ROCKRESORTS will manage the $700 million,
870-acre Rum Cay Resort Marina on Rum Cay Island in the Bahamas,
located 165 miles southeast of Nassau and 40 miles east of Great
Exuma, between San Salvador Island and Long Island in the Out
Islands of the Bahamas. Charter air service will be offered from
Nassau and Fort Lauderdale to Rum Cay. The appointment of
RockResorts as the management company puts it back in the Caribbean
region where the brand was created in 1956 by Laurance Rockefeller
with Caneel Bay on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Little
Dix on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. RockResorts'
current portfolio includes seven luxury properties in the U.S.; its
eighth U.S. resort will open in November 2007. Rum Cay Resort
Marina is a three-phase development. Phase One, which began this
summer, includes an 80-slip marina; the Port Santa Maria Marina
Village, featuring shops, restaurants and sporting facilities; and
a variety of residential units. The second phase will feature the
100-room RockResorts' hotel and Avanyu spa; 80 villas; private
membership clubs; and additional residences. The third phase will
include additional private homes and other amenities. For details,
visit www.rumcay.com.
ANTIGUA-BASED CARIBBEAN STAR AIRLINES
reinstated plans to offer a daily roundtrip flight between Trinidad
and Curacao, effective Dec. 1. The flight will depart Trinidad at
9:45 a.m., arriving in Curacao at 12:10 p.m. On the return, the
flight will depart Curacao at 12:45 p.m., arriving in Trinidad at
3:10 p.m. Introductory fares start at $69 each way and must be
purchased by Dec. 1 for travel on or after the launch date. In news
unrelated to the announcement of the new Trinidad-Curacao service,
Caribbean Star and LIAT began formal merger discussions earlier
this month. The announcement of the new Curacao service followed
Caribbean Star's recent recertification under new Civil Aviation
Regulations passed in Antigua and Barbuda earlier this year.
Caribbean Star announced in May its plans to expand to Curacao, but
the service was postponed before its scheduled start date in July,
pending the carrier's successful recertification. With the addition
of the Curacao service, Caribbean Star will serve 13 Caribbean
gateways with more than 635 flights per week. For reservations,
visit www.flycaribbeanstar.com or call Caribbean Star's new
toll-free reservations hot line at (800) 723-1111.
LODGEPODGE
" The 795-room
Barcelo Punta Cana Resort (formerly Breezes Punta Cana Resort, Spa & Casino, operated by SuperClubs)
is the newest addition to Barcelo Hotels & Resorts. The resort
is the 11th Barcelo-branded property in the Dominican Republic. For
details, visit www.barcelo.com.
" The 24-room South
City Plaza Hotel opened in St. George's, Grenada, and caters to the
business market with in-room Internet access, a convention center
for 300, a fitness center, an Internet cafe and banking facilities.
For details, e-mail Toni DeBourg-Smith at [email protected].
PENCIL IT
IN
" Third annual
Cayman Jazz Fest, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, Grand Cayman. Headliners
include Natalie Cole, Kem, Jeffrey Osborne and Boney James. For
ticket information, visit www.caymanislands.ky/jazzfest; for travel packages,
call (800) 247-9900.
" 10th annual Air
Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Jan. 25 to 27, Montego Bay. Performers include Michael Bolton, Kenny
Rogers, Shaggy and Cyndi Lauper. Package information is available
at www.airjamaicavacations.com; ticket and schedule
information, www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com.
Caribbean
Editor:
Gay Nagle
Myers
Phone: (201) 902-1591
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].