Check out the latest hotel and resort news in Canada, Belize, Zimbabwe and the Caribbean
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
A round up of the latest hotel and resort news to inspire travel.
W All-Inclusive Punta Cana
A new all inclusive 349 guest room W property is slated to debut in the Dominican Republic. W All-Inclusive Punta Cana, a beachfront new-build project in Uvero Alto, is set to open in 2025, as an adults-only luxury property.
The hotel is expected to be the first W Hotels property in the market and will feature guest rooms with balconies and plunge pools, as well as several suites.
Plans for the resort include a spa with 11 treatment rooms, a retail area, three pools with pool bars and eleven food and beverage options.
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in Saint Lucia reopened on Oct. 4 after completing a US$6 million refreshment during its annual September closing. Enhancements touched on guest rooms, the CocoLand Kidz Klub, the Wedding Centre, tennis and basketball courts, the main bar area, resort lobby, hallways, and more.
The Peter John’s Lounge received a complete makeover including new carpet and colour palette with new furniture arriving in time for festive season, giving it a more contemporary look and feel for evening cocktails.
The resort’s four basketball courts and four night-lit tennis courts which have all been resurfaced. Over at the CocoLand Waterpark, the enclosed 400-foot Coconut Cannon and the 300-foot Coconut Coaster have been re-caulked and polished. The Waterpark’s 1,500 foot-long Lazy River was also resurfaced and repainted, and for spectators, there are new railings on the overpass.
Guests will experience a fresh new entryway on arrival, with new pavers on the front drive, along with fresh stain on the Lobby furniture as well as refinished partitions, handcrafted for the space by the resort’s carpenters. The Lobby restrooms have also been retiled with all new fixtures including the mirrors and lighting.
Two oceanfront venues were upgraded starting with new windows at the Sanctuary Spa providing views of the Maria Islands Nature Reserve and adding to the tranquil atmosphere while La Luna Restaurant now has a new roof. Poolside, the floor at The Cove, the resort’s central dining and entertainment venue, was retiled. New menu covers and updated menus have been reintroduced into the resort’s six à la carte restaurants.
The first Hyatt Centric hotel in Canada, Hyatt Centric Ville-Marie Montréal, will officially welcome guests on Nov. 29.
Centrally located in Old Montréal, the property will be home to 177 modern upscale guestrooms, including five suites, a signature restaurant fusing Quebec and British cuisine, a rooftop pool (slated for summer 2023), as well as four meeting and event facilities spanning nearly 5,000 square feet.
Margaritaville Beach Resort Ambergris Caye, Belize
Bookings are now open for Margaritaville Beach Resort Ambergris Caye, Karisma Hotels & Resorts first resort in Belize. The secluded family-friendly hideaway is slated to open in early 2023, and will feature 55 spacious suites with one-and two-bedroom configurations, a beachfront restaurant and two on-site bars; two lagoon-like swimming pools: one oceanfront and one exclusively for families; a St. Somewhere Spa featuring waterside treatment bungalows; a cutting-edge gym and fitness centre; and BBQ and picnic areas.
The secluded and exclusive boutique resort is located 25 kilometres north of the coastal town of San Pedro surrounded by Caribbean waters and the second largest coral reef in the world.
Six Senses Victoria Falls
For a unique stay in Zimbabwe, Six Senses Victoria Falls will welcome wildlife lovers to stilted eco-lodges on the Zambezi in 2025. The riverside game reserve and wellness resort are within Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park, a UNESCO Protected Area. The partially concealed, tree-level lodges at Six Senses Victoria Falls will provide a bird’s eye platform to view the verdant nature and wildlife all around.
From the main welcome pavilion, guests will transfer to the lounge lobby, where amenities will include a raised restaurant and lounge. In addition to the 22 lodges with private terraces, there will be 15 deluxe lodges with suspended pools. Some of these lodges can be inter-connected. Plans are afoot for 17 individual pool villas, nine of which offer multi-bedroom accommodation.
The Six Senses Spa and wellness facilities will include four treatment rooms, a gym, a yoga deck, outdoor hot pools, a panoramic sauna, and an integrated retail and concept store.
