History of Mandeville and The Mandeville Hotel

In 1814 the Parish of Manchester was created from three adjacent parishes – Vere, Clarendon and St. Elizabeth – and named for the then Governor of Jamaica, the Duke of Manchester. In 1816, the new capital town was named after the governor’s Son, Viscount Mandeville. The town, located some 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level, soon became a favourite resort of expatriates because of its salubrious climate.

The British established one of their earliest ‘hill stations’ here and in 1875, the buildings formerly used as officers’ Quarters and Mess (left of the Court House and central town square) became The Waverly Hotel.

Owned by A.A. Lindo, the 17-room hotel was operated by Jane Brooks and the name was later changed to the Brooks Hotel and then finally to the Mandeville Hotel. The hotel was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Bell and then by Mrs. Hilda Gray. In 1956, Dr. Lannaman bought the hotel, which was managed by his son William. In 1971, the old buildings were replaced with the present structure.

In the early days, The Mandeville Hotel was famed for its cuisine, its distinguished patronage and functions such as The Flower Dance Show. With the advent of the Bauxite Industry, accommodation was in demand for the influx of mainly American and Canadian visitors. The character of Mandeville changed from being a ‘garden town’, one of Jamaica’s market towns and an English town with its central square but it still remains an ideal alternative to a beach holiday.

Mandeville’s Finest Hotel Restored: ‘New Beginnings’

In October 1986, The Mandeville Hotel was acquired by Mark and Ceceline McIntyre who set about restoring the warm and friendly atmosphere of the old hotel. The addition of minor changes such as the redbrick arches and the reintroduction of the fretwork of the Hotel allude to the old Hotel’s Georgian architecture.