The Excellence all-inclusive brand is expanding to Jamaica, the company announced this week.

The adults-only Excellence Oyster Bay resort is slated to open in Jamaica on June 1, 2018 on a property about 35 minutes from Montego Bay’s airport close to Falmouth.

The resort is an estimated $110 million project.

Excellence Oyster Bay will be the first Jamaica resort for the company, which has a collection of properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic under the Excellence, Beloved and Finest brands.

The 315-suite resort will include amenities like private pools and rooftop terraces, with 70 percent of the suites offering sea views.

They’re joined by oceanfront “beach houses” directly on the sand.

Other features will include eight restaurants, nine bars, two beachfront swimming pools, a lounge with rooftop pool and a Miile Spa.

“This is a project of great excitement for us as it is both a proof of evolution to deliver the best Excellence product to date, and our first foray outside of the Dominican Republic and Mexico,” said Domingo Aznar, vice president of sales and marketing at Excellence Group. “With Excellence Oyster Bay, we raise the standards to offer a whole new all-inclusive luxury experience for adults, and we are confident that Jamaica is the perfect choice for it.”

The property also revealed that the property would contain a real estate component, with sales opportunities soon to be announced.

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A boutique luxury boutique hotel has expanded in the heart of Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone.

The new Casa Antilliana is the latest boutique home by the Casas del XVI hotel in the storied old city of the Dominican Republic’s capital.

The hotel has a total of 16 rooms, offering guests a butler and concierge service and the brand’s signature old world-modern fusion design.

Casa Antilliana has two master suites and one double bedroom facing an interior garden anchored by a plunge pool.

Casas del XVI is a series of charmingly restored homes in the Colonial Zone, each with a different theme, all dating back to the 16th century.

“In designing this house, I used a white background with splashes of green sprinkled throughout the décor to convey a tropical, colonial Antillean theme, which is inspired by the Caribbean islands surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico,” says Patricia Reid, interior designer for Casas del XVI. “The original colonial masonry especially the white portico framing the door at the entrance, as well as an antique well nestled in the wall have been preserved to transport guests to a long-lost era.”

Every house is attended by its own private mayordomo, with an individual design and floor plan.

Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone has become one of the Caribbean’s up-and-coming destinations, thanks to an alluring blend of fascinating architecture, a burgeoning art scene and excellent nightlife.

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Air France is launching a new airline.

The company plans to debut “Joon,” aimed at young working millennial travelers, this fall with medium-haul flights out of Paris Charles de Gaulle.

That will be followed by the launch of long-haul flights in the summer of 2018.

Joon will not be a low-cost airline, however, offering products and services “that reflect those of Air France,” the company explained.

“Joon is a lifestyle brand and a state of mind,” the company said in a release. “Short, punchy and international, the name Joon is designed to address a worldwide audience.”

“We started with our target customer segment, the millennials, to create this new brand that means something to them. Our brief was simple: to find a name to illustrate a positive state of mind,” said Caroline Fontaine, VP Brand at Air France. “This generation has inspired us a lot: epicurean and connected, they are opportunistic in a positive sense of the word as they know how to enjoy every moment and are in search of quality experiences that they want to share with others.  Joon is a brand that carries these values.”

The new airline will be joined by Jean-Michel Mathieu, who will serve as Joon CEO.

“The creation of a new airline is a historic moment in many ways. Joon is another step in the deployment of the Trust Together strategic project. Its creation will improve the pro tability of the Air France Group, enabling it to reduce its costs and ensure the sustainability of its business model. Jean-Michel Mathieu, who has taken part in the development of this new airline since the start, today becomes its CEO. With all the Group’s teams, we are concentrating our energy on the successful launch of Joon,” said Franck Terner, CEO of Air France.

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Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas cruise ship is returning to St. Lucia.

The ship had previously been unable to dock at the Pointe Seraphine port in Castries due to harbor depth concerns.

Saint Lucia.

Now, following a successful dredging operation, the ship will be returning to Port Castries every three weeks, government officials said this week.

The 310-meter-long Voyager-class ship, which was first built in 2001, can accommodate up to 3,114 guests and 1,185 crew.

— Caribbean Journal staff

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While Jewish history in Jamaica dates back more than half a millennium, the island has never had a true kosher restaurant. Until now.

Jamaica’s first-ever kosher eatery, the Kosher Hot Spot, has officially opened its doors in Montego Bay.

The restaurant, which is the brainchild of the Chabad of Jamaica and Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, is located on the “Hip Strip” in the heart of Montego Bay, featuring a menu of falafel, french fries, tehina and, you guessed it, “Jerk Falafel.”

In other words, it’s a completely vegetarian restaurant, another major addition to the city.

The Kosher Hot Spot also offers take out service for travelers and others in the area. For more information, visit Chabad of Jamaica.

— CJ Staff

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