Margaritaville is expanding in the Caribbean Basin.

The company has announced the rebranding of the Flamingo Beach Resort and Spa in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, in partnership with Driftwood Acquisitions & Development.

“We are thrilled to combine the fun and escapism of our brand with these iconic locations, and provide additional opportunities for our guests to relax and have a great time, which is what we are all about,” said John Cohlan, chief executive officer of Margaritaville.

The Flamingo Beach Resort has 120 guest rooms and suites, along with a pool and swim-up bar, an oceanfront restaurant and lounge, a family center, watersports, tennis court and spa.

“It’s a dream come true for us to partner with Margaritaville, as we help to rebrand Tan-Tar-A and Flamingo Beach,” said Carlos Rodriguez, chief executive officer of DAD. “The Tan-Tar-A acquisition has helped us reach our 2017 growth goal already, just halfway through the year, and Flamingo Beach has been near and dear to my heart for a very long time.  We’re excited to get underway, working together with the Margaritaville team to help travelers create unforgettable memories in the Midwest and Costa Rica.”

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This is where Hannah brought her horse.

Lindquist Beach has long been one of the best-kept secrets in St. Thomas, a perfect stretch of white and turquoise that gained global attention when model Hannah Davis appeared with a horse in a now-famous DirecTV commercial.

But Lindquist, set inside Smith Bay Park, is still far off the beaten path, and a must-visit for any Caribbean beach aficionado.

It’s set on the northeastern coast of the island, across the water from Thatch Cay.

Hannah Davis for DirecTV.

See more in the latest Caribbean Journal video at the top of the page.

And don’t miss our list of the top St. Thomas beaches.

— CJ

The post VIDEO: The Beauty of Lindquist Beach, St. Thomas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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After months of decline, American Airlines Group is beginning to show signs of growth in Latin America in the Caribbean, according to the company’s latest traffic data.

American Airlines reported 2.587 billion revenue passenger miles in June, a 1.4 percent increase compared to the same month in 2016.

Available seat miles in the region grew by 2.4 percent to 3.279 billion, while load factor saw a decline of 0.8 percentage points to 78.9 percent.

For the year, Latin America and Caribbean revenue passenger miles are still showing a decline of 2.2 percent iwth a total of 19.5 billion.

American has been facing increased competition from carriers like JetBlue and Southwest, which have been heavily expanding their route networks in the Caribbean.

— Caribbean Journal staff

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BOSTON, USA — A document broker was sentenced on Tuesday in connection with his role in trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican US citizens and corresponding identity documents. Sandro Tavera Mora, aka Jose Laureano Ayala, 46, a Dominican Republic citizen residing in Springfield…

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You can take a great family vacation anywhere in the Caribbean. But some islands have a certain innate family-friendliness, an added level of comfort and ease that make a trip particularly well suited for a family traveling together, whether due to well-developed infrastructure or thoughtful hotels.

Because the same trip that’s exotic and alluring for a couple won’t always be for a family, with different considerations to think about. How easy is it to get there? How many flights are there? What’s it like getting around? Is it safe? Are there hotels geared toward families?

Of course, there are different kinds of family vacations. Sometimes you’re looking for an easy beach getaway that helps you and your kids relax; other times it’s all about giving the whole group a memorable adventure.

Ultimately, though, if you’re traveling with your family you want that extra degree of comfort and convenience, a bit of a retreat from the hassle that can all too often come with traveling as a unit while managing to find something to make everyone in the group happy and engaged.

To compile our 2017 list of the best islands for families, we looked at a variety of factors, including airport and transportation infrastructure, quality of airlift, ease of navigation on island, breadth of attractions, beach and natural beauty and the proportion and quality of hotels well suited for family travel.

Here are the best Caribbean islands for families right now.

Aruba The Dutch Caribbean’s tourism capital has managed to create what is right now the most family friendly destination in the region, thanks to a surfeit of comfortable, well-managed hotels (like the Aruba Marriott and the Hilton), some of the world’s best beaches, great transportation infrastructure and a wide number of nonstop flights.

The post The Best Caribbean Islands for Family Vacations appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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