Dicker's treasure hunt pays off
Published:Saturday | August 27, 2011 | 12:00 AM
TREASURE BEACH, St Elizabeth: THE STORY of Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth is hardly complete if the true genesis of the name is not revealed. The area known as Treasure Beach today is dotted with fishing beaches stretching from the Great Bay in the east to Fort Charles in the west. The character of the community is laid-back where nature meets an emerging modernity; rustic and unimposing while offering timeless vistas second to none in the Caribbean.
An invitation from Jennifer Brotherton, director of operations at the Treasure Beach Hotel, promised to finally set the record straight on the true history of the hotel; and ,as it turned out, the history of the once sleepy fishing village which has been slowly awakening over the last 20 years. According to Brotherton, in the mid 1930s Ernest Dicker, a Canadian of English heritage, was advised by his doctor to spend time in a tropical climate each year on account of his asthmatic condition. As the story goes, Dicker found that when he was in Treasure Beach his asthma did not affect him, so each year he would visit Jamaica and, in particular, his new special place on the southern coast of St Elizabeth.
Dicker had found his true treasure on the Jamaican south coast - good health - and not a pot of gold. He then purchased land on which the modern-day hotel is situated and built a five-bedroom cottage. From five rooms in the 1930s, the property has certainly grown over the years and has blossomed into 32 rooms at present. Since the Dicker family, the property has changed hands many times until it eventually ended up in the hands of its current owners.
expansion
The company was incorporated in 1984 when the current principal Dr John Brown acquired the property. Over the years, the property has become a well-kept secret on the south coast and as other investors, such as Jason Henzell, have come into the area, the tourism product of the area - which has adopted the name of the hotel as the name of the emerging town - has been steadily growing. Today, Treasure Beach boasts popular eateries such as Frenchmen's Reefs Restaurant, Jack Sprats and Smurfs bar. Other hotels include Jake's Hotel and Spas, 2seasons and Sunset.
The Treasure Beach Hotel property is marketed as a medical rejuvenation location; the property boasts beautiful trees, two pools as well as villas overlooking the ocean. "We pride ourselves as being a place to relax, unwind and basically get away from the crowd" said a smiling Brotherton. "We are a spectacle of then and now."
When asked about the future of the hotel, Brotherton, though not divulging the entire plan for expansion, hinted at an impending mini golf course, a spa and more rooms on an adjoining plot of land.