ROYAL
PLANTATION AT FOWL CAY, Exumas, now the official name of
the 50-acre private island, luxury retreat situated midway down the
Exuma chain in the Bahamas, represents the latest chapter in
Sandals Resorts' expansion plans for its Royal Plantation brand.
The resort's Web site at www.fowlcay.com went live on Sept. 6; the property is
accepting reservations for all dates. Fowl Cay was purchased last
April from an American couple by Sandals' Chairman Gordon Butch
Stewart, after he and his family vacationed there. The six two-
and-three-bedroom villas on the site were built five years ago by
the previous owners and will be supplemented by another "10 to 15
villas, half of which will be over-the-water structures," according
to Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts. Three of the new villas
will have four or more bedrooms and baths; the property is an
all-inclusive resort and will offer its private butler services,
available in its highest category rooms now at many of the Sandals
and Beaches resorts.
OTHER NEW
FACILITIES will include a signature spa at one end of the
island; a marina for the use of resort guests; a beach restaurant
to supplement the existing restaurant and bar in the main house;
and a full range of activities for adults and children, Sandals
said. Steve Huggins, an Australian who ran the entire operation on
the Lady Sandals yacht before it was sold two and a half years ago,
is the general manager; Owen Bain, previously the executive chef at
Royal Plantation in Jamaica, is heading up the culinary team.
Rates, valid through Dec. 31, start at $9,220 per week, double, in
the one-bedroom Linden villa and at $10,083 in the two-bedroom
Starlight villa. Rates for children five and under are $500 per
night. All-inclusive rates cover accommodations, all meals and
beverages, use of a golf cart and all facilities and
tips.
MEANWHILE,
EXPANSION PLANS for the Royal Plantation brand also
include the 100-room Royal Plantation, Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos,
scheduled to begin construction next spring on a 20-acre site
located next door to Beaches Turks and Caicos in Providenciales.
The resort, already two years in the planning stages, will mark the
debut of the hotel firm's first condominium-hotel project. Next in
line will be Royal Plantation, Bloody Bay in Negril, which also
will be a condo-hotel resort, according to Adam Stewart, Sandals'
CEO.
CAYMAN
AIRWAYS will unveil an expanded passenger check-in system
in Grand Cayman in the next few weeks, the carrier said, in a move
designed to eliminate long lines at the airport. The new system
will open at locations other than the airport for passenger and
baggage check-in, including schools, auditoriums and shopping malls
when needed. The carrier will deliver boarding passes to hotel
guests flying out of Grand Cayman to expedite hotel check-out and
airport check-in in one process at the hotel. The carrier also
instituted a new hurricane fare policy, which offers a standard,
one-way, economy-class fare from Grand Cayman during emergencies.
In the event of an evacuation prior to a hurricane, rates
(excluding taxes) are $120 to Kingston, Jamaica; $170 to Miami and
$190 to Tampa. The carrier also permits three changes per booking
during a hurricane and has voided any cancellation fees. Cayman
Airways flew 38 flights and six charters during the two-day
Hurricane Dean crisis in August, carrying a total of 5,400
passengers.
PENCIL IT
IN
" Caribbean Small
Hotels Retreat, Sept. 26 to 28, Barbados Hilton, Barbados, hosted
by the Caribbean Hotel Association, in conjunction with the
Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association. For details, visit www.caribbeanhotelassociation.com/smallhotelsretreat.htm.
" 30th Annual
Caribbean Tourism Conference, Oct. 19 to 24, San Juan, hosted by
the Caribbean Tourism Organization in conjunction with the Puerto
Rico Tourism Co. The conference theme is "The Next Generation:
Learning from the Past, Preparing for the Future." The agenda
includes live video streaming of several conference events, a
session on the impact of global warming on the tourism industry and
workshops for agents on various topics. For details, visit www.onecaribbean.org.
Caribbean
Editor: Gay Nagle Myers
Phone: (201) 902-1924
[email protected]
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opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].