Our History
Where the name ‘Ommaroo’ originates from
Like the ancient history of Havre des Pas, the origin of the Hotel’s name has been somewhat lost in the mists of time.
The original Hotel opened on 16 December 1916, but much of its impressive and distinctive façade pre-dates this time. The Hotel was originally a terrace of four private houses, named Ommaroo One to Four. Two of these were the work of renowned local architect, Adolphus Curry, responsible for many of Jersey’s most celebrated buildings.
By the end of the 19th Century, the terrace had been converted into two lodging houses, serving an increase in visitors as a result of the seawater bathing pool’s opening at Havre des Pas.
Quite where the terrace’s original name comes from is uncertain. One possible explanation is a connection with the town of Oamaru in New Zealand, itself named after a Māori chieftain. The architectural style is similar to that used in New Zealand and Australia during the second half of the 19th Century.
A family-run Hotel since 1926
In the early 1920s, the Palmer and Rowley families purchased the Hotel. They traded successfully until the Second World War, when the Hotel was occupied by German Officers and used as staff quarters. It was not until after Jersey’s Liberation Day on 9th May 1945 that the building was returned to being used as a hotel.
In 1973, Tom Palmer sold the Hotel to his grandson, Major Colin Grant. Major Grant’s daughter, Mrs Fiona Kerley, is now Managing Director and the fourth family generation to be involved with the Hotel. Fiona has overseen extensive refurbishment throughout the Hotel and led the celebration of achieving 100 years of the Hotel’s trading history.