There’s a new way to get from Miami to one of the Dutch Caribbean’s hottest destinations.
Aruba Airlines has launched its first-ever flights from Miami and Curacao.
The new nonstop flights, which kicked off Nov. 29, are operating four times each week, with service on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, according to the carrier’s Web site.
“These new Aruba Airlines flights make it possible for more North American visitors to fly down from Miami and get to know this wonderful island,” the Curacao Hotel and Tourism Association said in a statement.
The new flight was welcomed with a water-cannon salute at Curacao International Airport last week.
It’s part of a wider Caribbean Basin expansion for Aruba Airlines, which later this month will kick off new twice-weekly service to both Medellin and Barranquilla from Aruba in Colombia.
Hyatt has officially opened a pair of new all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, in partnership with Playa Hotels and Resorts.
The new Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana have opened in the tony Cap Cana enclave of greater Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
The two resorts, which include the family-friendly Ziva and the adults-only Zilara, are the first-ever Hyatt resorts in the Dominican Republic.
The main pool at the Hyatt Ziva-Zilara complex in Cap Cana.
Each resort has a total of 375 rooms, set on a 40-acre site on Juanillo Beach in Cap Cana.
The resorts, which are owned and operated by Playa, are part of an eight-hotel portfolio of Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara-branded resorts in the Caribbean-Mexico region.
“As our first ground up build, we set out to define what all-inclusive means in the Dominican Republic,” said Alex Stadlin, chief operating officer, Playa Hotels & Resorts, in a statement. “Cap Cana is regarded as one of the best destinations in the Caribbean, and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana provide a welcomed originality to the country’s hospitality landscape.”
A master suite at the Hyatt Zilara.
The resorts, which were designed by architect Ken Shannon, are two distinct sections joined by a common area overlooking the property’s pools.
Dining concepts include nine different venues, with major amenities featuring the Larimar Spa, a kids club, a water park and even a “state-of-the-art” equestrian center.
There’s also a wide range of daily programming, from gourmet cooking lessons to wine tasting classes.
The spa will include what the company is calling the first-ever Himalayan Salt Lounge in the Dominican Republic.
Meeting space includes a total of 45,000 square feet, with a main ballroom and 12 breakout rooms.
“Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana offer an elevated experience for our global guests,” said Frank Lavey, senior vice president of operations, Hyatt. “The resorts’ compelling design creates areas that help create family memories, while also featuring intimate places where adults can recharge, reconnect and pamper themselves. We’re also proud to deliver elevated amenities, all centered around Hyatt’s pillars of wellbeing: Feel, Fuel and Function.”
Hyatt Ziva.
Hyatt’s expanded all-inclusive portfolio comes as the all-inclusive sector continues to see dramatically increased competition, from Hilton’s growing push in the region to Marriott’s recent announcement of a new all-inclusive strategy.
… nonprofit environmental group based in Puerto Rico.
The first site scientists targeted … that information before it disappears.” Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources … cultural heritage initiative, flew to Puerto Rico in August 2017 to launch …
Both of those are in Great Abaco; the Abaco Inn is the first hotel to reopen on Elbow Cay.
Amenities at the Abaco Inn include a restaurant, a bar and lounge, a pool and Wi-Fi, among others.
The property is set close to two different beaches, one on the Sea of Abaco and another on the Atlantic side.
The property lost four villas and four rooms as a result of the storm.
“Our goal is to rise like a phoenix and make the Abaco Inn even better, stronger and more welcoming,” said Tom Hazel, manager of the Abaco Inn, in a letter to guests. “We hope to be a part of bringing Elbow Cay back to life as we all rebuild and reinvigorate our community.”
A new all-inclusive brand is coming to the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao later this month.
Fast-expanding Apple Leisure Group’s AMResorts subsidiary is set to open its new Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa and Casino on Dec. 15, according to the company.
The new resort is the product of a renovation and rebranding of the former Hilton Curaçao resort.
What one of the new eateries will look like.
The property is completing a $15 million renovation project, AMResorts said.
The family-friendly resort is set on Piscadera Bay on the southern coast of Curacao, a major addition to what has traditionally been a sparse all-inclusive offering in Curaçao, with the exception of AMResorts’ Sunscape Curaçao, which first debuted on the island back in 2012.
Curaçao’s all-inclusive sector will continue to grow over the next few years, as another major company, Marriott, recently announced plans to open an all-inclusive resort on the island under its Autograph Collection brand.
Dining concepts will include seven eateries and four bars, along with the Dreams brand’s signature “unlimited luxury” all-inclusive concept.
The resort will also feature a a spa with indoor and outdoor treatment options, according to the property’s Web site.
A rendering of one of the 197 rooms at the new-look Curacao all-inclusive resort.
