Jakes Villa celebrates 20th anniversary tonight

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:Come tonight, the small seaside fishing village of Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth will come alive as its premier tourism hub, Jakes, dubbed the 'chickest' shack of all times, will commence the celebration of its 20th anniversary.

"The past 20 years has been a journey that we have treasured and have a lot to give thanks for," said Jason Henzel, who operates the facility with his wife Laura. "I especially want to thank my mother, who is the creative driver of Jakes."

Tonight's celebrations are the first in a series of events to mark the facility's milestone. The event, which is set to start at 8 p.m., will feature a live performance by Byron Lee's Dragon-naires, with additional music by DJ Hot Cash.

In one of tonight's highlights, Sally Henzell Sally, who founded Jakes with her late husband, film-maker Perry, will take patrons on a trip down memory lane via a video timeline of Jakes from its first day of operations.

Blessed

"My family and I feel blessed to be looked at as a model for low-density, sustainable, and responsible tourism in the Caribbean," said Jason Henzell.

Sally Henzell, a theatre set designer, and her husband Perry, the man behind Jamaica's most popular movie, The Harder They Come, started Jakes in 1993 as a seaside restaurant.

Now, 20 years later, Jakes has evolved into a stylish resort.

With a mission to preserve Jakes' legacy and support the Treasure Beach community, the resort offers guests a unique Jamaican holiday, which allows them to integrate with the Treasure Beach community and to learn about the local lifestyle and customs.

Henzell said that 2013 is poised to be a big year for Jakes with the introduction of our new yoga and seven- and five-day fitness and wellness retreats. "We are making the most of our new yoga deck and juice bar, and plans are afoot for a chic sister hostel towards the end of the year."