Monthly Archives: April 2016

Caribbean Hotels You Can Move To

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It’s always so hard to leave a great hotel in the Caribbean. And then there’s that little whisper at the end of your stay — “what if I added another day?” “What if I stayed the whole weekend?” Or perhaps it’s “we should come here every December.” For some, though, there’s another call — to stay forever. And at an increasing number of top hotels in the Caribbean, it’s possible. At these hotels, there are residences adjacent to or within the hotels themselves, often offering all the same amenities but with larger spaces — and you can often either buy them and live there or buy them and put them into a rental pool when you’re elsewhere. So yes — you can buy a unit or villa at some of your favorite properties. These are Caribbean hotels you can move to.

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Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic

Perhaps the Dominican Republic’s signature resort, this massive property in La Romana boasts a wide portfolio of villas, from smaller homes to mansions, and everything in between. The only question is your budget. And if you’re a golfer looking to move to the Caribbean, you’ve found your destination.

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Hakkasan Group to Invest $150 Million in Mexico Hospitality Projects

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Global hospitality company Hakkasan Group is looking to Mexico.

The company has partnered with top Mexico resort operator Grupo Vidanta, on a planned $150 million investment into new concept beach clubs, nightlife venues, restaurants and hotels at Vidanta Resorts.

The partnership is reportedly the result of a recent state visit to the Middle East, where Grupo Vidanta’s founder Daniel Chavez and Hakkasan Group began discussing the potential for new ventures.

Hakkasan Group, based in Las Vegas, has more than 50 establishments in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, led by its Hakkasan restaurants.

“We are thrilled to partner with one of the most renowned global hospitality companies and create new opportunities and original experiences in Mexico,” Chávez Morán said. “Through our partnership with Hakkasan Group we will bring world-class dining and entertainment offerings like no other in Mexico to destinations across the country.”

The partnership will see three new concepts in the first half of 2017, including two restaurants and a beach club at Vidanta Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo.

For the next five years, Hakkasan Group will be introducing a new venue at a different Vidanta property each year, along with a new hotel with Grupo Vidanta.

“Our latest collaboration with the world-renowned Hakkasan Group further exemplifies our long-term vision and ongoing commitment to progressing the growth of tourism in Mexico and evolving the Vidanta brand,” said Iván Chávez, Executive Vice President of Grupo Vidanta.

Vidanta has a portfolio of resorts in destinations including Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán.

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The Best Sunset Cruise in St Croix

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

So you’ve been to St. Croix and watched the sun rise at Point Udall, the easternmost spot on the island and in the entire United States. Nothing can top that, right?

Wrong.

On a trip to the island last month, I had the privilege of not only seeing the sunrise in the east, but also watching the new moon ascend that same night in Frederiksted, on St. Croix’s western tip. Better still: I didn’t have to content myself with seeing the spectacle from land. Instead I joined Lyric Sails’ new moon cruise and witnessed the monthly miracle from the sea.

Jolly Mon, Lyric’s 63-foot catamaran, was our transport for the evening, taking us from Frederiksted’s pier.

Formerly owned by a Key West drug smuggler; seized by the US government; sold at auction; and eventually ending up in the US Virgin Islands, the 49-passenger craft has had quite a journey. But certainly not as magical as ours turned out to be that evening.

Photos by Kelly Greer Photography

Photos by Kelly Greer Photography

Casting off under a sky streaked with orange, we set sail toward the horizon. Bottomless rum punch, lubricated conversation between both friends and strangers. But what really added charm to the moment was the live band on board (there’s a reason why the outfit is called Lyric Sails; every cruise features live music).

As the sun descended it was the evocative strains from Marisol Y Los Drunk Dumplings that enchanted us just as much as the rapidly blackening sky.

As night fell and a million pinpoints of light appeared like fiber-optic lights through an inky scrim, we couldn’t help but feel the magic. And as the glowing amber orb of the moon rose in the sky and signaled the start of a new lunar cycle, I know I wasn’t the only one who hoped it would also herald a fresh start for those of us lucky enough to witness it in this extraordinary way.

For reservations and more info go to lyricsails.com.

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Grand Cayman’s Slow Food Festival

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

It’s official: Grand Cayman’s 20th annual Slow Food Day was a success. Held last week at the shopping, dining and entertainment hub Camana Bay, the celebration of local farmers, sustainable eating and farm-to-table cuisine drew more than 750 people and incorporated a farmers’ market, kids’ cooking competition, and an evening feast prepared from locally sourced ingredients by Cayman-based and visiting chefs.

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To kick off the day, local farmers and restaurant chefs gathered in the town to sell fresh produce and juices, and to offer free tastings of dishes made with locally grown ingredients, including The Brasserie’s Spanish tortilla, and Bay Market’s popular turkey chili.

Guest chefs Edward Lee (of 610 Magnolia, MilkWood and Succotash in Louisville, Kentucky) and Mike Lata (of The Ordinary and Fig Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina) were judges in the kids’ culinary competition, led by Cayman Food Revolution Ambassador Maureen Cubbon.

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The evening’s year’s farm-to-table dinner, themed “Savour the South,” included food and drink prepared and served by the restaurants of Camana Bay and chefs Lee and Lata. Guests were greeted with a welcome cocktail, the Jim Beam Honey Mint Julep, created by Camana Bay restaurant Karoo. They also enjoyed tastings of Chef Lee’s own bourbon, part of Jefferson’s Chef Collaboration Line. After Lee and Lata’s main courses of smoked goat and grilled tuna, a Southern-inspired dessert table created by the pastry chefs at Lola bistro provided a fittingly sweet finale.

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“Slow Food Day is an event that we have been carefully cultivating over the last five years. This year, we had unprecedented turnout for all of our activities, which highlights the growth in popularity and awareness of the slow food movement,” said Kristy Rivers, Camana Bay’s Senior Manager – Experiences & Engagement. “More people than ever are recognizing the importance of supporting our farmers and chefs as they introduce more locally grown produce and ingredients to Cayman’s food scene. We are grateful to everyone for their involvement, especially visiting chefs Mike Lata and Edward Lee who combined their passion for Southern cooking with local ingredients to the delight of those who attended our dinner.”

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Major New Hotel Coming to Statia

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A major new hotel is coming to the Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius.

The Oranje Bay Hotel and Restaurant has officially launched construction in its location on Oranjebaaiweg in Lower Town.

It is the first new hotel development on St Eustatius in years, the brainchild of European entrepreneurs Claudia Wickert, Bob Castelijn, Angelika Borchert and Almut Tiba-Ehlers.

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The eco-focused project will also include a restaurant focusing on high-level Mediterranean and local cuisine.

The first phase of the project will include restoring and incorporating parts of an existing ruin into the hotel buildings, with later phases to see the addition of more rooms and cabanas, with an ultimate goal of 30 rooms and 10 cabanas.

Statia, located just a short plane ride from St Maarten, has long been pushing an eco-tourism agenda and has been the site of one of the Caribbean’s leading annual conferences on sustainable tourism.

It recently rebranded itself as “Statia: The Hidden Treasure.”

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