The Verandah resort, long Antigua’s leading family-friendly all-inclusive, has completed another major upgrade to the property.  The resort has now completed a significant renovation of its Waterfront Suites, comprising about 80 rooms in total. The renovation included new furniture, upgraded bathrooms, fresh paint and hardwood flooring, new artwork and soft furnishings and what the hotel […]

Jamaica’s all-inclusive Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay has relaunched its annual Hurricane Guarantee.  The program means that guests who hold confirmed reservations with nonrefundable deposits who cannot travel due to the closure of Jamaica’s airport due to a hurricane can rebook their reservations without penalty.  “The potential for summer storms shouldn’t stop anyone from planning a […]

The Caribbean is likely set for an “impending surge of arrivals and continued growth,” according to Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.  And that means the region’s hotel industry will need to ramp up efforts to be adequately staffed to meet that new demand.  Madden-Greig, pointing to a recent statement from […]

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace is making a comeback.  The popular industry event is set to return in October in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after having been canceled last year amid the pandemic. (A virtual version was held in its place).  This year’s Marketplace is set for Oct 3-5.  “The COVID-19 […]

The Caribbean tourism industry is primed to “flourish” with a “strong winter rebound,” according to Nicola Madden-Greig, the new president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.  The pronouncement comes as the Caribbean continues to recover faster than any other tourism industry worldwide, with a projected rise in tourism contribution to GDP of more than […]

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association has a new president.  The Miami-based regional hotel association has tapped Jamaican hotelier Nicola Madden-Greig to the role.  Madden-Greig is currently the group director of marketing and sales for the Courtleigh Hospitality Group in Kingston, Jamaica.  She is a former two-term president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association.  […]

A new French Riviera-inspired eatery is coming to St Barth’s Hotel Christopher in October, Caribbean Journal has learned.  Chef Arnaud Faye created the restaurant to transport diners to the South of France, seizing on the elements the two places share: the warmth of the sun, a salty breeze and the laidback rhythm of the destinations. […]

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao reported just under 31,000 stayover visitors in August, according to data from the Curaçao Hotel and Tourism Association.  That represented about 79 percent of the pre-pandemic, August 2019 stay over totals, according to the organization.  That was a positive sign, officials said, given that August 2019 was a very […]

An International task force has been established to help respond to the immediate and long-term needs of tourism in Haiti. The Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center will be coordinating the task force, led by Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. Earlier in the decade, led by then-Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin, Haiti had seen […]

The St Barth Gourmet Festival is returning this year for its eight edition.  The week-long gastronomic event will take place fro Nov. 10-14, 2021, Caribbean Journal has learned.  It’s part of the broader “Gourmet Month” on the island, alongside Caribbean Rum Awards, which take place Nov. 2-7 with a week of high-level rum (and cigar) […]

The all-inclusive Verandah Resort and Spa in Antigua is reopening next month, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The popular family-friendly property is set to welcome back guests on Sept. 1, parent company Elite Island Resorts confirmed.  The Green Globe-certified, recently-upgraded resort, which is set on 30 beachfront acres, has a total of 180 villa-style suites, with […]

A major new adults-only all-inclusive resort is coming to the Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The new Hotel Xcaret Arte will officilaly open its doors on July 1, 2021, the company confirmed.  The 900-suite property will include seven eateries, a spa, five “immersive cultural experiences,” multiple pools and […]

Even amid the challenges of the travel industry, one sector continues to lead demand: all-inclusive resorts. It’s why more major big brands are entering the increasingly competitive sector — all-inclusive resorts are what lots of people are looking for when they plan their vacations. Note: don’t miss our updated ranking of the best all-inclusive Caribbean resorts. […]

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao is starting to see a “steady increase” in tourist arrivals since first reopening its tourism sector in July, according to data from the Curaçao Tourist Board.  The island received 8,195 stayover visitors in July and another 9,227 stayover visitors in August.  In September, Curaçao reported 10,418 stayover visitors, according […]

While Curaçao has been open to Canada and other “low-risk” source markets for several months, the Dutch Caribbean island has announced a planned November reopening to travelers from three U.S. states: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  All visitors from those states must present proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours […]

The all-inclusive Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay is taking steps to safeguard vacations by reinstating its annual “Hurricane Guarantee.” The program provides consumer purchase protection against possible travel disruptions due to hurricanes, covering the entire 2020 hurricane season. “COVID-19 has forced us all to endure more than our fair share of unwelcome surprises and life […]

A pleasure boat skims past. The waves wash back and forth. An owl reminds you he’s there.  A technicolor sunset. This is what the beach feels like. This is Grand Case, St Martin, and this is an homage to the kind of day we all fantasize about right now, about the sounds and the hues […]

You can scour the Caribbean and still not find a more spectacularly beautiful collection of beaches than the ones on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.  At every turn, there’s an exotic, brilliant coastline to choose: the windy wonders of Boca Grandi; the sheer vastness of Eagle Beach; the turquoise calm of Palm Beach.  Of […]

The best hotels take you somewhere. They transport you, taking you to another plane, another dimension of comfort, serenity and experience.  The best historic hotels take you to another time — by a carefully curated cocktail of history, luxury and authenticity.  The Caribbean has an impressive portfolio of historic properties — some that have always been hotels, […]

The islands of the Caribbean are in the middle of a new age, as dynamism, optimism and investment sweep across destinations as diverse as they are beautiful.  And that means the world of places to visit in the Caribbean keeps getting more and more interesting.  Whether you’re looking for burgeoning cultural hotpots, centers of culinary […]

The number of world-class Caribbean restaurants continues to multiply, making this landmark selection, which first launched back in 2013, more and more difficult each year.  The Caribbean food sector continues to send a strong message to the world that this is, truly, one of the world’s great food regions, with arguably the most diverse cuisine […]

Another Michelin-star chef is coming to Martinique.  One of the Caribbean’s buzziest culinary destinations is set to welcome a renowned chef with the arrival of Michelin-star Chef Nicolas Magie.  The Bordeaux chef, famous for his Le Saint James eatery, is set to helm the Le Zandoli restaurant at the boutique Le Suite Villa hotel in […]

The Caribbean’s fastest-growing hotel company is making its debut on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.  Apple Leisure Group’s AMResorts company is bringing a Secrets-branded resort to Aruba’s Baby Beach.  The 600-key Secrets Baby Beach Aruba is slated for completion by the fourth quarter of 2021, according to a statement from the company.  It will […]

The historic Hodelpa Nicolas de Ovando hotel in the Dominican Republic has named a new general manager, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The property, set in a centuries-old corner of Santo Domingo’s charming Colonial Zone, has tapped Luigi Di Ciaccio to the role.  “I am delighted to return to the Dominican Republic and honored to join […]

Plainly, Aruba is one of the beach capitals of the Caribbean. Few destinations in the region can match the quality — and number — of world-class beaches on this Dutch Caribbean island. Indeed, Aruba’s brilliant white sand, calm waters and wide coastlines make for truly spectacular beaches — and with so many beautiful stretches of sand, […]

By the Caribbean Journal staff Jamaica’s major tourism hub of Montego Bay is set for a full-fledged hotel boom.  Some 6,000 new hotel rooms are coming to the destination on the northwestern coast of Jamaica over the next five years, according to Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.  That number is likely to include surrounding areas […]