By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the most beloved resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands has reopened its doors in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The Sands at Grace Bay resort on Grace Bay Beach officially reopened last week.

The resort’s Hemingway’s Bar and Restaurant has also reopened, according to a statement from the property.

Grace Bay Beach was spared the brunt of the hurricanes, with none of The Sands’ suites impacted.

“We are thrilled to share the news with our past and prospective guests, and our travel partners that we are re-opening our doors this coming Saturday,” said Mona Beeson, General Manager of The Sands at Grace Bay.  “We understand that there has been some confusion in the marketplace as to the level of damages the area has sustained.  Rest assured that we would not be opening if we were not 100% certain that we will be providing our guests with our full range of amenities and the very best in customer service that we are known for.

Even better? The storm may have actually improved an already-world famous beach, according to Beeson.

“Guests will also be pleased to know that Grace Bay Beach, acclaimed as of the world’s best and most award-clad beaches, remains just as spectacular as ever,” she said.  “In fact, waves from the storms broke at the reef and actually brushed more sand upon the island’s shores in this area giving us an even more expansive beach. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Turks and Caicos’ Grace Bay Beach.”

The post Turks and Caicos’ The Sands at Grace Bay Resort Reopens appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

While Hurricane Irma caused serious damage on the island of St Maarten, the organizers of the destination’s major Heineken Regatta say they will still hold next year’s regatta as planned.

The 2018 regatta is “still on for 2018,” organizers wrote in a statement.

Next year will be the 38th edition of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, which last year brought together sailors from more than 35 countries on boats ranging from sailing Maxis to holidaymakers on chartered bareboats.

Although high numbers of yachts have been destroyed in St Maarten, much of the marine infrastructure is still intact.

The St Maarten Yacht Club’s main building remained intact, though docks, decks and other structures were damaged.

The regatta is scheduled to take place March 1-4, 2018.

The post St Maarten Heineken Regatta “Still On” for 2018 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Antigua’s Jumby Bay Island is reopening for the season Oct. 9 as the newest member of the Oetker Collection of luxury hotels.

The former Rosewood resort’s rooms and villa component will both be managed by Oetker, whose other Caribbean property is the Eden Rock in St Barth.

“Since the inception of Oetker Collection, we have grown our hotel portfolio with carefully chosen resorts and city hotels, each deserving of the ‘Masterpiece’ title. Today, I am delighted to announce our expansion with a second Masterpiece in the Caribbean: Jumby Bay Island” said Frank Marrenbach, CEO of the Oetker Collection. “This private island paradise is a truly special place, with 300-acres of manicured landscape surrounded by white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. As of Oct. 9, guests will experience Oetker Collection’s highest standards of quality service to which they are accustomed, and can rest assured that our team of hoteliers will offer them quite a unique sense of place.”

Jumby Bay contains a total of 40 rooms and suites, along with 50 individually-designed, fully-staffed villa and estate home rentals, with sizes up to nine bedrooms.

“It is with great pleasure that the board of directors and homeowners of Jumby Bay Island welcome Oetker Collection as the manager of our resort. We look forward to a long and productive partnership,” said Dennis McNeill, chairman of the board, Jumby Bay Island Company.

The post Antigua’s Jumby Bay Island Reopening Oct. 9 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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As the Caribbean works to recover from last month’s hurricanes, (a process that is already taking shape), one of the biggest questions we hear from travelers is, “where can I still visit?” Or, for some, “can I still visit the Caribbean?”

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s a misperception that isn’t helping the Caribbean.

With this list, we wanted to show travelers the remarkable breadth of islands you can still visit right now in the Caribbean. And while there are 30 here, this isn’t even all of them.

As our hearts remain with those in the affected islands, it’s important to remember that the whole Caribbean economy relies on travelers like you coming back to the region — and coming back soon. And while things look difficult for some islands now, remember that places like Dominica, the BVI and USVI, Puerto Rico, Anguilla, St Barth, St Martin and Barbuda will be back and ready for visitors far sooner than you think. And that’s when they’ll need you to come back again.

Here are 30 Caribbean islands you can visit right now, listed in alphabetical order. And starting traveling again right now.

Antigua With 365 beaches, this increasingly hot destination has long been a celebrity favorite, with a particularly good selection of upscale beach resorts.

The post 30 Caribbean Islands You Can Visit Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

A major resort in St Maarten has announced plans to reopen next spring.

The Divi Little Bay Beach Resort in St Maarten has confirmed it will reopen in May 2018 after suffering damage from the impact of Hurricane Irma.

“Although, optimistically, it was Little Bay’s sincere desire to announce a reopening for high season 2018,” said Marco Galaverna, President and COO of Divi Resorts. “Unfortunately, once our engineers, construction and IT were on the ground in St. Maarten and could complete a full assessment of the property, it was confirmed that most units sustained some sort of damage.”

The property said there was a need for “substantial repair and reconstruction in order to provide owners and guests with accommodations equal to, or superior than those available prior to these storms.”

“We want to assure every one of Divi Little Bay’s commitment to seeing this beautiful island and amazing location flourish and come back to life.  Not just as it was before, but even better,” Galaverna said.

The post St Maarten’s Divi Little Bay Resort to Reopen in May 2018 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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