A new Westin hotel is coming to the Mexican Caribbean island of Cozumel.

The Westin Cozumel is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2017, Marriott officials confirmed this week.

The hotel, which is slated to debut March 1, 2017, will be the third Westin in the Mexican Caribbean, joining the Westin Resort and Spa in Cancun and the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas and Spa, also in Cancun.

It will feature 156 rooms.

Westin’s other Caribbean properties include resorts in Grand Cayman, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and St. Maarten.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

The post Westin Cozumel Slated for March 2017 Debut appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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With Black Friday behind us, the 2016 holiday shopping season has officially started, which means we’re actively looking for Caribbean-inspired gifts for our stockings.

One that caught our eye: This charming children’s book, “Kemarley of Anguilla.” Written by actress and frequent AXA visitor Annie Potts (you may remember her from the TV series Designing Women or the original “Ghostbusters” movie), it’s the story of a day in the life of an island boy.

Based on a chance encounter Potts had with the real Kemarley, a child with special needs who she met on the beach, the story is complemented by Potts’ colorful drawings of the people, places and animals he encounters along the way. It’s a simple and sweet story, conveying a message of hope, tolerance and caring that parents will certainly appreciate, and that little ones up to age 8 will enjoy.

Best of all: Potts’ is donating all profits from the sale of the book to the Arijah Children’s Foundation, an island-based charity that benefits Anguilla’s children with special needs. Originally published two years ago, “Kemarley of Anguilla” is a timeless tale with enduring appeal, and, through its charity tie-in, has the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of deserving but underserved Caribbean children. Get your copy at better gift shops on island, or online.

— Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, CJ Travel Editor

The post Annie Potts Wrote a Caribbean Children’s Book appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Nancy Greenberg, who sent in this lovely shot of sunset at the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas.

Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?

Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line.

It could be the next one!

— CJ

The post Caribbean Photo of the Week: Sunset at Atlantis appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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WASHINGTON, USA — In response to allegations of ongoing government corruption, a series of television and radio spots have been created to inform and educate the American people. These efforts will be undertaken through a new entity that will be called “Wall Street Fraud”.

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Martinique. Barbados. Guadeloupe. Puerto Rico.

These are some of the titans of Caribbean rum production, hubs for the Noble Spirit, full-fledged destinations for rum.

But there is another island in the Eastern Caribbean with a venerable rum history that remains a bit off the radar for the rum inclined: Grenada.

This tri-island state (along with Carriacou and Petite Martinique) has long been a haven for rum production, led by one of the Caribbean’s oldest distilleries, River Antoine.

Grenadian rums tend to be a bit on the sweet side, unsurprising for spirits hailing from a place known as the Spice Isle and where nutmeg is bountiful.

And the latter is an important point: as you begin to taste the rums of the region, patterns develop; you begin to see how rums of each island can be tasted together, how the soul of an island finds itself into that place’s rum, and you’re soon able to identify the home of a rum based on its flavors.

When it comes to rum in Grenada, Clarke’s Court is the power, having produced rum at the Grenada Sugar Factory since 1937 at its production facility in Woodlands Valley.

You may be most familiar with Grenada Distillers’ Old Grog rum, but the company produces a wide range of rums and flavored rums, from passionfruit to even sorrel rum.

But the company also produces some higher-level varieties, which brings us to this: Clarke’s Court #37 Blend, which gets its name from the date of the company’s founding.

This expression is aged first in oak barrels for eight years, then returned to the barrel for an additional maturation, the company says.

Bottled very nicely with a gold-colored flat top, this aged rum has an aroma of brown sugar and caramel and a golden amber color.

The flavor profile has notes of vanilla, molasses, candied fruit and a kind of sweet, fennel-y, herbal finish.

This isn’t a powerful rum; it’s delicate (very similar in body to a Puerto Rican rum), and served well either neat or on the rocks.

It’s also quite good — and a must for your collection.

— CJ

The post Rum Journal: A Rum to Try From Grenada appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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