remembers, came in 1974 when he landed a job at the then Intercontinental Hotel in Montego Bay. Wright became the first Jamaican to be promoted to the position of food and beverage manager at the hotel.
“I started as the assistant food and beverage manager then I was promoted to food and beverage manager,” he says.
Wright’s flexibility was put to the test when he was transferred to different departments at the Intercontinental Hotel. He excelled.
“I was then transferred to the sales and marketing team for the hotel and in 1991 and 1994, I was awarded director of sales,” he tells LetsTravelCaribbean.com.
“I also took over the project management of the renovations, so I have had a wide variety of responsibilities at that hotel. I’ve covered almost every position that exists there,” a proud Wright continues.
Though the hotel went on to change names over the years, the one thing that remained the same was Wright’s dedication to the resort.
“I spent 41 of those 61 years at the Intercontinental Hotel that is now known as the Jamaica Hilton. It was extremely challenging because most of the positions that I acquired while I was there were the first for a Jamaican to hold those positions,” he says.
“I’ve had a lot of opportunities and I’ve worked very hard, so I have achieved a lot,” says a contented Wright.
