It’s hard to believe it has been a decade since the inaugural edition of the Caribbean Travel Awards, the first true regional celebration of travel and tourism in the Caribbean.
In 10 years, the Caribbean tourism industry has dramatically changed, with years of growth and rebirth interspersed with hurricanes and pandemics. But, as the world’s most resilient region always does, the Caribbean came out of all stronger and more robust.
Today, the Caribbean remains the most sought-after warm-weather destination in the world; in large part as the result of changing travel patterns resulting from the pandemic, the Caribbean is also now a true year-round destination, drawing millions to its shores, all who realize what a dynamic, vibrant and endlessly exciting part of the world this is.
This 10th edition of Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Travel Awards celebrates the people and places contributing to the Caribbean’s astonishing success — and ensuring that it continues, from the region’s best hotels to its top tourism executives to the islands setting themselves apart in fields like food, romance, sustainability and innovation, as selected by Caribbean Journal’s editorial team, the world’s leading experts on Caribbean travel and tourism.
“The Caribbean Travel Awards is the premier celebration of excellence in Caribbean travel and tourism, and this year’s slate of winners is as vibrant as ever,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “Congratulations to all those who work so tirelessly to solidify the Caribbean’s place as the world’s ultimate travel destination.”
Caribbean Destination of the Year: Nassau Paradise Island
Is there a more complete destination in the Caribbean? Nassau Paradise Island really does have it all, from a marvelously diverse collection of hotels (from megaresorts like Atlantis Paradise Island and Baha Mar to boutique gems like Graycliff) to a charming, buzzing historic downtown to a culinary scene that is, right now, the hottest in the whole region. That has led to surging tourism numbers to this beloved twin-island destination, a buzzing airport and the feeling that it’s only getting better.
Caribbean Hotel of the Year: Harbour Village Beach Club, Bonaire
Picking the Caribbean Hotel of the Year is no easy task. The winners regularly include legends of Caribbean hospitality. But when the editorial discussion this year came to Harbour Village, the competition was over. There’s just something perfect about this 40-room retreat set on the best beach in Bonaire, where tranquility is unlimited, the service spectacularly friendly and the setting unmatched. From its La Balandra overwater restaurant to its delicious private-club feel, it’s part of the Caribbean hotel pantheon. The best hotels are the ones you simply don’t want to leave, the ones that have that magnetic pull. Here, it’s not that you don’t want to leave. It’s that you can’t even think about it.
Small Caribbean Hotel of the Year: Boardwalk Boutique Hotel, Aruba
You can spend a week here and not find a single flaw. That’s how meticulous the commitment is here to hospitality, a place where everything is so friendly, so smoothly done, so creative that going to any other hotel is a bit of an adjustment. This collection of casita-style cottages in a lush oasis-style setting near Aruba’s Palm Beach is just that good.
New Caribbean Hotel of the Year: Westin Beach Resort, St Thomas
It feels like the whole Caribbean has been waiting for the return of Frenchman’s Reef, the cliffisde resort property that was for years the symbol of the hotel industry in the USVI. Now, after a massive reconstruction project, Frenchman’s Reef is back, anchored by the new-look, newly-branded Westin Beach Resort, a colorful, bright, meticulously executed property that doesn’t just honor the legacy of this site — it redefines it, and the USVI’s tourism landscape along with it.
Caribbean All-Inclusive Resort of the Year: The Verandah Antigua
The most exciting addition to the Caribbean resort landscape in several years, The Verandah Antigua is instantly the best new adults-only resort in the region. The resort marries an almost impossibly serene, lush, tropical setting (with two beaches to boot) with the kind of entertainment-focused, activity-filled, foodie-centric experience that couples are yearning for right now.
New All-Inclusive of the Year: Sandals Royal Curacao
It’s been a while since a new resort had this much of an impact on one island, but that’s precisely what the magnificent new Sandals Royal Curacao has done, ushering in a new golden age — and new records — for tourism. With new suites for the brand, new inclusions like dine-around options and a remarkable revamp of the old Santa Barbara, it’s a major new addition to the Caribbean all-inclusive landscape.
Small All-Inclusive of the Year: Hammock Cove, Antigua
Elite Island Resorts’ crown jewel is this 42-room stunner in Antigua, where every villa has its own private infinity pool and the all-inclusive experience reaches new heights, from luxury rum tastings to Michelin-pedigree food and unlimited crystal kayaks.
Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year: Marsha Henderson, St Kitts
St Kitts has been reinventing itself, with the Eastern Caribbean destination sharing a redefined brand with the world, one where the focus is on authenticity, sustainability and fresh experiences. Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson has been at the forefront of this effort, helping to lead the island into a new future, from a wave of new airlift (including new flights from JetBlue) and a cruise port that is one of the fastest-growing in the region.
Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year: Petra Roach, CEO, Grenada Tourism Authority
It’s not easy to put an island on the travel radar. It’s even more difficult to shape it into an exotic, luxurious getaway rooted in the authentic Caribbean experience. That’s what Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, has managed to do, reintroducing Grenada to the world and telling the story of an intimate, culinary-focused, luxury destination that is now in the midst of a renaissance.
Caribbean Tourist Board of the Year: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority
It’s remarkable how Antigua and Barbuda has transformed itself in the last decade as a tourism destination, a push that has continued in the years coming out of the pandemic. Innovative marketing, sustainable priorities and continued airlift growth have made this twin-island destination a prime hotspot on the Caribbean travel radar — and that’s in large part due to the endlessly clever Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, which, year after year, continues to set the standard for the region.
Caribbean Hotelier of the Year: Janelle Hopkin, President & Managing Director of Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada
If you’ve been to the Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, you’ve experienced the height of Caribbean luxury, with the kind of impeccable, impossibly thoughtful service that doesn’t seem like it exists anymore, delivered with quintessential Grenadian hospitality and personality. The five-diamond experience at “Spice” is no accident, though, nor the result of a spreadsheet. It’s the product of the Hopkin family’s decades-long commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences, now in the hands of owner Janelle Hopkin, who has not just stewarded the hotel’s legacy, but taken the hotel deep into the 21st century, with a holistic, innovative, modern approach to the art of luxury, where the hospitality philosophy is a living, breathing thing, rooted in people.
Sustainable Hotel of the Year: Sunset Reef, St Kitts
There’s no air conditioning here. But wait. Not the way you think. This tiny boutique perched on a beachfront cliffside in St Kitts gets its energy (and its remarkable cooling system) from the only geothermal system of its kind in the Caribbean, part of what guests quickly realize is a fantastically technolgically advanced hotel, matched in its dedication by a broad focus on sustainability. The combination, as hotel management says, is “luxury with no footprint.” That means everything from a constantly heated pool to a new solar system to an all-day focus on delivering authentic Kittitian experiences. In other words, it’s the model for a sustainable hotel in the Caribbean.
Caribbean Wellness Resort of the Year: Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
The best new spa in the Caribbean anchors what was already one of the Caribbean’s most renowned (and complete) resorts. Casa de Campo has debuted a sparkling 18,000-square-foot wellness center that is instantly the most high-tech spa in the region, and one that has in a short time become a pilgrimage spot for wellness lovers.
Caribbean Golf Resort of the Year: Aurora Anguilla
The former CuisinArt resort in Anguilla has completed a transformation led by new owner (and Best Buy founder) Richard Schulze that has touched every corner of the property. But the biggest change has come to its golf offering: what was already a stunning Greg Norman-designed golf course has been revamped by Norman, buoyed by a brand-new clubhouse, a new short course and a golf academy. It’s quickly become a major new destination on the Caribbean golf map.
Caribbean Dive Resort of the Year: Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, The Bahamas
Andros is as beautiful and mysterious a place as there is in the Caribbean, filled with wonder and adventure. But it’s the latter that is the island’s biggest draw, most notably underwater, where a pristine, vibrant marine world awaits scuba divers. Andros has long been a secret in the diving world. But the secret is quickly getting out.
Innovative Destination of the Year: US Virgin Islands
It’s no secret that the US Virgin Islands has been in the midst of a tourism boom. But it’s no accident, nor is it simply a product of pandemic pent-up demand. The USVI has, as much as any desitination, been going out and getting travelers from around the world, often in new ways, from clever partiicpation at events that don’t typically have tourism sponsors, to a decidedly forward-thinking push in sports and sports tourism, one focused on channeling passionate fan bases and turning them into, well, passionate fans of the USVI.
Culinary Destination of the Year: Antigua and Barbuda
When Antigua and Barbuda launched its inaugural Restaurant Week this past spring, it wasn’t just an inspired idea — it was practically a necessity. The twin-island destination has quietly been develpoing a world-class culinary scene, both at its resorts and a growing number of local eateries, from the Caribbean-renowned Sheer Rocks (and the Rocks Group’s growing portfolio) to a booming street food scene to a gastronomic movement that’s as diverse as it is innovative.
Cruise Destination of the Year: St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands has been in the midst of a renaissance in recent years, and nowhere is that more true than in St Thomas, where the last few years have seen wholesale changes, particularly in Charlotte Amalie. The capital has unveiled a dramatically revamped, walkable waterfront area, a new-look historic district and a growing foodie scene that has made it a more complete cruise destination than ever — supplementing what was alrady one of the most entertaining, shopping-filled ports in the region.
Sustainable Destination of the Year: The Bahamas
As we’ve long written in these pages, sustainability is more than just installing LED lights. It’s a comprehensive, holistic commitment to ensuring a residual, lasting impact; when it comes to tourism, that means making sure that when travelers come to your destination, their dollars and time go towards precisely this purpose. In The Bahamas, sustainability is a massive priority at all levels: from the still-groundbreaking People to People program to a wave of community tourism projects in Nassau, Grand Bahama and the Out Islands and an enduring commitment to marine conservation.
Culture Destination of the Year: Curacao
Whether you’re walking the grey cobblestones past the pastel facades of downtown Willemstad, drinking Green Rum at Netto Bar or just savoring the blue at Kas Abao, Curacao is a destination in technicolor: and that’s equally true of its cultural offering, from a booming art movement replete with galleries and museums to a dynamic live music scene.
Luxury Destination of the Year: The Cayman Islands
Luxury isn’t the same everywhere. And luxury also isn’t what it used to be. The definition is changing, and that’s precisely how the Cayman Islands has managed to cultivate such a sought-after collection of travelers, all drawn to a destination that delivers the height of luxury without the attitude. That means top hotel brands, world-class eateries, unmatched shopping, but where a blazer is never required. It’s the forefront of the new Caribbean luxury.
Wedding Destination of the Year: Antigua and Barbuda
There’s nowhere better to do a wedding that an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean — for many reasons. So it’s natural that the Caribbean capital of luxury all-inclusive resorts should be a top-flight wedding destination. Antigua and Barbuda is blessed with a marvelous mix of resorts perfect for weddings, from family-friendly properties like Curtain Bluff to adults-only stunners like The Verandah, Hammock Cove and Hermitage Bay, with options for every size of ceremony.
Honeymoon Destination of the Year: Aruba
When you have beaches like Aruba does, it’s hard to imagine a more appealing honeymoon destination. Blend that with an impressive hotel product, a booming culinary scene and an easy, traveler-focused ambience and you get a world-class honeymoon destination, one that continues to draw droves of couples looking to find their own One Happy Honeymoon.
Yachting Destination of the Year: British Virgin Islands
The Caribbean leader is back. After a slow emergence out of the pandemic, the yachting capital of the Caribbean has returned with its unrivaled blend of island-hopping, adventure and exploration, with an enviable collection of charter yacht companies led by the industry leader, The Moorings.
Caribbean Airport of the Year: Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica
One of the Caribbean’s busiest airports just got a makeover, and the result is splendid: a better, more digitized experience, improved service and a revamped F&B offering that includes the first-ever Bob Marley-branded restaurant in the world. That’s without mentioning Club Mobay, one of the best airport lounges in the wider Caribbean. That, along with one of the fastest-growing airlift networks in the Caribbean, makes it an easy pick for our Caribbean Airport of the Year.
Caribbean Villa Company of the Year: It’s arguably the biggest thing in the Caribbean since the pandemic: the villa vacation. More travelers are putting a premium on space and extra degrees of comfort and luxury, and that’s precisely what you get with a villa. While the region is filled with top villa providers, one continues to stand above them all: WIMCO Villas, whose portfolio and attention to detail continue to tower above the rest of the industry, from St Barth to Anguila to private islands across the Caribbean.
Caribbean Airline of the Year: Tradewind Aviation
Air travel isn’t what it used to be. Long lines, poor service, general indifference. But Tradewind Aviation, the luxury alrine that serves some of the most sought-after destinations in the Northeast, Florida and the Caribbean, has cultivated something rather special in its scheduled and private service in the region: a glamorous, comfortable, indulgent, simply wonderful aviation experience. Yes, it’s that good – and it’s why it has developed such a devoted following on routes like San Juan-St Barth and San Juan-Anguilla (and, more recently, San Juan-Virgin Gorda).
Caribbean Restaurant of the Year: Le Pressoir, St Martin
St Martin’s Grand Case Boulevard has more world-class eateries in one place than anywhere else in the Caribbean, and this is its Grande Dame: an exquisite, impeccable French Caribbean eatery housed in a centuries-old Creole house just off the water’s edge.
Caribbean Bar of the Year: The Dilly Club, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Instantly one of the most innovative bars in the wider Caribbean, the Dilly Club is the newest addition to Atlantis Paradise Island, a creative, always-energetic tiki-style cocktail bar that celebrates the best of Caribbean and Bahamian mixology, joined by one of the best rum lists in the region.