The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Andrew Harper, who sent in this lovely shot of horseback riding at Playa Limon in the Dominican Republic.
Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?
Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line, including your first and last name and the location of the photo.
One of Jamaica’s iconic villa hotels has launched its new luxury beach club.
The Tryall Club in greater Montego Bay has unveiled the Beach Club, a $9.2 million project led by renowned designers Tom Scheerer and Craig Reynolds.
It’s home to an infinity pool, a lounge, a beach bar and grill (complete with wood-fired, authentic pizza), a beach boutique, a tour desk and new oceanfront weeding and event venues.
“The Beach Club has completely reimagined the seafront setting of The Tryall Club,” the property said in a statement.
The centerpiece is a 4,329-square-foot infinity pool, with jade mosaic tiles and green-cushoined chaise lounges and pink and white umbrellas.
It’s part of a broader project that will see the debut of a new beach restaurant and bar this summer set just east of the Beach Club, according to the Tryall Club.
However you feel about the Puerto Rican rum brand, it’s what the average consumer thinks of when they think of rum – particularly in the United States, where Bacardi’s overwhelming — and often exclusive — ubiquity means few consumers ever even see other rum bottles at many restaurants and bars.
Bacardi’s vast global influence has meant that it has long controlled the perception of rum — and what Bacardi does sends ripples throughout the industry.
That’s why rum lovers long bemoaned the fact that, for years, the rum giant seldom put out any truly great rums.
There was Bacardi 8, for many rum drinkers an entry point to the world of sipping rums, but never anything special.
Things changed a bit half a decade ago when Bacardi released the small-production, ultra-premium Facundo line of rums, a series of expressions named after the founder of the company, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso. (There was also the wonderful Casa Bacardi, a hard-to-find expression that has since disappeared since launching a few decades ago. )
But for rum lovers, Bacardi still has its work cut out.
Even in its home country of Puerto Rico, brands like Don Q and Ron del Barrilito (the latter actually the oldest brand in Puerto Rico) put out some stellar, often superior expressions.
That brings us to Bacardi’s newest rum, Bacardi Gran Reserva, or as we call, it Bacardi 16.
This rum, which for now is sold only in Duty Free stores, effectively replaces the Bacardi Reserva Limitada, a rum that was for years the brand’s flagship.
Bacardi says it’s aged for at least 16 years, although it’s almost certainly a blend.
On a recent jaunt to the Caribbean, we purchased a Bacardi 16 at Miami International Airport, exceptionally curious to see how Bacardi’s recent efforts to premiumize its own expressions had fared.
And the results are, well, special.
Bacardi 16 has a lovely, harmonious aroma of vanilla and carambola.
The flavor profile is, happily, an extension of the aroma, with notes of carambola and spice – and then it gets really interesting. This is not the Bacardi you’re used to – new whispers emerge of notes like white pepper and even cane stalk – raw, visceral murmurs you don’t often find in a Bacardi.
This is a journey, a concerto, a carriage ride through a cane field.
It’s a difference in kind than the terrific but sometimes overly sweet Facundo range – and a new standard for Bacardi.
Here’s hoping that it’s the beginning of a new era – and that Bacardi is this rum.
With one month of data remaining to process, the Caribbean’s hotel industry has a shot to reach its highest levels ever in average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
Year to date through November, the region posted a year-over-year ADR increase of 6.1% to US$213.65 and a RevPAR jump of 3.0% to US$136.12. Although occupancy fell 2.9% to 63.7%, hoteliers were able to push rates, which in turn, led to the aforementioned RevPAR growth.
The ADR and RevPAR levels are the highest on record for a November year to date time period in STR’s Caribbean database.
As reported last month, the Caribbean Tourism Organization is forecasting an 8-9% increase in tourism arrivals for the year.
That would certainly help explain hotelier pricing even with more competition in the marketplace.
When looking at November data on its own, occupancy dropped 2.1% and ADR decreased 1.9%, which resulted in a 4.0% decline in RevPAR. On the islands where STR maintains a sufficient reporting sample, Saint Lucia led in year-over-year ADR growth (+30.9%), which drove the only double-digit jump in RevPAR (+25.1%).
Turks and Caicos experienced the highest rise in occupancy (+9.9%). Puerto Rico saw the second-largest increase in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+9.2%), ADR (+8.5%) and RevPAR (+11.6%).
Year to date through November, the Bahamas has recorded the only double-digit lift in occupancy (+13.0%), which resulted in the largest increase in RevPAR (+14.5%).
The Bahamas has done a phenomenal job in absorbing new room inventory (The Baha Mar has around 2,300 rooms spread across three different hotel brands).
Investment and development also continues in the region. There are currently 59 hotels accounting for 14,623 rooms in construction in the Caribbean. This represents a 9.7% year-over-year increase in rooms in construction. The Dominican Republic continues to lead in construction activity with 5,403 rooms being built.
Hoteliers in the region have an opportunity to contribute to the overall benchmarking efforts in the region. Just email info@str.com to participate in our STAR program.
Additional questions regarding hotel data reporting in the Caribbean can be directed Rico Louw at rlouw@str.com.
The boutique resort has a total of 18 suites, along with six private villas.
“We want Caerula Mar to feel like a home away from home where our guests are just as comfortable lounging by the pool as they are dining in one of our restaurants or asking for our guidance in regards to best ways to explore the island,” Sarah Baeumler told Caribbean Journal.
Caerula Mar is actually the reimagining of a resort that had last operated decades ago.
The beach at Caerula Mar.
“We preserved a lot of the original resort’s construction to maintain an authentic Bahamian feel while modernizing and simplifying its design to create an atmosphere that’s relaxed and inviting, while seamlessly blending in with nature,” Baeumler said. “Our surroundings in South Andros are the most beautiful backdrop we could possibly have. Our suites and villas are steps away from the ocean — it’s like having your own private beach house.”
Amenities include a pool, a host of activities on offer, along with a gym, a boutique and spa, along with four dining concepts: the Driffs Bar and Lounge; a cafe called Switcha; a cocktail bar called Sundowners and the breakfast and dinner eatery Lusca.
A villa.
The latter is “central to our culinary visition for Caerula Mar,” the owners said, pointing to a focus on “simple ingredients, freshly prepared.”
