Hyatt has opened its first-ever Hyatt Centric in Guatemala.

The Hyatt Centric Guatemala has a total of 138 rooms and suites in the heart of Guatemala City’s Zona 10, or “Zona Viva” upscale commercial neighborhood.

The hotel is the product of a partnership between Hyatt, LATAM Hotel Corporation and GHL Hotels.

Each room has floor-to-ceiling vies of Guatemala City or the hotel’s atrium, with features including vintage artwork and free Wi-Fi.

“This hotel is a prime destination in Guatemala City, allowing guests to begin their journey of the country’s economic, governmental, and cultural center,” said George Vizer, vice president of franchise operations, Hyatt. “We are confident Hyatt Centric Guatemala City will deliver on the brand’s commitment to put guests in the middle of the action and inspire them to explore Guatemala’s capital city.”

The hotel has a main restaurant called Zamat, along with Zielo, a rooftop restaurant with a central open kitchen; also on offer are a bar and espresso shop.

“We are delighted to open Hyatt Centric Guatemala City, which will set a new standard for hospitality, service and facilities in Guatemala City. Hyatt Centric is a globally recognized brand, and whether traveling for leisure or business, our guests will have the opportunity to explore a full service lifestyle hotel and have a wonderful experience,” said Jorge Londoño, president of GHL Hotels.

It’s the first in the Caribbean Basin for the Hyatt Centric brand, which is also slated for development in Barbados.

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

If you think staying at an all-inclusive resort means enduring endless uninspiring buffets, it must have been a while since you’ve stayed at one! Today’s generation of all inclusive resorts is leaving the old buffets-and-wristbands model in the dust, elevating the category with elegant dining in refined restaurants that feature cuisine not just from the Caribbean but from all over the world. Now going to dinner doesn’t mean simply traipsing to a cafeteria-style room and gorging on forgettable food. It means truly dining, seated in beautiful spaces and feasting on a la carte options that appeal to all the senses. And these 9 Caribbean gourmet all-inclusives set the standard as the top all inclusives for food right now.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Mexico Still the Caribbean’s leading all inclusive for food, this Mexican institution has eight restaurants, each featuring different cuisines from around the world.. Start with a hearty traditional Mayan breakfast at Chaká; exquisite gourmet Mexican at Frida; and don’t miss the tres magnifique brioche stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts at French restaurant, Piaf.

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The fast-growing Courtyard by Marriott brand is expanding again in the Caribbean Basin, with a new Courtyard slated to debut in San Pedro Sula, Honduras next year.

The news follows similar Courtyard debuts in Caribbean cities including Kralendijk, Bonaire, Nassau and a planned Aruba location.

The Courtyard by Marriott San Pedro Sula will be located in the central Rio de Piedras neighborhood, a short trip to the Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport.

It’s the latest big-brand investment for Honduras, which recently announced a planned Hilton Garden Inn in the country.

— CJ Staff

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By Alexander Britell

St. Barth is the luxury capital of the Caribbean, from neverending lunches at the Eden Rock to lazy afternoons at Tom Beach. But to experience the real St. Barth, to understand what makes this place so overwhelmingly lovely, you have to go beyond the hotels.

You have to live it.

You have to get your strawberry tarts at Choisy and your groceries at Marche U or Oasis, take a rum and cheese picnic to Grand Saline, drive the curves of L’orient, stroll the upper streets of Gustavia.

It’s what makes St. Barth so unique in the Caribbean — not just the sheer natural beauty, but its Frenchness, its security, its livability, the fact that you can get just about everything you want on a tiny island, the sort of place where the supermarkets have their own wine caves.

That’s why it was such a pleasure to discover a tucked-away property on the sand in St. Jean that marries the amenities of a hotel with the authenticity and comfort of a villa: Les Ilets de la Plage.

This villa resort has a mix of 11 units, some beachfront villas and others secreted away in the tropical gardens or on the hillside, all charmingly furnished with modern kitchens and amenities, coming in either one, two or three-bedroom configurations.

This hidden gem hotel is set on a lovely stretch of coast on the far side of the airport, making it both private and intoxicatingly quiet – the only sounds the waving palm trees and the periodic hum of a St. Barth landing.

It’s a place where you might for a moment think you’re staying in a cottage on the French countryside.

The best part? Fresh French pastries and bread delivered to your room every morning.

This family-run, Creole-style resort has been in St. Barth for more than three decades, an island institution that’s long been a kind of well-kept secret, easily convincing travelers to come back again and again, year after year, thanks in part to very reasonable prices.

“We want to stay reasonable,” Melane Dullin tells me. “This is a completely different kind of product — it’s a family hotel.”

And it’s one that gives you a villa with the service and perks of a hotel — from the pool and beach chairs to concierge services that will arrange your spa treatments and dinners at L’Esprit.

That leads to an 80 percent repeat guest rate, Dullin says, something that doesn’t come as a surprise.

“It’s like you’re at home,” she says.

And that’s precisely the point. Because what’s better than living in St. Barth?

For more info, visit Les Ilets.

The post VIDEO: Les Ilets de la Plage, St. Barth’s Hidden Gem Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Sandals is closing its Sandals Grande Antigua resort for maintenance in September.

The property will be closed between Sept. 20 and Dec. 17, the first time it has been closed since first opening on the island in 1992.

“There is no convenient time to inconvenience people, and while many hotels in Antigua have traditionally closed on an annual basis, we have not and recognize the dramatic consequences this action has on our staff, industry and destination partners, vendors and of course, guests.  We humbly and sincerely apologize and promise, Sandals will take care of you,” said SRI chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart.  “Our team is committed to handling this period in the most professional and practical way possible.”

Stewart appointed Sandal Resorts International Chief Operations Officer Shawn DaCosta to engage with affected stakeholders.

“Shawn will drive our compressed schedule to ensure that this maintenance work commences and completes on time,” Stewart said. “The local economy is tied to ours and we sincerely hope our effort to shorten the closure period is helpful to them.”

Tammy Gonzalez, CEO of Unique Vacations, said clients impacted by the closure of Sandals Grande Antigua may choose to return to the resort within one year of their original travel date and Sandals Resorts will honor the original rate and pay any airline change fees or penalties.

they may choose to travel on their original dates but revise to a different Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts and again, the airfare will be covered, she said.

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