SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The mayor of Puerto Rico‘s capital … to decide the future of Puerto Rico‘s political status. … #39;s commonwealth status.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello of the … seek a second term.
Puerto Rico will hold general elections in …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

After a year of struggle in 2018, the Caribbean’s hotel industry is seeing continued momentum in 2019, according to the latest data fro analytics firm STR.

The region’s hotel occupancy was 74.4 percent in February, a 1.2 percent increase compared to the same month in 2018.

More crucially, however, it was the third consecutive month of positive year-over-year occupancy growth, the first time that’s happened in the Caribbean since the beginning of 2015.

Average daily rates rose by 6.9 percent in the same period to $271.13, while revenue per available room surged by 9 percent to $173.23 in February.

For the year, the region’s hotel occupancy is up by 0.9 percent to 71.5 percent, while daily rates are up by 7.1 percent at $259.48 and RevPar is up 8 percent to $193.05.

STR’s data surveyed 1,971 hotels comprising a total of 253,744 rooms in the wider Caribbean region.

— CJ

The post Caribbean Hotels Gaining Momentum appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The all-inclusive vacation is a luxury in itself. There’s something so comfortable about never having to reach for your wallet during your stay, about the privilege of focusing only on enjoying your getaway.

But when you’re at a luxury all-inclusive, things get to a different level entirely.

Because the quality is higher, the design is more beautiful, the service is heightened, the food is better.

It’s a luxury hotel that just so happens to be an all-inclusive. And for those who say luxury is in the details, it’s a rather delightful little detail.

Here are five luxury all-inclusive hotels in the Caribbean worth splurging for right now.

Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada Perhaps the Caribbean’s signature all-inclusive, this venerable Grenada resort has been wowing guests under the careful stewardship of Sir Royston Hopkin and Lady Betty Hopkin, two of the region’s legendary hoteliers. Set on Grenada’s stunning Grand Anse Beach, the property features 32 beachfront suites, two signature eateries and a wonderful spa. It’s all delivered with truly authentic Grenadian personality, an experience that adds up to one of the region’s great hospitality offerings.

The post 5 Luxury All-Inclusive Hotels to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… the effects of slavery in Puerto Rico that still linger today.
… , which is an official Puerto Rican holiday that commemorates the abolition … had done enough to help Puerto Rico in response to the … the past few months, Puerto Rico‘s political sphere has …

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By Guy Britton and Alexander Britell

An island with some of the most spectacular shorelines on the planet is not the first place you’d ever imagine spending even a single day away from the water.

Even more so here on the northern edge of Bonaire, the earth is rugged and raw, the sort of landscape where the most copious commodity is cactus, a place low on beaches but high on wind.

And it’s the latter that has drawn in a rather special endeavor.

It’s here on a dusty closed-circuit racetrack where you can enjoy one of the most marvelous experiences there is in the Caribbean.

This is the home of Bonaire Landsailing Adventures, the Caribbean’s premier “landsailing” circuit, and a place where you can, yes, sail on land, thanks to the intrepid thinking of husband-and-wife owners and landsailing experts Andrew Sands and Donna Hudgeon.

Landsailing, or as the company calls it, “blokarting,” is a professional sport much like kitesurfing or windsurfing, and the team here also operates a similar operation in Panama.

Bonaire Land Sailing from Caribbean Journal on Vimeo.

And it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Here, you move across the track with a wheeled “pod” that gets its propulsion from the same kind of sail you find on a sailboat, using the same principles, steering with your hands and breaking with, well, sheer force.

The introduction is quick and easy, suitable for everyone from “eight to 108 years old,” as the Bonaire Landsailing team likes to say.

Indeed, in just a few minutes you’re either in a two-person pod getting a sense of how things work or already jetting off on your own around the track.

Tighten the sail to go faster, loosen it to slow down, learning quickly how to manage the corners and the speed.

And once you start, it’s almost impossible to resist, the adrenaline and the thrill building through every successful corner, through every wind-fueled dash.

And yes, the speed is serious, anywhere from 15 to 25 mph, something that feels even faster when you’re reclined in a three-wheeled pod in the middle of the desert.

What they’ve created is not just a must-visit on any trip to Bonaire.

It’s one of the coolest things you can do in the Caribbean. In or out of the water.

For more, visit Bonaire Landsailing Adventures.

The post How to Go Landsailing in Bonaire appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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