Caribbean welcoming Amanera, which opened at the
end of last year on the deserted northern Atlantic beach of Playa Grande. The property is only the second to be opened by Aman in the Caribbean, and is next to an impressive golf course (see page 46). And just up the beach, a very different arrival opened last year too – the passionate project of New York interior designer Celerie Kemble, who launched the dreamy pastel colours and lacy white bungalows of her Playa Grande Beach Club. Amberley Shermon, Caribtours’ marketing
manager, says Sublime Samana, a smaller north coast boutique property, is also spearheading the island’s image change, along with the 16th- century houses that make up the Casas del XVI hotel in the capital Santo Domingo. Shermon also names Grenada as having
benefited from more air access; this is is an island where UK visitors increased by 6% in 2015. “Grenada is performing superbly for us with
over 50% growth this year and there’s huge interest in Spice Island and the newly renovated Calabash Hotel, which is stunning,” she says, adding that while the new flights have made Grenada more accessible, the island is still “not one everyone immediately thinks about”. Caribtours also tips Dominica as bouncing back
after tropical storm Erika, with the eco-boutique Rosalie Bay property up and running again. Dominica has launched a global campaign as
it drives to remind holidaymakers the island is open for business, with “Seeking Adventurers” focusing on hiking, diving, whale-watching, canyoning and other activities and featuring in digital advertising in the UK and other source markets. Shermon adds: “We have also seen a huge
increase in clients wanting to really get away from it all, with private island hotels like Petit St Vincent, Necker Island and Young Island seeing huge growth for us this year.” Another option in this arena comes from ITC, which now features The Branson Estate on Moskito Island, the BVI sister property to Necker Island that can be rented for exclusive use by up to 22 guests.
Bahamas boom At the more mainstream end, regular travellers to the Bahamas will welcome the upgrade of the British Airways service from July 1, when the airline replaces its Boeing 767 with a newer, larger Boeing 777 with more Club World seats. Although frequency drops from five to four a week from March 27, the net result this summer will be a 30% increase overall in total capacity. It comes as a raft of new developments take
place on the islands. Chief among these is the continuing saga of Baha Mar, the gargantuan $3.5 billion development on Nassau that was to include Grand Hyatt and Rosewood hotels. Bahamas prime minister Perry Christie has
promised that the stalled project will open “this year”, pledging to resolve the financial difficulties that are preventing completion. Christie said the development was “97% there”;
tourism officials, however, have given no timeframe for the full opening. Also on Nassau, a new
boutique property, Nassau Island House, boasting an average room rate of $670 and a Bamford spa, has opened in an unusual location in that it is away from the beach, while in Nassau itself, Ocean West, a 10-room mansion house on West Bay Street, is another new luxury addition. A key renovation has taken
place at The Cove, the chic adults-only property at Paradise Island, which finishes an upgrade of soft furnishings in May and opens a new restaurant; the South American-inspired 77 Degrees West. One&Only Ocean Club has also
revealed its multi-million dollar, resort-wide enhancements. The result of a five-month renovation, changes include expansion and redesign of the historic Hartford Wing and the addition of a 125-ft infinity-edge ocean pool and a grill restaurant to go with; complimentary pool amenities are offered hourly by the pool concierges and a slick new cocktail menu is also on offer. Elsewhere, Grand Bahama is seeing a
$168-million investment that will bring the first Six Senses property to the islands at Deepwater Cay, while on Bimini, there’s a new five-star Hilton. Another perennial favourite for the UK
is Antigua, thanks to its good air links and a highlight this year for the luxury sector will be South Point. The property opened in 2015 at English Harbour and is sold via operators including Western & Oriental. Its 25 suites are complete now, but the spa and fitness centre are still to come. For those seeking the smaller islands, a
key development is on Anguilla, a favourite with upmarket clients. This year saw the opening of Zemi Beach, the island’s first new- build hotel in six years. Developed by the Goldstein family of New York, the resort opened with 70 rooms but by the end of 2016, there will be 129 options in total, to go alongside a spa set in a restored Thai house. Anguilla is also hailing Liat’s reintroduction of a daily service to the island from Antigua, which took off in February, operated by Caribbean Helicopters using its fleet of prop airplanes. Carolyn Brown, director UK and Ireland
for the Anguilla Tourist Board, says: “This is great news for discerning UK travellers who want to discover the authentic Caribbean. The 45-minute flight from Antigua now
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