It seems that every year in the Caribbean we say it’s been a year like no other — but in the age of the pandemic, that’s a guarantee. And if 2020 was defined by the ongoing question of the tourism reopening, much of 2021 was defined by abundant tourism success.
Even amid this unprecedented global circumstance, the vast majority of the Caribbean roared back in 2021, highlighted by a summer that was, for most destinations, the highest-volume tourism season in history, with skyrocketing visitor numbers, surging hotel rates and even higher revenues. It was a bold statement to the rest of the world that the Caribbean isn’t just the world’s leading warm-weather destination; it’s also unquestionably the most resilient place on earth.
The Caribbean cannot be defeated — taking every challenge: storms, pandemics and rising waves and using their energy to power a new future.
With this 2021 edition of the Caribbean Travel Awards, its eighth annual edition, selected by the Caribbean Journal Editorial Staff, we celebrate the people, places and properties that exemplified the best of this magnificent region. — Alexander Britell, Editor and Publisher, Caribbean Journal
Caribbean Destination of the Year: The Bahamas The Bahamas is hot. Blessed with as layered and nuanced a tourism industry as there is in this Caribbean, from the impressive large resorts of Nassau to rugged Out Island outposts, the country has skillfully navigated the seemingly endless speedbumps and challenges of the pandemic, turning its challenges into world-class tourism performance — a trend that, by all accounts, seems poised only to strengthen in the year ahead with a dynamic new energy.
Caribbean Hotel of the Year: Eclipse at Half Moon, Jamaica A full-fledged triumph, the dazzling Eclipse at Half Moon is a marvelous marriage of legendary pedigree and contemporary cool; an exciting, energetic destination to Montego Bay; and an instant Caribbean classic. The Steuart family’s thoughtful addition to the timeless Half Moon resort represents the best of Caribbean hotel design and conception, and a reminder of the enduring power of Jamaican hospitality.
Small Hotel of the Year: Anegada Beach Club, British Virgin Islands An unmatched connection to nature; warm, authentic hospitality; and a prominent setting on one of the great undiscovered islands in the Caribbean. The Anegada Beach Club is blessed with all of these things, with the boutique Anegada resort clearly now one of the Caribbean’s true bucket-list hotels.
New Hotel of the Year: The Ritz-Carlton, Turks and Caicos A major new brand for Providenciales, the newest Ritz-Carton in the Caribbean injected new energy into Grace Bay Beach when it debuted this summer, satisfying one of travelers’ biggest demands right now: the luxury residential resort.
Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year: Lindsay FP Grant, St Kitts and Nevis In a turbulent year, St Kitts’ Grant quickly and nimbly managed St Kitts and Nevis’ tourism fortunes, working with health officials to tighten and loosen restrictions as necessary, compiling an industry-leading set of cruise protocols and helping steer the small destination through the most challenging periods of the pandemic, all while maintaining the twin-island federation’s position as a calm oasis of Caribbean charm.
Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year: Pamela Ewing, Director, Turks and Caicos Tourism
In the most challenging period in Caribbean tourism history, Turks and Caicos Director of Tourism Pamela Ewing expertly helped navigate the destination to historic levels of performance, deftly stewarding the Turks and Caicos and strengthening its place as one of the region’s most sought-after destinations.
Caribbean Hotelier of the Year: Sanovnik Destang, Executive Director, Bay Gardens Resorts, Saint Lucia A true industry leader, Saint Lucia’s Sanovnik Destang has cultivated an impressive portfolio of resort and villa properties in Saint Lucia under the Bay Gardens brand. A regional advocate for the industry, Destang is at the forefront of Caribbean tourism, continuing to grow Bay Gardens, incessantly innovating (including the developmentof a game-changing all-inclusive dine-around program) and demonstrating the power of hospitality to impact every level of a destination.
Caribbean All-Inclusive of the Year: Hammock Cove, Antigua Robert Barrett’s Elite Island Resorts continues to set the standard for all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, relentlessly innovating and responding to the inveterate needs of today’s traveler. And there’s no better example than the company’s crown jewel, the adults-only Hammock Cove, a high-design all-inclusive in Antigua that’s practically designed for the pandemic-era traveler.
New All-Inclusive of the Year: Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana, Dominican Republic The alliance between Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and Karisma keeps yielding strong results, none more so than the newest addition to fast-expanding Cap Cana: the Margaritaville Island Reserve, 228-room retreat on the stunning sands of Juanillo Beach. It’s a departure from a largely uniform sea of properties in greater Punta Cana — and a refreshing, welcome change of pace.
Small All-inclusive of the Year: Treasure Beach, Barbados Marriott has made a high-profile foray into the world of Caribbean all-inclusives, and the company’s offering is a diverse mix of larger resorts and delightful boutiques. That includes the marvelous Treasure Beach, an adults-only retreat perched on the sought-after sands of the Platinum Coast of Barbados, with equal parts modern luxury and quintessential Barbados glamour.
Adventure Hotel of the Year: Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, The Bahamas The mysterious, massive Andros Island has long been Mecca for adventurers in the Caribbean, blessed with myriad blue holes, pristine diving and someof the best bonefishing on earth. And the gateway to this world of adventure continues to be Small Hope Bay, the historic,, family-owned eco-resort in Fresh Creek.
Wellness Hotel of the Year: Zemi Beach House. Anguilla This Shoal Bay standout is anchored by a 300-year-old “Thai House” spa that is a destination in its own right,from an on-site hammam to a spectacualr “vitality pool.” It’s part of a pervasive wellness focus and an endlessly relaxing ambience that manages to touch every corner of the property.
Dive Resort of the Year: Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire A true Caribbean classic. For more than 40 years, Buddy Dive has been the essence of the great Caribbean dive resort, doing so in the Caribbean’s most competitive diving market, Bonaire, with a complete, full-service offering that would make it a terrific resort if it hadn’t a single oxygen tank.
Innovative Destination of the Year: United States Virgin Islands The US Virgin Islands set the industry standard with its Travel Screening Portal, and continued to prove as nimble and creative a destination as there is in the Caribbean, from safe Carnival-style events focused on encouraging vaccination to a wonderful reimagining of downtown Charlotte Amalie.
Luxury Destination of the Year: Turks and Caicos Islands The debut of the aforementioned Ritz-Carlton only underscored the luxury power of Turks and Caicos, home to an enviable, nuanced collection of luxury properties big and small — with a luxurious vibe that manages to pervade every aspect of the destination, from grand terraces to conch shacks.
Yachting Destination of the Year: United States Virgin Islands The pandemic shifted marine power to St Thomas’ Yacht Haven Grande, quickly turning the marina into a white-hot yachting destination, reminding maritime travlers just how easy and convenient it is to set sail from American waters in the US Virgin Islands.
Caribbean Restaurant of the Year: Le Pressoir, St Martin It’s always hovered around the top of the 50 Best Restaurants in the Caribbean; and now, the post-Irma renaissance of this Grand Case classic is complete: it’s simply never been better, offering one of the most memorable dining experiences anywhere in the Caribbean, a global culinary destination tucked inside an old Creole cottage.
Culinary Destination of the Year: Grenada Whether you’re eating sustainable chocolate in the rainforest or enjoying new levels of Caribbean haute cuisine at Rhodes at Calabash, you’ll find that Grenada has become a dining destination as impressive as it is diverse. There’s a sense across the island that food matters, that sourcing matters and, happily, that sustainability is essential to the culinary experience.
Caribbean Airport of the Year: VC Bird International Airport, Antigua Since it first opened in 2015, the new VC Bird has been at the forefront of Caribbean aviation, cultivating a modern, world-class experience that just keeps getting better, from outstanding duty-free offerings to a modern, comfortable VIP lounge and an all-around sense of comfort and ease – a welcome departure from the experience at many competing airports. That’s without mentioning continued route growth, particularly from the all-important US market.
Caribbean Airline of the Year: Tradewind Aviation Tradewind Aviation continues to be the paragon in Caribbean luxury aviation, with an ever-expanding network of the most sought after destinations and broad charter service across the Caribbean. Simply put, a Tradewind flight is instantly one of the most memorable, romantic components of a Caribbean vacation.
Caribbean Bar of the Year: The Rhum Room, St Barth Home to the largest collection of fine rums (and rhum agricole in particular) of any bar in the hemisphere, Christopher Davis’ Rhum Room is the exemplar, tucked in a speakeasy setting in the heart of downtown Gustavia. It’s an unmatched paean to the glory of Caribbean rum.