A popular adults-only all-inclusive resort in Saint Lucia has rebranded itself, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The Rendezvous Saint Lucia Resort has officially rebranded as StolenTime by Rendezvous, with a focus beyond couples.
The resort is the sister property to the celebrated BodyHoliday resort in Saint Lucia, with both part of the SunSwept Resorts portfolio.
It’s one of a small but robust collection of all-inclusive resorts across Saint Lucia, including the highly-anticipated new Zoetry Marigot Bay.
The change is related to the resort’s longstanding “StolenTime” concept, which the property calls a “a personal and authentic experience which enables guests to connect in a boutique five-star resort setting, away from the pressures of everyday life, where they struggle to find quality time and invest in their important relationships.”
While the resort has typically courted couples, the rebranded property is welcoming couples, families, friends and groups from around the globe, it says.
“We have always been passionate about bringing people together – connection is such a core human need, and we believe it is at the root of living life to the fullest,” said Andrew Barnard, CEO of Sunswept Resorts. “We are very excited to be inviting connections of all kinds to flourish with us now. It is needed more than ever during these challenging times, and after so much separation brought about by the pandemic.”
StolenTime is now featuring “Stolen Moments,” a series of themes aimed at inspiring guests, from soft adventure to food and beverage experiences.
That ranges from mixology competitions, massage lessons, a market walk in Castries, salsa dancing, organized hikes and game nights, all included in the resort’s rate.
The property, set on two miles of beach in Saint Lucia, has a spa, a beach club and a pair of eateries, among other amenities.
It has invested more than $15 million to upgrade its facilities in the last few years.
The country in July welcomed 735,064 visitors, a 24 percent increase over July 2019, and a 30 percent jump compared to July 2021.
“We did it again. We achieved an extraordinary month in the arrival of tourists to the Dominican Republic,” Collado said.
July 2022 and December 2021 are the only months in the country’s history in which it received more than 700,000 tourists.
The Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.
The United States continues to dominate visitor arrivals to the country, followed by Canada, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Spain, Cuba and the United Kingdom.
If the pace continues, 2022 will be “the best year of tourism in [our] history,” Collado said.
So far, the Dominican Republic has welcomed a total of 4.182 million visitors in 2022.
“This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth will be our greatest edition yet, a week of fantastic celebrations of rum,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth. “And of course, it’s all headquartered at the world’s most legendary rum bar, the Rhum Room St Barth.”
The event includes a blind-tasting international rum competition and an action-packed schedule of rum events for connoisseurs and spirits lovers, from VIP parties to cigar-and-rum evenings, master classes and rum-pairing dinners.
The Rhum Room, headquarters of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth.
And the Rhum Room is worth the trip alone, home to the largest collection of fine rums of any bar on earth, stewarded by international rum expert Christopher Davis, co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth.
This year’s event kicks off with a rooftop VIP bash at the Le Barthelemy Hotel and Spa presented by Martinique’s Rhum Neisson.
The agenda also includes nightly after parties at the Rhum Room, a cocktail competition right on the harbor, a ti’ punch party at Les Ilets de la Plage, three rum pairing dinners at the Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab.
Tradewind Aviation is the official airline partner of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth.
The harborside Tradewind Rum Expo, open to the public, gives visitors a chance to sample rare artisanal rums from around the Caribbean, with particular focus on the Rhum Agricole of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Another great way to visit the event? By taking a Moorings yacht from St Martin.
The event is the unofficial start of the tourist season in St Barth, kicking off the island’s Gourmet Month, which includes the Caribbean Rum Awards followed by the St Barth Gourmet Festival.
The Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth is supported by WIMCO Villas; Tradewind Aviation; The Moorings; Le Barthelemy Hotel and Spa; Les Ilets de la Plage; Martinique Tourism Authority; St Barth Tourisme; SC Capital; Global Erudite and Empire Social Lounge.
Plainly, there’s no more buzzing tourism destination anywhere in the wider region than Cancun on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Since the onset of the pandemic, and thanks to loose travel restrictions, Cancun has been growing at a breakneck pace, with tourism numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels and more and more airlines adding routes to its airport.
And with the continued demand for all-inclusive resorts, Cancun has seen a wave of new hotels and property transformations alike. To help with your travel planing, we’ve curated the five “hottest” all-inclusive resorts in Cancun right now, a mix of brand-new resorts and reimagined properties that all exemplify the best of what Cancun has to offer.
Here are our top picks among Cancun’s newest all-inclusive resorts.
A plunge-pool room at Royal Uno.
Royal Uno You may be familiar with the Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, the celebrated resort near Puerto Morelos that’s long been one of the leading places to stay in all of the Caribbean. This resort’s parent company, Royal Resorts, recently unveiled what’s effectively its new flagship resort, the Royal Uno All-Inclusive Resort, one that blends Royal’s class-leading family-friendly offerings with a sleek, crisp new look.
Royal Uno has a total of 540 rooms, with what Royal Resorts calls a focus on the “Authentic Cancun.” That means outstanding, Mexican-focused food and great international cuisine across five different restaurants, a laid-back, beachy ambience and world-class service.
Hilton Cancun All-Inclusive Hilton has been making a big push in the last few years in the all-inclusive space, and the Mexican Caribbean is the epicenter of that effort. So what do we have at this resort? There are 714 rooms, 12 dining concepts, nearly 70,000 square feet of convention space, a fitness center and a spa.
It’s all set in a lush, mangrove-filled 100-acre Mexican Caribbean property, with two infinity pools, a great fitness center and even daily entertainment. Make sure you save a table at Maxal, the resort’s pan-Mexican eatery, from delicious aguachile to a taco journey across Mexico.
Garza Blanca Resort and Spa TAFER held its grand opening for the Garza Blanca in Cancun earlier this year, and it’s very different than most other resort properties in the area, chiefly when it comes to design. The Garza Blanca is a residential-style all-inclusive, with very large accommodations that include one, two-, three-bedroom and swim-up suites, all with private terraces.
For larger groups, there are also four-bedroom, 5,300-square-foot ocean penthouse suites that can accommodate up to 12 guests. The culinary offering at the resort robust, with four gourmet eateries and even a “Gourmet Food Hall.” For pool lovers, Garza Blanca has something for everyone: a kids’ pool, an adults-only pool, a main pool with a transparent acrylic wall (yes, the photos are amazing) and a rooftop infinity pool just for adults.
The rooftop pool at the Dreams Vista Cancun.
Dreams Vista Cancun Golf and Spa Resort Apple Leisure Group and AMR Collection’s newest, stunning resort in Cancun opened its doors in the middle of 2020, with 416 rooms in a setting in Cancun’s Puerta Del Mar community. The amenities are vast here: three heated pools anchored by an ocean-view infinity pool, a wine cellar, a Spa by Pevonia and nice touches like an on-site ice cream parlor.
For golfers, the centerpiece is access to the stunning Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole Puerto Cancun golf course, one of the best in Mexico.
And Puerto Cancun itself is a terrific amenity that’s home to a marina, an IMAX theater, and great shopping in what’s become a new kind of mixed-use destination in Cancun.
Wyndham Alltra Cancun Another major brand that’s making a big bet on all-inclusive? Wyndham, which at the end last year debuted its new Wyndham Alltra brand in the Caribbean. Alltra is short for “All-Inclusive Travel for All,” the company’s philosophy of “delivering exceptional experiences to the everyday traveler.”
The first Wyndham Alltra hotels opened in the Mexican Caribbean, with one in Playa del Carmen and the other this 458-room resort in the Cancun Hotel Zone. Wyndham says its research shows travelers are looking for five primary vacation experiences: all-inclusive, beach access, high-quality retardants, local culture and excursions/activities. That’s the focus at the Wyndham Alltra Cancun, a family-friendly resort that’s also notable for its broad options for kids: think waterslides, a kids’ club and loads of activities.
Traveling to the French Caribbean island of St Barth just got a whole lot easier.
The tiny Caribbean paradise just removed all travel restrictions to the island, Caribbean Journal has confirmed.
That means travelers no longer need to show proof of vaccination or testing in order to enter the island.
In other words, traveling to St Barth is just like it was before the pandemic.
Fabrice Danet, director of the island’s Remy de Haenen St Barth Airport confirmed the move, which comes as France’s national government has officially removed its Covid-related State of Health Emergency.
