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By the Caribbean Journal staff
One of Aruba’s most popular places to stay is launching a major foodie experience next month.
The Divi Aruba All-Inclusive is launching a special two-night dinner series at its Fusion Restaurant led by Boston-based chefs Chris Coombs and Adrienne Wright.
Each night will feature a four-course dinner (with two amuses), along with a wine pairing dinner, on Oct. 25 and 26.
“While our guests always have the option to dine all inclusive at ten dining venues, hosting this special event allows us to present a sophisticated evening dinner that highlights our top-quality food and additional restaurant options,” said Alex Nieuwmeyer, Managing Director of Divi Resorts Aruba. “It is a means of raising the bar as we strive to exceed expectations for our culinary offerings.”
It’s a boon for the resort, which is hosting two of Boston’s most celebrated chefs: Coombs, best known for the Deuxave and Boston Chops eateries; and Wright, a finalist on season 16 of Bravo’s Top Chef.
The four-course menu will featuring everything from yellowtail and hamachi crudo to spiced Long Island duck breast.
For more, visit the Divi Aruba.
— CJ
The post A New Foodie Getaway in Aruba appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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By the Caribbean Journal staff
As relief and recovery efforts continue in Grand Bahama and Abaco, Bahamas officials stressed that nearly the entirety of the country’s 700-island tourism economy was open for business.
Indeed, every airport in The Bahamas with the exception of those in Abaco and Grand Bahama have already reopened for commercial and private flights.
“All other airports throughout The Bahamas are open and operational,” the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said in a statement this week.
The Baha Mar megaresort in Nassau is open as are all hotels and resorts in Nassau and Paradise Island.
“Now is the time to come together for our brothers and sisters in need, and help our country get back on its feet,” said Bahamas Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar. “We also implore travelers to continue visiting the Bahamian islands that were not impacted by Hurricane Dorian as this will help our people tremendously.”
The airport reopenings include the country’s major hub, Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport, and airports in destinations including Bimini, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Great Harbour Cay, San Salvador, Acklins Island and others.
A map of all 14 destinations currently open for business and welcoming travelers. All of the destinations in yellow are active travel destinations.
Indeed, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism put out a map showing all of the 14 major destinations that are open and welcoming tourists already, above.
The Cove, Eleuthera.
And it also includes the vast hotel product across Nassau and the Out Islands of The Bahamas, from megaresorts like Atlantis and Baha Mar, all-inclusive hotels like the Warwick Paradise Island and Sandals Royal Bahamian to luxury hotspots in Eleuthera (like Cape Eleuthera and The Cove) and Harbour Island and lodges and boutique hotels in destinations like Cat Island and Bimini.
The Fernandez Bay Village resort in Cat Island.
Bahamas Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis stressed that returning the rest of the country’s tourism economy to normal was essential for long-term recovery of Abaco and Grand Bahama.
He urged travelers to continue booking their trips to The Bahamas and to return soon.
“One of the best ways that people from around the world can show their support and solidarity with The Bahamas at this time, is to visit our other islands by air or by cruise ship,” Bahamas Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said this week. “To keep our economy strong in order to help with recovery and reconstruction, we will need to keep our booming tourism economy vibrant.”
The all-important cruise industry in The Bahamas has also returned to normal operations, according to a statement from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.
“Fortunately, Nassau and cruise lines’ private [destinations] in The Bahamas are open, fully operational and ready to welcome guests with a smile,” the FCCA said in a statement.
And as travelers return, the Bahamas is urging everyone to continue to support ongoing relief efforts.
— CJ
The post Bahamas Tourism Is Open For Business appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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By the Caribbean Journal staff
An historic Caribbean resort is set to make its long-awaited comeback next year, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Marriott’s Renaissance St Croix Carambola Beach Resort and Spa is set to return in the spring of 2020, according to the company.
The property is currently undergoing renovations, and will be managed by fast-expanding management firm Aimbridge Hospitality upon its return next year.
The hotel was originally built on a sprawling 23-acre site by Lawrence Rockefeller in 1986, set on Davis Bay on the northwest corner of St Croix, home to some of the most spectacular scenery on the island.
The resort has long been one of the two top hotels in St Croix, along with the beloved Buccaneer Hotel.
The beach at the Buccaneer.
Of course, St Croix has been in the midst of a mini-hotel boom in recent years, with the debut of the hip The Fred hotel in Frederiksted and the recent dramatic transformation of the Company House hotel in Frederiksted.
Another St Croix hotel, the Caravelle, is in the midst of a major renovation project of its own.
The Renaissance’s return will be a major injection of energy for a destination that has already been undergoing a tourism rebirth in the two years since Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
An aerial view of the lush 23-acre site.
All of the resort’s signature amenities are likely to return, from its spectacular private beach to its on-site Carambola Golf Club, designed by legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
The resort will open a few months after another top USVI hotel, the Ritz-Carlton on the island of St Thomas, makes its planned debut on Dec. 1.
And according to a recent statement from Aimbridge, two more Marriott resorts will return to the USVI in 2020: the iconic Marriott Frenchman’s Reef and the Autograph Collection Morningstar Beach Resort in St Thomas.
The post Marriott Reopening Renaissance St Croix Resort in 2020 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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By the Caribbean Journal staff
The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader John Damiano of Harrison, NY, who sent in this lovely shot of the beach at the Avila Beach Hotel in Curacao.
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.
It could be the next Caribbean Photo of the Week!
— CJ
The post Caribbean Photo of the Week: On the Beach in Curacao appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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