By Ray Chickrie Caribbean News Now contributor PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Suriname’s finance minister, Gillmore Hoefdraad, and his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart, Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, minister of state for financial affairs, have signed an investment promotion and protection agreement (IPPA) and an agreement to prevent double taxation and evasion. By signing these agreements, both […]

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Spanish hotel giant Riu is opening its newest Caribbean all-inclusive this month.

The Riu Palace Costa Mujeres is slated to debut on Nov. 17 on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, Caribbean Journal has learned.

A room at the new Riu Palace Costa Mujeres.

The new property, which is located on Bahia de Mujeres beach, will have a total of 600 rooms, along with five swimming pools (and two swim-up bars), along with a private beach.

Dining concepts will range fro a traditional buffet-style eatery to Japanese, Mexican and Italian restaurants.

That’s along with one of Riu’s signature Renova spas, a wellness center, a pastry shop, among other amenities.

Riu has been expanding in the wider Caribbean region at a breakneck pace, while renovating a number of properties from the Riu Tequila to the ever-growing Riu Republica in the Dominican Republic.

The hotel will also include a collection of swim-up rooms.

The Riu Palace will be Riu’s second resort in the Costa Mujeres development, following last year’s launch of the Riu Dunamar.

Both are situated on the mainland across from tiny Isla Mujeres.

And they’re not alone on this stretch of coastline, which is also home to two new Palladium all-inclusive properties.

For more, visit Riu Costa Mujeres.

— CJ

The post A New Riu All-Inclusive Is Opening This Month appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

It began in 2011, a personal real estate project that turned into a dream hotel that turned into one of the Caribbean’s bucket-list travel experiences.

A little over a year ago, Hurricane Maria came, and Dominica’s halo hotel was shuttered.

But now, Secret Bay, the eco-hotel that has become Dominica’s luxury beacon, has officially reopened its doors.

The Portsmouth-area hotel has relaunched with six villas: Zabuco I, II and III, Ylang Ylang I and II and a new, larger Ti-Fey Villa.

Even better? All of the villas at Secret Bay now boast their own private plunge pools.

But that’s not the only change.

The new restaurant at Secret Bay.

Secret Bay has added a new, sit-down eatery called Zing-Zing— complementing the hotel’s existing in-villa dining and pre-stocking.

The property also has its signature spa, yoga and wellness pavilion, this time on a riverside location.

The new Gommier Spa is something Secret Bay’s owners are particularly excited about, turning something that had been exclusively an in-villa experience into a full-fledged wellness center, with treatments from hot-stone massages to four-hand massages.

“I am most excited about being able to share Secret Bay with the world again,” Secret Bay proprietor Gregor Nassief told Caribbean Journal. “I love hearing from guests in their own words about how Secret Bay’s beauty and our sincere, caring staff have given them joy and lasting memories. That is what makes it all worthwhile and that’s what I have missed.”

Nassief says that while the property has unsurprisingly made a number of changes in the rebuild, the essence of Secret Bay remains the same.

The new Gommier Spa.

“I think what guests love about Secret Bay the most is that the resort is small, intimate and private with an attentive and discrete team of great people looking after them,” he said. “And we never want that to change. So what they will find special is how the introduction of the new amenities and the related concepts are in harmony with and complement what they love about Secret Bay.”

The return of Secret Bay is a powerful moment for Dominica, whose tourism comeback has been making steady progress.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to come back to the Nature Island.

For more, visit Secret Bay.

— CJ

The post Dominica’s Secret Bay, a Bucket-List Caribbean Hotel, Is Open Again appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… on the island of Puerto Rico. While our fellow citizens … meet their daily needs, Puerto Rico still lacks adequate federal resources … of the voters of Puerto Rico. If provided with the … a state with the largest Puerto Rican population on the mainland, …

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By Melanius Alphonse Caribbean News Now associate editor melanius@caribbeannewsnow.com CASTRIES, St Lucia — On Monday evening, October 29, Kimberly Williams-De Leon, 42, a mother of two children aged nine and five, and employed as an accountant at the ministry of education in Saint Lucia, was found dead in her home after neighbours heard “at least […]

The post Senior police officer’s ex-wife shot in St Lucia, renewing attention on extrajudicial killings appeared first on Caribbean News Now.

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