Frontier Airlines keeps ramping up its Caribbean expansion, and now the low-cost carrier has debuted two prominent new routes to Dutch Caribbean hotspot of St Maarten. 

Frontier has launched its first-ever flights from Miami to St Maarten, part of a wider expansion to the Caribbean out of Miami International Airport. 

The new flights are now operating once each week on Saturdays, meaning Frontier now offers 34 nonstop routes from Miami. 

And this weekend Frontier has also launched its first-ever flights from Orlando to St Maarten, with weekly Saturday service as well. 

“Frontier’s start of new international service at Orlando International Airport is an excellent opportunity for travel,” said Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “Frontier continues to solidify its rank as the airline serving the most destinations from Central Florida.”

St Maarten’s tourism industry has been back open for nearly a year, and the Dutch Caribbean island has been one of the most popular Caribbean stops for travelers this summer. 

It’s gotten a boost from a broad reopening and from the debut of new hotels like the brand-new Morgan Resort in Simpson Bay. 

For more on how to visit St Maarten, see here. 

— CJ

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A highly-anticipated new adults-only all-inclusive resort has made its debut in the Riviera Maya, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

It’s called Hotel Xcaret Arte, and it’s the second branded resort for Grupo Xcaret in the Mexican Caribbean. 

The massive 900-suite hotel is all about Mexican art, with an all-inclusive concept that also includes access to Xcaret’s parks and adventure experiences in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. 

“Hotel Xcaret Arte is a dream of mine that started 32 years ago. I am extremely proud that through culinary experiences, art, and natural beauty, we can showcase Mexico’s rich culture and traditions,” said Miguel Quintana Pali, an architect and general director and president of Grupo Xcaret. 

The dining program is also focused on authentic Mexican gastronomy, with a slate of chefs including the three-star Michelin Chef Pack Mendez, who will helm a restaurant called Encanta. 

That’s along with Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna’s Chino Poblano; Alejandro Ruiz’s Oaxcan eatery, Cantina Vi-Ay-Pi; Roberto Solis, the innovator behind Yucatan cuisine, leads the menu at Kibi-Kibi, a mix of Yucatecan and flavors of Lebanese cuisine; and Xaak, focuses on indigenous foods from the Mayan and Zapotec cultures.

The hotel is set across six distinct “casas,” each with a different theme, from the Casa de los Artistas, which will inspire guests to paint; to Casa de la Paz, which offers cooking workshops. 

Xcaret Group first opened its signature resort, Hotel Xcaret, at the end of 2017. 

It’s another boost for the Mexican Caribbean, which has largely outperformed the rest of the region amid the pandemic, thanks to the region’s most relaxed entry protocols.

For more, visit Hotel Xcaret Arte. 

— CJ

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The Caribbean island of Statia has officially opened its brand-new airport terminal. 

The relaunch of the Dutch Caribbean island’s F.D. Roosevelt Airport comes as the island is set to reopen its borders to tourists on Aug. 2. 

Interestingly, the airport is named for the former U.S. president Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, some of whose Dutch ancestors lived in Statia in the 1700s; Roosevelt himself visited the airport in 1939.

He was on the island to present a plaque honoring the “first salute,” when, on Nov. 17, 1776, the Dutch governor of the island gave the order to salute an acting Continental Navy ship — the first time the inchoate United States of America had ever been officially recognized. 

Of course, he’s not the only major American poplitical figure with a connection to the island, which was also home to Alexander Hamilton and his family for a number of years. 

The construction of the airport was financed by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 

The new airport terminal has a nearly 12,000-square-foot roof and a just over 7,500 square feet of interior space. 

That includes four check-in desks, three airline offices, luggage screening and a full passenger and staff airside screening area. 

The waiting area at the gate has 44 seats, along with amenities including a land-side bar. 

That’s along with an arrival baggage claim, customs check area, storage rooms, a meeting room and a security and control room. 

The air traffic control tower has three stories, with a 360-degree-view cabin. 

It’s a dramatic new addition for the island, which has become increasingly popular with travelers seeking an authentic, eco-friendly destination in the Caribbean. 

Statia is accessed via a very short flight from neighboring St Maarten. 

For more, visit Statia. 

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