It’s one of the most exclusive places in all of the Caribbean: Moskito Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private-island community in the heart of the British Virgin Islands. 

And now Branson has launched another new villa option for those looking for one of the Caribbean’s ultimate vacation experiences. 

It’s called The Village, and it’s a new nine-bedroom estate that becomes the fourth “estate” on Moskito Island available for rentals, joining The Branson Estate, The Oasis Estate and The Point Estate. 

“Since our anticipated opening late-last year, we’ve humbly been celebrated on the world stage for delivering an exceptional and extremely unique hospitality experience in the Caribbean that goes beyond the realms of traditional luxury,” said Jon Brown, Managing Director at Virgin Limited Edition. “The debut of The Village is the next phase in the continuous evolution of Moskito Island – a private island escape unlike any other.”

Moskito Island officially debuted as part of the Virgin Limited Edition collection at the end of last year, joining sister island (also owned by Branson) Necker Island. 

“A decade in the making, The Village Estate takes luxury to new heights, much like its sister estates, with an impressively striking design, state-of-the-art creative amenities and unspoiled panoramic views in the most private of settings,” Brown said. “Moskito Island knows no limit when it comes to providing incomparable, luxurious moments and adding The Village to our collection further amplifies our position as the leaders of luxury in the Caribbean.”

The cliffside Village has high-tech amenities, cutting-edge architecture and spectacular views. 

That ranges a hidden DJ booth that rises from the outdoor deck overlooking a two-story infinity pool and the cantilevered glass-bottom hot tub extended over the cliff edge that will be ready in 2023; to a slide that wraps around the edge of the estate, and an advanced lighting and sound system that takes these amenities to the next level.

The 18,100-square-foot villa is set on 3.5 acres, with a mix of cottage-like structures that all blend into the natural landscape. 

The nine-bedroom property can accommodate up to 18 guests and is available only for exclusive buyout. 

Each of the nine bedrooms is effectively its own private retreat, with en suite bathrooms, private living rooms and large terraces or patios. 

The crown jewel is the two-story Master Suite designed in a circular loop and completed by a 360-degree wrap-around terrace that not only creates a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience but boasts the most spectacular views.

And then there are the communal spaces: communal bar – matched with a uniquely designed living area – draws up to a spiral staircase that leads to the estate’s rooftop, itself wrapped in audio-synched LED lighting. 

The centerpiece, though, is a multi-level, undulating infinity edge pool that is straight out of Bali, replete with its own swim-up bar. 

It’s joined by amenities like a state-of-the-art gym, a home cinema, a pizza oven, and an organic kitchen garden. 

In other words, it’s one of the ultimate villas in the Caribbean. Period. 

For more, visit Virgin Limited Edition. 

The post Richard Branson’s Private Caribbean Island Has a New Villa   appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Frontier Airlines is launching another expansion to Montego Bay, Jamaica, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The ultra-low-cost carrier has announced plans to add three more nonstop routes from the United States to the Jamaican hotspot in 2023. 

That includes new service from Chicago Midway International Airport, Denver International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport. 

The new flights will kick off in February 2023, with St Louis on Feb. 23, Denver on Feb. 24 and Chicago on Feb. 25. 

It means Frontier will soon fly to Montego Bay from eight different cities in the United States. 

“This new service will be a huge draw for Americans who reside in or near these major metropolitan areas and want to escape winter to come enjoy some sunshine and warm Jamaican hospitality,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial, Frontier Airlines. 

It’s yet another Caribbean expansion for Frontier, which has been adding flights to the region at a blazing pace since the early return of travel after the pandemic. 

“We are extremely grateful to Frontier for their continued partnership and expansion of service into Jamaica,” said Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica. “This directly benefits our tourism industry as we seek to go into the next phase of our recovery and grow exponentially.”

The St Louis-Montego Bay and Denver-Montego Bay nonstop flights will each operate three times per week. 

The Chicago service will be operating once weekly on Saturdays. 

“These new flight additions by Frontier are welcomed strategic developments that provide more options for travelers to get to Jamaica,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board. “This provides even greater connectivity to and from the west and northwest regions of the United States.” 

The new flights will help bolster what has already been a broad recovery for Jamaica’s tourism sector. 

This past summer, Jamaica surpassed its pre-pandemic visitor totals, numbers that had been a record set in 2019. 

The post Frontier Airlines Is Adding More New Nonstop Flights to Jamaica  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It began during the pandemic, when expert tourism management and a flexible travel health policy helped drive a new wave of visitors to the US Virgin Islands. 

And the last two years has seen unprecedented levels of tourism growth in the Territory, making the USVI the fastest-growing destination in the region right now. 

Indeed, the US Virgin Islands has seen a 44 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019 — a growth rate no other destination has managed to match. 

““The Caribbean tourism industry has led the world in recovering from the pandemic,” said Jose Boschulte, the USVI’s Commissioner of Tourism. “And the US Virgin Islands has been at the forefront of the region’s recovery.”

The tourism growth has been accompanied a dramatic increase in new airlift to the USVI, both on major carriers like American Airlines and Delta and fast-expanding low-cost carriers like Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, among others. 

And it’s been spread out across St Thomas, St Croix and St John; the latter has seen remarkable levels of demand, particularly for its villa market.

The destination’s blazing growth comes as it’s prepared for a major injection of room stock this winter, with the highly-anticipated opening of two Marriott resorts: The Seaborn, part of the Autograph Collection, and the new Westin St Thomas, both of which are set at the iconic Frenchman’s Reef property, the product of a $425 million project. 

The USVI is also set to welcome a slate of events this fall, including the VIPCA Charter Yacht Show November 12-15, the International Yacht Brokers Association and IGY Marina Caribbean Charter Yacht Show December 8-11, the Paradise Jam Basketball Tournaments in November, and St Crox’s beloved Crucian Christmas Festival. 

That comes as the USVI has also seen a major renaissance for its cruise industry, which was hit hardest by the pandemic. 

And, increasingly, the USVI is seeing new interest as a sailing and yachting destination, another trend that began during Covid and has seen tremendous growth, both from notable charter companies like The Moorings, which now has a base at Yacht Haven Grande in St Thomas, to boutique firms like And Beyond. 

“We are continuing to build upon our existing relationships and to create new ones to attract more visitors to the U.S. Virgin Islands,” who was speaking during the recent CHTA Marketplace conference in Puerto Rico. “Our goals are to grow the cruising business, amplify our airlift, and increase overnight stays, so it is essential that we attend, network, partner, and learn from our industry peers.”

The post The USVI is the Caribbean’s Fastest-Growing Travel Destination  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s one of the best times to visit the Caribbean: the so-called “shoulder season,” when the storms are typically behind us but the winter tourism season hasn’t yet begun. 

That means you can find great value — and smaller crowds —in the Caribbean. 

From adults-only retreats to good old-fashioned beach resorts, luxe stays to great-value options, we’ve curated 10 of our favorites to help you plan your imminent Caribbean vacation. 

Some of them you may know, others may be far off your radar. Here 10 Caribbean beach resorts to visit right now. 

Casa de Campo Resort and Villas, Dominican Republic It’s long been the premier place to stay in the Dominican Republic, a remarkable, vast luxury resort that’s one of the Caribbean’s true destination resorts. And while Casa de Campo has been one of the hottest places to stay anywhere the Caribbean since the onset of the pandemic, you can actually find a number of rooms available for stays over the next month at the La Romana property, many at great value, too. Casa de Campo has one of the most diverse product offerings in the region, from arguably the top golf experience in the Caribbean (anchored by Pete Dye’s Teeth of the Dog) to outstanding food to tennis to equestrian and the renowned Altos de Chavon village. 

The post 10 Caribbean Beach Resorts for Your Next Vacation   appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Marriott will be debuting a pair of highly-anticipated new resorts in St Thomas, USVI this fall. 

The new Frenchman’s Reef, St Thomas’ most iconic hotel property, will reopen this winter with a pair of resorts: the The Seaborn, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection; and the Westin Beach Resort and Spa. 

The two resorts are the product of a $425 million reconstruction and transformation project of the property, which was devastated in Hurricane Irma back in 2017. 

The property is owned by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, which purchased it from DiamondRock back at the beginning of last year. 

It’s an “all-new Frenchman’s Reef,” the property says, with a broad slate of amenities including a full-service spa and a number of food and beverage concepts. 

That’s along with something that was an essential part of the Frenchman’s Reef before the storms: meeting space. 

The new-look Frenchman’s has a combined 25,000 square feet of flexible indoor space, joined by another 60,000 square feet of outdoor space for corporate events, weddings, birthdays and the like.

The Westin will have a total of 392 rooms, a number that will include 28 suites. 

The Seaborn, which will be located on Morningstar Beach, will have a total of 94 rooms. 

Both resorts are being managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, which has a broad portfolio in the wider Caribbean region.  

It’s another significant step for a destination that has arguably been the biggest success story in the Caribbean since the onset of the pandemic. 

Indeed, the USVI has been right at the top of the region’s fastest-growing destinations, with surging occupancy and some of the biggest growth new airlift in the wider region. 

“We are especially excited to share the news of the reopening of two rebuilt and rebranded properties at Frenchmen’s Reef, restoring our accommodation capacity in St. Thomas to the levels prior to the devastating destruction caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria five years ago,” Joseph Boschulte, the US Virgin Islands’ Commissioner of Tourism, said this week amid the Caribbean Travel Marketplace conference in San Juan. 

The USVI is also seeing a dramatic renaissance for its cruise industry, with what Boschulte called a “significant increase” in cruise stops in fiscal year 2023, with forecasts of more than 450 calls and almost 1.4 million passengers. 

That represents almost a million more passengers than in the previous year, he said. 

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