A Roundup of All the Caribbean Has to Offer
Almost two decades ago, the Beach Boys celebrated the magic of the Caribbean islands with their hit single, “Kokomo.” Today the same islands beckon groups to enjoy the sand and surf, the cuisine and culture of the laidback, lovely Caribbean.
Aruba
“In the past year, Aruba has undergone extensive island-wide renovations,” says Heather Linton of Meet Aruba. Some recent hotel upgrades include a $20-million renovation of guest rooms, suites, restaurant and public areas at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino and an renovation of the 3,000-square-foot, adults-only spa at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. In addition, the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is wrapping up a $40-million enhancement program that includes converting the top floor of the resort into the Tradewinds Club, which will offer the personalized, intimate feel of a boutique hotel without abandoning the familiarity of the grand resort experience.
For special events or after-meeting entertainment, groups can enjoy a variety of unique off-site venues in Aruba, says Gregory Koolman, Customer Care Manager for the Aruba Tourism Authority. For starters, Aruba’s white sand beaches offer instant atmosphere for outdoor dining. But the island boasts other interesting locations as well. For instance, Fort Zoutman, completed in 1796 and Aruba’s oldest remnant of Dutch architecture, now houses the Aruban Historical Museum and hosts a weekly Bon Bini Festival. The fort is a perfect place for groups to experience Aruba’s history and enjoy a unique celebration. And local golf courses are also available for group events: The Tierra del Sol golf course is located at the northwestern tip of the island and provides dramatic views of the coastline and the historic California Lighthouse.
Barbados
An ideal location for meetings and incentives, Barbados is home to the Sherbourne Conference Centre’s 164,000 square feet of floor space, 11 meeting rooms, the Garden Theatre and high-tech conference translation discussion equipment. The Centre’s largest meeting room seats 1,100 theater-style and 600 banquet-style.
Barbados also offers a host of other conference facilities, ranging from the Dove Convention Centre, which accommodates 1,000 people, to a number of hotels with various meeting rooms of different sizes for workshops and group meetings. For instance, the Savannah Hotel, a sophisticated conference and business center, accommodates up to 175 people; the Accra Beach Hotel accommodates up to 250 people; and the Barbados Beach Club can handle up to 125 people.
Of course, when business is over, the whole island of Barbados is open for attendees’ enjoyment: beautiful white beaches, a variety of water sports, duty-free shopping, the scenes and sights of the island, unique culture and heritage – evident in the island’s dinner shows and an exciting and varied nightlife.
Dominican Republic
With meeting facilities on every coast, a modern telecommunications system, frequent and uncomplicated travel connections and enough attractions to keep even the most discerning traveler busy, the Dominican Republic is rapidly becoming a top destination for meetings and incentive groups.
Most Dominican hotels offer meeting space, and a number have capacity for large groups. For instance, in the South Central Coast region, the Barcelo Gran Hotel Lina features two ballrooms – the Salon La Mancha and Salon Fiesta, capable of seating 1,200 and 900 respectively; the V Centenario Inter-Continental features a number of meeting rooms, the largest of which holds 1,000 people; and the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel & Casino includes two ballrooms that accommodate up to 1,000 people each. On the East Coast, La Romana Casa de Campo Convention Center includes a ballroom that can handle up to 500 attendees and an amphitheater for up to 5,000, along with a number of additional meeting rooms; the Punta Cana/Bavaro Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center accommodates up to 2,538 people; and the Paradise Palma Real can host up to 750. In the country’s Central region, the Santiago Gran Teatro Cibao’s Restoration Room accommodates up to 1,600 people.
Jamaica
“Jamaica’s moderate climate, diverse facilities and unique culture make it a perfect meeting and incentive destination, with the right blend of elegance, practicality and adventure,” says Helen Ames, PR Representative for the Jamaica Tourist Board.
With more than 24,000 guest rooms and over 170,000 square feet of meeting space, Jamaica can easily host meeting and incentive groups of any type and size. The island’s wide range of resorts and their professional staffs are accustomed to working with groups to coordinate memorable events and activities.
“Jamaica is in the midst of a development surge, with a variety of new construction throughout the island’s main resort areas, as well as refurbishments to existing resorts and attractions,” Ames says. “More than 15,000 new rooms are coming on stream over the course of the next five years.”
For groups who like golf, Jamaica is considered by many as the best golf destination in the Caribbean due to four highly acclaimed courses in Montego Bay. Three of the courses – Half Moon Golf Club, Cinnamon Hill and the White Witch – are conveniently located within five minutes of each other and feature a diverse challenge in terms of terrain and design. Tryall Golf Club, 30 minutes from downtown Montego Bay, is widely considered as having the fastest set of greens in the Caribbean, Ames says.
Puerto Rico
“For the U.S. market, Puerto Rico offers a distinctively exotic location for meetings and conventions with all the comforts and familiarity of attending a meeting on home soil,” says Christine Hinz, PR Representative for the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau.
With more than 1.2 million square feet of meeting space and more than 13,300 hotel rooms, Puerto Rico offers a wide range of brand-name hotel options, including Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Wyndham, Embassy Suites, and Hilton. And the island’s convention bureau can work with meeting planners to accommodate any kind of budget. The largest properties in Puerto Rico with the most meeting space available include El Conquistador, Wyndham Rio Mar, Caribe Hilton, Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino and Ritz-Carlton San Juan. Construction of the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel, along with a number of other projects in the works, reflects the island’s investment of more than $1 billion in hotel development, expansion and renovation projects.
And for after-meeting diversion, Puerto Rico offers numerous possibilities for groups, including extraordinary beaches, golf, spas, water sports, sophisticated nightlife, exceptional cuisine, world-famous shopping and a rich cultural heritage dating back more than 500 years. Old San Juan exudes the grandeur of Colonial Spain with its pastel-colored homes, hidden plazas and narrow streets guarded by El Morro, a magnificent, 16th-century Spanish fortress.
