By the Caribbean Journal staff

Two of St Maarten’s preeminent resorts are finally planning to make their return following last year’s storms.

The Sonesta Ocean Point resort and the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort will reopening for the winter tourist season, the company announced this week.

The Sonesta Ocean Point will reopen Nov. 15, while the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort will reopen Feb. 1, 2018.

The revamped entrance to the Ocean Point.

Both properties are all-inclusive resorts, with the Sonesta Ocean Point an adults-only property and the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort geared toward families.

Sonesta Maho’s transformation will be headlined by the total overhaul of the property’s Sky Tower, which sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Irma. The tower will be built with a new technology that can sustain winds of more than 200 mph, according to Sonesta.

Design + Positif is responsible for the overall architectural and interior redesign of Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, with the property set to receive a new clean, contemporary look.

The transformed Maho lobby.

The Ocean Point, which sustained less damage than its sister property, will see an entirely redesigned lobby and the addition of a new Spanish-style tapas restaurant, among other changes.

Ocean Point’s conventino center will be completely reconstructed and redesigned, with updates to all 24,000 square feet of meeting space.

The nearby Maho Village, which includes popular shopping and nightlife spots, is undergoing a massive transformation of its own, with plans to reopen this summer that will include the 21,000-square-foot Casino Royale.

Sonesta has announced bookings will launch June 1.

The announcement comes after another another of the island’s top resorts, the Divi Little Bay, officially reopened earlier this month.

— CJ

The post Sonesta Resorts to Reopen in St Maarten This Winter appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

Virgin’s highly-anticipated cruise brand Virgin Voyages as released the first renderings of its ships.

And the results, well, they’re pretty cool.

The adults-only cruise brand has made it clear it plans to disrupt the cruise industry, and the renderings are no exception, with a range of contemporary, original designs that don’t look like anything else you see in the cruise industry right now.

Virgin Voyages has partnered on the ship design with Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio, along with design houses including Concrete Amsterdam; Softroom in London and Roman and Williams and WorkAC in New York.

The first Virgin Voyages ship is due for delivery in 2020.

“At the core of our Epic Sea Change For All is ensuring that the spaces on our ships are well-styled, distinct and reflective of the dynamic experience we want to bring to our sailors,” said Tom McAlpin, President and Chief Executive Officer for Virgin Voyages. “Our design partners together with our internal design team have dreamed up eye-catching, intimate and alluring spaces that we can’t wait to see come to life.”

Virgin said it opted to use multiple interior designers “in order to focus on the strengths of each firm and to show diversity throughout the ship,” all undertaken under the principle of the “Modern Romance of Sailing.”

The bar at The Manor.

“Ranging from gritty to glamorous, we’ve collaborated with a collection of brilliant interior designers and architects to create a variety of spaces that our sailors will love,” said Dee Cooper, Senior Vice President of Product Design for Virgin Voyages. “With careful thought, humor and attention to detail the Creative Collective has designed a ship that’s styled for those thirsty for a wonderful modern holiday at sea.”

Virgin Voyages has also revealed some of its food and beverage concepts, from the Richard’s Rooftop outdoor lounge reserved for suite guests to Pink Agave, the ship’s upscale Mexican restaurant.

The Dock.

The ship will also include The Manor, a signature nightclub inspired by Richard Branson’s history in the music industry (and named after his first-ever Virgin music studio), along with The Dock, an outdoor lounge aiming for a Hamptons-meets-Ibiza vibe.

The Pink Agave eatery.

That’s along with eateries like the Test Kitchen, a laboratory-styled environment designed by Concrete Amsterdam.

Virgin Voyages currently has three ships under order with shipbuilder Ficantieri, with the first slated to arrive at PortMiami in 2020 for her inaugural sailing season around the Caribbean.

The initial ship will have the capacity for 2,700 guests, or, as Virgin Voyages calls them, “sailors.”

— CJ

The post What Virgin Voyages’ Ships Will Look Like appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Tryall Club villa resort in Jamaica has added a pair of new places to stay.

The Montego Bay-area Tryall has added two new villas: the seven-bedroom Dragonfly Villa, and the newly-renovated, four-bedroom Tradewinds on the Sea villa.

Dragonfly.

Dragonfly, which is a particularly good option for multi-generational trips, has a 100-foot infinity pool, a swim-up bar and an expansive wraparound terrace, among other amenities.

Tradewinds on the Sea.

Tradewinds on the Sea, which has ocean views from every bedroom, has its own private beach and even comes with access to two golf carts.

For more info, visit the Tryall Club.

— CJ

The post Jamaica’s Tryall Club Adds a Pair of New Villas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

American Airlines is launching its first-ever nonstop flights to St Vincent and the Grenadines .

The world’s largest airline will launch its new flights between Miami International Airport and St Vincent’s Argyle International Airport Dec. 22.

The Palm Island resort in the Grenadines.

The year-round, weekly Saturday flights will represent the first-ever flights by a United States-based carrier to St Vincent.

“To have direct service out of Miami is a game changer for the country,” said CEO of the SVG Tourism Authority Glen Beache. “This service will make it so much easier for visitors including the diaspora to vacation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

It should provide a boost for arrivals from the U.S.; last year, the North American market accounted for 42 percent of stayover visitors to the Grenadines.

A cottage at the Petit St Vincent resort.

Until the country opened its new airport last year, reaching St Vincent was typically done by flying first to Barbados and then flying on a regional carrier.

Now, the new service (along with new flights on carriers including Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines) is making it easier than ever before to get to the archipelago. (Canada’s Sunwing is also operating chartered service for the spring and summer).

“Miami being one of the main hubs for connections in the USA will be an excellent gateway for visitors from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and even the United Kingdom to access the beauty that is St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Beache said.

– CJ

The post American Airlines Launching Miami-St Vincent Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Looking for the next great luxury hotspot in the Caribbean? The good news is that the Caribbean’s luxury hotels just keeping better, from hillside boutiques to eco-chic getaways to beachfront standards.

And the region’s luxury footprint keeps expanding, meaning you can find wonderful ultra-luxe getaways all over the region.

But the greatest hotels are able to turn traditional luxury into Caribbean luxury, the kind of hospitality that one can only find in the West Indies.

Here are six luxury Caribbean hotels for your next Caribbean getaway.

The Ladera resort in Saint Lucia.

Ladera, Saint Lucia We’ve called this the ultimate Caribbean luxury hotel, and that’s because it combines bucket-list level open-wall suites with a remarkable commitment to authentic, community-focused hospitality, from world-class local cooking to truly wonderful service. But it’s the rooms that are the superstars, almost completely hand-built with some of the best views on earth.

The post 6 Luxury Hotels to Visit Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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