Tag: Caribbean

Sandals Resorts got busy promoting weddings and honeymoons in the Caribbean during the recent Caribbean Travel and Cultural Fair which took place at the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Terminal in New York City earlier this month.

During the event, Sandals launched a new interactive online wedding designer application for couples planning tailor-made Caribbean weddings at Sandals Resorts.

The new user-friendly app named, Your Wedding, Your Style, allows loved-up couples to customise their destination weddings with the help of an online wedding portal where more than 7,000 photographs have been uploaded. Users can then choose their flowers,colour scheme, decor, place cards, the wedding cake and much more.

Speaking at the Caribbean event, Sandals CEO Adam Stewart, said: “The new bride is tech-savvy so we were forced to move away from packaged weddings. Brides have the option to have their destination wedding, reception and honeymoon planned online or over the phone.”

The event also held a contest where military couples from the United States were invited to submit an essay stating why they deserved a Caribbean wedding at a Sandals Resort. The finalists gathered in Vanderbilt Hall for an official bouquet toss for the chance to win a WeddingMoon of their choice. Maria and Jason Yates from New Jersey caught the bouquet and they chose a Jamaica wedding worth $8,000.

Mr Stewart announced a surprise to the disappointed couples just after the bouquet toss that they would all receive free Caribbean honeymoons at a Sandals Resort.

Sandals Resorts offers plenty of idyllic spots for romantic Caribbean weddings and the hotel group has luxury resorts in tropical destinations including St Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Couples getting married abroad at Sandals Resorts can choose from a several settings for their island nuptials including soft sandy beaches for intimate beach weddings at sunset, nuptials within lush tropical gardens, or ceremonies in grand ballrooms.

The new interactive app is just one of the programmes that is available from the Sandals Resorts official website and hopeful brides and grooms will also be able to plan their destination weddings with the help of wedding guru, Martha Stewart. Wedding packages include including Flutter of Romance, Seaside Serenade, Island Paradise, Vision in White and Chic & Natural.

“I think we have another big hit on our hands. Our Martha Stewart wedding packages helped to put Sandals weddings on the global market. With this new product, I’m certain brides will find a Sandals wedding an attractive option. Every day at Sandals we go to work to make it better for two people in love, that’s what Sandals is about,” added Mr Stewart.

As the temperatures in the UK begin to plummet even further, there is no better time to escape the cold weather and head to the Caribbean for sun, relaxation and luxury.

Elite Island Resorts are now providing luxury St Lucia holidays after the hotel group acquired the islands former Almond Morgan Bay resort, previously managed by the Almond Resorts group.

The property, which has been renamed Morgan Bay Beach Resort, St Lucia, joins the hotel groups impressive collection of upscale resorts and hotels across the Caribbean in destinations that include Antigua, Grenada, Tortola and St. Vincent, Nevis, and the Grenadines.

Situated on the north-west coast of the island, three miles from its harbour capital Castries, Morgan Bay Beach Resort is tucked into a secluded cove and is surrounded by lush tropical gardens.

The beachfront resort offers 345 stylish guestrooms and suites with ocean and tropical garden views with great facilities that make the hotel perfect for family holidays in St Lucia or romantic breaks.

The all inclusive programme enables guests to take advantage of a wide range of products, facilities and activities such as premium beverages, delectable meals, snacks and refreshments, live music and entertainment shows, plus other entertainment activities including windsurfing, kayaking, snorkelling, and table tennis.

During holidays to St Lucia at the newly renamed Morgan Bay Beach Resort, visitors can take a refreshing dip in any of the four freshwater swimming pools; play tennis at any of the resorts four courts; leave the children in an adult-supervised Kids Club; enjoy an energetic work out in the fully equipped fitness centre; or indulge in a pampering treatment at the full-service spa.

Speaking about the acquirement of one of the leading luxury St Lucia hotels, Elite Island Resorts President, Steven Heydt, commented:The purchase of Morgan Bay presented a unique opportunity for us to expand our destinations and was the obvious next step for our ever-growing collection.

Our understanding of marketing the Caribbean will help re-launch this all-inclusive resort to a greater audience of travellers. Further, Elites management expertise in creating an unparalleled all-inclusive vacation will enhance the guest experience on every level.”

Additionally, the resorts wealth of offerings and breathtaking surroundings are ideal for our family and value vacation markets. We are confident that we can deliver a superior vacation in St. Lucia while providing excellent value during these challenging times.

Once every four years, women get the chance to get down on one knee and pop the question to their loved ones on Leap Day.

According to a recent survey carried out by Sandals Resorts, one in three women would consider proposing to their boyfriends on Leap Day, 29th February, and for a third of couples, the Caribbean would be the favourite choice for romantic destination weddings.

The survey revealed that 20 per cent of the women asked said they would be scared in case the proposal was rejected but it appears that 40 per cent of men would accept and two thirds of them would not be embarrassed.

It appears that the majority of women who would propose come from the East Midlands while women in Wales are the least likely to take the plunge. Ladies living in the North East might find they have more luck because half of the survey participants from the region say they would like their girlfriends to ask them to marry them.

The results of the survey have been revealed just as recent research shows that more couples in the UK are getting married and weddings abroad are on the increase.

Geoffrey Beattie, a Professor of Psychology and Relationship Expert, commented: This new research by Sandals Resorts shows that the Leap Year tradition of women taking the initiative in proposals of marriage is now chiming with the underlying attitudes of people in the UK today.

More and more women (and men) seem happy with the idea that it is perfectly acceptable for women to pop the question. This seems to reflect a more egalitarian society in terms of relationships and dating, with women no longer prepared to play second fiddle, and taking the initiative whenever it is necessary. Given that marriage is a key milestone in many people’s lives it is refreshing to see that things are changing.

A third of the respondents said that they would choose Caribbean weddings and honeymoons for their special occasion which is good news for Sandals Resorts.

Sandals Resorts owns and operates several luxury hotels and resorts across the Caribbean that offer the perfect venues for romantic destination weddings and relaxing honeymoons.

With properties in St Lucia, the Bahamas, Antigua, and Jamaica, engaged couples can choose beach weddings or elegant tropical ceremonies within lush fragrant tropical gardens.

Couples getting married abroad at any of Sandals’ resorts can take advantage of the complimentary Beautiful Beginnings WeddingMoon package at Sandals Resorts if they book a holidays for a minimum of six nights. Wedding packages are also available and can be tailor-made to suit individual requirements.

Holiday resorts for swingers have made swinging holidays highly popular. As the concept of living the swingers lifestyle is gaining social acceptance and respectability with the popularity of Swinger resorts is also increasing day by day.
For more than two decades, the Hedonism Resorts in Jamaica are providing a swinging experience to lots of enthusiastic couples. Recently, several Swinger resorts have been establishing themselves as popular holiday spots in Spain for the British and other European swingers.

The Spanish Swinger resorts are quite popular when compared to the Caribbean ones. Most of the British swingers don’t see this as a disadvantage, rather, they prefer to avoid the pre-organized events, which on the other hand are very much popular with the swingers of USA, who prefer the resorts present in the Caribbean. In Spain, the Swinger resorts are often no bigger than a large villa which is at least suitable for accommodating as few as four couples per holiday.
Around twenty minutes away from Spain’s Costa Blanca (the white coast), there is one such resort that consists of four luxury villas. These villas are located in a very beautiful valley and offer seclusion and natural beauty for all those who want to enjoy a quiet but still a highly erotic holiday.

Swinger couples who are renting these villas share naked sunbathing around a lovely swimming pool. The only time the holiday becomes a bit more organized is on Saturday nights when the swinger parties are held. Most of the people there are the visitors who may be staying at the Swinger resorts in that area and also there are some local swingers as well.

In Spain there is a swinger holiday hotel consisting of eighty rooms and three suites for swinger groups. The hotel is located on the Costa Del Sol very near to Malaga. Further east along the coast another similar villa offers swinger holidays with regular parties.

On the Canary Islands there are popular swinger resort, on Fuerteventura and Tenerife. On Gran Canaria there is a popular swinger party venue where one can find something going on any night of the week.

The Swinger resorts referred to above are just a few examples from the various resorts that are growing up in Spain. The ones which are described above are located in the coastal region but if one does not mind being an hour or so from the nearest beach then there are some very good resorts to be found further inland.

Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts has added a new hotel in Cuba to its portfolio with the scheduled launch of the Memories Varadero Beach Resort this May. The luxury four-star resort will open its doors to tourists taking Cuba holidays on 1st May, 2012 after the property was refurbished and rebranded.

Formerly known as the Sirenis La Salina, the property has 1,035 rooms and suites and it is situated on one of the most beautiful beaches in Varadero, Cuba. Memories Varadero Beach Resort offers plenty of activities for the younger guests to enjoy throughout their holidays to Cuba including a Kids Club and Baby Club, two children’s swimming pools and daily entertainment.

Facilities and activities at the all inclusive hotel include three tennis courts, a spa and salon, a disco, Jacuzzi, two adults swimming pools, fitness centre, multi-sport court, beach volleyball, and watersports such as windsurfing, pedal-boating, snorkelling, scuba diving, and catamaran cruises.

Guests can upgrade to Diamond Club, which offers a personalised check-in/check-out service, including early check-in and late check-out; private access to the Diamond VIP Lounge; an exclusive beach area with beach butler service; and a dedicated concierge service.

The hotel boasts eight gourmet restaurants with a wide range of international cuisine such as Italian, Creole, Mexican, and Japanese, and there are eight bars and lounges where visitors can enjoy a refreshing cocktail or fruit juice.

Varadero Beach is situated in the province of Matanzas on the Hicacos Peninsula on the north coast of the Caribbean island of Cuba. The region is one of the most popular destinations for holidays in Cuba with more than 20km of pristine white sand beaches and several luxury beachfront Cuba hotels.

The area features beautiful natural landscapes include the Bellamar Caves and idyllic virgin cays and during holidays in Varadero, travellers can go scuba diving and snorkelling in the turquoise crystal-clear water; sailing and deep sea fishing; play golf against the backdrop of the sparkling ocean; and take excursions to explore Cardenas City.

The beach resort is a great place for a family holiday in Cuba with an array of museums, white sand beaches, and parks and fun attractions including the Delfinario, a natural pool for dolphins.

Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts operates several all inclusive resorts across the Caribbean and Latin America under “Memories Beach Resorts” and “Royalton Luxury Resorts” brands.