Kimpton has officially opened its first-ever resort in the Mexican Caribbean, the new Kimpton Aluna Tulum. 

The colorful, sleek 78-room hotel is set between downtown Tulum and the beach, with 72 rooms and six suites. 

“We’ve taken the well known Kimpton service and amenities, complete with chef-driven, healthy dining and killer rooftop cocktails, to provide a different hotel experience in Tulum,” the company said in a statement. 

Amenities include a rooftop pool, a rooftop bar, a full-service spa, a beach club, a 24-hour fitness center. 

That’s along with perks like beach butlers, concierge service, high-speed Wi-Fi, regular yoga classes and Kimpton standards like a complimentary evening social hour. 

The primary dining concept is Parallel 20°, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on the flavors of the Riviera Maya. (You can find the menu here) 

It’s just the second Kimpton-branded resort in the Caribbean, along with the Kimpton Seafire in Grand Cayman. 

And it’s the latest new addition to Tulum, which continues to see the entry of major brands. 

Indeed, in February, Marriott International opened its first-ever Tulum hotel, the hip new Aloft Tulum. 

Two more Kimpton resorts are currently in the pipeline in the Caribbean, with outposts planned in Grenada and Roatan, Honduras. 

For more, visit Kimpton. 

— CJ

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In a major move for the wider Caribbean tourism industry, The Bahamas has announced plans to become the region’s first island destination to waive testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers. 

Simply put, if you are fully vaccinated, you won’t have to get tested before you travel to The Bahamas.

Beginning May 1, international visitors who are fully vaccinated (and have passed the two-week immunity period after the relevant jab) will be exempt from testing requirements for entry and inter-island travel. 

Vaccinated travelers will still have to apply for The Bahamas Travel Health Visa, and will have to upload proof of vaccination with their application. 

They will not, however, need to provide a negative PCR test prior to entry or submit to rapid-testing mandates during their stay in The Bahamas. 

Unvaccinated travelers will still have to comply with all of the country’s pre-testing and testing requirements, including applying for The Bahamas Travel Health Visa, proof of a negative test taken no more than five days prior to arrival, and rapid antigen testing if they’re staying in The Bahamas for longer than four nights and five days. 

All travelers will still have to complete the daily email health questionnaire while in the country, along with adhering to The Bahamas’ health and safety protocols like mask wearing, social distancing and frequent hand washing. 

It’s a strong message from one of the Caribbean’s leading destinations, and hopefully will lead other destinations in the region to follow suit. 

And it’s an example of the country’s smart, phased and successful approach to its tourism reopening, one that first began last summer.

Only one other Caribbean destination has a similar entry protocol, Belize, which also waived testing for fully vaccinated travelers. 

For more, visit The Bahamas. 

— CJ

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Viva Wyndham Resorts has officially reopened its Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach all-inclusive resort in The Bahamas. 

The resort is set on 26 acres of beachfront property in Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama. 

The resort has amenities including an oceanfront pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, multiple bas and restaurants, a spa, a gym and a theater, along with a kids’ splash park and waterspouts activities like sailing, paddle boarding, diving lessons and windsurfing, among others. 

More than 70 percent of the rooms have ocean views, according to Viva Wyndham. 

“Viva Wyndham is excited to finally welcome guests back to our Fortuna Beach resort, a beautiful destination that’s just minutes away from the U.S.,” said Amanda Santana, Viva Wyndham’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach is the premier choice for value-driven travelers who are looking to experience the best that the island has to offer.”

The Viva Wyndham joins the recently-opened Lighthouse Pointe resort in Grand Bahama as the island’s only two true all-inclusive resorts. 

“Viva Wyndham is excited to finally welcome guests back to our Fortuna Beach resort, a beautiful destination that’s just minutes away from the U.S.,” said Amanda Santana, Viva Wyndham’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “As the only true all-inclusive resort on Grand Bahamas Island, Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach is the premier choice for value-driven travelers who are looking to experience the best that the island has to offer.”

The resort has reopened with a broad set of health and hygiene protocols. 

Viva Wyndham has a total of eight resorts across the Caribbean-Mexico region, including two on the Riviera Maya and five in the Dominican Republic. 

The Bahamas has been open for tourism since last summer. You can find more on the country’s entry protocols here. 

For more, visit Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach.

— CJ

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The iconic El Conquistador resort is set to reopen its doors in Puerto Rico, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The resort will be holding its “Grand Re-opening” on May 21, 2021, according to the property. 

The relaunch of the property on the coast of Fajardo could be a significant boost for the island’s tourism industry. 

While the property had in its heyday boasted nearly 750 rooms, the current iteration will make available 230 rooms. 

So what will be open? 

Guests will be able to access the Coqui Waterpark, its Arthur Hills golf course and five restaurants. 

The resort’s Palomino Island will likely not be open to guests until late Summer 2021; the popular offshore island is still recovering from damages in Hurricane Maria as well. 

El Conquistador has been closed for more than three years, shuttering in the wake of Hurricane Maria. 

It was purchased by Puerto Rico-based Royal Blue Hospitality from Blackstone in 2019.  Up until that point it had operated as a Waldorf-Astoria resort, part of Hilton’s portfolio.

“We are looking forward to the highly-anticipated reopening of El Conquistador in Fajardo,” Discover Puerto Rico CEO Brad Dean told Caribbean Journal. 

The resort is also relaunching meetings, with dates available in both 2021 and 2022; El Conquistador has 100,000 sure feet of meeting and event space. 

For more, visit El Conquistador. 

— CJ

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