St Maarten’s tourism rebirth has continued with the debut of the island’s newest hotel: the Adonis Cupecoy.

The Adonis is the first new-build hotel to open its doors since Hurricane Irma, with a setting in Cupecoy, just south of the border with Saint Martin.

Pascal Bataillé, president and founder of Adonis Hotels and Residences, confirmed the hotel’s opening to Caribbean Journal.

The hotel, located between St Maarten’s Porto Cupecoy marina and the Mullet Bay golf course, has a total of 52 sleek, modern rooms.

It’s the first-ever Caribbean hotel for France-based chain Adonis Hotels and Residences, which has a portfolio of 27 hotels in mainland France.

It’s a new, budget-friendly option for the island, with amenities including free Wi-Fi, parking and a daily buffet breakfast included in the rate.

The opening comes as another highly-anticipated hotel, the 124-room Morgan Resort and Spa is set to debut later this year in St Maarten. (That hotel will be set on Simpson Bay, directly adjacent to St Maarten’s iconic Sunset Beach Bar.

(Another major project is also in the pipeline, with fast-expanding Planet Hollywood Hotels brand planning to open an all-inclusive at the site of the former Great Bay resort in Philipsburg.

And the French side of St Martin will soon get a boost next month with the arrival of AMResorts’ first-ever French Caribbean property, the New Secrets St Martin.

St Maarten has been seeing a dramatic tourism recovery, with arrival numbers growing in excess of 100 percent compared to 2018.

That’s a testament to “all the hard word that everyone in the travel industry has been putting into ensuring that our tourism sector recovers quickly,” St Maarten Director of Tourism May-Ling Chung told Caribbean Journal.

“We’re thrilled to see that visitors are returning to the island in greater numbers,” she said.

That’s in large part due to quick work by the destination’s Princess Juliana International Airport to rebound with a provisional terminal in the wake of the storm, and complete transformations for St Maarten’s popular Sonesta Maho and Sonesta Ocean Point hotels.

St Maarten’s all-important cruise sector has also been showing renewed strength, with nearly 1.6 million cruise passengers last year, according to newly-released data from Port St Maarten.

That represented an increase of 2.2 percent compared to the previous year.

The post A New Hotel Is Open in St Maarten appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Bermuda’s month of wellness is back again this year, with Bermuda Spa Month set for the entire month of February. 

Bermuda launched its first-ever Spa Month last year, and the 2020 edition will include treatments at many of Bermuda’s top hotels and spas — with some treatments starting at $99 — a 50 percent discount off regular prices. 

“Bermuda is already a supremely romantic winter destination for couples in need of an escape,” the Bermuda Tourism Authority said in a statement. “And thanks to Bermuda Spa Month, which takes place every February, the romance is complemented perfectly by wellness.”

The themed month is part of a wider push by the destination to increase business in the colder winter months; Bermuda’s peak season is typically during the summer. 

Some of the participating hotels include the island’s Cambridge Beaches, Elbow Beach, Fairmont Southampton and Hamilton Princess, among others. 

For more information, visit Bermuda Spa /Month. 

— CJ

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It’s still common to think of the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas as a single entity, with its iconic twin towers connected by a soaring arch and surrounded by a sprawling, lost-world themed waterpark, Aquaventure, complete with waterslides emerging from a stepped pyramid and plunging riders through an aquarium tank full of toothy sharks.

That part of the resort, now called the Royal hotel, still stands at the center of the property, but over the years the Paradise Island has expanded to include six distinct resort properties, all occupying hundreds of acres of prime beachfront and complemented by an ever growing array of activities and amenities, including a casino, marina, golf, and animal-encounter programs. 

Each resort has its own unique character, with more than 3,800 guest rooms aimed at appealing to nearly every type of Nassau-bound traveler:

The Royal When the Atlantis resort debuted in 1998, this property was where all the action and excitement reigned. In many ways this remains the nexus of Atlantis, housing the resort’s huge casino and many of its top eateries (including Todd English’s Olives and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s Nobu). It’s also the closest hotel to the 154-acre Aquaventure waterpark, and The Dig (a fantasy archaeological of the ruins of the list city of Atlantis) begins right in the hotel lobby, making the Royal the logical choice for families with children as well as gamblers. Proximity comes with a price, however, and the Royal remains one of Atlantis’ deluxe-tier hotels.

The Reef For a family beachfront vacation, consider the Reef. This luxury, residential style high-rise hotel has easy access to Paradise and Cove beaches, spacious suites with well-equipped kitchens, and is close to the Dolphin Cay animal-encounter program, the resort spa, tennis, and fitness center. And of course you still get access to Aquaventure and all of the other Atlantis amenities.

The Cove Located next door to the Reef, the Cove has a totally different vibe, starting with the fact that this high-end resort is for adults only. Considered the most upscale of the Atlantis hotels, the Cove has open floorpan rooms with balconies and oversized bathrooms, all at a peaceful remove from the bustle of the casino floor and the waterpark. If you’re seeking a serene corner at a mega resort, this is your place. (It’s also home to the outstanding Fish by Jose Andres).

The Harborside Resort With colorful low-rise, village style hotel buildings edging the Atlantis marina, the Harborside is an appealing mid-priced hotel that is conveniently close to the resort’s Marina Village shops and restaurants, including the traditional Bahamian performers who frequent the streets of the village. The villas are big enough to accommodate families, who also will appreciate some of the Marina Village’s more affordable dining, including pizza and a deli. The Harborside also is a good option for friends or multigenerational families thanks to its choice of one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas.

The Coral The Coral offers a combination of moderately priced rooms and a convention location amid Atlantis’ fish-filled lagoons, roughly in between the Royal towers and the marina village. The hotel has its own pool and is home to Atlantis’ CRUSH club for teens and pre-teens, and it’s also close to the resort’s lagoon snorkeling experience and predator tank with its 100-foot glass-walled tunnel — even more kid-friendly attractions, in other words (for mom and dad, the casino and Crystal Court shopping mall also are nearby). Three classes of rooms have one king or two queen beds. 

The Beach Atlantis’ most budget-friendly hotel sits directly on Atlantis Beach has rooms with water or terrace views, and in addition to the beach guests will find the resort’s zero-entry River Pool, lazy river, kids pool, and game room nearby, as well as a comedy club and a theater showing free movies daily. The Beach was the original hotel on the property, originally the Paradise Island Hotel and Casino; opened in 1968, it has been renovated in the years since but is certainly the most “vintage” hotel at Atlantis.

Comfort Suites Paradise Island This 223-room hotel with recently renovated junior suites isn’t on the Atlantis property — it’s across the street, but thanks to a longstanding arrangement with the resort, Comfort Suites guests get access to all Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas amenities, including Aquaventure. Throw in the complementary hot and cold breakfast included with a stay and this may be the most affordable way to enjoy an “Atlantis vacation.”

The post The Resorts at Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas, Explained appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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