SHTM Training Hotel Receives Benevolence from Palace Foundation

Palace Foundation, the charitable arm of the Palace Resorts company, donated approximately $800,000 worth of hotel linen to the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) training hotel at the University of Technology, Jamaica, Papine Campus on March 20, 2024.  The supplies consist of double bed sheet sets, pillows, wash cloths, bathmats along with face, bath and beach towels. They were presented by Ms. Natalie Boreland, General Manager, Palace Foundation and received by Dr. Kevin Brown, President.

The donation follows the disbursement of $2,719,722.06 worth of scholarships in February by the Foundation to eight students pursuing various courses of study at UTech, Ja.

In expressing appreciation to the Palace Foundation, Dr. Kevin Brown stated that the donation comes at a time when the university’s leadership team is finetuning arrangements to officially open the SHTM training hotel facility for business. “We are really appreciative of the donation…we are looking forward to opening the hotel and with this linen, I am sure it will take us further along that journey.”

The President also acknowledged Mr. Clifton Reader, Vice President of Moon Palace Jamaica and Turks and Caicos, as “a big supporter of our hospitality course.”  This as Mr. Reader played an integral role in securing the scholarships for the students. Dr. Brown said, it is his hope that this act of benevolence by the Palace Foundation “will inspire others to give. As a university we need the support. We are funded by the government, but that funding is never enough.  With the little that we have, it is good to have extra support to enable our students to have the best quality education that we can provide” Dr. Brwon noted.

Acting Head, SHTM, Dr. Noreen Brown-Roomes also thanked the Foundation for its support to the training hotel, noting that, “We will be saving some money and it will push us along in terms of trying to open the hotel by July 2024.”

Ms. Natalie Boreland, General Manager, Palace Foundation shared that the donation was motivated by the organization’s awareness of UTech, Jamaica’s entrepreneurial intentions for its SHTM training hotel. She disclosed that the Foundation intends to “continue our partnership with UTech” and “do it for the love of helping others” as “that is our motto that we live by.”

Highlighting the longstanding support provided to UTech, Ja. over the years, Ms.  Boreland noted that “We have been giving scholarships to UTech since 2016 when the Foundation first started with our education programme.”

She explained that the scholarship recipients also benefit from hands-on work experience in the tourism and hospitality industry through volunteering at Moon Palace Resort.  “The scholarship programme that we have is accessible to the recipients for the duration of their programme – maximum four years, but they are required only to volunteer for 20 hours and to maintain a B+ average.  As a part of the volunteer hours, they are incorporated in different thing that we are doing.”