Sandals Resorts International is continuing its rapid Caribbean expansion with another major project in Barbados.

Sandals is planning to open a new Beaches Barbados in the summer of 2020, Sandals Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart confirmed to Caribbean Journal through a spokesperson.

The Beaches Barbados project will be a dramatic transformation of the island’s Almond Beach Resort near Speightstown.

Construction is projected to begin in September 2018, according to the company.

A rendering of a suite at the new Sandals Royal Barbados.

It would become the fourth Beaches-branded resort in the Caribbean, along with properties in Turks and Caicos and Jamaica.

Sandals is also readying the debut of the new Sandals Royal Barbados all-suite resort, slated to open Dec. 20.

That property will include 220 suites, along with a 15,000-square-foot Red Lane Spa, four bars and five restaurants.

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There’s a major new villa option at the luxury Jumby Bay private island resort off the coast of Antigua.

Pure Turquoise is a seven-bedroom, 18,000-square-foot estate set directly on the ocean, anchored by a 5,022-square-foot entertainment pavilion.

Surrounding the pavilion are seven free-standing bedroom pavilions.

The property also features a dining room, a large kitchen and a media and game room, along with an 82-food infinity pool, a standalone gym, a private croquet lawn and tennis court, along with a private chef, housekeeper and butler.

It’s almost a mini-resort, offering the height of Jumby Bay luxury with a campus-style layout.

— CJ

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An adults only all inclusive is particiularly well suited for a Caribbean vacation —  it combines the comfort and ease of an all inclusive with the tranquil exclusivity of an adults only retreat, two things have an even better way of going with a Caribbean beach.

Some adults only all inclusive properties pull off that combination even better than others, though, making for the perfect romantic but relaxing getaway.

These resorts, which tick all the boxes on islands big and small, range from boutique options to traditional large resorts. CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon brings you 10 adults only all-inclusive Caribbean resorts to visit right now.

Cocobay On Antigua’s west coast, this refined 57-room boutique garners praise for its intimate vibe; stunning Caribbean views; and for Sheer Rocks, the superb (independent) restaurant where the island’s most fashionable flock to dine.

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The Excellence all-inclusive brand is expanding to Jamaica, the company announced this week.

The adults-only Excellence Oyster Bay resort is slated to open in Jamaica on June 1, 2018 on a property about 35 minutes from Montego Bay’s airport close to Falmouth.

The resort is an estimated $110 million project.

Excellence Oyster Bay will be the first Jamaica resort for the company, which has a collection of properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic under the Excellence, Beloved and Finest brands.

The 315-suite resort will include amenities like private pools and rooftop terraces, with 70 percent of the suites offering sea views.

They’re joined by oceanfront “beach houses” directly on the sand.

Other features will include eight restaurants, nine bars, two beachfront swimming pools, a lounge with rooftop pool and a Miile Spa.

“This is a project of great excitement for us as it is both a proof of evolution to deliver the best Excellence product to date, and our first foray outside of the Dominican Republic and Mexico,” said Domingo Aznar, vice president of sales and marketing at Excellence Group. “With Excellence Oyster Bay, we raise the standards to offer a whole new all-inclusive luxury experience for adults, and we are confident that Jamaica is the perfect choice for it.”

The property also revealed that the property would contain a real estate component, with sales opportunities soon to be announced.

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A boutique luxury boutique hotel has expanded in the heart of Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone.

The new Casa Antilliana is the latest boutique home by the Casas del XVI hotel in the storied old city of the Dominican Republic’s capital.

The hotel has a total of 16 rooms, offering guests a butler and concierge service and the brand’s signature old world-modern fusion design.

Casa Antilliana has two master suites and one double bedroom facing an interior garden anchored by a plunge pool.

Casas del XVI is a series of charmingly restored homes in the Colonial Zone, each with a different theme, all dating back to the 16th century.

“In designing this house, I used a white background with splashes of green sprinkled throughout the décor to convey a tropical, colonial Antillean theme, which is inspired by the Caribbean islands surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico,” says Patricia Reid, interior designer for Casas del XVI. “The original colonial masonry especially the white portico framing the door at the entrance, as well as an antique well nestled in the wall have been preserved to transport guests to a long-lost era.”

Every house is attended by its own private mayordomo, with an individual design and floor plan.

Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone has become one of the Caribbean’s up-and-coming destinations, thanks to an alluring blend of fascinating architecture, a burgeoning art scene and excellent nightlife.

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