Blue Diamond Resorts announced in March 2025 that it would open Royalton CHIC Jamaica Paradise Cove, an Autograph Collection all-inclusive resort for adults only, in Runaway Bay on Jamaica’s north coast. The stated timing was late 2026. This article collects what has been published, flags what has not, and explains what to check before you plan around the opening.
The announced facts
The resort carries the Royalton CHIC brand from Blue Diamond Resorts and is part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. It is restricted to guests aged 18 and over. The published room count is 345 suites. Select room categories offer the Diamond Club level, which the company describes as including a personal butler, upgraded food and drinks, streamlined check-in, enhanced in-suite amenities and access to private resort areas.
On dining, the announcement lists four specialty a la carte restaurants, an international buffet, a Jerk Hut and a sports bar and lounge. Entertainment is built around the CHIC Angels, the brand’s performance team, under a “Party Your Way” philosophy. Blue Diamond says the brand already operates in Cancun, Punta Cana and Antigua, with Barbados to follow. Jordi Pelfort, president of Blue Diamond Resorts, said in the announcement: “We continue to push boundaries, curating exceptional resorts in the most desirable beachfront locations.”
Where Runaway Bay is
The resort is in Runaway Bay, which the announcement describes as a quiet coastline with private coves. It is about one hour from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and about 40 minutes from the airport at Ocho Rios. That puts it between two of Jamaica’s best-known resort areas, and it changes the transfer calculation. Guests who fly into Montego Bay should plan on a transfer of around an hour, roughly the same as many Ocho Rios properties, and longer than the short drive to resorts closest to the airport. Our article library includes a guide to choosing a base in Jamaica that explains how drive time shapes a resort stay.
Runaway Bay is not as heavily developed as Montego Bay or Negril, so guests should not expect a dense strip of restaurants and shops outside the resort gates. The advantage is a calmer feel. The trade-off is that evenings away from the resort usually involve a taxi or a booked tour.
What has not been confirmed
The sources we found agree on the details above, but none gives an exact opening date beyond “late 2026”. We did not find a newer official notice that confirms a date, opens a booking window or announces phasing. That does not mean the project has stalled, only that the public record we could verify is the March 2025 announcement and later reports repeating it.
Jamaica’s resort sector has also been in recovery since Hurricane Melissa made landfall in October 2025, and we have covered the reopening plans of several operators on this site. Whether that has affected construction schedules at this property is not stated in anything we found, so we will not guess. If you are planning a trip around a late 2026 or early 2027 opening, treat the date as unconfirmed.
Questions to ask if you are tempted to book early
- Is the resort taking reservations, and for which dates?
- What is the confirmed opening date, and what happens to my booking if it moves?
- Will all four restaurants, the buffet and the Jerk Hut be open from day one?
- Is the beach at Runaway Bay suitable for swimming in the season I plan to visit, and are there reef or cove features I should know about?
- What is the transfer arrangement from Montego Bay and from Ocho Rios, and what does it cost?
- What does the Diamond Club level include in practice, and is it worth the premium over a standard suite?
How it fits the wider market
Adults-only, design-led all-inclusives have been one of the strongest themes in recent resort announcements, from Riu’s conversions to Hilton’s Mexican all-inclusive moves, both of which we have covered. Royalton CHIC itself is already in several other destinations, so the brand’s style is easy to research. Guests who like a party-led atmosphere with a butler-style premium tier will find the format familiar. Guests who want a quiet, low-key week should read the entertainment description carefully, because nightly performance programmes are built into this brand.
When the opening is confirmed, the most useful information will be first-hand guest reports, the final inclusions list and the resort fact sheet. Until then the sensible approach is to follow the announcement, avoid prepaying non-refundable rates and keep an eye on the official resort page.
If you are planning a Jamaica trip in the meantime, our coverage of the island’s reopened properties is a better guide to what is available now than a resort that has not yet welcomed guests.
Sources: Blue Diamond Resorts announcement via Hotel Online (March 2025); follow-up trade reports repeating the late 2026 timing.