From all-inclusives in Barbados to design-focused hotels in Jamaica, Marriott International added more than 10,000 rooms to its pipeline in Latin America and the Caribbean last year. 

And the company is showing no signs of slowing down. 

2019 was the company’s fourth consecutive year of record-breaking expansion in the wider Caribbean region — one that saw new properties across 15 different hotel brands. 

“We had a landmark year for hotel transactions in the Caribbean and Latin America in 2019, fueled by the hotel development community’s demand for our leading business support and loyalty program, our attractive brands and strong owner interest in our new all-inclusive brand extensions,” said Laurent de Kousemaeker, chief development officer for Marriott International. 

And Marriott has a regional pipeline of 146 hotels and resorts comprising more than 24,000 rooms, he said.

The company now has 268 open properties and some 55,195 rooms across 34 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Last year was headlined by Marriott’s high-profile purchase of Barbados-based Elegant Hotels, a move that is essential to the company’s well-publicized foray into the increasingly competitive all-inclusive sector. 

The latter seems key to the company’s regional growth. 

Indeed, Marriott has signed seven management and franchise agreements for all-inclusive hotels in the region, for a total of nearly 3,200 rooms. 

It’s not a surprise, given the increasing focus on the all-inclusive sector by many of the world’s biggest hotel brands — companies that have already launched all-inclusive expansions in the Caribbean like Hilton and Hyatt, among others.

That includes an 800-room hotel in Jamaica (along with another in Curacao), along with a major step for the brand, the first ever all-inclusive Ritz-Carlton, slated to make its debut in Mexico. 

But it’s not just all-inclusive. 

Marriott added the popular AC Marriott in Kingston last year (through a partnership with Sandals Resorts International) and says it will also be looking to ramp expansion of brands focused on younger demographics like Aloft (which added a new hotel in Puerto Rico earlier this month) and its newest brand, the millennial-focused Moxy hotels. 

What it means is continued confidence by developers in the region — and continued strength in the region for what is the world’s biggest hotel company.

“We are poised for solid growth in this region,” de Kousemaeker said. 

The post Marriott Keeps Up Caribbean Expansion, With More in the Pipeline appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

The Caribbean is mourning one of its most legendary hoteliers, Grenada’s Sir Royston Hopkin, who passed away over the weekend. 

Hopkin was the proprietor of the renowned Spice Island Beach Resort on Grenada’s Grand Anse Beach. 

Hopkin, a former CHTA Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, was also a past president of both the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association. 

“A bright light has gone out in our industry this weekend, but Sir Royston’s love of our industry, our CHTA, our region and the beautiful resort he labored over will live on forever,” said Patricia Affonso-Dass, president of the CHTA. “[Hopkin was] a giant of a man, a bright light that lit up a room – not a man of half measures, but rather someone who believed that anything that was worth doing was worth doing excellently.”

Hopkin was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 for his contribution to the Caribbean and its tourism industry. 

He had been chairman of the Spice Island Beach Resort since purchasing a majority interest in the then-Spice Island Inn back in 1987. 

— CJ

The post Caribbean Mourns Legendary Grenada Hotelier appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

Long gone are the days where the Dominican Republic was known only for inexpensive all-inclusive getaways: today the Dominican Republic can match any other destination in the Caribbean for the quality and variety of its luxe hotels, many of which are clustered in exclusive districts in and around greater Punta Cana, the country’s leading tourism destination. (And that includes the ultra-chic Cap Cana enclave).

Here are six of our favorites to check in to right now, both of the EP and all-inclusive variety.

Eden Roc Cap Cana Even some worldly travelers might be surprised to learn that there’s a Relais & Chateaux hotel in Punta Cana. The Eden Roc Cap Cana makes its mark with bright and stylish rooms and excellent dining; with but 60 guest rooms and a beautiful new spa, Eden Roc can deliver the kind of personal attention and pampering you’d expect at a true boutique hotel. Plainly, this is one of the best places to stay in the Caribbean, period.

The post The 6 Best Punta Cana Resorts for Luxe Vacations appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

The venerable Fairmont Royal Pavilion in Barbados has tapped a new executive chef. 

The West Coast property has named Timothy Palmer to the role, in which he will oversee culinary operations at the property’s three on-site eateries. 

A veteran of two decades in the industry, Palmer has worked primarily with the Fairmont brand, including at the Fairmont Southampton Princess in Bermuda. 

“I am really excited about my new journey in Barbados. I am eager about learning more about the bold flavors and local ingredients of Barbados and the Caribbean and infusing those flavors and local produce with fun innovative techniques such as molecular gastronomy,” Palmer said. “There is a lot of potential with the restaurants at Fairmont Royal Pavilion and with my Barbadian team, I want to make our three restaurants the hottest spots on the West Coast to dine.”

The Fairmont Royal Pavilion, which completed a large-scale renovation back in 2017, has a total of 75 rooms in the heart of Barbados’ tony Platinum Coast. 

— CJ

The post This Barbados Hotel Has a New Executive Chef appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico