By Alexander Britell

Saint Lucia’s locally-owned Bay Gardens Resorts has announced a major expansion.

The hotel collection has acquired the island’s Palm Haven Hotel, which will be renamed the Bay Gardens Marina Haven.

That 35-room property will become Bay Gardens’ fourth hotel in Saint Lucia, joining the Bay Gardens Inn, the Bay Gardens Hotel and the flagship Bay Gardens Beach Resort and Spa.

All of those resorts are Green Globe certified.

The Palm Haven.

“The hotel is in an incredible location,” said Sanovnik Destang, executive director of Bay Gardens Resorts. “It’s now our closest hotel to the Rodney Bay Marina, which is an exceptional facility for yachties as well as those looking to take advantage of numerous activities in the marina, from restaurants and bars to shopping.”

The newest addition to the portfolio will reopen in mid-July after undergoing a “soft renovation and staff training to align the property’s service delivery with Bay Gardens’ standards,” the company said in a statement to Caribbean Journal.

The Palm Haven will undergo a soft upgrade before reopening next month.

“There will be no reduction in staffing levels for Bay Gardens Marina Haven either during the period of renovation or upon its anticipated reopening in July,” Destang said.

The property is located within five minutes of the Bay Gardens Inn and Bay Gardens Hotel, and 10 minutes from the Bay Gardens Beach Resort.

Reduit Beach in Saint Lucia.

The Bay Gardens Beach Resort recently completed a renovation of its own, debuting a sleek new decor.

All guests at the Marina Haven will enjoy access to the Bay Gardens experience, from a set of six complimentary passes to the resort’s popular Splash Island Water Park, the use of beach chairs and the ability to charge spending across properties to their rooms.

The flagship Beach Resort is set on Reduit Beach, recently named one of the top beaches to visit in the Caribbean.

For more info, visit Bay Gardens.

— CJ

The post Saint Lucia’s Bay Gardens Expands With New Hotel Acquisition appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Sandals Resorts International has announced a major new partnership with global soccer powerhouse Real Madrid.

The partnership with the Real Madrid Foundation will implement the first-ever series of soccer clinics at Sandals’ Beaches Resorts in 2019.

Hosted in partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the educational and training programs will take place over two separate five-day periods in Negril from May 14-20 and in Turks and Caicos from May 22-28.

Each training session will feature “immersive instruction and sport values sessions by the Real Madrid Foundation coaches,” according to a statement.

“Partnering with Real Madrid Foundation presents a unique opportunity for us to bring local Caribbean children together with guests of the resorts, over the most popular sport in the world – soccer,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “Our work with the Sandals Foundation aims to improve the communities of the Caribbean, and this partnership is an exciting way for us to continue these efforts and facilitate bonds between visitors and locals alike.” For Andres Muntaner, Real Madrid Foundation’ Clinics Manager, “working with the Sandals Foundation is a new opportunity to educate the Caribbean kids using soccer for everyone.”

Beaches said it would be offering limited packages for guests aged 6-17 to participate.

— CJ

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Fast-expanding all-inclusive company Playa Hotels and Resorts has completed its acquisition of five all-inclusive properties in Jamaica.

The deal with Sagicor Group Limited also includes two adjacent oceanfront land sites on the north coast of Jamaica.

The Jewel Runaway Bay.

The portfolio includes four existing resorts including the 495-room Hilton Rose Hall, the 268-room Jewel Runaway Bay, the 250-room Jewel Dunn’s River and the 225-room Jewel Paradise Cove.

The transaction also includes an 88-room hotel tower and spa, two land sites and a hotel management contract at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay.

The Jewel Grande Montego Bay.

Playa paid $100 million cash and 20 million shares in common stock to Sagicor, a deal that amounts to almost $320 million.

Two Sagicor nominees also joined Playa’s board of directors.

“The closing of this transaction with Sagicor elevates Playa into a strategically dominant position in Jamaica, diversifies our resorts portfolio and will allow for several years of strong profit growth as we execute our rebranding, expansion and renovation projects.  We are excited to welcome our new Jamaican team members and Sagicor as a valuable new investor and partner,” said Bruce Wardinski, Chairman & CEO of Playa Hotels & Resorts.

It’s a huge expansion for Playa, which has been rapidly increasing its presence in the Caribbean, largely under the Hyatt Ziva and Zilara brands.

The Hyatt Ziva Cancun.

Playa also recently debuted resorts under the Panama Jack brand name on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

The company also manages the Sanctuary Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic.

The deal makes Playa one of the largest resort owners in Jamaica, both in the total number of rooms and the number of brands under management.

“This business combination will be a great benefit to the country of Jamaica, and represents a unique opportunity for growth and development for the people of Jamaica and the tourism sector,” said Richard Byles, Chairman of Sagicor. “Through this transaction, Playa will leverage Jamaica’s hospitality assets of tropical climate, attractive beachfronts, culture, airlift, proximity to US markets, high stabilized occupancy levels versus other Caribbean destinations, and supportive government agencies.”

The post Playa Completes Acquisition of Five Resorts in Jamaica appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Princess Cruises has completed an “extensive” 10-day dry dock of its Crown Princess cruise ship, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The 3,080-passenger ship completed a series of enhancements during a drydock in Grand Bahama last month, part of the company’s wider $450 million fleet-wide enhancement program.

The changes include upgrades to dining venues, from the new Salty Dog Grill, formerly known as the Trident Grill; the new Slice pizzeria; and Coffee & Cones, a a gourmet ice cream shop, among others.

Princess also added its signature Princess Luxury Bed to all staterooms, while adding a range of new shopping experiences including a branded Effy boutique.

“Crown Princess first debuted in 2006 with several industry-first offerings, including our revered adults-only Sanctuary,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Now, 12 years later, we’re continuing our commitment to offer Crown Princess guests the next evolution of signature Princess product innovations while they cruise to their bucket-list destinations.”

Crown Princess heads to the Caribbean this fall.

The post Princess Cruises’ Newest Renovation appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s been a pretty big week for tourism in Los Cabos, with the opening of a second major branded resort in the area.

Montage Hotels and Resorts has opened its new Montage Los Cabos on Santa Maria Bay, following the recent debut of the new Viceroy Los Cabos.

Montage Los Cabos has a total of 174 ocean-view guestrooms, suites and residences, along with three signature restaurants, 30,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor event space and a 40,000-square-foot signature spa.

The 174 units include 122 rooms and suites along with 52 branded residences.

It’s the first property in the wider region for Montage, which manages a number of top U.S. hotels in destinations including Hawai’i and Laguna Beach, Calif., among others.

For more info, visit Montage.

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