By the Caribbean Journal staff

Another new all-inclusive project has broken ground in the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Prime Minister Danilo Medina laid the first stone for the new Grand Fiesta Americana Punta Cana Los Corales this week.

The $130 million project will open its doors in 18 months, according to estimates.

The new project will be the first Dominican Republic outpost for the brand, which has properties across much of Mexico.

The Grand Fiesta Americana will include 554 “luxury” room on a site on Bavaro Beach in the heart of Punta Cana, about 20 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport.

It will include seven restaurants and a variety of watersports operations.

The post Grand Fiesta Americana Breaks Ground on New Resort appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It began in 2012 with an idea: to lift up rum. The aim was to celebrate the glory of rum, to honor the greatest rums just as wines and spirits and so many other categories are honored.

Rum Journal’s Rum Awards is now in its sixth year, having growth into one of the world’s most important and influential measures in the rum category.

And every year, the judging by the Rum Journal special panel of judges gets more difficult, as rum continues to grow both in diversity and quality.

The most striking advancement of late has been the rum world’s renewed focus on the art of barrel aging, from special finishes to long-term aging.

This year’s final judging, performed at the terrific Casa de Montecristo by Prime Cigar in Miami, was the product of a year’s worth of tasting and research that ultimately evaluated more than 200 rums from the Caribbean and around the world.

As always, the Rum Awards is led by the awards for Rum of the Year and Rhum Agricole of the Year, along with 10 other categories across the world of rum.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Rum of the Year: Angostura No. 1, Trinidad

The premium aged rum category gets almost exponentially more competitive each year, but this year an old favorite returned to take back the Rum Awards crown. Trinidad’s Angostura No. 1 series, which won Rum of the Year with its first edition back in 2014, simply wowed this year’s panel of judges.

The latest expression of Angostura No. 1 is the result of aging Trinidadian rum for 10 years in American oak casks and then another six in French oak casks that formerly held cognac. The result is a masterwork, a rum that reaches the highest achievement in the rum world – an exquisite roundness and smoothness without sacrificing personality. Congratulations to the House of Angostura.  It’s also a sign of the increasing importance of the art of barrel aging — and barrel diversity — a theme that we’ll see across this year’s awards.

Runners Up: Papa’s Pilar Sherry Finish (Gold Medal) (Florida), Facundo Exquisito, Puerto Rico (Silver Medal), St Lucia Distillers 1931 (Bronze Medal).

The post Rum Journal: The Rum Awards 2017 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

European low-cost carrier Norwegian continues to show booming passenger growth, according to the carrier’s latest numbers.

Norwegian carried 2.5 million passengers in November, a jump of 11 percent compared to the same period in 2016.

The carrier reported a total of 2.52 million passengers last month, an increase of 255,075 passengers overall.

Total traffic growth and capacity growth rose by 28 percent.

Last month, Norwegian launched a wave of new flights to the French Caribbean, including new routes to Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“We are pleased that more passengers are choosing to fly with Norwegian ,” said Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos. “Global expansion is important to position ourselves in a market with such strong competition, but also for creating economic value in the markets we operate.”

The post Norwegian Passenger Growth Continues appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

All-inclusive giant Riu Resorts has officially expanded in the Mexican Caribbean with the debut of the new Riu Dunamar.

The new family-friendly all-inclusive is set in the relatively new Costa Mujeres development, about 30 km north of Cancun’s traditional tourism hub.

A typical room at Riu Dunamar.

Costa Mujeres will also soon be home to a major new project by Palladium Hotel Group slated to make its debut later on in 2018.

The 700-room hotel has a total of five outdoor pools, along with Riu’s new Splash Water World water park concept, which is becoming a signature at the company’s newer properties.

Culinary offerings range from a steakhouse called Las Brasas to a buffet eatery called Isla Mujeres and international restaurants like “Kulinariaum,” “Bamboo” and “Pompeya.”

The Riu Dunamar also includes a “RiuLand” kids’ club and a fitness program called RiuFit, along with the brand’s signature Renova Spa.

“We’re launching a destination with a brand new hotel that is ready to offer its best and newest amenities in modern facilities designed down to the last detail,” the company said in a release.

Riu has been on an expansion push in the Caribbean of late, both with new-build properties and renovation and expansion projects.

The post Riu Dunamar Opens Doors in Mexican Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Hilton is continuing its Caribbean expansion with a pair of major new projects on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

Hilton has announced plans to open both a luxury Waldorf-Astoria and an all-inclusive Hilton in Cancun.

Developed by Parks Hospitality, the properties are slated to make their debut in 2021.

The neighboring properties will be set on 100 acres of Caribbean beachfront.

The announcement comes a few days after Hilton opened its its new Curio-branded Mahogany Bay in Belize.

“With more than half of our Latin America portfolio present in Mexico, we are proud to announce the plans for Waldorf Astoria Cancun and Hilton Cancun as we continue to introduce distinguished properties in the world’s most sought-after destinations,” said Juan Corvinos, vice president, development, Latin America and the Caribbean, Hilton. “Representing our luxury and upscale brands respectively, Waldorf Astoria Cancun and Hilton Cancun will offer guests a taste of Mexican culture fused with Waldorf Astoria’s uncompromising sophistication and Hilton’s flagship hospitality.”

Hilton earlier this year announced plans for another Waldorf Astoria in the Caribbean, a new project in Antigua.

The Waldorf Astoria Cancun will include 150 rooms and suites, with waterfront or mangrove-facing terraces and private balconies.

The beachfront Hilton Cancun will include 600 guest rooms with panoramic views.

“Through this collaboration, we are excited about expanding our portfolio in Cancun, one of Mexico’s top tourist destinations,” said Charles Elmann Fasja, CEO of Parks Desarrolladora. “We recognize the tremendous value in working with a respected industry leader such as Hilton and we look forward to building upon this alliance in the future.”

Design firms SB Architects, EDSA and HBA have been tapped to create a “fluid transition between indoor and outdoor spaces throughout both the Waldorf Astoria Cancun and the Hilton Cancun properties,” according to a statement.

The project will be located near Benito Juarez, about 10 minutes from Cancun International Airport.

The post Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Projects Coming to Cancun appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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