Caribbean Occupancy Sees Decline

By: - April 18th, 2018
caribbean hotel performance cover

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Caribbean hotel occupancy continued its 2018 decline in March, according to the latest data from hotel analytics firm STR.

The region’s hotels reported occupancy of 73.9 percent, a 2.2 percent decline compared to March of 2017.

That came after a 2.5 percent decline in occupancy in February.

The Caribbean’s average daily rate rose, however, with a 2.6 percent increase to $256.67, while revenue per available room rose by 0.3 percent to $189.69, the first uptick in that number so far in 2018.

For the year, regional occupancy is down by 1.8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017, while average daily rates are flat at $244.96 and RevPar is down by 1.7 percent to $176.16.

STR’s data surveyed 1,955 hotels comprising 250,745 rooms in the wider Caribbean region.

News

Dominican Republic Villa Heads to Auction

By Dana Niland CJ Contributor A seaside retreat nestled in the Dominican Republic is headed for auction. The sale of the property in the María Trinidad Sánchez Province, facilitated by Concierge Auctions, will take place via the firm’s online marketplace. Bidding will open May 15 and close May 18. Currently listed for $1.7 million, the […]

News

Puerto Rico's Dorado Beach Ritz-Carlton to Reopen in October

jose andres dorado beach

By the Caribbean Journal staff Ritz-Carlton’s Dorado Beach resort is set to reopen Oct. 1, according to parent company Marriott. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve had been closed in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Its reopening was revealed on the company’s Paradise by Marriott hurricane update page. The resort is now officially accepting bookings for […]

News

Mahekal Names New Director of Sales and Marketing

By the Caribbean Journal staff Playa del Carmen’s Mahekal Beach Resort has appointed a new director of sales and marketing, the property told Caribbean Journal.  The Mexican Caribbean resort has named Maria Elena Armenta to the role, in which she will develop and implement marketing strategies and sales initiatives. Armenta comes to the property after […]


United Airlines Returns to St Maarten

By Dana Niland CJ Contributor United Airlines made its long-awaited return to St. Maarten this week. St Maarten Tourism Minister Cornelius De Weever welcomed the return of the airline, which will provide a weekly airlift out of Newark, New Jersey, to the island’s Princess Juliana International Airport. United had suspended service in the aftermath of […]

New Ultra-Luxe Real Estate Coming to Puerto Rico's St. Regis Bahia Beach

By Alexander Britell The island of Puerto Rico was quietly becoming one of the leading luxury destinations in the Caribbean before last year’s hurricanes. But as the island continues its remarkable recovery, Puerto Rico’s luxury boom continues, from the launch of the new Serafina Beach Hotel to the imminent debut of the highly-anticipated O:LV 55 […]

JetBlue to Launch Daily Nonstop Flights to Grand Cayman

By Dana Niland CJ Contributor United Airlines made its long-awaited return to St. Maarten this week. St Maarten Tourism Minister Cornelius De Weever welcomed the return of the airline, which will provide a weekly airlift out of Newark, New Jersey, to the island’s Princess Juliana International Airport. United had suspended service in the aftermath of […]

Barbados Looks to Continue Tourism Surge

By the Caribbean Journal staff Barbados broke a 30-year-old tourism record last year, and the trend continues upward. The island is on track for even more sustained growth in 2018, according to Petra Roach, the U.S. Director of Barbados Tourism Marketing. “This is a really exciting time in Barbados’s journey and we want to spread […]