… to withhold serious aid from Puerto Ricans affected by hurricanes Irma and … Ricardo Rossello, the Governor of … [+] Puerto Rico, near police that are manning … . Coverage would sometimes include other Puerto Rican artists, like Ricky Martin, who …

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The best Jamaica resorts set the standard for the Caribbean travel experience; since the dawn of the jet-set age, Jamaica has been a haven for rarefied, elegant, character-filled hospitality, and that’s even more true today. 

Few islands boast as diverse and fascinating a hotel product as Jamaica, from its all-inclusive stays to its classic beach resorts to its hidden-away boutique hotels — and everything in between. 

While Jamaica continues to evolve as a destination, what hasn’t changed is its enviable, remarkable and unique take on the Caribbean vacation experience. 

Here are our favorite Jamaica resorts for your 2020 trip to the island. 

Half Moon The Grande Dame of Jamaica resorts, Half Moon is about as iconic a hotel as there is in the Caribbean, a luxurious, opulent hotel where the service is bold and brilliant and the ambience is serene. But Half Moon will have a particularly interesting 2020 with the debut of its new standalone resort, the 57-room Eclipse at Half Moon, a Half Moon for the 21st century — and it’s as exciting a hotel as has come to Jamaica in years. And while that resort makes its debut in March, the original resort (whose guests have included the Queen) is just about the pinnacle of lovely.

The post The 10 Best Jamaica Resorts to Visit in 2020 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Spanish hotel giant Melia Hotels International is opening another new resort in Mexico, the company announced.

The new Paradisus Playa Mujeres will open its doors in the summer of 2020, according to Melia. 

The all-inclusive property will include a total of 498 rooms, each with views of either tropical gardens or the Caribbean sea. 

Amenities will include 10 dining concepts, a spa, a fitness center and a plum setting on the beach. 

“Playa Mujeres the perfect place for relaxed luxury in a dream setting with a natural, unspoiled landscape,” the company said in a statement. “The new motto of Paradisus by Melia, ‘Embrace Your Nature,’ takes you to a paradise that reflects the endemic beauty of the destination.”

The newest Paradisus will join four other Paradisus-branded resorts in Mexico, including Paradisus Los Cabos; Paradisus Cancun, Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Esmeralda and Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla. 

It’s yet another new resort in Melia’s fast-growing regional portfolio, and another addition to what is arguably the hottest destination for hotel investment in Mexico: Playa Mujeres, sometimes dubbed Costa Mujeres, often known in the regional industry as the “New Cancun,” which has seen a wave of new hotels from brands like Riu and Palladium, among others.

For more, visit Paradisus Playa Mujeres. 

– CJ

The post Melia Is Opening a New Paradisus Resort in Playa Mujeres appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Hyatt’s newest all-inclusive hotels have held their grand openings in the heart of Punta Cana in the  Dominican Republic.

Playa Hotels and Resorts has debuted the new Hyatt-branded Ziva and Zilara resorts in Punta Cana’s tony enclave of Cap Cana.

It’s a big expansion for Playa, which first launched Hyatt’s all-inclusive platform back in 2014 with a pair of resorts at the former Ritz-Carlton in Montego Bay back in 2014, has developed a rapidly expanding portfolio of resorts both in the Caribbean and Mexico. 

“Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana represent the best minds in the business, the best facilities available, the most modern of technology and, most importantly, the legendary hospitality of the Dominican Republic,” said Bruce Wardinski, chairman of Playa Hotels and Resorts. This is the result of true partnership. From the President and Ministry’s support, to the Hazoury family’s ongoing support of Playa’s vision to transform what all-inclusive means, to the arrival of the legendary Hyatt standard in the Dominican Republic.”

That now includes a total of eight Hyatt-branded resorts in destinations including Montego Bay, Cancun, Los Cabos, Punta Cana and Puerto Vallarta. 

Playa’s broader all-inclusive portfolio includes resorts under the Hyatt, Hilton, Panama Jack and Jewel brands. 

The company also manages the nearby Sanctuary Cap Cana, also set on Juanillo Beach — part of an increasingly competitive all-inclusive sector in Cap Cana that also includes the flagship Secrets Cap Cana resort. 

The all-inclusive growth represents something of a shift for Cap Cana, which rose to fame largely fueled by a portfolio of luxury villas and real estate and its signature hotel, the spectacular Eden Roc Cap Cana, one of the leading luxury resorts in the wider Caribbean.

But Punta Cana’s continued strength as a destination has led developers to look to Cap Cana as another burgeoning all-inclusive destination.

And Playa’s newest properties are Hyatt’s first-ever resorts in Punta Cana (and, indeed, the Dominican Republic), long the Caribbean’s most popular destination by visitor volume. 

The dual-resort Punta Cana all-inclusive complex includes the family-friendly Ziva and the adults-only Zilara, along with an underground “cenote-inspired” spa, a 14,000-square-foot fitness facility, an outdoor amphitheater and a diverse array of dining concepts including an Indian eatery served in a dining car the company says was inspired by the Orient Express. 

Other features include a lazy river, a full-scale water park and a half-mile stretch of beach. 

Both the Ziva and Zilara resorts include a total of 375 rooms. 

The debut is another new addition to Hyatt’s wider Caribbean expansion, from a new Grand Hyatt resort in Puerto Rico to a new planned Hyatt Place in Aruba. 

For more, visit Hyatt Cap Cana. 

— CJ

The post In Punta Cana, a Pair of New Hyatt All-Inclusive Hotels appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Dominica continues to see a full-fledged tourism renaissance, according to the most recent data from the Discover Dominica Authority. 

Dominica reported a total of 75,726 visitors in the first 10 months of 2019, representing a 52 percent increase over the same period in 2018. 

More crucially, it represented a 15 percent increase over the same period in 2018, which largely comprised pre-Hurricane Maria data. 

The data also eclipsed 2016 visitor numbers by 14 percent, DDA said in a statement. 

“Dominica’s advanced stage of recovery is evident in the performance of visitor arrivals recorded for 2019 to date,” the DDA said in a statement. 

Dominica tourism officials said the 2019 numbers surpassed its stated arrival targets for this year. 

It’s another very positive sign for a destination that has seen a remarkable recovery since the storms of 2017 — most recently buoyed by the island’s first full-fledged luxury resort, the 151-room Kempinski resort.

— CJ

The post Dominica Tourism Continues Rebirth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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