HOTEL HAPPENINGS ON TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

2008 has seen a number of properties opening and, with investment in the islands’ infrastructure continuing, 2009 continues to be another pivotal year.

Tobago has seen the refurbishment of the Grafton Beach Hotel and Le Grand Courlan & Spa. Le Grand Courlan is situated on the Leeward side of Tobago overlooking the idyllic Stone Haven Bay and blue Caribbean Sea. This luxurious spa resort is a 15 minute drive from the Crown Point International Airport and 20 minutes away from Scarborough. 2009 has also seen the opening of the Bacolet Beach Club, which comprises an intimate, exclusive boutique hotel, restaurant and bar in Tobago and has been carefully designed to create a stylish, laid back retreat for all guests.  Its intimate size guarantees a warm and friendly atmosphere. The Bacolet Beach Club is located near to the island’s capital, Scarborough, and only 15 minutes from Tobago’s airport. Turtle Beach by Rex Resorts on Tobago has undergone a major refurbishment, including an update to all soft furnishings and bathrooms. Perfect for children, the giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs from March to July on the hotel’s beach.

Additionally, three new hotel developments in Tobago are well underway. Indigo Bay is a brand new four-star, 80-suite hotel apartment complex with beautiful sea views, just a few steps from the beach in Little Rockly Bay, and will open in April 2009. The resort will include a swimming pool, bar, gymnasium and restaurant facilities. The Golden Grove, an integrated hotel and resort project in the South West of Tobago, will be opening in mid-2009.

In Trinidad, new hotels and conference centres like the 428-room Hyatt Regency Trinidad and the Carlton Savannah Hotel are indicators that the industry is accommodating the tourism growth that the country is experiencing.

The Hyatt Regency Trinidad is Hyatt’s first business and convention centre in the Caribbean. The hotel is a welcome addition to Trinidad for business travellers and convention goers with its expansive, state-of-the-art meeting facilities. With approximately 43,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the hotel will accommodate both large and small gatherings. Facilities include a 16,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, a 10,000-square-foot multipurpose facility, a full-service restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge, a rooftop bar and a 6,000-square-foot spa and fitness centre. The hotel's serene rooftop pool and terrace also provides an escape for business travellers after long workdays. 

The Hyatt Regency is part of the International Waterfront Project which will be the main attraction in the revitalization and transformation of Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain. The Waterfront project is due for completion this year.

Longstanding meeting and conference centres have also upgraded their facilities. The Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre has been expanded with an additional 40,000 square feet that include 31 meeting rooms. The Cascadia Hotel also undertook significant upgrades, and the Courtyard by Marriott continues to meet event demands. Additionally, boutique hotels, such as the Chancellor and Coblentz Inn, are well placed to serve the niche markets.

The Carnival Centre, which will become the home of the “Greatest Show on Earth”, Trinidad’s Carnival, will provide similar meeting space.

Other new and upcoming hotels include the Holiday Inn Express in Trincity, St Ann's Hotel in Piarco and Inn at 87, a luxurious new boutique hotel, has now opened in the historical area of Newtown, Port of Spain.