The much-anticipated new Real InterContinental Santo Domingo has officially opened its doors in the Dominican Republic this weekend.

IHG’s newest Caribbean property on Winston Churchill Avenue is a sparkling, cutting-edge hotel that’s a major addition to what the Dominican Republic hopes will be a growing tourism destination.

Indeed, Santo Domingo is home to one of the region’s hottest urban hotel sectors, with a slate of new boutique and luxury properties in both the Colonial Zone and the urban core (like, for example, the JW Marriott, which we like a lot).

The five-star hotel has 227 rooms across 21 floors in the heart of Santo Domingo’s commercial district.

Real Hotel’s and Resorts’ latest Caribbean hotel is a kind of urban resort, with a spa, three concept restaurants and two bars, along with a rooftop infinity pool.

And there’s event space, too, with eight rooms with a capacity for a total of 750 people.

The lobby at the new InterContinental.

The eateries include Factory Steak and Lobster, sushi restaurant Nau Lounge and The Market, which is open for open all day and includes build-your-own burger, sandwich, pizza and pasta options.

A grand opening celebration is set for Nov. 9.

The post The Real InterContinental Santo Domingo Is Now Open appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The largest cruise conference in the Caribbean launches this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Cruise Conference and Trade Show is a four-day event that will bring together more than 1,000 cruise tourism stakeholders and 100 senior executives for a series of meetings, networking functions and workshops.

“The FCCA Conference & Trade Show puts cruise tourism stakeholders in the middle of the action,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc and the FCCA. “From tour operators launching their first tour to destinations building a new port, this is the place where decisions and developments are reached and relationships are made to pave the way for future business.”

This year’s event, which lasts through Friday, will be the largest in its history, set in San Juan, one of the region’s cruise hubs.

“The FCCA appreciates San Juan’s and the entire country’s efforts and commitment to making the 23rd annual FCCA Conference & Trade Shows one of the best events yet,” said Michele Paige, president, FCCA. “It has pulled out all the stops to woo the cruise executives and attendees, allowing all to see the offerings of and improvements that have led it to impressive recent growth that we look forward to continuing.”

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Sandals is continuing its Caribbean-wide renovation push with a major upgrade at its Sandals Montego Bay resort in Jamaica.

The property has unveiled a number of new changes, along with the completion of the Palms building, the introduction of new Romeo & Juliet signature Love Nest suites, a new bar and new beachfront “Millionaire” one-bedroom butler villa suites.

“We continue to invest in our product in order to exceed our guests’ expectations,” said Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “The renovations at Sandals Montego Bay will offer guests our highest standard of luxury and unprecedented services, providing them with the best possible vacation experience.”

The new Romeo & Juliet suites include king-size bed and HD smart TV, along with a spa-style bathroom with an overhead rain shower, a soaking tub for two and twin vessel sinks, while the extra-large balconies include the company’s “Tranquility Soaking Tub” for two.

The new Palms building includes a beachfront one-bedroom butler suite, a beachfront honeymoon walkout one-bedroom butler suite and honeymoon walkout club level junior suite.

That’s along with several more changes on the way, including a brand-new reception and lobby, new oceanfront swim-up butler suites and a new Water’s Edge honeymoon walkout club level room.

Sandals has been on a major push to upgrade its resorts across the region, with the biggest changes at its Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in Jamaica.

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Caribbean hotel occupancy fell year-over-year last month for the 10th month in a row, according to hotel analytics firm STR.

The region’s occupancy was 66 percent in August, down 2.4 percent from August 2015, although the 2.4 percent drop was less than the 6.1 percent and 5.5 percent drops the region showed in June and July, respectively.

Average daily rates were down 10.8 percent in August, while RevPar, or revenue per available room, fell 12.9 percent last month.

For the year, hotel occupancy stood at 69.7 percent in August, down 3.6 percent from the first eight months of 2015, while ADR was down 3.4 percent to $228.03 and RevPar was down 6.9 percent to $158.88.

STR’s data surveyed 1,916 properties comprising 239,232 rooms in the wider region.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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Finding the best restaurant in Aruba is simple: it’s Screaming Eagle, the eatery helmed by star chef Erwin Husken. Screaming Eagle is a hip, cutting-edge restaurant with a lounge layout (including, yes, beds) with a marvelous French fusion menu.

It’s a destination in its own right, and was our number one restaurant in the Caribbean in 2015. Here’s a look.

The post VIDEO: Screaming Eagle, the Best Place to Eat in Aruba appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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