Newly unveiled in the Punta Cancun area, the Hyatt Ziva Cancun promises “the newest evolution of all-inclusive,” with an in-house microbrewery, among the first of its kind in Cancun, multiple restaurants and bars, a sweets shop, swim-up suites and areas for adults as well as families. The 547-room property also boasts 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a ballroom and breakout rooms.
Mexico’s Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe reported an increase of 36 percent in total revenue for first quarter of 2016 over the same time period last year. Earnings (before interest) also were 46 percent higher over 2015. On the Mexican Caribbean, Santa Fe properties include the Krystal Cancun, the Krystal Grand Punta Cancun and the Krystal Urban Cancun.
Scheduled for a late 2017 opening, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Cancun will include 1,800 rooms, six restaurants, five bars and lounges, a multi-acre pool/beach area and more than 90,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Spa Botanica at Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, recently introduced a new menu of authentically inspired treatments that utilize genuine Puerto Rican botanicals.
The Grand Lucayan, Bahamas has introduced an all-inclusive concept—Lighthouse Point—with 196 guest rooms and a variety of recreational activities and distinct dining options, four of which are exclusive to Lighthouse Point guests. The 738-room Grand Lucayan is set on an expansive 7.5-acre beach, with a 25,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, 18-hole golf course, a Vegas-style casino and 90,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
The Hope Town Harbour Lodge in the Abacos, a chain of islands in the northern Bahamas, is now part of the Ascend Hotel Collection. The 25-room lodge features individual cottages and cabanas and event space for groups.
History was made in Cuba, again, with the recent opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Havana, establishing Starwood Hotels & Resorts as the first U.S.-based hospitality company to enter the market in nearly 60 years. Amenities at the 186-room property include full-service dining; a 24-hour fitness center, spa and sauna; 1,000 square feet of meeting space; and Cuba’s own local beers in the hotel lobby bar. Note: there are still restrictions in place for entering Cuba. The U.S. Embassy in Havana has posted the entry requirements at http://havana.usembassy.gov.
Ritz-Carlton will open a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in Bermuda as part of the Caroline Bay development. The hotel will mark Ritz-Carlton’s first entry to the island and is currently projected to open in 2018.
Newly opened in the Dominican Republic, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana—the brand’s first international property—offers such fun features as the Swank Swim-Up Suite whose private wraparound terrace provides access to the resort pool. A host of dining venues include adults-only options as well as gourmet experiences, while activities feature yoga, tennis, archery, a climbing wall and Spanish lessons.