Theres now a George Washington House on
Barbados. Yes, the first president of the U.S. was a Caribbean
tourist. In fact, his only visit outside the U.S. was to Barbados
in 1751 when he and his older half-brother and guardian, Lawrence,
stayed for seven weeks at a plantation home called the Bush
Hill House.
According to
Washingtons diary, Lawrence was ailing with tuberculosis, and his
younger sibling cared for him during that time.
The Bush
Hill Tourism Trust, in collaboration with the
Barbados National Trust, restored the house and
outbuildings during a six-year renovation that culminated with the
reopening of the site on Feb. 22 for tours and private
functions.
The restored,
Georgian-style house is furnished as a typical, 18th-century
plantation residence. The site now houses a museum, a gift shop and
a cafe. A performance stage for evening events and a landscaped
wedding arbor also are on site.
The George
Washington House is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 per person.
For more
information, visit www.georgewashingtonbarbados.org.
Almond
resort opens on St. Lucia
Almond
Smugglers Cove, Almond Resorts second all-inclusive
property on St. Lucia, welcomed its first guests Feb. 26. Smugglers
Cove, a 357-room resort, is on the site of the former Club St.
Lucia on the islands northwest coast, eight miles north of
Castries, St. Lucias capital.
Facilities
include five pools; a racquet club with squash court and seven
tennis courts; four restaurants and four bars; a spa and fitness
center; a kids club; and water sports.
For more
information, visit www.almondresorts.com.
No ifs,
ands or butts
Puerto
Ricos smoke-free regulations took effect March 2, placing
it at the forefront of Caribbean destinations with a comprehensive
smoking ban.
The law prohibits
smoking in public areas, including casinos. Hotel rooms designated
as smoke-friendly are exempt from the ban, but hotels must post the
new regulations in every guest room and properly ventilate and
maintain rooms where smoking is permitted.
A
reflagging in Puerto Rico
Sol Melia Hotels
& Resorts will reflag the Paradisus Puerto Rico as the
Gran Melia Puerto Rico on May 1. The resort is in
Rio Grande, about an hours drive east of San Juan.
The resort, which
will have a European Plan (no meals included in the daily rate),
will join the Gran Melia Cancun in Mexico as the second Gran Melia
in the Caribbean.
Enhancements to
the resort under the Gran Melia banner include The Level, a service
for top-paying guests that will offer exclusive pool and beach
areas and a personal concierge. The resort also will open the Yhi
Spa, Sol Melias new spa brand.
For more
information on the resort, visit www.solmelia.com.
Gay Nagle
Myers is Travel Weekly's Caribbean editor. E-mail her at[email protected].