Button Bay - Gleaner Review

Treasure Beach Forum: TB Runnin's: Button Bay - Gleaner Review
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By past guest on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 06:17 am: Edit Post

Glad to see this review in the Gleaner...
Button Bay is well worth the money.


"Make yourself at home"

Christopher Thomas, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

In St Elizabeth's Treasure Beach area, there is a small resort that provides an escape for those seeking relaxation, appropriately named Button Bay Beach Getaway.

Approximately one kilometre from Treasure Beach's Fort Charles Bay, the property has been owned by William and Gladys Finlayson for almost 50 years, though the resort itself has been fully operational and in business for only the last two years.

The land was family-owned property previously in Finlayson's mother's name, but ownership eventually passed to him when he came of age in 1962. In those days the land was used as a cattle farm.

"(William) owned 350 acres of land in the area, and he had the most amazing cattle farm on it, where he would sell cattle to butchers, and so on," Gladys Finlayson told Hospitality Jamaica. "He also had some of the best goats, and he still does, but only on 11 acres of land."

After the couple married in 1966, Finlayson expressed a desire to build a house on the land where the resort currently stands. They eventually built a two-bedroom cottage, which serves today as the resort's Pirate Villa.

In 1976, the couple and their three children went to Canada, where they lived for the next six years. They returned to Jamaica in 1983 to Button Bay, to discover that the house they had left behind had been vandalised. Undeterred, they set to work rebuilding the cottage.

William's dream

Years later, in 2003, the senior Finlaysons decided to live in Button Bay, as that had always been William's dream.

"We redesigned the cottage, the Pirate Villa, and built on some rooms, because it was becoming a popular place for people to come and have an inexpensive holiday and relax far away from the general run of things," Gladys Finlayson explained.

"When we rented out the villa, we would have to pack our suitcases and go and find accommodations in Kingston for the weekend, or however long the villa was rented for."

Eventually two more rooms, the Pelican Room and Seahorse Room, were built for guests. However, visitors still wanted to use the Pirate Villa, which by this time had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a living and dining area.

"Because we had the request, we built seven more rooms," Gladys Finlayson recalled. "So we have a three-bedroom villa, and seven double rooms, all with a theme to make it a little more interesting for our visitors, because in each room I do have a little history of how the property started and so forth."

Every room on the property is decorated differently with sheets, beach towels and other accessories made available for guests. There are air-conditioning units, ceiling fans, private bathrooms with hot and cold water, minibars, radios, television sets and CD and DVD players in each room.

vast library

In addition, the property has a vast library of books, DVDs, music CDs and games for guests' perusal, and there are kayaks, bicycles and other sports equipment available for physical recreation. Massages, manicures and pedicures are offered within the privacy of guest rooms, or underneath the trees overlooking the ocean nearby. There is also a restaurant where guests can order lunch and dinner, and there is a deck with a swimming pool.

The resort also offers free transportation to Treasure Beach's main tourist strip, Calabash Bay, and back. Thus, guests are able to explore the various restaurants and bars on the strip, regardless of the time of day or night.

"We also give them a cellphone to call us when they are ready to come home; it doesn't matter what time of day or night it is, we'll pick them up," Gladys Finlayson said confidently.

She told Hospitality Jamaica that in the two years the resort has been in operation, last Christmas - from November to January 2010 - was an especially noteworthy season for business.

"It was absolutely amazing, it was thrilling, people thoroughly enjoyed themselves," she recalled with pride.

The cost for a room at the Button Bay resort is US$80 per night for two. Children two years and under stay for free, while children up to 10 stay for US$35 per night. All offered rates include continental breakfast, with an open menu.

"I have a local rate, as well as a tourist rate; but when things are slow, I do drop the rate, because I know the recession is on," Gladys Finlayson noted. "I really try to accommodate any type of clientele. Mostly, our clientele is from England, Italy, Germany, Holland, and Americans as well."


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim-Donna on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - 07:44 am: Edit Post

Very nice! Button Bay is SWEET!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Admirer on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - 11:33 pm: Edit Post

I really enjoy the pictures of the property, and would like to visit on my next trip. Lovely place.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stu Ward on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - 07:12 am: Edit Post

The Article with pictures:

http://hospitalityjamaica.com/point1.html


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By TB NATIVE on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - 08:23 pm: Edit Post

Hi Gladys great job, could you please post some pictures thanks