By Steve Griswold, Sandals & Beaches Chairman’s Royal Club Platinum Elite advisor at Pixie Vacations. Published November 9, 2026.
Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica, the resort you knew as Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica, reopens in Runaway Bay on December 1, 2026 with 647 rooms after about a year of renovation. On the brand’s own booking engine on November 9, the entry suite priced at $389 a night for two adults the first week of December, taxes included.
- December 1, 2026 in Runaway Bay: 647 rooms, 7 restaurants, 9 bars, 3 pools and a children’s water park, under a new name.
- Price seen November 9: $389 a night for two adults December 5–12, and $438 a night in January and February.
- Family of four, January 10–17, 2027: $657 a night, $4,602 for the week.
- The release says up to 50% off. The discounts that actually priced were 25.6% to 33%.
What is Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica, and what is reopening?
If you searched for Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica and came up empty, this is why. Bahia Principe announced last week that the resort returns on December 1, 2026 with a new name, after roughly a year of work on the rooms, common areas, restaurants and entertainment spaces. The company says 647 rooms and about 1,000 jobs come back with it.
“Explore” is the brand’s family label and “Escape” is the adults-only one. In Runaway Bay they sit side by side: the 18-and-over Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay reopened on April 1, 2026 with 664 rooms, and Travel Market Report says Explore guests can also eat at its à la carte restaurants.
The resort’s own page lists seven restaurants (buffet, steakhouse, Italian, Mongolian, an American diner, a jerk center and a beach food market), nine bars, three pools, a children’s water park and a kids club. Montego Bay’s airport is 68 km away, about 42 miles.
One note on the date. The Gleaner reported on November 16, 2025 that the resort would stay closed until December 1, 2026, a year longer than planned after Hurricane Melissa. Twelve months later the date has not moved.
What does it cost this winter?
Five searches on Bahia Principe’s booking engine on November 9, 2026, each for the entry Deluxe Junior Suite on the lowest, non-refundable rate, in U.S. dollars with taxes included.
| Dates | Guests | Per night | Stay total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 5–12, 2026 | 2 adults | $389 | $2,721 |
| Jan 10–17, 2027 | 2 adults | $438 | $3,068 |
| Jan 10–17, 2027 | 2 adults, 2 kids | $657 | $4,602 |
| Feb 13–20, 2027 | 2 adults | $438 | $3,068 |
| May 18–22, 2027 | 2 adults | $331 | $1,326 (4 nights) |
Is the 50% discount real?
The release promises “exclusive discounts of up to 50 per cent.” What the resort’s page showed on November 9 was “up to 35% off + first child free,” a book-by date of November 17, 2026, and fine print reading “stays from April 1 to October 31, 2027.” The dates priced above came in at 25.6% off for December and 33% off for January, February and May.
Treat 50% as a ceiling that did not show up on these dates, and check which stay dates the free-child piece covers before you count on it for winter.
Here is the easy money. The resort sells through Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, and the free World of Hyatt member rate on that January week was $2,761 against $3,068. I hate wasting money, and $307 for filling in a form is the simplest saving on the page.
Where does it fit in Jamaica’s reopening calendar?
The Jamaica Tourist Board says more than 75% of the island’s hotel rooms are operating now, with 90% projected by December 1. Still to come, including JOIA Rose Hall in Montego Bay, alongside the wider Jamaica recovery numbers.
| Resort | Reopens | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| Sandals Jamaica South Coast | Nov 18, 2026 | Couples |
| JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar | Dec 1, 2026 | Adults, 295 suites |
| Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica | Dec 1, 2026 | Families, 647 rooms |
| Sandals Jamaica Montego Bay | Dec 18, 2026 | Couples |
| Sandals Jamaica Caribbean Cay | Dec 18, 2026 | Couples |
How does it compare with Beaches Jamaica Negril for a family?
They are different vacations, and the totals land closer than you might guess. This week’s lead-in at Beaches Jamaica Negril is $298 per adult and $58 per child per night, as shown on Pixie Vacations on November 9 and valid through November 11, 2026. For two adults and two kids that is $712 a night, or $4,984 for seven nights, and $4,234 after the $750 Black Friday credit on a 7-night stay booked by December 1. That is a lead-in on the cheapest dates, not a January quote.
At Bahia Principe the two kids added $219 a night to the January room. At the Beaches Negril lead-in, two kids add $116. Bahia Principe is cheaper on adults. Beaches is cheaper on kids.
Beaches publishes 13 restaurants, 5 bars, 3 pools and a waterpark with a lazy river, about 47 miles and roughly 90 minutes from the same airport. It sits on Seven Mile Beach, which is livelier, with other resorts, locals and vendors, and most of the dining and activities are outdoors.
What this means if you’re booking
- Going in December? Take the flexible rate: $205 more on the week, cancellable until three days out.
- Chasing the promo? The page says book before November 17, 2026. Check the stay dates in the fine print first.
- Comparing with Beaches? Compare totals for your own dates, not headline rates.
Want your Jamaica options side by side?
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