A new luxury all-inclusive resort is set to make its highly-anticipated debut in October: the O2 Beach Club and Spa on Barbados’ bustling southern coast. 

The new “five-star” all-inclusive is set on Dover Beach in the heart of Barbados’ St Lawrence Gap. 

It’s a transformation of the former Ocean Two Resort and Residences, part of the Ocean Hotels portfolio. 

“There is something new and exciting in the luxury market in Barbados — and it happens to be on the South Coast,” said Patricia Affonso-Dass, Group General Manager for Ocean Hotels Group Barbados. “We are confident that O2 Beach Club and Spa will take center stage in Barbados’ luxury hotel offerings, combining authentic personalized service with upscale accommodations and world class dining to create unforgettable experiences.”

Ocean Hotels says the name is a nod to the symbol of oxygen, “the element as natural and life essential as the act of breathing.” 

The hotel will have a total of 130rooms and suites in three different “collections”: Club, Luxury and Concierge. 

Amenities will include three pools, including one of the only rooftop pools in Barbados, along with six dining concepts, seven bars and a 5,600-square-foot, full-service spa. 

The spa will feature the only Hammam in Barbados, with seaweed-infused products by oSea. 

It will also include an adults-only component, with the Luxury Collection to be comprised of adults-only suites, all with private sea-view balconies, along with a collection of swim-up rooms. 

Ocean Hotels’ Barbados portfolio also includes the South Beach hotel and the popular Sea Breeze Beach House, one of the island’s leading all-inclusives. 

For more, visit O2 Beach Club and Spa. 

— CJ

The post Barbados’ New Luxury All-Inclusive Is Opening in October appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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JetBlue is kicking off a new route to Antigua and Barbuda next week, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The fast-expanding carrier is launching its first-ever service from Newark-Liberty International Airport to Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport. 

The new service, which begins July 3, will operate three times each week, with service on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. 

The addition complements JetBlue’s existing service out of the wider New York area, which already includes flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. 

It’s part of a broader Caribbean expansion first announced by JetBlue in February. 

And it’s never been a better time to visit Antigua and Barbuda, which has seen a strong tourism rebound after being one of the first destinations to reopen amid the pandemic back in June 2020. 

So what do travelers need to know? 

In one of the simpler-to-execute entry protocols in the region, all travelers have to do is show proof of a negative PCR test taken and received within seven days of their flight to Antigua. 

Children below the age of 12 don’t need to take a test. 

Visitors may be required to undergo testing on arrival or at their hotel or place of lodging as determined by health authorities. 

And the wearing of face masks in public spaces is mandatory throughout Antigua and Barbuda, along with social distancing protocols. 

All visitors need to complete a health declaration form on arrival. 

So what will travelers find?

They’ll find a vibrant, open destination, home to some of the Caribbean’s leading hotels and resorts (like the spectacular Hammock Cove). a vibrant dining scene (Sheer Rocks is a must) and the beginnings of a renaissance in Barbuda, where Robert De Niro just opened his first Caribbean restaurant.

For more, visit Antigua and Barbuda. 

— CJ

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The Dutch Caribbean island of Statia is officially reopening for tourism, Caribbean Journal has confirmed. 

The island, located a short flight from St Maarten, will reopen its borders to tourists beginning Aug. 2, 2021. 

During this new phase of the island’s reopening, only fully vaccinated travelers can visit Statia. 

Visitors from high-risk countries must adhere to certain measures for the first five days after arriving, including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing hands frequently. 

Vaccinated visitors from “very high risk” countries can come to Statia but most go into quarantine for a period of five days upon entry. 

The Aug. 2 date is meant to coincide with a vaccination milestone — when 50 of the island’s adult population will be fully vaccinated. 

The next phase would come into effect once 80 percent of residents in Statia are vaccinated. Once that milestone is hit, the island will be open to everyone, including unvaccinated visitors. 

Statia has long been one of the Caribbean’s eco-tourism gems, highlighted by its beautiful Quill, a tropical rainforest set on a dormant volcano. 

It’s also home to one of the hottest new hotels in the Dutch Caribbean, the Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort, set to open next month. 

Earlier this year, the island also was in the news following the release of research showing that U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton and his family had spent extended time on the island.

For more, visit Statia Tourism. 

— CJ

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One of the major all-inclusive hotels in the Dominican Republic has officially reopened, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, the all-inclusive company’s newest Caribbean resort, began welcoming back guests this week. 

“Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda is officially open,” Club Med said in a statement. 

The property had just opened at the end of 2019 to much acclaim before shuttering just a few months later at the onset of the pandemic. 

The 93-acre resort is the first major hotel to open in the increasingly popular area of Miches in the eastern Dominican Republic. 

It’s one of two Club Med properties in the country, along with the already-opened Club Med Punta Cana. 

The 111-room property is set across four “villages,” each with a different theme and personality. 

That includes the family-friendly Explorer Cove; the adults-only Archipelago, with private suites boasting their own private plunge pools; Caribbean Paradise, a more energetic area of the resort close to the main pool, dining outlets and the beach lounge; and Emerald dJungle, a “relaxing retreat” with direct access to the adults-only Zen Oasis area of the property. 

And while the property has a strong adults-only component, there’s an equally robust offering for younger guests, from highly-customized kids clubs to a “Secret Chocolate Room,” billed as a first-of-its-kind “kids’ speakeasy” with locally-sourced chocolate. 

The Dominican Republic has major plans for Miches as a destination, with $1 billion in investment targeted for the area, including projects from brands like Apple Leisure Group and Four Seasons, among others. 

For more, visit Club Med Miches. 

— CJ

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Let’s call them “small inclusives” — these pint-sized Caribbean resorts deliver all-inclusive amenities alongside a boutique hotel experience where guests get personalized service and the serenity of a vacation where it often feels like you have the whole place to yourself.

Keyonna Beach Resort, Antigua This delightful little beach resort on the stunning white sands of Turner’s Beach is adults-only, with just 29 rooms, many of which come with their own private plunge pools. It’s a classic, barefoot-luxury retreat.

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