By Rico Louw
CJ Contributor

The Caribbean hotel industry saw a second consecutive month of strong performance growth in February, according to data from STR.

In year-over-year comparisons with February 2018, revenue per available room (RevPAR) jumped 8.0%, due to a 6.7% lift in average daily rate (ADR) and a 1.2% increase in occupancy. Demand growth (+3.4%) outpaced supply (+2.1%) for the third month in a row, helping to push occupancy and further bolster hotelier pricing confidence.

On the islands where STR maintains a sufficient reporting sample, the Bahamas registered the largest increase in RevPAR (+35.8% to US$223.78), due primarily to the highest rise in occupancy (+26.4% to 72.4%). The Cayman Islands posted the largest lift in ADR (+14.1% to US$613.32).

Puerto Rico experienced a decline in occupancy (-7.2%), which led to a 3.2% drop in RevPAR. However, hotels on the island did maintain pricing power (ADR: +4.3%).

Investment in the region continues to look strong with 41 projects in construction accounting for 11,091 rooms. Among the islands, the Dominican Republic has the largest amount of rooms in the construction phase (6,224 rooms) of the pipeline.

It will be interesting to see where the region ends up when Q1 numbers are released in mid-April. Based on the first two months of the year, we know that we will see overall growth in comparison with a weaker 2018, but we’ll also want to look at how absolute values stack up against historical averages. March is typically one of the stronger months for Caribbean hotels with spring break as an obvious demand driver.

Rico Louw is client account manager at STR. Additional questions regarding hotel data reporting in the Caribbean can be directed to him at rlouw@str.com.

The post Bahamas Leading Caribbean Hotel Surge appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

A new design-focused hotel is coming to Turks and Caicos: The Bight. 

The new property is the brainchild of the EA Group, which is developing the 66-unit boutique hotel on the north shore of Providenciales. 

A rendering of the lobby.

“We designed The Bight Hotel to be authentic, experiential, and hip with the primary objective that it be a great investment opportunity,” said Ryan Jones, director of EA Group. “We wanted to eliminate excess, like enormous wrap around porches, indoor dining rooms and massive kitchens, that owners rarely use, and prioritize more of the things modern buyers and vacationers want, like fitness facilities, farm-to-table food and gardens, stunning views, access to tons of Grace Bay Beach, and authentic island experience.”

The hotel, which will have a total of 89 keys, will be set on a seven-acre site just southwest of the Wymara (the recently-rebranded former Gansevoort hotel), with 1,000 feet of beachfront. 

What a room will look like at the new Turks and Caicos outpost.

Like most hotels in Turks and Caicos, The Bight will be a residential resort, with units for sale ranging from $377,000 to $1.7 million, according to Turks and Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty, which calls the property an “elevated, chic, design-forward boutique hotel.”

Much of that look will come from the design by the renowned Simon Wood Architects, which designed the resort and its floor plans. 

Every unit will have views of the north shore of Providenciales towards the island’s Northwest Point, with ocean views over the Bight National Park. 

Amenities at the property will include an on-site eatery, a swimming pool, a bar, a crossfit gym, a spa, a kids’ club, a coffee shop and a barn, among others. 

The latter will be home to weekly movie nights. 

The new project is part of a wave of new development in Turks and Caicos, a new push that began with the spectacular Shore Club and is now continuing with projects like Ambergris Cay, The Bight and the Andaz Turks and Caicos. 

The Bight Hotel is slated to make its debut in 2020.

— CJ

The post Turks and Caicos Is Getting a New Kind of Boutique Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Caribbean Airlines is adding a new nonstop route between Jamaica and Barbados, the company said. 

The new route, subject to government approval, will run between Kingston, Jamaica and Barbados, with flights twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. 

“The launch of this twice-weekly nonstop service is in direct response to feedback from our valued customers,” said Garvin Medera, chief executive officer of Caribbean Airlines. “The airline business is about providing a service that our customers want and this flight is a welcome addition to our network to serve their needs.”

Last year, Barbados had more than 9,000 arrivals from Jamaica, a 2.2 percent increase over the previous week. 

“This demonstrates this market’s potential for growth, and with a strong marketing program and Barbados’ well-packed annual calendar of events, we have high hopes for significant business from the island,” said William “Billy” Griffith, CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing. 

The service is slated to launch April 15. 

— CJ

The post Caribbean Airlines Launching Kingston-Barbados Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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