It’s a Woman’s World!

Hotel Mocking Bird Hill were delighted to be chosen as The Travel Channel‘s Hotel of Choice for the Port Antonio area recently, when they were filming for their series It’s a Woman’s World, following the travels & adventures of presenter Camilla Andersen in Jamaica. The episode premiered on the 31st of October 2011, but will be reshown on their website so do pay them a virtual visit!
“The food is stunning and most of it sourced locally, homemade breads and jams and fruit platters will get you out of bed in the morning for breakfast…It really is a hideaway with magnificent views” – It’s a Woman’s World

Check out their Facebook page too for a gallery of images from Jamaica, including photos from the interview with our very own co-owner and resident artist Barbara Walker.

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A Family Wedding in Jamaica – Inclusive Without Costing the Earth

Getting married needn’t cost the earth and nowhere is that more true than the new and inclusive wedding group holiday packages offered by Jamaica’s leading eco-boutique hotel Mocking Bird Hill, epitomising their “guiltless indulgence” philosophy.

As a small independent hotel operator Mocking Bird Hill know that pennies are tight in 2011, and are aware that when on a budget one of the criteria that often gets lost in tough economic times is green principles.  As 2010 winners of Best Hotel for the Environment awarded by Virgin Holidays & Responsible Tourism, they are in the perfect position to ensure that whilst you take care of the pennies they take care of all the green principles on your special day.

Our three new Jamaican wedding packages for groups of 10+ are:

- A Marriage Made of Island Flavours, For those passionate foodies with a taste for the finer things
- Island Elegance, For those with a passion for luxury & refinement that harks back to old Jamaica
- Family Bonding, Island Style, Luxury ‘getting to know you’ that celebrates the family, Jamaican style

Your wedding will be carefully crafted to ensure that all your wishes for your Special Day are fulfilled by our Hotel Wedding Co-ordinator. No individual detail will be overlooked in guaranteeing that you and your guests have the most memorable and relaxing time coming together to celebrate your partnership, whilst also enjoying a wonderful Caribbean holiday combined with inclusive excursions that ensure you get to discover Jamaica’s hidden secrets and bounty.

Each of our three group wedding holiday & honeymoon themes can be tailored to suit your own style and ambience, and any religious or secular disposition and each package ensures that you and your guests get to dine daily on the best organic & sustainable Jamaican fusion cuisine, served romantically in the hotel’s gardens or the Mille Fleurs Restaurant.

Inclusive prices start at a reasonable US$ 1,200.00 per person for 5 nights and, if combined with a short-haul lo-cost flight from the USA or Canada, falls well below the estimated $19,581 spent on a wedding within the US.  What could be better than having your wedding & honeymoon in the Caribbean whilst providing an affordable, greener holiday for those nearest & dearest?

Read the full Wedding Collection at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill

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Love is… A Great Chef

“Wow, the food is so delicious! Where does your Chef come from? “This is a question we are often asked and people are pleasantly surprised when we tell them, that Junior is from the neighbouring village – a guy with a talent for flavours whom we have trained on the job for over 12 years –rather than a formally trained Chef with international experience. Junior is a wonderful example of the potential of our staff – and how encouragement can develop potential.

We still remember the day clearly when we interviewed Junior. Small in stature, unassuming he came with no letters of reference, no certifications – essentially nothing as is often the case in Jamaica when people come looking for work. We have learnt that it is far more important to establish their natural talents, knowing that if they have the right attitude and willingness to learn, we can teach them the actual ‘skills’. We asked him what he could cook and he said “Steamed Fish” – fair enough we said, please cook it. When he presented his steamed fish, he wowed us – it was simply the best steamed fish we had eaten – and that is saying a lot because Steamed Fish is a traditional Jamaican dishes offered everywhere. He got the job because we reasoned that if his sense of taste was so fine with the seasoning done so perfectly and the fish cooked to perfection, then he should be able to learn to cook all sorts of other dishes.

That has been the case with Junior. Many ingredients and flavours are quite foreign to Jamaicans – for example, a taste for sour – generally here it’s either sweet or salty, but Junior has grown so much over the years and met our challenges , including developing that extra taste-bud.  He cooks according to the philosophy of the hotel focusing on simple good food that allows the quality of the products to be showcased while highlighting the Caribbean flavours… Our guests continuously confirm they enjoy our restaurant’s wholesome and healthy food which is never bland, as it is never mass produced.

 We have been through thick and thin – after 9/11 when things were tough and our crew was down to a minimum Junior was (and is) one of the most supportive members of our team – always ready to go the extra mile and understanding that we had to pull through together. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his loyalty and hard work. Over the years we have grown together and now he’s part of the extended family where one knows each other’s quirks and preferences and tries to cheer us up with little touches when we might not be feeling so bright. Most of all we enjoy the open, trusting relationship that has developed – and that we can rely on each other. It is comforting to know that not only can we continue to enjoy Junior’s delicious food; but that we can rely on him and the other senior members of our team to train and guide the new team members and more importantly impart our core values to them.

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Petrona – A 10 Year Christmas Star

Having long-standing members on the team makes working not only easier but so much more enjoyable. Petrona, like Donald, is more like an old friend or family member than simply a work colleague, in addition to being a trusted and highly valued member of the team.

Like most of our team members, she did not have formal hospitality skills and training when she first approached us in 2000.  She impressed us with her “can do” spirit and eagerness to learn along with her pleasant personality.  Starting as a housekeeper, Petrona is now a multi-talented key component to Hotel Mocking Bird Hill. Alongside her role as Head Housekeeper, she now oversees the daily operations, having gained experience over the years in the areas of food, beverages and service, she will cook you a delicious breakfast, serve you with her winning smile, make tour arrangements for you, whip up a wicked cocktail, and of course make sure all the details are attended to so that you truly enjoy your room and your stay at the hotel.

We are happy knowing that when we do leave the hotel our guests are in good hands, and really appreciate when we return and receive the feedback from our guests that they are always full of praise for the team and their attentiveness. For us this is one of the greatest satisfactions after 17 years; to know that we are fortunate enough to work with individuals like Petrona who make all the effort over the years so worthwhile. We enjoy the camaraderie and share an understanding that enables us to laugh and overcome all the daily challenges. In fact, we often smile to ourselves when we listen to her introducing new team members… she expresses our values and shares tips like our formal spokesperson  … and recently one of the new staff members responded “Boy, not only you really know your employers… you just like them!”, which we hopes she takes as the compliment intended!

Yes, she really does know our values, and we are so grateful to have the pleasure of working with such a lovely, dedicated person; and we are honoured with the greatest compliment of all, that her daughter has now also joined her team, so we are now training & developing the second generation!

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Best Accommodation Winners Responsible Travel Awards

Celebrate!  We’re over the moon, as we have just been announced winners for the 'Best Accommodation for the Environment' category at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards at London's Docklands, UK at the World Travel Market.   

Hotel Mocking Bird Hill’s 17 years of working with our environment and promoting sustainable tourism in Port Antonio Jamaica has been recognised globally, congratulations to all our team! Knowing that we were competing against 600 organisations & 1700 nominations at these awards shows our achievement.

Attending this ceremony is a fantastic opportunity for us in discovering new ideas and exchanging thoughts about responsible and sustainable tourism globally.

Here is what the judges had to say:

"Proof that indulgence doesn't have to be at the expense of the environment, Mockingbird Hill is a small locally-owned luxury hotel that drives innovation, ensures that good practices are identified and monitored and add value to the local community. The judges were impressed by the scale and depth of their ability to measure impacts – including energy consumption, economic impact for local partners, and recording biodiversity. They list the short distance from their local suppliers down to the last kilometre – impressive in Jamaica where the reliance is typically on imports. They have driven innovation – conducting in-house recycling in an area without the infrastructure for it, and encouraging their suppliers to improve environmental performance." 

As Michael Palin said “If we are really to understand each other better, then we need to be reminded to travel carefully and thoughtfully, listening to people along the way and respecting the world we are privileged to travel through…”

Congratulations to the other award winners of  the Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 – view full list

Read about us in the Responsible Travel Magazine

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The Highest of Hi-Fives to Donald Wynter

The big difference between good & bad hotels is down to the teams that run them.  If the teams are great, with individuals that trust & work well alongside one another and managing their own duties, you never end up with a bad hotel; this is what makes Hotel Mocking Bird Hill a great hotel – its team.

Our longest team member who deserves special mention and thanks is Donald Wynter.  Donald was previously the caretaker of Mocking Bird Hill, in its prior incarnation as a private villa, when we purchased it in 1992. House and inventory had been kept in such good order for the owner who lived in the United States that we thought that it would be an excellent idea to try and employ him.

An excellent idea it was indeed! Since then Donald has been the most trustworthy, loyal and faithful employee that any employer could wish for.   Many times he is both our left & right hand man as he ably assists us in maintaining the hotel. He can fix almost anything: troubleshoot & solve maintenance problems with his uncanny logic, motivate the younger team members, fillet a fish, jerk a chicken, serve at table and calm our sometimes frazzled nerves over a cuppa. After observing how our water harvesting tanks were installed, he now does this himself, and better than the professionals.

Donald is the true master-of-all-trades and the ultimate recycler which is fantastic for an island-based sustainable eco-hotel.  He never throws away any bits & pieces as he reasons you never know when they could come in handy to fix something else. And this he does, re-using and re-making things. This saves on what has to be taken to the tip and it saves money as well. So we have a recycled office and a recycled staff room thanks to Donald.

Thank you Donald, for your hard work and your dedication, you have been a rock. Mocking Bird Hill would not be what it is today without your steadfast support.

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Waste Not Want Not

On Sept 27th the UN annually celebrated World Tourism Day. This fantastic initiative celebrates diversity & IS committed to reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development.

We applaud the Jamaican government for celebrating this event with the intention to recognize, acknowledge and raise awareness of the close relationship between tourism development, biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.

To aid the Jamaican government’s quest in following the UN’s charter of Tourism we thought we’d aid this by pointing out our mistakes so that we can learn for the future.

“
Our hope is of course that people don’t get off, because the ship itself is the destination.  This is better than a lot of the islands.”  Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Captain

When the rest of the world is supposedly battling to save the planet, the Jamaican Port Authority has ripped up coral beds, bulldozed mangrove swamps and made a new landmass of 35 acres that is owned and controlled by Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Company.  For this privilege the Port Authority has paid US$ 224 million with financing from the Danish government (on the proviso that Danish company PHL retains this contract for work). 

This development was justified as an economic opportunity for Falmouth, however the town’s newly made landmass is fenced, walled and guarded from the Jamaican public’s thorough-fare or access.    Any traders wishing to sell in this new market have to find rent a year in advance payable to the Royal Carribean Cruise Ship Company of US$ 1,250 minimum, and US$6,500 NON-refundable key money.  A unique “opportunity” set against all global market advice that encourages trading in debt when the average salary in Jamaica is just $2,652.31 per person.

Currently the date for when this new super cruise ship docks has been delayed due to the MARPOL agreement (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships).  Jamaica is still unready to accept the 2 tonnes of solid waste daily that the ship creates whilst docking – 500,000 gallons of grey water and 60,000 gallons of sewage.

Bigger than the Nimitz Aircraft Carrier, this super cruiser will require 7,230 gallons of fuel per hour, imagine its carbon footprint when even a regular cruise ship is 3 times more than that of planes; there are plenty of sustainable ways to foster Jamaica – this sadly isn’t one of them.

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Jamaica Inspired Jewellery by Gabriele Schenkel

“As a child I was happiest stringing small glass beads onto a cotton thread…”

So was instilled a life-long passion for beads & jewellery within German-born Gabriele Schenkel, one-time guest here at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill. Gaby fell in love with Jamaica and the north-east region in particular when she stayed with us, and returned seven years later to live here. Further stimulated by her acquisition in 2002 of some of the renowned Millefiori beads from the Venetian island of Murano, Gaby has now built upon the passion of her childhood and started designing & making her own range of beaded jewellery, drawing constant inspiration from the flora, fauna and marine life of her Jamaican coastal environment:

“I like to hike in the countryside where I find most of my inspiration to combine different colours & shapes. The perfect harmony of a flower or the different shades of lush greens that I experienced during my first stay in Jamaica at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill triggered my creativity and inspired me.”

Blending her professional background in music with a fine appreciation for colour & shape has allowed Gaby to compose a delightful, harmonious range of jewellery. Many of these beads, especially the African trade beads, have been around for hundreds of years and been traded & displayed around the world before finding their way to Gaby’s workshop here in Jamaica. Non-indigenous but a splendid example of Jamaica’s appeal to all corners of the world…a fitting metaphor for much of Jamaica’s own history perhaps, and ongoing development & change… We are thrilled to be offering Gaby’s wonderful creations at Mocking Bird Hill, representing not just the best of domestic arts & crafts but also empathic examples from around the world.

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Portland Jamaica Photography Competition

We are inviting you to submit your photographs taken on holiday whilst staying at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, took exploring the parish of Portland.  We love to see through new eyes the parts of the parish that we ourselves don’t always get to visit when we are running the hotel

"Fresh Almonds" 

We’re holding a photography competition that celebrates the fantastic biodiversity of Portland in Jamaica.  This region’s richness of life makes it an area of outstanding beauty, from mountain to rainforest to beach, and the flora & fauna provide food and home to our many endemic birds, marine life and of course livestock.  It’s also often forgotten that it’s this biodiversity that provides for many in Jamaica their shelter, food and even the clothes that they wear.

We are inviting you to submit your photographs taken on holiday whilst staying at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, took exploring the parish of Portland.  We love to see through new eyes the parts of the parish that we ourselves don’t always get to visit when we are running the hotelstrong

Prize

Each month we will select the best of the photographs submitted and send the winner a Buscha Browne hamper whose sauces, chutneys and jellies are all authentic Jamaican blend of herbs and spices and will help you remember through taste the land of wood and water in your own cooking.

To upload your Image

Once you’ve selected or taken your photo(s), please upload them using Facebook

Visit the Hotel Mocking Bird page on Facebook and log in with your Facebook account.  Once you “Become a Fan” of Hotel Mocking Bird Hill on Facebook, you will be able to post your Portland Bio-Diversity photos on Mocking Bird Hill’s  Wall.  On the Mocking Bird Fan page on Facebook, click inside the “What’s on your mind?” box; an option to add photos will appear.

Uploading your photo into the Mocking Bird Hill  Photo Contest indicates that you have read and understood the Photo Contest Rules and are knowingly & voluntarily participating in the competition.

Photo Rules

Judging and prizes

Photos will be judged by the Mocking Bird Hill team on creativity, spirit, uniqueness as well as taking into consideration comments in Facebook by fellow fans.  

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TODAY is the Day

Mocking Bird Hill have just been featured on the Today Show as one of the featured resorts in their special on affordable hidden beach getaways. We were their sole Caribbean pick. If you would like to re-watch this special feature click on the image below to play, we are 2 minutes 30 into their presentation.

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