By Rico Louw
CJ Contributor

The Caribbean hotel industry showed performance growth just one month after a pair of massive hurricanes swept through the region.

Caribbean occupancy for the month was up 3.7% in year-over-year comparisons, and with a 6.9% increase in average daily rate (ADR), revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 10.8% to US$92.11.

Historically, September and October are the slowest demand months in the Caribbean, but the 57.2% absolute occupancy level was the highest for an October in the region since 2004.

While it is difficult to parse the exact impact, the jump in occupancy could be due in part to displaced residents, relief workers, media and other demand related to the post-hurricane situations.

When looking at individual islands, Puerto Rico, a main driver of the region’s overall performance, showed an absolute occupancy of 70.1% (+27.6% year over year).

That occupancy level exceeded historical trends in the country, but the year-over-year growth was skewed higher by a comparison with a Zika-affected month last year. ADR in the market rose 30.0% to US$185.27, while RevPAR increased 65.9% to US$129.83.

Aruba experienced an 18.5% increase in occupancy, while Bermuda, a much smaller hotel market, also helped the region’s overall performance with a 14.4% rise in occupancy.

Netherlands Antilles experienced the highest year-over-year increase in occupancy (+49.5%).

Of the 13 islands in which STR maintains a sufficient reporting sample, eight reported a year-over-year increase in RevPAR.

In year-to-date measurements, performance indicators are bouncing back in line with early-year STR projections. While Caribbean occupancy is down slightly (-0.7%), ADR (+2.2%) has pushed RevPAR up (+1.5%). The dip in occupancy is primarily due to supply growth (+2.9%), which to this point, has outpaced solid demand (room nights sold).

That supply growth will continue as there are a number of new rooms in the development pipeline, specifically in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba.

As of October, there were seven projects under construction in the Dominican Republic accounting for 2,188 new rooms. Another three projects in final planning would add 1,086 new rooms to the market. Jamaica reported just one in construction project in October, but another four projects and 3,190 rooms in final planning. Cuba showed a total a 2,628 rooms between five projects in the overall pipeline

Rico Louw is Client Account Manager at STR.

For questions regarding hotel data reporting in the Caribbean, please contact Louw at rlouw@str.com or +1(615) 824-8664 ext. 3455.

The post STR: Dutch Caribbean Leads Regional Hotel Growth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s not unheard of to find an offer with unlimited golf at a Caribbean resort.

But unlimited golf at the greatest course in the Caribbean is something else entirely.

The Dominican Republic’s Casa de Campo Resort and Villas is offering just that for travelers, with a new package offering unlimited golf at the Pete Dye-designed Teeth of the Dog course, considered the number one golf course in all of the Caribbean.

The “Unlimited Teeth of the Dog With Breakfast” package starts at $247 per person per night through Dec. 21, 2018.

The package includes “all day” play at Teeth of the Dog, although guests can also play all day at the resort’s other Dye-designed courses, Dye Fore ad The Links.

There’s also an all-inclusive version of the package starting at $375 per person per night.

The offer includes accommodations in a Pete Dye Golf Lodge or Elite room, along with full daily breakfast buffet, use of a four-passenger golf cart and free Wi-Fi, among other amenities.

“Winter is the perfect time of year to escape to the warm weather of the Caribbean for an incredible getaway at our world-class resort,” said Andres Pichardo Rosenberg, President of Casa de Campo. “We take care of everything needed for a golf vacation to long savor with our exceptional accommodations and resort amenities plus 63 holes designed by the great Pete Dye including the shining jewel of our property, Teeth of the Dog.”

The post The Ultimate Caribbean Golf Package appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Bahamas has long been at the forefront of sports tourism in the Caribbean, and that trend continues this year with another high-profile NCAA Football bowl game hosted right in New Providence.

UAB and Ohio universities have accepted bids to the 2017 Bahamas Bowl, which will be held Dec. 22 in Nassau’s Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The Bahamas Bowl will be played at 12:30 PM and televised in ESPN.

In a statement, the Bahamian government said the early invitation allowed both teams additional time to prepare to play in an international destination.

Last year’s Bahamas Bowl featured Eastern Michigan and Old Dominion.

This year’s game will be the first meeting between UAB and Ohio.

The post UAB, Ohio to Play in Bahamas Bowl appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It may just be the most unique road race in the Caribbean.

It’s called Run the Runway, and this Curaçao road race actually takes place on the runway at the Hato International Airport in the.

The race begins at sunrise on Dec. 2, with ages 12 and up eligible to run.

After the run, runners experience a special after party, with breakfast and drinks set to a bumping DJ soundtrack inside an airplane hangar.

For more information, visit Run the Runway.

The post This Curaçao 5K Race Is on an Airport Runway appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

GUSTAVIA — It’s Monday night and Eddy’s is hopping. Down the corner, the Caribbean’s most creative bar, 25 Quarter, is serving up rare rums from Martinique, and the patio at Le Select is already full.

I’m eating accras de morue and sipping on a ti’ punch vieux. And if not for an extra tarp on a corner of the roof at Eddy’s you’d never even think about someone named Irma.

“St Barth 2.0” has begun, and this remarkably resilient island has already sent a major signal to the world that while it may be in recovery, it is still, very much, St Barth.

And St Barth, even at less than full strength, remains one of the world’s great vacation destinations.

While the flagship hotels aren’t open, there are myriad places to stay here, from the beautiful Hotel Le Village (long one of my favorite places to stay on the island) to the beachfront Les Ilets de la Plage to dozens of WIMCO villas.

The restaurants are open, more shops relaunch every day, most supermarkets are open and the beaches are as beautiful as ever.

But something else has happened. As some things have shuttered, other things have opened.

The loss of certain trees and landscaping has created new views, new ways of looking. Things that were previously hidden are now visible, ready to be tried.

As one local told me, It’s opened up a “new angle of St Barth.” And since it’s still less crowded, it’s a bit of a throwback, too.

It’s put Gustavia into another light, making it the epicenter of the island, drawing new eyes to old bars and eateries. Maybe instead of staying in St jean, now you stay in the capital, walking its old Creole streets and trying early morning croissants at the bakeries.

Of course, you can still have a seafront lobster lunch at La Langouste.

Yes — hotels like Le Gauanahani, Eden Rock and Le Toiny will be sitting this season out, wisely using the time to restore to better than full strength for later on in 2018.

But when you arrive in St Barth on a Tradewind flight, pop into a Mini Cooper convertible and head for St Jean, you’re still enjoying an exclusive, utterly beautiful getaway. You’re still in St Barth. (A side note: Tradewind Aviation is the best way to get to St Barth, thanks to seriously easy connections through the well-functioning airport in San Juan, given the still spotty airlift to St Maarten right now).

And when you’re sitting at your villa’s infinity pool, admiring the seascape in Grand Cul de Sac, or walking the endless sky deck at Villa Utopic In Corossol, you’re still in St Barth.

When you’re sitting on your broad terrace in your suite at Hotel Le Village, overlooking the turquoise water of St Jean, you’re still in St Barth.

Because St Barth isn’t just lunch at the Eden Rock, or rosé at Tom Beach (which is itself reopening for the holidays)

St Barth is a feeling.

The feeling that you’re in one of the world’s little jewels, a special place that’s a bit harder to reach because it rewards those who make the journey here.

It’s the feeling of being in an exotic corner of France, endlessly Gallic but oh so Caribbean.

It’s the feeling of looking out at green hills and red roofs and eating fresh baguettes.

It’s the playful, quirky, charming thrill of driving those winding roads and watching for hilltop landings.

This is still St Barth. And it’s time to come back.

See more in the latest CJ Video on St Barth, filmed on the island last week.

The post VIDEO: St Barth’s Quick Comeback appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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