Monthly Archives: July 2016

The Most Stylish Hotels in the Caribbean

 

There are grand hotels and there are beautiful hotels in the Caribbean, small and large, boutique and all-inclusive. But what makes a hotel stylish? It’s that extra attention to detail, that extra emphasis on design and creativity. It’s about seeing a hotel as a piece of artwork in its own right. The Caribbean has no shortage of stylish hotels, places that ooze design flair and inspiration to the point that you feel special just walking inside. These are the Most Stylish Caribbean Hotels.

Most Stylish Hotels

La Suite Villa, Martinique

There’s perhaps no more creatively designed hotel in all of the Caribbean than this boutique in the foothills above Trois-Ilets in Martinique. The brainchild of hotelier Gilles Duplan, everything about this hotel is artful, from the plating of the food at Le Zandoli to the glass floors to the ever-shifting art that sprawls the walls. (And yes, the picture-hanging style is intentional).

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At Atlantis, a Different Kind of Daiquiri

 

The Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island is celebrating the upcoming National Daiquiri Day on July 19 with one of their signature beverages: The Dirty Banana Daiquiri.

The daiquiri, designed to keep guests cool during their sunny stay at the beach, blends refreshing bursts of Banana and Kahlua.

The drink is available at The Daiquiri Shack, as well as other restaurants throughout Atlantis.

Here’s how it’s made:

1 oz Kahlua

1 ½ oz Bacardi Gold Rum

½ oz Crème de Banana

Banana Purèe

Directions: Blend all of the ingredients with ice and enjoy!

— Dana Niland

 

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Cuban migrants apprehended on Mona Island

AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border patrol agents on Sunday apprehended 14 Cuban migrants after landing in Mona Island. “We consistently convey our concern of how human smugglers leave migrants in Mona knowing the dangers involved,”…

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WestJet Reports 12.3 Percent Increase in Traffic

 

Canadian air carrier WestJet released its June 2016 traffic numbers today, reporting a 12.3 percent increase in revenue passenger miles compared to the same period in 2015.

The airline also announced a record load factor of 80.4 percent – a 3.5 percent increase year over year – and a 7.5 percent increase in available seat miles over the same period.

In the second quarter of 2016, the airline reached a load factor of 80.8 percent, and flew a record 5.3 million guests – a year over year increase of 7.0 percent, or approximately 345,000 additional guests.

“We are very pleased with our double-digit traffic growth as we flew a record numbers of guests in the second quarter and also celebrated WestJet Encore’s third birthday,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “As we transition into our busy summer season, I want to thank our almost 12,000 WestJetters for their commitment to providing our brand of friendly caring service each and every day.”

WestJet now expects its RASM for the second quarter of 2016 to decline between 5.5 to 6.0 percent year over year, as compared to its previous forecast of a decline between 7.5 to 9.5 percent year over year, with the difference primarily driven by a higher second quarter load factor than previously expected.

— Dana Niland

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Uber Launches in Puerto Rico

 

Uber, the global power player in ride-sharing, is expanding in the Caribbean.

After first launching last year in the Santo Domingo, the company has officially launched operations in Puerto Rico.

“We are proud to celebrate Puerto Rico, with its streets full of history, its clear and its countless tourist attractions,” the company said in a release.

San Juan

The launch of the ride-sharing app could be a big boost for travelers in the capital, San Juan

The company said it had come to Puerto Rico to offer a “new option for safe and efficient transportation that will allow Puerto Ricans to visit every corner of the streets.”

While it has unsurprisingly met some opposition from taxi drivers, the service could be a boon for both tourists and locals in a destination that has often made it hard to find taxis outside of standing taxi zones or at the airport.

Thousands of drivers have reportedly signed on to partner with Uber ahead of the launch.

San Juan

Thus far, the ride-sharing app is only offering its UberX service, its lower-cost option. In most of its markets, the company has launched some form of luxury and SUV option like Uber LUX and Uber XL, although that varies from city to city.

Uber has not yet announced plans to enter any other Caribbean markets, although in most of the Caribbean high car import duties and insurance rates will likely keep them out for some time.

Puerto Rico’s tourism officials have not yet commented on the launch and its potential impact on tourism.

The post Uber Launches in Puerto Rico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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