Bahamas mega-resort Atlantis, Paradise
Island and Johnson's, the baby-care
company, will launch the Gentle Travel program on June 1 to address
the needs of families traveling with infants.
The program will
include the Gentle Travel Kit, delivered with each crib (last year,
Atlantis logged 6,500 crib requests). The kit is stocked with body
creams, a lullaby CD and a nightlight.
The program was
created by Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, a pediatrician, in response
to the concerns of parents traveling with very young children. In
addition to the Gentle Travel program,
Atlantis also created a Prompt Response line for parents in need of
additional baby supplies or baby-sitters.
For more, visit
www.atlantis.com.
Groundbreaking
Elite
Island Resorts, with eight properties in the Caribbean,
broke ground on The Verandah, a 30-acre resort on
the northeastern coast of Antigua set to open in the spring of
2007.
Each of the 200
oceanfront villas will accommodate four, with an option to
interconnect adjoining units. Amenities include kitchenettes with
microwave, coffeemaker, mini-fridge; Internet access; and satellite
TV.
The Verandah
joins Elite's four other Antigua resorts: Galley Bay, St. James's
Club, Occidental Grand Pineapple Beach and Dian Bay Resort &
Spa.
For details,
visit www.eliteislandresorts.com.
We're a
hotel ...
The Water Club in
San Juan officially changed its name to the San Juan Water
& Beach Club Hotel. Prior to the name change, many
perceived the beachfront boutique property as a members-only
facility that was unavailable to outsiders.
Services at the
hotel include beach butler service, afternoon sorbets and beach
massages. For rates, call (888) 265-6699.
Earlier
birds
Continental Airlines shifts flight times
from Houston to Aruba as of June 10. The flights, operating
Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, will depart Houston at 9:30 a.m.
and arrive in Aruba at 3:15 p.m.
Previously, the
flight left Houston at 1:35 p.m. with a 7:07 p.m. arrival. The
return flight, which remains the same, will leave Aruba at 4:15
p.m., arriving in Houston at 7:55 p.m.
White is
in at Round Hill
Designer Ralph
Lauren lent his hand to the redesign of Round Hill Hotel &
Villas' 36-room Pineapple House Hotel in Montego
Bay, Jamaica.
The resort also
offers 27 private villas, most with private pools. Lauren used an
all-white color scheme in the rooms, which are accented by
four-poster king-size beds, draped in white nets, with 300-thread
count Egyptian cotton sheets.
New bathrooms,
also a Lauren design, include freestanding white tubs with separate
showers. Nightly rates are $350, double, to Dec. 14 and $550,
double, from Dec. 15 to April 14, including tax and service
charges.
Visit www.roundhilljamaica.com.
Another
name for Our Lucaya
The Grand Bahama
resort known as the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya since
February 2003 has changed names again. Officials said the new name,
the Westin and Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya
Resort, is supposed to more effectively communicate the
resort's location.
In addition, the
Westin part of the resort reopened its Lighthouse
Pointe wing after a four-month makeover. A total of 198
oceanview rooms, including six 1,000-square-foot suites, were
renovated with new furniture, including Westin's Heavenly Bed and
Bath, carpeting and flat-screen TVs.
For details,
visit www.ourlucaya.com.
Viva la
familia!
Viva
Resorts rolls out the red carpet for families this summer.
From June 1 to July 31, kids ages 17 and under eat, stay and play
for free while rooming with one paying adult at any of eight
all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and
Mexico. Visit www.vivaresorts.com.
CHIC in
MIA
The challenge of
global tourism will be the theme of the annual Caribbean
Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC 2006), set for June 25 to
28 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
The 2006
Caribbean Hotelier of the Year will be announced at the closing
black-tie gala. In addition, CHA President-Elect Peter Odle from
Barbados will officially assume the CHA reins for the 2006-2008
term, as Berthia Parle, the current president from St. Lucia, steps
down.
Barbados
home run
The
Barbados Tourism Authority signed a three-year
deal with the New York Mets baseball team to
promote Barbados at all home and away games through
2008.
When a Mets
player hits a home run at Shea Stadium during a designated inning,
one fan who is either at the stadium or registered online at www.sny.tv/barbados wins a free trip to Barbados. The
BTA also will offer a Mets-themed Barbados weekend package next
fall to season-ticket holders.
Gay Nagle
Myers is Travel Weeklys Caribbean editor. E-mail her at [email protected].