By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

The noise of modernity is such that even in the Caribbean you can seldom enjoy the simple sound of a palm tree.

There’s a way the fronds wave in the wind, moving together in sandy symphony, every manner of placidity coming together for one note.

But often this blissful soundtrack is obscured — because one needs a particular kind of quiet to find it.

That you can hear the sound all day long at Bonaire’s Harbour Village resort is a testament to the design of this place, to a philosophy that clearly focuses on the luxury of serenity.

This is a resort where the serenity is pervasive and abundant, as if the whole place were a monastery, a temple to tranquility.

You walk through the lushly landscaped grounds, calm as an ancient library, and you are instantly overwhelmed by the sense of seclusion, of the almost meditative stillness.

And then you get to the beach, the only private beach on Bonaire, and you reach the sanctuary.

This is the Harbour Village’s crown jewel, a sublime stretch of white sand beach filled with an orchestra of shade-giving palm trees, where the only things you hear are palm fronds and lapping waves.

And you start to rediscover the essentials of luxury: privacy, calm, elegance.

The rooms and suites are exceptionally comfortable, from the marvelous beds to the full kitchens to the always-welcome Nespresso machines.

The service is outstanding, achieving that elusive stratum of thorough but not overbearing.

The restaurant, La Balandra, built to mirror an old ship, serves up perhaps the most romantic tables on the island, and if you need a break from your hammock there’s a high-level dive center to boot.

The private beach and La Balandra.

This is just a wonderful place to be, Bonaire’s true luxury resort, a 33-room boutique that actually realizes the claim that so many other hotels make — of being an oasis.

It’s an escape from the loud, from the bustling one finds in the modern world.

Because while many seek to redefine luxury these days and refashion it for their own ends, luxury hasn’t changed.

And while luxury may not always look the same, you can be certain of one thing.

It sounds just like this.

For more, visit Harbour Village Bonaire.

See more in the latest CJ Video.

— CJ

The post At Bonaire’s Harbour Village Resort, Rediscovering Luxury appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

As major brands like Hilton continue to expand their presence in the Caribbean, the world’s largest hotel company is ramping up its own plans in the region.

Marriott plans to add more than 6,000 new hotel rooms in the Caribbean region over the coming three years, a spokesperson for the company told Caribbean Journal.

That expansion will come across 40 different hotel properties in the region, part of a wider push in the Caribbean and Latin America that will see more than 100 hotel properties open in the next three years.

Six of those are pegged for the Dominican Republic, including a new Aloft hotel in Punta Cana and the Ocean Club resort, with the latter to be part of the company’s Luxury Collection.

Marriott’s most recent launch in the Caribbean was the debut of the Renaissance Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean in February.

— CJ

The post Marriott Adding 6,000 New Rooms in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… too low as many Puerto Ricans are still recovering from … out at Puerto Rico’s political leaders, tweeting: “Puerto Rico got far … House officials he thought Puerto Rico was misusing federal funds … island.  Over one million Puerto Ricans started to see cuts to …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Saint Lucia has a new destination beach.

Hummingbird Beach in Soufriere has undergone a major transformation project resulting in the new “Soufriere Beach Park at Hummingbird Beach.”

The newly-opened beach park has a restaurant, a spa, outdoor showers, a beach bar, a pizzeria, a smoothie bar and a souvenier shop, among other amenities.

That’s along with a tourism information center and non-motorized watersports, making for a new full-fledged beach destination in southern Saint Lucia.

The project was supported with financing from the government of Taiwan, according to Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, who said it was a “priority for the people of Soufriere.”

It’s part of a wider effort to improve the tourism offering in Soufriere, a town best known for its hot springs and its high-level hotels like Ladera, Jade Mountain and Fond Doux Plantation, among others.

Indeed, the government is already expanding the area’s Sulphur Springs with three additional pools, while the “Soufriere Town Square” is already nearing completion.

— CJ

The post A New Beach Park in Saint Lucia appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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We’ve made no secret for our love of the Caribbean’s smaller hotels, where travelers can dig deep into the authentic charm of the Caribbean. But there are more such properties than one can count — meaning we never get tired of sharing them with our readers. Here are five charming little hotels in the Caribbean to check into right now.

One word: “oui.”

Hotel Plein Soleil, Martinique You journey past the cane fields and down a dirt road until you reach this hillside escape that boasts the most beautiful rooms in all of Martinique. This is a place for serenity, where tranquility meets the height of French Caribbean cool (and make sure you choose one of the rooms with their own private plunge pools). The restaurant is among the island’s best, too.

The post From St John to Martinique, 5 Charming Caribbean Hotels to Try appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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