Hyatt is opening another new hotel in Costa Rica, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The new Hyatt Place San Jose Cariari will be set in the heart of the most important economic hub in the country, about a mile from the recently-launched Costa Rica Convention Center. 

It will be set in the province of Heredia, about six miles north of San Jose. 

The new Hyatt Place will join a pair of existing Hyatt-branded hotels in Costa Rica: the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo and the Hyatt Place San Jose Pinares. 

“We are thrilled to expand the brand’s footprint in Costa Rica with the development of this new Hyatt Place hotel,” said Camilo Bolaños, Vice President of Development and Real Estate – Latin America and Caribbean, Hyatt. “Hyatt Place hotels offer high-energy professionals who want to balance the priorities of work and life with elevated amenities and added conveniences that help guests do more. The proximity and connectivity to Costa Rica’s international airport and brand new Costa Rica Convention Center will set Hyatt Place San Jose Cariari apart and will ensure business travelers will get the most out of their stay.”

The property, which will have a total of 120 rooms, is slated to debut in the second quarter of 2021. 

It’s the latest Hyatt Place project in the wider region; Hyatt Place’s first-ever Aruba hotel opened earlier this month. 

— CJ

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Hilton has opened its first-ever Homewood Suites hotel in the Dominican Republic — and the brand’s first-ever hotel in the Caribbean, period. 

The new Homewood Suites by Hilton Santo Domingo has debuted in the Dominican Republic’s increasingly popular capital city.

The 145-suite hotel is owned by Inversiones Robledo SAS and managed by Hilton, with amenities like a 12th floor “sky lobby,” a rooftop bar and pool area and a fitness center, among others. 

The property is set on Santo Domingo’s famous Avenida Winston Churchill boulevard.

“The Dominican Republic is as economically strong as it is naturally beautiful, and we are thrilled to expand Homewood Suites by Hilton’s brand footprint into the historic capital of Santo Domingo with our milestone 500th opening,” said Rick Colling, global head, Homewood Suites by Hilton. “With offerings such as spacious suites and complimentary breakfast, this hotel provides a new extended-stay lodging option with value-added incentives and signature home-like amenities in a prime location in the center of the city.”

It’s no secret that the Dominican Republic is the Caribbean’s capital of hotel investment. 

Lately, though, more and more investors are looking beyond traditional large resorts and beyond the country’s tourism hubs like Punta Cana.

That means a renewed emphasis on Santo Domingo, and more projects like the recently-announced La Quinta expansion into the country. 

Indeed, Santo Domingo has been increasingly at the forefront of Dominican tourism officials’ diversification push, with more and more airlines following suit with new routes to the capital. 

“A thriving metropolis and capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo continues to be a top tourism hub in the Caribbean,” said Jorge Giannattasio, senior vice president and head of operations, Caribbean and Latin America at Hilton. “We recognize the opportunity for growth in this market, and are thrilled to introduce Homewood Suites by Hilton Santo Domingo as the newest option in the destination for locals and tourists alike.”

For more visit the Homewood Suites by Hilton. 

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… T-shirt emblazoned with the Puerto Rican flag has been sentenced to … her Puerto Rican shirt. She made a video of the incident. Puerto Rico is … stupid.”
Woman harassed over Puerto Rico shirt, says officer did nothing

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Virgin Atlantic is ramping up its flight service to the island of Barbados for the upcoming winter travel season. 

Virgin will be adding more flights from Manchester to Barbados beginning this winter, with the addition of a third weekly flight out of Manchester

Virgin will also be increasing its flights to Barbados from London Gatwick, with the introduction of an eighth and ninth weekly flight from London Gatwick to Barbados for the winter season. 

All of the additional Barbados flights have already launched sales, according to Virgin Atlantic. 

“As one of our three core hubs in the UK alongside Heathrow and Gatwick, Manchester is Virgin Atlantic’s home in the North,” said Juha Jarvinent, executive vice president for commercial at Virgin Atlantic. “As part of our growth strategy, we have long-since held an ambition to expand in Manchester and that is reflected in a significant 92 percent increase in seat capacity since 2014. Schedule expansion this winter, coupled with our first ever Clubhouse in the North, demonstrate our clear commitment to the region.”

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A major new luxury all-inclusive resort has officially opened its doors on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. 

It’s called Atelier Estudio Playa Mujeres, the latest resort to debut in the up-and-coming destination of Playa Mujeres northeast of Cancun. 

The complex of two resorts on the beach in Playa Mujeres has a total of 593 luxury suites across the adults-only “Atelier” and family-friendly “Estudio” wings. 

The new destination resort held its official opening during the Cancun Travel Market conference, the largest annual tourism get-together in Mexico’s tourism hub of Quintana Roo. 

Both the 431-suite Atelier and the 162-suite Estudio are all-suite resorts, with amenities ranging from 24-hour in-room dining to Molton Brown bath amenities and free broadband Wi-Fi across both properties. 

Atelier has 8 restaurants and eight bars, while Estudio has five eateries and four bars, along with a kids’ club called Doodle Land. 

Playa Mujeres is home to an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. 

The broad dining program is headlined by Chef Edgar Núñez “Maria Dolores,” a self-styled “new concept of luxury culinary art” that takes a molecular gastronomy approach to Mexican gastronomy. 

Both properties say they’re aiming for a different kind of all-inclusive experience, one focused on local culture, art and engagement. 

“These are new tourism products that consider the three pillars of sustainability: economy, ecology and society, which enrich Mexico’s potential in the field of tourism and make it more competitive,” said Mexico Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco Marques, who was on hand for the official opening this week.  

That means experiences like contemporary art shows classes ranging from “fruit carving” to an on-site art walk. 

Atelier, Estudio and their sister resort, Olio, combine for a total of 761 rooms, with 17 eateries and 14 bars, along with a large convention center and a 4,200-square-meter spa. 

The new properties add up to what is a full-fledged hotel development boom in Playa Mujeres and Costa Mujeres, one that has seen a spate of new resorts debut in the last year from brands like Palladium and Riu, among others. 

For more, visit Atelier. 

— CJ

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