GRACE BAY BEACH in
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, will welcome another high-end
resort when The Somerset on Grace Bay, a 54-suite residence resort,
has its grand opening June 1. The property, located on 4.6
beachfront acres next door to The Palms, will feature innovations
new to the current accommodations product in Provo, including
Somerset Extreme Croquet (a beach variation of the regular game);
whimsical tea parties; the Potcake Wishing Well, where coins tossed
by guests will be used to rescue the islands abandoned dogs; and
seminars taught in sandcastle-building. The suites, which will be
placed in the resort inventory when not owner-occupied, will
feature full kitchens, a dining room, a living room and from one to
four bedrooms each. The resort manager is Karen Whitt; the
residence manager is Karl Shand. Rates will start at $455 per night
during low season for a one-bedroom English cottage suite to $5,000
for a four-bedroom estate penthouse during peak season. For
details, call (649) 946-5900 or visit www.thesomerset.com.
TAKEOFFS
" Air Jamaica will add
one more nonstop flight per week from New York (Kennedy) to
Grenada, effective Feb. 23, up from the current schedule of three
nonstops a week. The flights, which will operate Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in both directions, will depart
Kennedy at 10:30 a.m., arriving in Grenada at 4:10 p.m. On the
return leg, the flight will leave Grenada at 5 p.m. and arrive in
New York at 8:50 p.m. Brenda Hood, Grenadas minister of tourism and
culture, applauded Air Jamaicas quick response to our need for
additional nonstop service to and from New York. Mike Conway, Air
Jamaicas president and CEO said: The route has been performing
exceptionally well and an increase in service is good for both Air
Jamaica and Grenada.
" Delta Vacations
Companion Flies Free promotion is valid on bookings of six or more
nights through Jan. 31 for travel through June 30, except for the
April 8 to 18 blackout period. The free roundtrip companion ticket
applies to the air portion only of the package, which is offered at
35 resorts in Antigua, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Thomas
and the Turks and Caicos. For details, visit www.deltavacations.com or call (800) 221-6666. Delta
Vacations also can be booked via VAX VacationAccess.
LODGEPODGE
" The six-apartment
Jennys Place, a new complex near Coconuts Cafe on the northern end
of Grand Anse Beach on Grenada, has six-night rates from $420 per
room, single or double, through April 14. The rates drop to a $350
per week starting point from April 15 to Dec. 14. Children 3 to 12
years of age can stay in the same room for $70 per week, year
round. For details, visit www.jennysplacegrenada.com.
" Sandals and Beaches
Resorts annual Early Booking Bonus offer is on the books again.
Guests booking a three-night minimum stay for travel from Jan. 1
through Dec. 31, 2007 (yes, thats next year) at any Sandals or
Beaches resort, can take advantage of 2006 rates, which means a
savings of up to 25% off published rack rates, single supplements,
extra adult rates and children rates. Blackout dates apply and a
four-night minimum stay is required for stays at the Sandals Royal
Bahamian Resort & Offshore Island in Nassau. For details, visit
www.sandals.com or www.beaches.com.
IN THE BAD
NEWS DEPARTMENT, hurricane experts William Gray and Philip
Klotzbach of Colorado State University predicted this years
Atlantic hurricane season could see 17 named storms with nine of
them reaching hurricane status and five of those expected to be
intense. The experts also predicted that the probability of a
Category 3 or higher storm making landfall in the Caribbean is
above average. The chance of a strong hurricane hitting the U.S.
coastline is expected to be 81%, up from an average of 52% for the
past century. We can only wait and see.