By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

How do you not instantly fall in love with an island called Green Turtle Cay?

It’s always those minuscule, tucked-away islands that have a way of enchanting the traveler, wth their empty beaches and their green hills and their beach bars. 

And Green Turtle Cay is certainly one of them, a 1.5-square-mile cay in the Abacos chain of The Bahamas that can only be reached by boat. 

There are less than 450 full-time residents here, an island whose history dates back to the New Plymouth settlement of the late 1700s, when this tiny cay was a refuge for British Loyalists in the wake of the Revolutionary War. (If you’re going to stick with the losing side, make sure you end up on a beach in The Bahamas).

Today, it is a charming little haven for yachters and travelers, with a small village, a marina and, well, a truly special hotel. 

The Tranquil Turtle.

At the highest point of Green Turtle Cay is the Bluff House, the private home that in the 1950s became the first (and now the longest-operating) resort in the Out Islands of The Bahamas. 

An oceanfront room at The Bluff House.

The historic property is perched right above a stretch of white sand beach on the Sea of Abaco, with a total of 15 units across one, two, three and four-bedroom units, including some spectacular one-bedroom rooms with remarkable views. 

And then there’s the Tranquil Turtle, the sort of aforementioned beach bar that is a destination for boaters in the know, with terrific Bahamian food and cocktails. 

The beach at The Bluff House.

The Bluff House is the kind of Caribbean hotel that is worth the extra journey, a special place, an authentic beachfront Bahamian retreat that reminds us of why we travel in the first place. 

It’s a hotel that instantly makes you fall in love with it.

For more info, visit The Bluff House. 

The post VIDEO: The Bluff House, The Place to Stay on Green Turtle Cay appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Hilton’s timeshare wing, Hilton Grand Vacations, has announced a major investment in Los Cabos.

The company has made a $41 million deposit to buy 87 of the 375 hotel rooms at the Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf Resort in Mexico.

The investment is part of a joint venture including Trinity Real Estate Investments.

The plans is to convert the 87 rooms into a total of 74 timeshare units, according to the company, with renovation expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019.

The property is located in the Cabo Real community at the tip of Baja California.

— CJ

The post Hilton Plans Timeshare Expansion in Los Cabos appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s about to get a whole lot easier to get to the island of Grenada.

A number of airlines are set to launch expanded or new routes to the Spice Isle, beginning with new daily service on JetBlue from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Grenada that will operate between June 21 and Sept. 4.

That service will be accompanied by two new nonstop flights on Caribbean Airlines in August.

The Radisson Grenada.

Delta is also getting into the act, with two additional flights from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in August.

In the Canadian market, Air Canada Rouge has announced an additional weekly flight from Toronto from May to August, while the carrier will operate one weekly flight through the rest of the season.

BBC Beach in Grenada.

“We are thrilled for the additional airlift from our source markets since Pure Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique is in-demand making it a year round destination,” said Francine Stewart, marketing manager at the Grenada Tourism Authority.

It’s the latest boost for what has become one of the fastest-growing destinations in the Caribbean, thanks to a wave of new hotels (led by the Silversands, which plans to open this summer), existing standouts like the Calabash Boutique Hotel and a major marketing push by the island’s Grenada Tourism Authority.

The River Antoine rum distillery in Grenada.

That’s along with a diverse tourism product that ranges from the Caribbean capital of chocolate to one of the region’s most legendary rum distilleries.

For more on Grenada, see Caribbean Journal’s recent feature on why to visit Grenada right now.

— CJ

The post Grenada Is Getting More Nonstop Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the most important events on the Caribbean travel industry calendar is coming soon, with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s CHIEF forum set for June 22-24 in Miami.

CHIEF, which stands for the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Miami, focusing on high-level workshops and interactions, including panels, and sharing of best practices.

“CHIEF has established itself as the preeminent forum for the region’s hospitality professionals to share ideas and learn from each other, and we look forward to another weekend of stimulating presentations and discussions to help our industry,” said Karolin Troubetzkoy, CHTA’s President.

General sessions will focus on the importance of communications strategies for crises; promoting cultures of inclusion and the changing nature of the hotel sector at large.

“CHIEF delegates – from frontline staff to senior management leaders – will gain valuable knowledge and insight to prepare them for the wide variety of challenges facing today’s hospitality industry professionals,” said Frank Comito, CHTA’s CEO and Director General.

Also returning to Miami will be the CHTA’s Caribbean305 event, which will gather the flavors of more than a dozen Caribbean countries at Miami’s Jungle Island on June 23.

For more info, visit CHIEF.

The post A High-Level Caribbean Hospitality Forum appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Ever dream of owning your very own cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands?

Well, there’s a price: $48 million.

Turks and Caicos’ Water Cay is on the market, a 435-acre, beach-filled private island in the heart of the Turks and Caicos.

The island, which is just five minutes’ boat ride from Providenciales’ Leeward Channel Marina, has 7,000 feet of prime beach frontage.

Water Cay is about two miles long, with a diverse topography from spectacular beaches to sandy cliffs to full-fledged flats for bonefishing.

It’s the most expensive listing in Turks and Caicos right now.

While it’s available for individuals and commercial uses, its future likely lies in the hospitality sector, as a prime private island destination opportunity.

Turks and Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty’s listing includes a canal parcel in Leeward for launch access (and a private welcome center), along with a prime corner streetfront office in Grace Bay.

It all adds up to one of the most exclusive private destinations on the market in the region right now.

For more information, see Water Cay.

— CJ

The post Turks and Caicos Private Cay on the Market for $48 Million appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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