A major new beach resort has opened its doors on the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, Caribbean Journal has confirmed.
The new Time to Smile Chogogo Dive & Beach Resort Bonaire is the second property for the Chogogo brand, joining its existing resort in nearby Curacao.
It welcomed its first-ever guests on Wednesday.
Some beachfront rooms at the Chogogo.
The 201-room resort has a mix of studios, one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom bungalows and three-bedroom bungalows.
It’s instantly one of the most complete resorts in Bonaire: that means amenities including a beach; a bar and restaurant; on-shore diving and snorkeling; a pool and pool deck and, most notably, the only lazy river in Bonaire.
While the resort is still completing construction on a dive school, guests have access to a PADI dive center nearby.
Dining concepts include an a la carte eatery called Sunset, along with a beach bar called Beach Bar Bari.
The Chogogo is set in the heart of one of Bonaire’s most popular west-coast areas, just outside downtown Kralendijk across the water from the island of Klein Bonaire.
The original Chogogo resort is set on Curacao’s popular Jan Thiel Bay Area.
The new Chogogo resort in Bonaire.
It’s the latest addition to a growing portfolio of new resorts in Bonaire, along with the island’s hottest resort, the Delfins Beach Resort, which opened before the pandemic (and is now expanding), and the soon-to-relaunch Sunset Beach Bonaire; the latter will add 160 more rooms to the island’s stock.
Bonaire has also see a wave of new flights, including the relaunch of service from the Unite States on United and expanded flights from Miami on American Airlines.
There’s a new all-inclusive beach resort in Punta Cana’s fast-growing Cap Cana neighborhood, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Karisma Hotels and Resorts has debuted the new Azul Beach Resort Cap Cana, adjacent to the recently-opened Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana.
The property is set on Playa Juanillo, about 15 minutes from Punta Cana Airport.
The property has 251 rooms and suites, with a mix of ocean-view, beachfront and swim-up suites.
“The Azul Beach Resorts brand is known for its luxury, all-inclusive and family-friendly offerings set on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and expanding the brand to the exclusive community of Cap Cana is an honor,” said Mario Mathieu, SVP of Business Development, Design and Construction at management company Karisma Hotels & Resorts. “It has been a goal of ours to expand our footprint in the Dominican Republic, and we look forward to welcoming guests to experience the wealth of pleasures this amazing resort provides.”
It’s yet another new resort in Cap Cana, which has seen a boom in all-inclusive development in recent years, with new hotels by brands like Hyatt, Secrets and Margaritaville, among others.
Guests will have access to nine restaurants and bars at the wider Azul-Margaritaville complex; on property, there are four food and beverage concepts, including The Restaurant, a seafood bar and grill called La Taverna; Restaurant 10, a farm-to-table concept; and Splash, a swim-up bar.
Azul Beach Resort guests also have access to the 11,000-square-foot St Somewhere Spa at at the Margaritaville.
The hotel has opened under Karisma’s Peace of Mind health and safety program, which includes free, on-site antigen testing for guests before their return trips to the United States.
The summit will explore some of the Caribbean’s hottest luxury markets, look at luxury design trends, the latest residential resort developments and explore what’s next.
The Caribbean Luxury Real Estate Outlook 2022 will include a high-profile panel of the region’s top experts:
Sue Nickason, VP of Marketing and Sales of Provenance Properties Cayman Islands; John Christie, CEO @HG Christie, The Bahamas; Stephanie Anton, SVP of Corcoran Affiliates; Tim Peck, Chairman of OBMI; and Myles Newell, CEO of Waypoint Real Estate.
“The pandemic has led to arguably the greatest luxury real estate surge in the history of the Caribbean,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal Invest. “The first-ever Caribbean Luxury Real Estate Outlook is bringing together some of the region’s real estate luminaries to explore why that’s happened and, more importantly, what’s ahead.”
The agenda will include a look at the private island market in the Caribbean, dominated by The Bahamas; the luxury boom in the Cayman Islands; the changing landscape of luxury design in the region; the continued allure of the Caribbean for major US real estate companies; and the massive growth in branded residential resort projects, among others subjects.
The CLRO will also feature a Q&A segment with the audience.
The Caribbean Luxury Real Estate Outlook is open only to subscribers of Caribbean Journal Invest, the region’s authority on real estate and hotel business news. For more, visit Caribbean Journal Invest.
When TRS Cap Cana Hotel first opened in 2018, the resort was expected to be among the Palladium Group’s most successful all-inclusives in the Dominican Republic.
And it was before the pandemic.
The hotel, like most in the world, closed its doors in March of 2020 due to the pandemic. Now reopened, the hotel is looking to make up for the lost business.
Today, it’s a different kind of Dominican Republic all-inclusive — it’s not a megaresort; it’s not sprawling; it’s a luxury all-inclusive with a decidedly boutique feel.
Caribbean Journal recently checked in to the luxury resort to see how the property’s comeback is coming along.
Here’s what you need to know.
TRS Cap Cana Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the most exclusive part of Punta Cana, on the east coast of the Dominican Republic and just 10 minutes from the international airport.
The rooms and facilities at TRS Cap Cana Hotel are designed to offer the full adults-only experience from a simple, classy decor to an abundance of romantic spots near the beach.
Speaking of the beach, it is rather small. It is not the type of beach where you will see volleyball or crowds in general. It has more of a lagoon feel to it and offers the opportunity to be only one of a handful of people to enjoy the water.
There are just 115 rooms here. CJ stayed in room 4201, a Suite Jacuzzi Terrace Ocean View. There are about 20 of these rooms. It comes with an outdoor Jacuzzi and cabana, overlooking the pool with ocean views. Also, guests of this category gain access to a butler.
All stays at TRS Cap Cana Hotel include the hotel’s exclusive “Infinite Indulgence” service and access to massages and treatments at the Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness Centre.
The spa features two hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, a modern gym, and private rooms for exclusive treatments and massages.
TRS Cap Cana Hotel offers its guests four restaurants. During your stay at TRS Cap Cana Hotel, you can eat at one of two a la carte restaurants, Izakaya and El Gaucho, taste a selection of international dishes at Capricho, sample seafood dishes at the Ibizan-style restaurant, Helios, or catch up with the latest scores at the hotel’s 24-hour sports bar, Xtra Time.
CJ thought Xtra Time was especially unique not just for the Dominican Republic, but for the Caribbean in general since the region usually plays home to bars that shut down around 1 a.m. or earlier. This bar not only served alcohol all night, but also offered small bites like fries and chips.
Guests staying at TRS Hotels can enjoy, without additional charges, lobster dishes offered in Helios a la carte restaurant, which is exclusive for TRS Hotels guests.
In fact, Helios was CJ’s favorite restaurant at the hotel for both lunch and dinner. We highly recommend the lobster ceviche. Helios also offers live music, an extensive menu and a buffet. Also, be sure to ask if the avocado soup is in season. The portions here were rather small, but no one will think twice if you order another serving.
Every night at the hotel, there is a different form of entertainment. The first night we arrived, the hotel hosted a Michael Jackson dance party, featuring a Michael Jackson impersonator who dances and lip sinks to the King of Pop’s top hits as guests watch from either the seated area or from their rooms. Other entertainment includes local Dominican singers, circus-like performances and more.
It all adds up to a different kind of experience in the Dominican Republic — even for Cap Cana, a destination that continues to see new all-inclusive development.
This is unique — it’s small, it’s intimate and it’s luxurious.
What about testing?
Guests are tested the day before they leave. The COVID tests costs $25 per guest. The rapid tests are conducted by using cotton swabs. Results are confirmed in about 20 minutes, in order to comply with the CDC re-entry rules.
