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Caribbean destination report
growth areas has been airlift. Flights are the Golden Bear Lodge in Cap Cana, which has
Trade views
lifeline to these islands, and 2009 saw British butler services and two Jack Nicklaus-designed
Airways and Virgin Atlantic both announce golf courses, and the luxury boutique property,
2010 will follow new services. Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, with just 53 suites.
a similar pattern BA now claims to operate more flights to the In Antigua, Jumby Bay’s reopening was
to last year with Caribbean than any other carrier, with 55 eagerly anticipated while another new property
shorter booking and travel flights a week to 14 destinations. is the 60-room Sugar Ridge boutique hotel.
periods and clients looking Its notable additions have been the launch of The restored 10-bedroom Atlantis Hotel in
for a great deal.” the first UK scheduled flights to the Dominican Barbados reopened in December – it now has
Sylvia Scholey, sales, marketing and Republic and the reintroduction of flights to the same owner as Little Good Harbour resort.
e-commerce vice-president, Elegant Hotels Jamaica’s Montego Bay with twice-weekly St Lucia will welcome its first hotel on a
services from Gatwick. The flag-carrier is also cocoa plantation, the Rabot Estate – or the real
The Dominican doubling its St Kitts service, which it launched Hotel Chocolat – which is being built by the
Republic is last year, to two flights a week and upping the upmarket chocolatier of the same name.
becoming more frequency of services to St Lucia, Grenada, Among the island’s existing hotels, Jalousie
popular with the addition Barbados, Bermuda and Trinidad. Plantation near Soufriere is being refurbished
of the new BA flight. Virgin Atlantic has introduced a winter with new villas and Rendezvous has undergone
We are receiving lots of service to Puerto Rico, via Antigua, to cash in a $15 million revamp.
enquiries and interest, so it is looking as on the growing cruise business from the island. Scrub Island, the first island resort in the
though 2010 will be a positive year.” The hotel line-up across the islands has seen British Virgin Islands in over 15 years, is due to
Donna Howell, Caribbean product a lot of changes. Sandals Resorts has refurbished open its doors this month, whilethe Harlequin
co-ordinator, Kuoni several properties, but the biggest development Hotels Group plans to open the five-star
has been its acquisition of the former Four Buccament Bay in St Vincent this summer.
Antigua is Seasons Resort at Emerald Bay on Exuma in the On a larger scale, Hard Rock International is
proving popular Bahamas. The property, which closed last year, making its Caribbean debut in the Dominican
and some of the reopened as the Sandals Emerald Bay this Republic. Moon Palace Resort in Punta Cana is
smaller islands such as St month, following work to add a large pool to be renamed the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Barts and Anguilla are complex and additional dining facilities. Punta Cana.
seeing increased interest, The Dominican Republic has seen the opening Such hotel activity is bound to assist the
with their exclusive resorts. The opening of of several new hotels and resorts, notably the Caribbean’s recovery in the months to come. ■
The Viceroy on Anguilla brings a new style of
luxury to the island, while the reopening of
Jumby Bay on Antigua is attracting interest.”
Alison Scott, commercial director,
Elegant Resorts
We are seeing
luxury hotels
becoming more
popular and this year, for
the first time, Virgin
Holidays is offering
Anguilla, which has fabulous hotels so this
will really help to satisfy demand.”
Hayley Webb, Caribbean product manager,
Virgin Holidays
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6
TTG Knowledge – February 2010
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