Hilton Hotels’ Hampton by Hilton brand has opened its first-ever hotel in Cancun, Mexico: Hampton Inn by Hilton Cancun Cumbres.

The mid-priced hotel is owned by Hoteles Parks Hospitality and managed by Hilton.

The 141-room, new-build hotel is set in the Pabellon Cumbres Mall in Cancun.

“The opening of Hampton Inn by Hilton Cancun Cumbres is a welcome addition to our growing portfolio throughout Mexico, where we currently have nearly 50 hotels,” said Jose Munoz, area vice president of operations, Mexico and Central America, Hilton. “The hotel’s close proximity to local attractions in the heart of the action in Cancun is ideal for business and leisure travelers.”

The hotel includes a collection of rooms and suites, with every room featuring free Wi-Fi, HDTV with in-room movie channels and coffee makers.

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Holland America Line has announced its newest culinary hire.

The Seattle-based cruise line has appointed Frits van der Werff as its new vice president for food and beverage within the company’s guest experience and product development department.

In the role, van der Werff will oversee all culinary operations and manage beverage operations at the Holland America Line fleet.

Van der Werff had most recently served as brand performance director for MSC Cruises.

“Holland America Line is highly respected for the culinary and beverage experiences onboard our ships, and we’re thrilled to have someone of Frits’ caliber join our team in this leadership role,” said Smith. “Frits brings a wealth of high-end food and beverage and cruise experience to our company, and we look forward to tapping into his knowledge and expertise as we continue to evolve our brand and our food and beverage offerings.”

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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Broadway is coming to Crystal Cruises.

Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises has signed an exclusive new partnership with multi-Tony Award-winning producer Kevin McCollum to introduce “Crystal on Broadway.”

The new partnership will bring cast members and creative experts from some of theater’s top shows to Crystal’s venues, initially on the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity cruise ships.

McCollum counts shows like In the Heights, Avenue Q and Rent among his successes.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Kevin McCollum and his vast network of talented performers,” said Edie Rodriguez, Crystal’s chairman, CEO and president. “The artists and experts set for this exclusive new program hail straight from Broadway, offering our guests the superlative caliber of entertainment, enrichment and insider viewpoints they expect aboard a Crystal ship.”

The programming will debut this summer with guest singers, dancers, choreographers, directors, designers and other artists.

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When selecting a Caribbean hotel room, there’s one immutable fact: “oceanfront” trumps “oceanview,” eight days a week. Sure, it’s nice to see the sea from your four-poster bed, but it’s even better when you can roll right out of that same bed, open a door and step straight onto the sand. So we’ve scoured the region and rounded up some of the best hotels featuring “toes-in-the-sand” rooms, where you can fall sleep to the sound of the surf and wake up to the sight of it. CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon brings you some best places to stay at true beachfront hotels.

Galley Bay Resort & Spa, Antigua You can’t get any closer to the water than the premium beachfront suites at this 98-room all-inclusive retreat, where sliding doors open to your personal slice of the almost mile-long Galley Bay beach.

Idle Awhile, Jamaica Boho-chic and as unpretentious as the Negril town it calls home, one of our favorite beachfront roosts has 16 rooms and suites that are decorated in sun-washed colors, including deluxe ocean suites set along the famous seven-mile stretch.

Petit St. Vincent, St Vincent and the Grenadines There are only 22 cottages on this idyllic 115-acre private-island resort: 16 perched on lush hillside, and a heavenly half-dozen smack on its sands at one of the Caribbean’s great beachfront hotels.

Hermitage Bay, Antigua One of the Caribbean’s most beautifully designed all-inclusives, this Antigua standout has a collection of hillside suites with plunge pools and, more importantly, on-the-sand cottages smack on its eponymous bay.

The cottage called Shane’s Shack.

Fernandez Bay Village, Cat Island, Bahamas This legendary boutique beach resort boasts a mix of cottages and villas, all perched right on the sand on a privileged stretch of beach on Cat Island.

Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort The must-stay rooms at this St. Lucia signature are the luxury beachfront bungalows, replete with luxe amenities and set directly on the sand with a spectacular view combining the sparkling shores of Sugar Beach with the wonder of the Pitons.

Half Moon

Half Moon, Jamaica One of our favorite hotels in the Caribbean, Half Moon has a range of gorgeous accommodations — but the plum position is in the West Cottages, the historic group of old-school units right at the edge of Half Moon Bay.

Hotel Bakoua, Martinique Martinique’s best all-around hotel (set in the fun tourist hub of Trois Ilets) has a row of charming rooms set directly on the beach, in plain view of the resort’s terrific overwater bungalow bar and the Bay of Fort de France.

Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada Grenada’s flagship luxury resort has a lovely offering of 64 beachfront suites on the island’s famous Grand Anse Beach. Want to get to the sand? Just take a single step off your patio.

The Reef by Cuisinart, Anguilla If you’re staying in a beachfront suite at this island’s newest resort, the only thing between you and the talcum sands of Merrywing Bay is a few steps across a well-manicured lawn.

The post At These Caribbean Hotel Rooms, You Stay Right on the Beach appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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United States Senator Cory Booker visited Puerto Rico at the end of last week for a trip highlighted by a meeting with the island’s new Governor, Ricardo Rossello.

During the meeting, Rossello urged Booker, a Democratic senator from New Jersey and rumored presidential candidate in 2020, on what he saw as the need for the U.S. Congress to address the parity of Medicaid funds for Puerto Rico in the face of a fiscal cliff that would affect the 3.5 million U.S. citizens who live in Puerto Rico.

He also addressed the need for federal allocation of funds for technology, cyber security and the police force in Puerto Rico, La Fortaleza said in a statement.

Booker served as Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013, a city that has almost 40,000 Puerto Rican residents.

Last year, Booker introduced legislation to prevent Puerto Rico’s fiscal collapse and provide tax credits for the island.

Following the meeting, Rossello took to social media to thank Booker for “championing the cause of equal rights for Puerto Rico.”

“You are always welcomed at #LaIsladelEncanto,” he wrote on Twitter.

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