Our Exclusive Interview With Rohan Marley
We Talked To Him About His Latest Business Venture- ‘RoMarley Beach House’ In Puerto Morelos, Mexico
BY CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES FEBRUARY 10, 2021
Rohan Marley at the RoMarley Beach House Opening on July 25, 2020 in Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Rohan Marley, like his legendary dad Bob Marley is a savvy entrepreneur and is closely associated with most of the Marley family brand ventures. One of Rohan’s latest business ventures is in the hospitality industry with the launch of ‘RoMarley Beach House.’ It was opened on July 25, 2020, in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, and is just 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport. Rohan says, “This is my first prototype, and I hope to do more like this. I’m still working on the aesthetics, but the project is going great, and I’m really excited about it.” His partners are The Fives Hotels & Residences on the Riviera Maya.
He says, “the area is protected because of the reefs and mangroves, and I’m so proud that we were able to work with the local community. For example, we asked the government to extend the sewage line so that the hotel can be connected to the mainline, so we protect the eco-system as well as make it possible for others to connect. Everything we do, we want to make sure we incorporate an environmentally friendly approach.”
He adds, “I want people to experience calm, quiet, good vibes, great food, and leave feeling like they want to come back. So we are a small quiet community if you want to experience an exclusive vibe. But if you want more action and to see other places, our location is perfect because we are only a short trip to other popular spots like Tulum, historic sites, downtown, nightclubs, etc. So you can plan day trips and really experience it all here.”
RoMarley Beach House
“My brother Ziggy Marley gave me the name RoMarley, so that’s how I came up with the name.” -Rohan Marley
He is currently working on expanding his brand into other areas, which is a perfect fit to continue the Marley family legacy, which is synonymous with their ventures in entrepreneurship, partnerships, philanthropy, and giving back to the community.
In 2009, he founded 'Marley Coffee,' which is an organic and sustainable farming business, that is sourced from Jamaica and Ethiopia. In 1999, he purchased 52 acres of land in Jamaica's Blue Mountains and asked the local community what the land was known for, and they said coffee. His response to that was: "well, we are now in the coffee business." This was a perfect fit because of his love of land and farming. As the former CEO of 'Marley Coffee,' he has scaled the business into a globally recognizable coffee brand.
In 2010, he founded 'Tuff Gong Clothing,' and in 2012, he co-founded the 'House of Marley' (which are eco-friendly headphones and stereo speakers sold at most major electronic stores around the world). He is also the founder of 'Lion Order' by Rohan Marley- a cannabis and CBD line of products. He continues to do a lot of work with charitable organizations, and has done extensive work with 'The Bob Marley Foundation.'
This Jamaican native is planning to continue to expand his brand globally and to be at the same level of other well known international brands. He says, “the goal is to expand into other areas, for example, right now, I’m working on adding wine to my brand,” and says high quality and aesthetics are very important to him.
Rohan was born in Jamaica in 1972 and in 1984 moved to the United States when he was twelve years old. He studied sociology at the University of Miami and played football as a linebacker for the Hurricanes alongside football legend Ray Lewis; and also alongside mega movie star Dwayne Johnson aka ‘The Rock,’ while at the University of Miami. He also played for the Canadian Football League. Competing with the best from an early age in the athletic world and being surrounded by the Marley family legacy definitely puts him in the league of creating greatness in any current or future ventures he does.