Airbnb and the Jamaica Tourist Board have signed what the two sides are calling a “major agreement to promote tourism on the island.”

While short on specifics, the two sides said the agreement “brings new opportunities to grow the island’s tourism industry and expands economic opportunities for Jamaicans.”

“Jamaica has so much to offer travelers seeking authentic experiences due to the diversity of our tourism product. With this partnership with Airbnb, we will be able to offer a renewed focus on community-based tourism which highlights our biggest asset – our people,” said Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook. “We foresee a great partnership with Airbnb and look forward to exceeding their client’s expectations in the Home of All Right.”

There are currently 4,000 listings on Airbnb in Jamaica; the average earnings for a host on the island is $2,500 per year, according to the company.

“We are excited to announce this partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board. Jamaica is a world class tourist destination that offers visitors a unique experience against a beautiful backdrop,” said said Shawn Sullivan, Airbnb’s Public Policy lead for Central America and the Caribbean. “We look forward to continuing our work with everyone involved in promoting Jamaica as a top travel destination. Airbnb travelers seek unique and authentic travel experiences and Jamaica offers just that.”

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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In a major development for the Bahamas and the region, the stalled $3.5 billion Baha Mar Resort project has finally been sold.

Hong Kong-based conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited, or CTFE, has signed an agreement to own and operate the resort, which had initially been scheduled to open in late 2014 before declaring bankruptcy due to construction delays.

CTFE, which owns the global Rosewood Hotel Group, said it was committed to a “phased opening” of the Baha Mar in April 2017. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The first phase will include the casino hotel, casino, convention center and golf course, according to the company.

CTFE plans to invest an additional $200 million in the project to support reopening and redevelopment of the adjacent Crystal Palace Casino Hotel site.

“CTFE will dedicate significant, ongoing investment and resources towards the pre-opening and opening of Baha Mar Resort,” said Graeme Davis, the president of CTFE’s Bahamas subsidiary. “We will also ensure that the Bahamian people and the region benefit fully from the project, which will create tremendous job and economic stimulus opportunities. Further, by combining our global hospitality expertise with the vibrant and authentic Bahamian culture, we will create a memorable, unmatched experience for guests of which all Bahamians can be proud.”

“We are delighted to have CTFE join Baha Mar Resort as the owner and developer, leveraging its expansive network and resources to open new markets and opportunities for The Bahamas that will deliver great benefits to the island and our people,” said the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Perry G. Christie. “The Government is confident that CTFE has the precise capabilities and track record to successfully complete and operate Baha Mar Resort from both a lodging and casino perspective. We look forward to having such a renowned and experienced company turn the vision for Baha Mar Resort into reality.”

CTFE said it was currently in talks with “several globally recognized hospitality brands” to be hotel operators at the resort, including Grand Hyatt, SLS Hotels and Rosewood.

The company said it was already onboarding a leadership team of executives from international brands, and will begin recruiting casino employees in the New Year.

Rosewood Hotel Group owns and/or operates 55 hotels in 18 countries, including three in the Caribbean: Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort in Antigua, Rosewood Tucker’s Point in Bermuda and the soon-to-reopen Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands.

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The hotly-anticipated Andaz Mayakoba resort has officially opened its doors on the Riviera Maya.

Hyatt Hotels Corporration’s newest property in the Mexican Caribbean is part of the eco-luxe destination of Mayakoba, and is immediately one of the region’s most stylish new properties.

The hotel, which is the first Andaz-branded property in Mexico, has 214 open-layout rooms and suites overlooking either lagoons, mangrove and resort gardens or the coast.

Each suite includes a balcony or terrace, with 41 suites featuring private plunge pools.

There are four restaurant concepts, led by the signature Casa Amate Latin American eatery.

Naturally, there’s a spa, with the Naum Spa housed in 10,000 square feet of space with “airy” treatment cabins that are “open to their surroundings,” according to the hotel.

“Today is an exciting day as we officially open the doors to the Andaz brand’s first property in Mexico in the incredible, sustainable destination of Mayakoba,” said General Manager Lin Schatz. “With lush landscape and a rich Mayan culture, the region ideally encapsulates the brand’s connection to its local surroundings. From the unique design and native cuisine to indigenous spa treatments, partnerships and experiences led by local insiders, guests will feel entirely immersed in the culture during their stay.”

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Hyatt Hotels has opened its first-ever Hyatt-branded hotel in Colombia — and its latest hotel in the Caribbean.

The Hyatt Regency Cartagena is located in the tourism hub on the country’s Caribbean coast known for its historic walled city.

“We are very pleased to welcome Hyatt Regency Cartagena to Colombia,” said Peter Sears, group president – Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “The opening of Hyatt Regency Cartagena represents Hyatt’s ongoing commitment to developing our global brand footprint in key gateway markets where our guests are increasingly traveling for business or leisure, many of which are located in the thriving Latin American region.”

The 261-room Hyatt Regency Cartagena includes 28 “Regency Club” suites with views of the Caribbean Sea or the Cartagena Port.

The property includes three culinary options: Kokaú, an “interactive” gastronomic experience focusing on local flavors; Amacagua Bar & Grill, which serves the resort’s three swimming pools and Amacagua Lounge, a music and cocktail lounge.

The resort is also home to a spa, Aqoral Spa, with six treatment rooms and two hydrotherapy suites, along with Cartagena’s first-ever accessible treatment room.

“Hyatt Regency Cartagena offers a level of upscale quality and a fine attention to detail with the hotel’s design and service. We are confident that the hotel’s spacious accommodations, premier meeting facilities and anticipatory service will remind guests why it’s sometimes good not to be home,” added Myles McGourty, senior vice president in Latin America and Caribbean, Hyatt.

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The newly relaunched Turneffe Island Resort is now open for reservations, following a property-wide renovation project.

Turneffe Island Resort has fully renovated the hotel, including its 22 beachside guest rooms.

“We are delighted to unveil the new Turneffe Island Resort on our 15-year anniversary. We’ve renovated the property, as we do after each season, but we’re especially excited to make a dramatic debut for guests, both returning and new, this season,” said Deborah Finkler, sales and marketing manager at Turneffe Island Resort. “We’ve enhanced our special adventure packages and have a brand new website to allow visitors to virtually experience all the luxury and adventure that the island and surrounding Caribbean waters can offer.”

Spread across 14 acres, the island sits at the southern tip of the Turneffe Atoll – 35 miles off the coast of Belize City and only 30 miles from the world-famous Great Blue Hole, a collapsed 1,000-year old oceanic cave, where divers head 130 feet underwater.

The resort specializes in customizable, all-inclusive fishing, diving and snorkeling packages for avid water enthusiasts.

Originally the first offshore fishing lodge in Belize, the resort is known as one of the only places where one can chase the “Caribbean Grand Slam,” catching a bonefish, tarpon and permit, all in one day.

With local fishermen guiding the program, guests have landed their names in the International Game Fish Association record books repeatedly.

The resort also recently announced a new fishing director, Greg Bicker, avid fly fish pro, to help guide the expanding fishing program at the resort.

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

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