By Alexander Britell

SAN JUAN — St Maarten is continuing its recovery from Hurricane Irma.

The destination’s Tourism Minister, Cornelius de Weever, addressed the media at the recent Caribbean Travel Marketplace conference in Puerto Rico, briefing reporters on the island’s tourism recovery.

“We are open for business,” de Weever said, detailing both recovery and rebuilding efforts.

According to de Weever, the country is “serene and safe,” the road network is cleared of debris, a host of bars and restaurants are open and beach access is free and clean.

That’s along with the destination’s booming cruise sector, which has seen the quickest recovery.

According to de Weever, the destination is receiving daily flights from both Miami and New York, and there will be a phased reopening of the terminal building at St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport in the second half of 2018.

As for the hotel sector, several larger properties are slated to be open in the latter half of this year, he said, while Philipsburg’s shopping haven is 95 percent open.

In another bit of positive news, St Maarten’s Heineken Regatta is going on as planned in March.

The post St Maarten Continues Recovery appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

Fresh on the heels of the debut of Park Hyatt’s first Caribbean hotel, the island of St Kitts is poised for another major hotel development.

A Ritz-Carlton hotel is coming to the island in 2021, according to St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris.

Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton resort in St Kitts will, like the Park Hyatt, be located on St Kitts’ lush southeastern peninsula.

The 125-suite resort will include 25 branded villas and residences, along with a luxury spa, swimming pools and indoor and outdoor dining facilities.

“What is important is that they tell us that the Ritz-Carlton Resort will create over 300 new jobs when construction starts – and they expect to start later on this year in 2018,” Harris said at a press conference this week.

The news comes after Ritz-Carlton announced last summer that it was opening another hotel in the Eastern Caribbean, the Ritz-Carlton Saint Lucia, also slated to debut in 2021.

Marriott already has a property on St Kitts, the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, which recently completed a significant renovation project.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Canadian air carrier WestJet is returning to St Maarten, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism.

The carrier will begin weekly scheduled service between Toronto and St Maarten as of April 23, and every Saturday thereafter.

Canada had been St Maarten’s fastest-growing source market before Hurricane Irma.

“During the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, we had discussions with WestJet representatives and they were impressed with the updates that we provided about the destination’s recovery,” said Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications Cornelius de Weever. “The return of visitors from the Canadian market is a very positive development for the destination and stakeholders on the island.”

WestJet has been expanding rapidly in the Caribbean, with new flights to destinations including, most recently, Belize.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Sitting on just over half an acre in Lyford Cay, a 1,000-acre gated community on the western tip of New Providence, is Casa Ileana, an eight-bedroom, seven-bathroom property that’s the one of the newest listings in The Bahamas.

It’s now on the real estate market at $3.6 million, listed with MCR Bahamas’ Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

Inside its modern colonial architecture, the main residence provides an open floor plan with a kitchen, dining and living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the ground floor.

The second floor features an additional five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The total interior square footage of the main residence is 5,680 square feet, and an additional 1,010 square feet of balcony and patio space.

The lush outdoor area comes with a large pool and lawn, making it fit for entertaining, as well as providing a space for kids to run around.

The property also includes a 435 square foot guest cottage, which has one bedroom, one bathroom and a laundry room.

Other features of this property include solid wood doors, a mixture of hardwood floors, travertine and marble.

There is also space for parking and storage as well as a 40 KW standby generator and a 400 gallon rainwater tank with water softener system.

For more info, visit Casa Ileana.

The post Caribbean Home: A New Listing on Lyford Cay appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

The Caribbean’s hippest hotel is expanding.

Puerto Rico’s celebrated O:live Boutique Hotel, set in the heart of San Juan’s chic Condado district, is opening a brand new property next door.

It’s called O:LV Fifty Five, and O:live’s sister hotel is slated to open this summer.

Loisse Herger and Fernando Davila’s ultra-sleek, design-focused hotel will be a city-style alternative to the Mediterranean-inspired, 15-room O:live.

It will be set just steps from its sister hotel with a common address: 55 Calle Aguadillla, set right on the edge of the Condado Lagoon.

The stunning project will have a bit of everything: a rooftop pool — a higher level rooftop deck — a restaurant and cafe and a total of 26 rooms, all with terraces and sweeping views of the lagoon.

It’s a big boost for Puerto Rico’s rebounding tourism sector, but it’s also a sign that Puerto Rico has a full-fledged destination-within-a-destination on its hands: the increasingly hip Condado, an urban, luxury destination that’s unique in the Caribbean.

For more information, visit O:LV 55.

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