Spanish investors Grupo Iberostar said part of the US$300 million planned investment in new hotel properties this year will be used to build two in Jamaica.

According to vice president of the chain, Sabina Fluxa, the company will unveil two five-star hotels in Jamaica - Iberostar Rose Hall Suites and Iberostar Rose Hall Grande.  This addition will amout to  650 new rooms to compliment its current 350-room Iberostar Rose Hall property.

Iberostar Rose Hall, which forms the first of three phases, opened in May 2007, beefing up the tourism capital's inventory.

This type of development is unprecedented in Jamaica and Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica, Jesus Silva has said that his country has surpassed the United States as the island's number one investor with US$1.8 billion invested in projects, adding 10,000 to the country's room count and creating close to 40,000 jobs.