The newest resort in the Dominican Republic, Club Med Miches, Playa Esmerelda is now open, and Hilary Lancaster, CEO of Fusion Interiors Group, which designed the property, gave Caribbean Journal an insight into how she achieved the look of the stunning new beach resort.

The first edition of Caribbean Journal’s new Caribbean Design Lab series gives you a look at the forefront of hotel design in the Caribbean region. 

By Hilary Lancaster

As the interior designers for the entire project our vision was to surprise the guests wherever possible and aim for them to expect the unexpected at every space they enter.

Our intention was to incorporate nature in all areas and bring an array of colors to the resort adding local influences.

Our concept encompassed the “Eco-Chic” spirit, surrounded by minimalist architecture.

Unlike any other Club Med in the world, Miches has integrated four main villages, each of them with its own theme.

These unique atmospheres allow guests to experience and discover four unique worlds within one resort. They are Explorer Cove, Emerald Jungle, Caribbean Paradise and Archipelago.  

The Village Centre is at the heart of the four themes: it is a culmination of the four Villages bringing together the amazing Club Med Spirit.
Colour and textures are celebrated linking the themes from the four other villages. The reception theme is called “Lost Paradise” and the restaurants include themes named “Emerald Paradise,” “Underwater Mansion” and “The Last Crusade” mixing the themes of Paradise, with the water and with exploration.

Explorer Cove For the Explorer Cove zone we were inspired by a time of exploration in the Caribbean on both the land and sea. We included references to maps and navigation, and rope from sunken ships. Subtle references to snakes for example in the bathrooms there are tiles designed with inspiration from snake skins.

Emerald Jungle The Dominican Republic is a natural wonder of the Caribbean. There are hundreds of rivers, streams and waterfalls. It has over 10,000 species of flowering plants and 172 species of birds. We were naturally fascinated by the wildlife and that is how we became inspired to bring the materials and textures to this area.

Deep Emerald Green is our main color, with many other green and earthy nuances. Rippling textures, woods, ceramics and patterns are all inspired by the local jungle and wildlife.

The Spa treatments rooms and the Yoga Retreat are surrounded by nature. The design is simple with a luxurious feel with views directly to the jungle allowing the experience to be totally unique.

Carved wooden screens and perforated walls create an intriguing interplay between darkness, shadow and light. Traditional potted plants are found inside the Spa.

Guests can enjoy the full nature experience in this Village with the rooms on stilts they can be totally submerged in the jungle.

Caribbean Paradise In this Village Club Med guests are immersed in an authentic, unconventional and unusual paradise. They will be able to experience being inside a tropical garden.

As well as being inspired by local tropical gardens we were also inspired by the the fun and vibrancy of Caribbean carnivals. 

The interior architecture of the area will be simple and modern to reflect the present. The soft furnishes are colourful, emulating the vibrant colours of local tropical fruits and flowers and the carnival costumes. The local cultural and architectural elements are being introduced through patterns, textures, ceramics, woods and natural weaves.

 “Paradise” is emphasized here, giving that feeling of a totally tropical paradise garden on the beach.

Archipelago We based our inspiration here from the richness of the Caribbean sea-life. Romantic and cozy, the private villas allow guests to enjoy a secluded and luxurious atmosphere.

The concept of the coral reef is brought into our design through colour and texture, since the coral reefs are considered as one the most important geographical features of the Caribbean Sea. Shades of blues and whites representing the freshness of the sea.

For more, visit Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda. 

Hilary Lancaster is the CEO and Creative Director of Fusion Interiors Group in the United Kingdom. 

— CJ

The post At a New Dominican Republic Resort, the Art of Modern Caribbean Design appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Legendary golfer and course designer Jack Nicklaus has launched a new residence club, and its first phase will include several locations in The Bahamas. 

Nicklaus, who designed Nassau’s Royal Blue golf club at the Baha Mar, will have two locations for his residence club program: a property called 36 on Paradise Island, and a property called Ocean Terrace on West Bay Street near Caves Heights. 

“I’ve spent the majority of my life traveling around the world, playing golf, designing golf courses, and experiencing a variety of destinations,” Nicklaus said. “I appreciate the importance of quality lodging and first-class service as complements to good golf. The industry continues to evolve for those who seek premier residences in ideal destinations, and we believe this is a natural fit as we expand the Nicklaus lifestyle brand.” 

The program will be what Nicklaus Companies call an “innovative, income-generating residence club model,” that lets members stay in luxury vacation condos and homes around the world. 

“The Jack Nicklaus Residence Club will be showcasing Nicklaus-designed golf courses around the globe, providing families and golf groups many beautiful, exciting, and exotic locations to explore,” VRP Equities President, Craig Williamson explained. “The clubs will feature ultra-luxury homes with stellar amenities, located in the most popular vacation areas around the globe.” 

For more, visit the new Jack Nicklaus club.

The post Jack Nicklaus’ New Residence Club Is Coming to The Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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One of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing destinations just reached another tourism milestone. 

The island of Saint Lucia reported a total of 423,736 stayover visitors in 2019, the highest total in the history of the destination — just in time for Saint Lucia’s 40th anniversary of independence. 

Saint Lucia tourism officials attribute much of the growth to a significant increase in airlift from the crucial United States market, which accounted for 45 percent of all stayover tourist arrivals during the calendar year. 

That accounted for nearly 191,000 visitors from the United States. 

“This increase in arrivals was of tremendous benefit to the tourism industry, and by extension, the entire economy of Saint Lucia as it resulted in increased bed-nights, meaning more persons stayed in paid accommodation, required taxi services and enjoyed the natural sites, attractions and cuisine that the island has to offer and thereby, created more job opportunities for the local population.” the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority said in a statement. 

Even more, the growth represented an additional 100,000 visitors since its total at the beginning of the decade — a jump of nearly 38 percent. 

“We are not simply interested in increasing numbers but more importantly ensuring that the growth trajectory of the industry is sustainable and that it touches every facet of economic development leading to employment creation and income generation for our people.  External reports also indicate that although Saint Lucia has one of the highest Average Daily Rates (ADR) in the region, we continue to be in high demand, which only augurs well for the revenue generation capability of the destination,” said Saint Lucia Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee, who was recently named Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year in the 2020 Caribbean Travel Awards. 

— CJ

The post Saint Lucia Just Reached a New Tourism Milestone appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Jamaica is looking to Kingston as it seeks to capitalize on its vast cultural offering. 

Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism is looking toward developing the island’s unique cultural events into full-fledged tourism products, and Kingston is the centerpiece of the plan. 

“We’re looking forward to building the City of Kingston as the entertainment centre of the Caribbean,” said Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. “We are not competing with anybody. You know what we’re doing. We’re creating something that is truly authentic. Something that is opinionated and something that people come to Jamaica to experience and consume and can go nowhere else and get it.”

It’s part of a wider push to capitalize on Jamaica’s diverse, rich cultural offering, officials say. 

That includes a push to create “cultural reggae products,” along with a drive to promote Jamaica’s Carnival. 

The idea is “to create a carnival product so that we can market it, and it can become a critical content in the architecture and the arrangements that we are making for the dissemination of ideas and information about Jamaica,” Bartlett said. 

Bartlett was speaking at the 2020 launch of Jamaica Carnival at the new AC Marriott hotel in Kingston this week. 

This year’s Carnival in Jamaica is projecting approximately 10,000 attendees, according to Jamaica Culture Minister Olivia Grange. 

“We have taken what was already an exciting Caribbean art form and in true Jamaican style, we have made it better in terms of increased participation, boundless excitement, and expansive global impact,” she said.

It’s another boost for Kingston, which is a major area of priority as Jamaica looks to develop its capital as a new kind of Caribbean urban destination.

— CJ

The post Jamaica Looks to Kingston as New Caribbean Entertainment Center appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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