Hotels

Above: the Dreams Sands Cancun

By the Caribbean Journal staff

AMResorts has opened its newest Caribbean hotel: the Dreams Sands Cancun.

The property, which is AMResorts’ 23rd resort in Mexico, opens after an extensive renovation and adaptation of the former Grand Oasis Viva property.

The 438-room resort, located in the heart of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, has 650 feet of private beachfront property.

It also includes seven gourmet restaurants and four bars and lounges.

“As a top destination for travelers around the world, Cancun remains a priority for AMResorts as we look to strengthen our presence in existing markets, while extending our reach into new regions,” said AMResorts President Gonzalo del Peon.

The resort is AMResort’s 35th property.

Source by: http://caribjournal.com/2014/09/04/dreams-sands-cancun-opens-doors/

Above: the new Riu Palace Antillas

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Aruba’s newest resort opened its doors on Oct. 11.

The new Riu Palace Antillas resort has debuted on Aruba’s Palm Beach.

The adults-only, all-inclusive property has a total of 482 rooms for an 18+ audience.

The property also has three restaurants, Krystal, Rimini and Malmok, joined a pool restaurant, two bars and a nightclub.

It is adjacent to Riu’s existing Riu Palace Aruba hotel.

Source by: http://caribjournal.com/2014/10/13/arubas-newest-resort-opens-doors/

Thompson Hotels is coming to the Caribbean

By Alexander Britell

Thompson Hotels is expanding to the Caribbean.

The company announced the planned opening of its new Thompson Playa del Carmen this fall on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the brand’s first hotel in the Caribbean region.

The property will be located on the city’s bustling La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue). The 92-room hotel will include a 30,000-square-foot rooftop with an infinity pool.

Above: the new JW Marriott in Santo Domingo (Photo: Marriott)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The first-ever JW Marriott in the Dominican Republic has opened its doors in Santo Domingo.

The 150-room property, which is located in the capital’s Piantini district, is located above the city’s Blue Mall within a 15-story tower that first opened in 2010.

“The inauguration of this project is a very special moment for the Dominican Republic,” Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia said. “It is a moment where we making history with the level of tourism growth.”

It was developed by Fondo de Valores Inmobilarios, led by Luis Emilio Velutini.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Mr. Velutini on this project, and reveal our first world class JW Marriott luxury brand hotel to the Caribbean,” said Craig Smith, president of the Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott International. “This beautiful hotel brings the highest levels of accommodations and service to the Dominican Republic and is a great addition to the brand’s growing global portfolio.”

It is the first JW Marriott in the region outside of Mexico, home to the JW Marriott Cancun, but, perhaps more crucially, the property offers a series of amenities largely unprecedented for a business hotel in the Caribbean, including LCD TVs, Apple TV in every room, embedded TVs in the bathroom mirrors, Nespresso coffee machines and iPhone 5 docking stations, among others.

“The opening of this high luxury, sophisticated hotel marks an important milestone in the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry,” Velutini said. “With the thriving economy in the country and the success of the high-end Blue Mall complex, we are confident that this unique and visually stunning hotel will become a landmark in Santo Domingo attracting travelers and groups from all over the world.”

The hotel includes nine event spaces, including a 1,158-square-foot ballroom.

“Each JW Marriott delivers a warm, authentic, relaxed and elegant environment that is unique to the luxury segment, and we are thrilled to open our doors for business and receive guests to experience this incredible new hotel,” said Nigel Cook, general manager of the hotel, in a release.

Source by: http://caribjournal.com/2014/08/28/jw-marriott-opens-in-santo-domingo/

Intercontinental Dallas is located in the heart of Addison, the popular near-north suburb that is half-way between Downtown Dallas and the thriving business districts of Frisco and Plano. With its 528 spacious guest rooms and suites, which underwent a total renovation in 2005 and 2006, and 118,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 25,000-square-foot Crystal Ballroom, the Intercontinental Dallas is North Dallas' premier meeting facility. Convenient to the Addison Restaurant District, as well as the famous Galleria Mall, the hotel is 18 miles east of DFW International Airport, to which the recently completed President George Bush Turnpike (TX 190) offers easy access. Local attractions in downtown Dallas, such as the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Meyerson Symphony, or the Sixth Floor Museum and JFK Memorial, can be reached in just 20 minutes via the North Dallas Tollway.

Source by: http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/dallas-tx/intercontinental-dallas

Inspired by a celestial legend of two angels seeking paradise on earth, the spectacular lobby of Marquis Los Cabos opens out onto the wildly restless sea like a temple to its creation. Gorgeous specially-commissioned sculptures, massive waterfalls, spectacular infinity pools, and a lovely serene spa set the stage for vacationing VIPs. (George Clooney’s beach villa is next door.) Luxurious rooms boast balconies where you can often spot migrating whales, and there are also private villas with personal dipping pools. 

Source by: http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world

The wow-factor is left to Mother Nature at The Boulders, and it's just as well, as no man-made decor could possibly compete with the resort's surreal 12-million-year-old rock formations. Spanning 1,300 acres of the Sonoran Desert, the massive spa compound promises the ultimate in natural rejuvenation treatments, and the two golf courses are world class. There’s also an über private gated Villa Retreat for celebs seeking anonymity. PR rep Deborah Bridges says, “Our clientele is among the wealthiest in the world, but we’re not allowed to talk about who our VIP guests are until they’re dead.” That says it all.
Source by: http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world