The Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas Reopens, in Huge Boost for USVI

By: - November 23rd, 2019
ritz-carlton st thomas cover

In what is easily one of the most anticipated relaunches in the Caribbean in several years, the Ritz-Carlton St Thomas has officially reopened its doors. 

The Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas, long the leading hotel in the United States Virgin Islands, began welcoming guests again on Saturday, Nov. 23. 

ritz-carlton st thomas usvi blue

The Great Bay beach resort had been shuttered since suffering damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. 

In what the property is calling a “new era of island-inspired elegance,” the resort has been redesigned and updated, with renovation Marriott pegged at $100 million. 

st thomas ritz-carlton usvi room
What a room looks like.

The new Ritz-Carlton St Thomas has a transformed infinity pool; a kids’ pool; a reimagined club lounge and four dining concepts, from a Sicilian eatery called Alloro to the US Virgin Islands-inspired Coconut Cove, all with a focus on farm-to-table dining and locally-sourced ingredients. 

That’s along with amenities like the brand’s signature Ritz Kids programming; tennis courts and a newly-added 55-foot catamaran for private excursions. 

There’s also a heavy menu of daily activities, from fitness classes like yoga and cardio and resort garden tours to a daily rum tasting and complimentary use of snorkel gear, among other touches. 

st thomas eatery ritz
The Coconut Cove eatery.

The Ritz-Carlton St Thomas is also adding a second family pool which is slated to open in January 2020, according to the property. 

The return of the 180-room-and-suite hotel is a significant boost for the USVI and its ongoing tourism recovery, particularly for the USVI’s luxury market. 

ritz-carlton building

The reopening comes as the vast majority of the USVI’s major hotels have reopened, from the beloved Bolongo Bay Beach Resort to the Westin St John Resort.

Next year, Ritz-Carlton’s parent company Marriott will be reopening its Frenchman’s Reef resort, also in St Thomas, along with opening a new resort in St Thomas called Noni Beach. 

The latter resort will be opening under Marriott’s Autograph Collection brand; the two properties’ openings will mean a combined investment of $200 million. 

Ritz-Carlton’s Caribbean portfolio includes resorts in Puerto Rico, Cancun, Aruba and Grand Cayman. 

For more, visit the Ritz-Carlton, St Thomas. 

— CJ

News

Barbados Tourism Numbers Keep Climbing

 barbados climbing

Barbados tourism continues to see solid growth, according to the latest numbers from the country’s destination marketing organization.  Barbados recorded a 4.2 increase in stayover tourist arrivals in the first nine months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018.  “Several of [our marketing] efforts are bearing fruit and we must press forward in this […]

News

Caribbean Photo of the Week: A Perfect Jamaica Sunset

 caribbean jamaica photo sunset

The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal subscriber Hamish Stewart, who sent in this stunning shot of a perfect sunset at the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?’ Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line, including your first and last name and […]

News

Silver Airways Expands Dominica Flights

 silver dominica flights

Silver Airways has increased its flights to the island of Dominica, according to the Discover Dominica Authority.  The airline, which has hubs in Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Puerto Rico, has added three new flights between San Juan and Dominica each week.  That means Silver is now operating daily flights to the island.  Silver has […]

club med guadeloupe caravelle

Club Med Reopens Guadeloupe All-Inclusive After Renovation

 Club Med has reopened its all-inclusive Club Med Caravelle in the French Caribbean department of Guadeloupe.  The property has completed a more than $52 million renovation and expansion project. The company says the renovation has “made the resort Club Med’s new flagship in the French West Indies,” where its portfolio also includes the Club Med […]
park hyatt st kitts new gm

Park Hyatt St Kitts Names New General Manager

 The Park Hyatt St Kitts has named a new general manager, the property told Caribbean Journal.  The luxury resort, the first and only Park Hyatt in the Caribbean, has tapped Marc Schneider to the role.  An “esteemed Hyatt veteran,” Schenider will oversee all operations at the luxury beach resort set on Banana Bay in St […]
new st maarten hotel

Another New Hotel Is Coming to St Maarten

 Club Med has reopened its all-inclusive Club Med Caravelle in the French Caribbean department of Guadeloupe.  The property has completed a more than $52 million renovation and expansion project. The company says the renovation has “made the resort Club Med’s new flagship in the French West Indies,” where its portfolio also includes the Club Med […]

Rum Journal: An All-Inclusive Caribbean Rum Shack in Antigua

 Guyana’s El Dorado 15. Trinidad’s Angostura 1787. Barbados’ Mount Gay 1703.  They’re the sort of rums you hardly find together in the Caribbean, iconic West Indian rum expressions that seldom appear on a shelf even at the best of Caribbean bars.  At Antigua’s Galley Bay, however, they’re right there with one another — and when you’re […]