By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the Caribbean’s hottest hotel investment destinations has a brand-new property: Cartagena.

The tourism destination on the Caribbean coast of Colombia is now home to a new adults-only, all-inclusive hotel by Spanish travel giant Melia, the latest for the company in what is a growing regional portfolio.

It’s called the Melia Cartagena Karmairi Hotel, an all-inclusive hotel in the city’s Manzanillo del Mar area.

The lobby at the new Melia hotel.

“Designed to be a retreat for well-being and relaxation, with this new hotel we want to meet the expectations of the modern traveler, whether they are seeking to explore the urban landscape or the natural environment of the Caribbean,” said Victor Donmez, director of operations at Melia for the Caribbean region.

A room at the hotel.

The 147-room hotel includes nine set aside for Melia’s “LEVEL” premium-service club, with the latter slated to debut in the coming weeks.

The property is in a rural, water-filled setting, about 15 minutes from the center of Cartagena and a short ride from Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport.

The hotel has three dining concepts: Merkado, Terraza Elixyr and a special LEVEL-exclusive eatery called Fish House, along with a poolside bar, a large spa and event space.

The sleek bathrooms are part of a well-designed interior.

Melia is also planning to debut a beach club at the resort, the Breeza Beach Club.

It’s yet another sign of strength for Cartagena, which has been the centerpiece of Colombia’s tourism boom.

The poolscape at the new Melia in Cartagena.

Earlier this summer, Four Seasons announced plans to open its first resort in Cartagena with the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena, joining a wave of brands to have debuted in the destination in recent years from Hyatt Regency to Conrad.

It’s the second hotel for Melia in Colombia, joining the TRYP Medellin.

For more, visit the Melia Cartagena.

— CJ

The post Melia Opens Newest Caribbean Hotel in Cartagena appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

A new mixed-use real estate project has broken ground in Grand Cayman.

The new Harbour Walk development will be a mix of shops, offices, restaurants and bars, along with apartments, with completion scheduled for July 2021.

That will include a combination of 28 retail and restaurant spaces across 30,000 square feet, along with a total of 62 one- and two-bedroom apartments set on the upper floors of the project.

Harbour Walk will also feature two floors of Class A office space, set in the Grand Harbour district, east of Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport.

The walkable ground-floor retail will look like this.

“This destination will be a very positive addition to the Grand Harbour area, bringing in amenities and services which aren’t currently available off of the Seven Mile Beach corridor,” said Jeremy Hurst, broker/owner at Cayman’s International Realty Group.

It’s just the latest addition to what seems to be a buzzing Grand Cayman real estate market.

For more info, visit Harbour Walk.

— CJ

The post A New Real Estate Project in Grand Cayman appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

The first-ever overwater bungalows in Antigua and Barbuda have officially made their debut at the newly-opened Royalton Antigua.

The striking new overwater bungalows are open and welcoming guests, a company spokesperson told Caribbean Journal.

Every overwater bungalow (all of which are adults-only) includes a king-sized bed, a living room, a dining room, a swim-out infinity plunge pool, an overwater hammock and amenities like snorkeling gear, bluetooth speakers, Nespresso machines, gourmet tea and jacuzzi soaker tubs, among others.

Every stay at one of the resort’s “Chairman Overwater Bungalows” means a personal butler, a complimentary dinner served in your room, private fitness and and yoga classes and golf cart shuttle service.

That’s along with features like private ocean entry from your own private deck.

They’re also the first-ever overwater bungalows for Blue Diamond Resorts’ fast-growing Royalton brand, which has been steadily expanding across the Caribbean from Punta Cana to Saint Lucia.

The Caribbean has been seeing something of a boom in overwater bungalows since Sandals first-debuted its overwater villas in Jamaica in 2016 (The company has since debuted overwater units at several other resorts in the region).

Indeed, that includes everything from Karisma’s El Dorado Maroma resort to the in-development Four Seasons in Belize, which will also include a portfolio of overwater bungalows.

As they were for Sandals, the new overwater bungalows instantly become one of the Caribbean’s halo accommodations, another boon for Antigua, already one of the hottest destinations in the Caribbean.

The 294-room all-inclusive Royalton Antigua is the newest resort in Antigua, having launched in the spring on Deep Bay Beach on Antigua’s northwestern coast.

Antigua is getting another highly-anticipated resort later this year with the planned opening of Elite Island Resorts’ Hammock Cove resort. 

Royalton’s Caribbean portfolio now includes 16 resorts in seven destinations across the wider Caribbean and Mexico region.

For more, visit the Royalton Antigua.

— CJ

The post New Overwater Bungalows Make Their Debut in Antigua appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

There’s a new luxury real estate destination in Mexico.

Mexico-based asset management firm Ascendancy has acquired the former Costa Baja residential resort in La Paz in Baja California Sur.

The company has rebranded the resort as Puerta Cortes, with plans for a major renovation to the property, which includes a collection of oceanfront and hillside residences, along with a marina and a Gary Player signature golf course.

“Puerta Cortés is an exclusive hideaway for those seeking unparalleled, coastal living and adventure in one of the most privileged locations in the world,” said Antonio Davila, President of Ascendancy. “When I first discovered the area years ago, I was dazzled by its beauty, spectacular scenery and extraordinary amenities. I knew I had to live here myself and further build on the awe-inspiring foundation set forth by the property’s previous owners.”

The $5 million renovation will include upgrades to the El Cortes Golf Club, the beach club and with plans to launch more restaurants at the marina village.

The property includes an 18-hole Gary Player Signature Design, the only one of its kind in Mexico.

Puerta Cortes includes two communities: Las Colinas, which features 72 hillside residences; and VistaMar, which has 60 oceanfront condominiums with views of the Sea of Cortez.

“Part of what makes our resort and residential destination so extraordinary is our authenticity and community feel,” Davila said. “I have met so many well-traveled visitors and residents who have seen and experienced some of the most incredible locations in the world and have decided Puerta Cortés is where they want to be. It’s an exciting time for La Paz and our property as we continue to serve as area leaders showcasing a sustainable and successful growth model as tourism continues to soar.”  

The post Mexico’s New Luxury Real Estate Destination appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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