… showed up.”
Politics in Puerto Rico is generally structured on the … supportfrom Puerto Rican bondholders. Cuomo has also made numerous trips to Puerto Rico since … Hurricane Maria devastated the island, and has a significant Puerto Rican …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Caribbean’s hotel pipeline is surging — as more and more investors from around the world launch new hotel and resort projects.

It’s growth that’s largely region-wide — but one island seems to be doing particularly well: the Eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, which has quietly become a major center of hotel investment in the Caribbean.

The tiny island renowned for its natural beauty is home to a decidedly robust pipeline of new luxury hotels, from the just-opened Jungle Bay to the highly-anticipated Kempinski Cabrits and the Anichi Resort and Spa. (Not to mention the planned expansion of the island’s signature hotel, Secret Bay).

A rendering of the new Kempinski project in Dominica.

Now, another hotel project has launched.

This time, it’s a new luxury eco hotel called the Sanctuary Rainforest Eco Resort and Spa.

The new project, billed as a “five-star” eco resort, will be set in the lush town of Laudat in Dominica’s Roseau Valley, the home of the island’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What the pool will look like at Sanctuary.

Set on 10 acres, the property is being developed by Vital Developers, which will build a collection of 72 villas, all designed to be resistant to Category 5 hurricanes.

Amenities will include a “world-class restaurant and bar,” a yoga and meditation facility; an infinity pool with a swim-up bar; a spa; and a hammam.

A rendering of a hotel room at the new project.

The hotel will “add value to the Roseau Valley’s premium tourism sites,” said Dr John Colin McIntyre, the local parliamentary representative for the area.

Indeed, the scenic southern portion of Dominica is ripe for new hotel growth, with much of the country’s hotel development having traditionally been on the northern half of the island.

So what’s driving Dominica’s hotel boom?

It’s largely the country’s longtime citizenship by investment program, which gives investors in approved hotel and real estate projects citizenship both for themselves and their families.

Similar programs have been fueling growth in many of the Caribbean’s strongest hotel markets right now, from Antigua to Saint Lucia to Grenada.

For more, visit Sanctuary.

The post Dominica at Epicenter of Caribbean Hotel Boom appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Mexico’s tourism hub of Cancun is seeing renewed cruise growth following a few sluggish months, according to new data from ASUR, which manages a portfolio of regional airports that includes Cancun.

Cancun handled a total of 2.119 million passengers in May, a 4.7 percent increase compared to the same month in 2018.

That was buoyed by a stronger 2.8 percent growth rate in international traffic, for a total of 1.327 million passengers from abroad.

And domestic traffic surged, with an 8.1 percent increase and a total of 792,854 passengers in the period.

For the year to date, Cancun passenger traffic is up 5.2 percent, including a 1.1 percent increase in international traffic.

So far this year, Cancun has handled just over 11 million passengers.

— CJ

The post Cancun Airport Seeing Renewed Growth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… two pet dogs rescued from Puerto Rico, Bon Bon and Bella … the Celebrate Israel Parade.
Puerto Rico native Gerald Cruz, who … advocate for Puerto Rico and the nearly 1 million Puerto Ricans in New … , support and solidarity with Puerto Rico and also this Parade, …

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By Alexander Britell

Hyatt is set to debut a new Hyatt Regency-branded hotel in Puerto Rico.

The newest Hyatt in the Caribbean will be at the former Melia Coco Beach in Rio Grande on Puerto Rico’s northeastern coast.

The transformed hotel is part of a wider, 10-year project that could mean $1.5 million in investment and 2,500 rooms on the site, according to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello.

The property was acquired by a joint venture including Monarch Alternative Capital and Royal Palm Companies, along with Aimbridge Hospitality.

The rebranded property will first debut in July 2019 as the Hyatt-affiliated “The Resort at Coco Beach” before officially becoming the Hyatt Regency Coco Beach Resort following what Hyatt called an “extensive” renovation this fall.

“ Transactions like these that are taking place today validate that our commitment to tourism is a wise one and that there is a positive environment for investment,” Rossello said.

The Rio Grande-area property.

That renovation could total $100 million, the Governor said at the NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in New York this week.

“We have been working during the past months so that this transaction, that enables the reopening of the hotel, is achieved in the short term and to direct the development of the long-term master plan, which will add to the hotel inventory some 2,500 rooms, with a projection of 1,500 new jobs,” said Carla Campos, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “This will result in a total investment of around $1.5 billion when the six hotels materialize.”

The property, which has 486 rooms and 93 branded residences, will be managed by Aimbridge.

It will be Hyatt’s only full-service property in Puerto Rico, complementing a portfolio of Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels around the island.

“The expansive redevelopment of this premiere beachfront property is a testament to the confidence among owners and developers in the destination of Puerto Rico and the Hyatt brand,” said Camilo Bolaños, vice president of development and real estate for Latin America and Caribbean at Hyatt. “We are pleased to continue our strong brand growth in the region, proudly supporting Puerto Rico’s upward tourism sector, which we believe has an even brighter future ahead.”

The private Coco Beach development spans nearly 1,000 acres on a peninsula on Puerto Rico’s northeastern coastline, including 36 holes of golf (one course was this year’s site of the PGA’s Puerto Rico Open— hence the plans for a far larger resort complex.

The relaunched property will include 37,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a club lounge, suite upgrades to 93 units and five new dining concepts.

The post Hyatt Regency to Open in Puerto Rico, Part of New $1.5 Billion Project appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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