There’s a major new luxury hotel on tiny St. Barth: Villa Marie.

The self styled “tropical chic” five-star property is the brainchild of the Sibuet family, whose Maisons and Hotels Sibuet label is on a host of hotels in the Alps (like Les Fermes de Marie in Megeve and Altapura in Val Thorens) and the South of France (Villa Marie Saint Tropez and La Bastide de Marie in Provence).

And their first Caribbean hotel is a stunner, with 18 unique, colorful villas and bungalows, a lush tropical garden and a “Pure Altitude” Spa that’s a signature of all Sibuet hotels.

The restaurant gets its name from the Francois Plantation that once sat on the site of the Villa Marie, serving classic St. Barth South of France-meets-the-West-Indies fare led by Chef Emmanuel Motte.

And then there’s the bar, with an emphasis on rums from around the Caribbean and Cuban cigars.

In other words, your kind of hotel.

To book a stay at Villa Marie, click here.

— CJ

The post Villa Marie: St. Barth’s New Luxe Boutique Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s almost time for one of the Caribbean’s great annual festivals: Moonsplash.

This year will be the 27th annual edition of the iconic Anguilla festival led by music star Bankie Banx, who first conceived of a reggae festival held under a full moon back in 1990.

This year’s festival, which takes place March 9-12, will see two reggae superstars: Christopher Martin and Romain Virgo.

Moonsplash takes place at Banx’s Dune Preserve on the island’s Rendezvous Bay, with a new festival event each night.

The closest hotel to the event is Anguilla’s CuisinArt resort; to book a stay, click here.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

The post Anguilla’s Must-Visit Reggae Festival: Moonsplash appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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So you love Caribbean all-inclusives: the convenience, the comfort, the unlimited drinks. But maybe you’re looking for something a bit different — all of the amenities, but delivered in a significantly smaller package than the large all-inclusive you’re used to. Think boutique hotel meets Caribbean all-inclusive. At these hotels, you get all-inclusive convenience but a far more intimate atmosphere. Here are 10 to try right now all of which have less than 44 rooms.

The Caves, Jamaica

Perhaps the Caribbean’s most prestigious boutique all-inclusive, this 12-unit Island Outpost property oozes Jamaican cool, from its locally-sourced cuisine to jerk barbecues to its lovely Blackwell rum bar. Book The Caves.

The post Five Tiny All-Inclusives to Visit in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Getting to St. Barth from the United Kingdom just got a lot easier.

British Airways and Tradewind Aviation have signed an interline agreement, meaning passengers traveling from London can now reserve travel to St. Barth via Antigua with the convenience of a single-ticket purchase and baggage transfer for a journey combining both airlines.

It’s a boon for travelers both from the UK and travelers connecting through London from other major European airports.

Tradewind operates flights around the Caribbean with a hub in Puerto Rico, using a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft serving complimentary onboard snacks and drinks.

“Tradewind Aviation’s new interline ticketing agreement with British Airways offers a world of convenience for travelers headed from London to the Caribbean, with one-ticket purchase and baggage transfer to the exclusive island of St. Barths. We are excited to partner with British Airways and to offer not just convenience, but exciting new destinations for their travelers,” said Eric Zipkin, President of Tradewind Aviation.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

The post A New Way to Fly From London to St. Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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NEW YORK, USA — A multi-agency operation on Tuesday morning resulted in the arrest and indictment of 13 members of a narcotics trafficking group charged with smuggling large amounts of narcotics from Puerto Rico through the US Mail for distribution in New York City. The arrests are the…

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