Q & A with John Issa, President and owner of Jamaica-based SuperClubs Group

Q.- What new investment projects are you considering for the Caribbean region?

A.- At the moment we have under construction a new Breezes in Panama, about an hour from Panama City in an area called Playa Blanca. We’ve completed a major renovation of 300 to 400 rooms at the Breezes Bahamas, which included new bathrooms, flat-screen TVs, new sliding doors, new furniture.

Also major improvements of a similar nature are being carried out in Curacao, in the Dominican Republic’s Puerto Plata. And not quite the Caribbean, but not far away, we’ve opened a Starfish in Brazil in the last month, in the northeast, and a Breezes is under construction in Buzios, which is not far from Rio de Janeiro.

Q.- What do you make of the different Spanish hotel groups opening in new destinations across the Caribbean region, for instance in Aruba, St. Lucia and other small islands?
A.- Well, I’ve been joking for a number of years, not just because of the hotel investments from Spain in the region, but also the telecom and banking investments in Brazil, that what Spain could not do with the conquistadors is now doing it with the pesetas.

Q.- What does Brazil stand for SuperClubs?
A.- Brazil is a country of opportunity. There’re some similarities between Jamaica and Brazil, though not in size. We’re very comfortable operating there and we hope to have all of our brands there. We even have two city hotels there that we had to franchise to Sonesta, so we have a Sonesta in Sao Paolo and another Sonesta in Brasilia.

Q.- And Hedonism, what are the growth perspectives for that concept in the near future?
A.- We’ve wanted to expand Hedonism outside Jamaica but we haven’t found the right opportunity yet. But it’s such a well-known brand that its time will come for growth.

Q.- What’s the focus of your expansion in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean?
A.- We’ve been operating in Cuba for 18 years. We operate now in the Dominican Republic, and we’ll be operating in Panama. We have not been able to find a license for operation in Mexico, so we’re very comfortable in the Latin environment and as I’ve said, mi corazón es castellano (my heart is Spanish).

Q.- What do you think of Aruba as a travel destination?
A.- We haven’t been able to get a license for arrangements in Aruba yet, but it may happen. However, we’ve been very successful in Curacao.

Q.- Only in Curacao?
A.- Curacao gives us a base in the Dutch Caribbean and we can grow from there.

Q.- But Curacao’s top outbound market is Europe, whereas Aruba is mostly an American travel destination.
A.- Well, we’ve been able to bring North Americans, both Canadians and Americans, to Curacao, so that’s why many destinations find us attractive.

Q.- What about Panama, Panama City. What hotel class are you opening there?
A.- We’ll be opening a Breezes, a very luxurious four-star Breezes hotel, and it’ll not only have all the restaurants, sports and entertainment facilities, and the spas, but it will also have a casino.

Q.- Right in the heart of the city?
A.- No, in an area called Playa Blanca, about an hour and a half from Panama City.

Q.- When are you planning to open that hotel there?
A.- If the building is right on schedule, we should open it by the end of next year or in early 2009.