caribbean

Marriott Opens Renaissance Cancun Resort

IHG Pays $300 Million for Six Senses

By the Caribbean Journal staff InterContinental Hotels Group has added a boutique luxury brand to its burgeoning global portfolio. IHG has paid $300 million for all of Six Senses’ brands and operating companies, a portfolio that includes 16 hotels and …

Caribbean Forecasting Strong Tourism Growth in 2019

By the Caribbean Journal staff The Caribbean region is projecting strong tourism growth in 2019, regional tourism officials said this week. The Caribbean Tourism Organization is forecasting arrival growth of between 6 and 7 percent this year, continuing what it …

Virgin Voyages Launches Bookings, Reveals Bimini as New Destination

By the Caribbean Journal staff The highly-anticipated Virgin Voyages just crossed a major threshold. It’s officially open for business. Sir Richard Branson’s new adults-only cruise line launched bookings on Thursday for its new-build Scarlet Lady ship, which will be sailing …

Miami’s Best Rum Festival Returns to Coral Gables

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor Eleven years after its inception, Miami’s best rum festival is heading back to its roots. This year’s Miami Rum Festival will return to Coral Gables, with two days of tasting of rums from around the globe …

The Hilton Trinidad Gets a Makeover

By the Caribbean Journal staff Port of Spain’s Hilton Trinidad has completed a property-wide “refresh” project, Caribbean Journal has learned. The hotel’s redesign was inspired by the hotel’s 1962 architecture, featuring upgrades to public areas, rooms, dining concepts and a …

New Punta de Mita Resort Breaks Ground

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor The newest addition to the Auberge Resorts Collection has officially broken ground in Mexico’s tony Punta de Mita development. The new Susurros del Corazon will be a luxury boutique resort with a 30-residence real estate component. …

7 Adults-Only Resorts to Try Right Now

Sometimes we just want some time to ourselves. And thats where the adults-only resort comes in. But the concept of the adults-only resort has diversified in recent years. Today, adults-only resorts have moved beyond simply being enclaves of quiet and …

Antigua’s Carlisle Bay Has a New Look

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor Carlisle Bay has unveiled a fresh look for 2019. The resort underwent a refurbishment project overseen by new Managing Director Thomas Orchard that included updating the color scheme to “fresh neutral and bright white tones,” along …

Martinique Is Getting a New Boutique Hotel

By the Caribbean Journal staff A legendary French Caribbean hotel is getting new life in one of Martinique’s hottest beach towns. The Diamant Les Bains, which first opened in 1945 as the first tourist hotel in Martinique, is slated to …

St Martin’s Le Pressoir Is Back

By the Caribbean Journal staff One of the Caribbean’s most celebrated restaurants has completed its comeback from Hurricane Irma. Le Pressoir, set in the heart of the culinary hotspot of Grand Case in St Martin, has officially reopened its doors. …

Riu Is Upgrading Two More Caribbean Hotels

By the Caribbean Journal staff Spanish hotel giant Riu is planning more renovations in the Caribbean, the company said this week. That will include two properties: the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and the Riu Ocho …

A New Beachfront Eatery in St Croix

By the Caribbean Journal staff There’s a new place to dine on the beach in St Croix, thanks to the venerable Buccaneer hotel in St Croix. The family-run resort has debuted its newest eatery, Bauregard’s on the Beach, a casual …

Saint Lucia Airport Redesign Pushing Ahead

By the Caribbean Journal staff It’s one of the most anticipated airport redesigns in the Caribbean in recent years, and now Saint Lucia’s landmark redevelopment of its Hewanorra International Airport is moving forward. The project is now progressing into its …

Antigua’s Cruise Sector Is Surging

By the Caribbean Journal staff Antigua and Barbuda’s cruise sector is seeing a surge in traffic, and officials are “buoyant” about what’s ahead in 2019. “The 2018 cruise tourism’s performance was an historic achievement,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister …

Another Solid Year For Bermuda Tourism

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor Bermuda tourism is as strong as it has been in years, according to new data from the Bermuda Tourism Authority. The island saw an 11.7 percent increase in leisure air arrivals in 2018, with a total …

Sandals Just Opened an All-Inclusive Donut Shop

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor Sandals has always pushed the envelope for what’s possible at an all-inclusive, from the region’s first all-inclusive speakeasy to a bowling alley. And now they’re at it again. Sandals Royal Barbados has opened the brand’s first …

The Westin St John Resort Reopens

By the Caribbean Journal staff In a massive boost for the tourism fortunes of the island of St John, the Westin St John Resort Villas has officially reopened its doors. The reopening comes 16 months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria …

Cancun’s Live Aqua Beach Resort Completes Renovation

By the Caribbean Journal staff The 371-room Live Aqua Beach Resort in Cancun has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation project, Caribbean Journal has learned. The Mexican Caribbean property, which is part of the 13-hotel portfolio of La Collection Resorts by Fiesta …