Bocobay expands Jamaican holiday-home management with The Azure partnership

Bocobay is expanding its property-management business in Jamaica through a partnership at The Azure in Discovery Bay, extending its model of staffed holiday residences along the north coast, according to Kellaray Miles’s reporting in the Jamaica Observer.

The UK-based company operates more than 400 properties across Jamaica, Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic. Founder and chief executive Nick Curtis told the Observer that he established the business with his brother James about six years ago.

Curtis describes a service built around dedicated on-site teams. Each development receives a resort manager, hosts, housekeeping, maintenance and concierge staff. The local model uses Jamaican staff, while centralised services handle marketing, pricing and reservations through Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Bocobay’s own booking channels.

Curtis says professional management aims to relieve owners of day-to-day operations, give guests more consistent service and improve occupancy and rental income.

Bocobay’s first major Jamaican project is Palm Beach in Runaway Bay, St Ann, a 21-acre development comprising 22 luxury villas and six condos. Its recent partnership at The Azure adds a Discovery Bay location in the same parish.

The Azure comprises 43 one- and two-bedroom residences and is being developed by KeFordCo Development Ltd with Linear Development and Construction Ltd. Construction is about 70% complete, with completion targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The intended operating model is a boutique resort with a full-time Bocobay team on site.

KeFordCo managing director Leacroft Forden said recurring complaints about cleanliness, security and comfort in Jamaica’s short-term rental market influenced the choice of a professional operator. He expects better guest experiences, less daily management work for buyers, consistent returns and long-term property appreciation.

Curtis points to Jamaica’s tourism brand, airlift from North America and the United Kingdom, and the pipeline of north-coast luxury residences as reasons for expansion. He also sees a market among owners who manage properties themselves or use informal arrangements.

Bocobay targets Jamaican owners at home and in the diaspora, international property investors and travellers seeking alternatives to traditional hotels. The reported guest mix includes families, groups, couples, remote workers and longer-stay visitors, alongside Jamaicans taking north-coast breaks and travellers from elsewhere in the Caribbean.

The Observer reports annual gross bookings above US$50 million for the regional company. Gross bookings measure the value booked before costs. Separate Jamaican bookings, audited company profit, owner net returns and management fees were not given in the report.

Curtis plans further north-coast developments and expansion into other Jamaican parishes. Regionally, he intends to grow across the four existing markets and is considering additional Caribbean islands. He says future partnerships should begin early enough for resort operations to be designed into developments from the start.