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Casa de Campo Renovation Complete
From DR1:
Casa de Campo is as good as new as of Tuesday, 22 December. The hotel has reopened following a major renovation of its rooms and suites, and a fully remodeled lobby. Also unveiled was La Cana Restaurant & Lounge by Il Circo, a fine dining restaurant with both indoor and al fresco dining, managed by the Maccioni family of Le Cirque in New York. This is the Maccioni family's second venture at Casa de Campo, following the beautiful Beach Club by Le Cirque at the resort's Minitas Beach. The fitness center has been refurbished and a new Montecristo Cigar Lounge has been added.
The new "elite" rooms feature a modern look, while maintaining the use of rich mahogany woods and Coralina stone. The rooms are equipped with 42 Led flat screen TVs and Blu-ray players and cable. Other features are alarm clock radios with dual dock for iPods and iPhones and high-speed, wireless Internet.
The new main area with its grand open spaces makes the absolute most of the surrounding natural Caribbean beauty in a minimalist design.
The main pool area has been completely renovated to include trellised platforms for early morning and late afternoon yoga classes, and shaded seating areas in natural woods and white canopies and cushions.
"Casa de Campo set the benchmark for luxury travel in the Caribbean" said general manager Alberto Grau, "and we are very excited to continue this fine reputation into the future."
British Airways flies Gatwick to Punta Cana
British Airways prepares for the launch of its new twice-weekly service from Gatwick to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic from October 26, 2009 reinforcing its position as the airline with more flights to the Caribbean than any other UK carrier.
In addition to the flights to Punta Cana, the airline is also increasing flights to other winter sun hot-spots in the region such as St Lucia (from three to five flights a week), Barbados (from nine to ten) and Port of Spain, Trinidad (from three to five). Overall, BA will now fly 45 times a week to the Caribbean.
Richard Tams, head of sales at British Airways, said; "These new routes and increased frequencies underline our commitment to the Caribbean. It's a popular destination with our customers and it's due to demand that we're increasing the number of flights to the region. We now operate to 13 destinations in the Caribbean - more than any other UK airline."
Holidays in the Dominican Republic mean relaxing on sun-kissed beaches and snorkelling above colourful reefs, strolling along the 16th-century cobblestone streets of the capital in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone or taking a hiking holiday in the Dominican Republic's forested inland.
British Airways has a wide range of hotels in the Dominican Republic, like the 5* Dreams Palm Beach which is situated in an idyllic location, on a gorgeous beach with luxury accommodation and a fantastic kids Explorer's Club. Alternatively, those looking for pure relaxation, can try the 5* Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, offering complimentary private chauffeured return airport transfers rounding up a holiday in style.
Dominican Republic Jazz Festival
The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is a festival full of rhythm, flavor, and color that each year is wrapped in the fragrant air of the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. It is a unique experience to have the opportunity to enjoy our festival, where the music vibrates on the lively beach of Cabarete. Every year we invite International and Local Musicians to share the stage and to bring many different genres of Jazz to please its diverse and eager music lovers; local residents and tourists alike.
Playa Cabarete, November 6, 7, & 8, 2009 Click here for the festival website!
Remodeling the Barcelo Golf
From DR1:
Barcelo Golf in Punta Cana is being remodelled. The course, originally designed by Spaniard Juan Manuel Gordillo, opened in 1991 and was the first in the region. Now only operating as an 9-hole, holes 10-18 are currently being remodelled. Golf architect PB Dye is responsible for the new design. Plans are to close holes 1-9 in March to complete the renovation. The course would open its full 18 holes in time for the winter season 2010.
Iberostate Bavaro set for November opening
The 18-hole Iberostate Bavaro Golf Club at the Iberostate Bavaro Villas & Condos Golf Resort is scheduled for a 1 November opening. This is part of the Iberostar properties located in Arena Gorda (Punta Cana). Iberostate is Spanish hotel chain Iberostar's international real estate division that specializes in residential developments (golf villas and condos) within resort complexes.
DR1 is reporting:
The 18-hole Iberostate Bavaro Golf Club at the Iberostate Bavaro Villas & Condos Golf Resort is scheduled for a 1 November opening. This is part of the Iberostar properties located in Arena Gorda (Punta Cana). Iberostate is Spanish hotel chain Iberostar's international real estate division that specializes in residential developments (golf villas and condos) within resort complexes.
The Iberostate golf course is packaged to tourists staying at the Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominicana and Grand of the Iberostar chain. The course has a driving range. It was designed by PB Dye. Course director is Fernando Cuesta. The course promises a perfect climate, finest and most carefully maintained installations, great care in the vertical movement of the course and interesting work wit h stone and rocky materials, to create the setting for enjoying a golf match and improving handicaps. The course promoters encourage their players to "allow yourself to fall under the spell of this new seaside golf course".
Also scheduled for opening this year in the area, are the 18-hole Los Corales private membership course at Los Corales in Punta Cana Resort & Club in October. Next the first 9 holes will be playable in late November at Cana Bay part of the Moon Palace resort complex, also in Arena Gorda, Punta Cana. Cana Bay was designed by Jack Nicklaus Design company.
Introducing Club Residence at Guavaberry
From DR1:
Developer Grupo Nolan held a launch party to introduce the first completed phase of "The Club Residences" at Guavaberry Golf & Country Club in Juan Dolio. The only villa project in the Juan Dolio/Guayacanes area, the first phase of "The Club Residences" consists of 10 one-family villas with modern comforts, private amenities, views of the Gary Player-designed golf course and easy access to Guavaberry's golf club. Construction for the project's second phase of 17 villas is under way with completion scheduled for October 2009. At that time construction for the third phase will begin. For more information contact Grupo Nolan at 809 202-2582 or visit www.collectionguavaberry.com.
New Caribbean Air Routes
An article in USAToday points out several new routes to the Caribbean, including the DR, St. Lucia, and Barbados:
Cheap flights to the Dominican Republic won't be hard to find this summer thanks to ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit. The airline has recently resumed its service between its Ft. Lauderdale hub and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, available through September 8. Meanwhile, Spirit's new service to Santiago from Ft. Lauderdale begins June 20.
DR Airline News
Our friends at DR1 have some airlines news for the Dominican Republic:
Continental new flights
Laura Mallen, general manager of Continental Airline in the DR, announced an increase in the airline's summer flights. There will now be two daily flights departing Las Americas International Airport. A first flight leaves at 12:10pm, arriving Newark in New Jersey at 16:15pm, and a second at 6:38pm, arriving Newark at 10:43pm.
Likewise, for summer there are now two daily flights to Punta Cana-Newark route, five days a week. Service to Puerto Plata is maintained. Continental has been flying to the DR for 20 years now, having started service in 1989.
Spirit begins flight to Santiago
Manuel Jaquez, Spirit Airlines Latin American director, is betting on becoming the preferred choice for connecting with Central America, Colombia, Peru and South America for those living in Santiago and the central Cibao area of the DR. Spirit recently began flights on the Santiago-Fort Lauderdale route, departing the Cibao International Airport in Santiago (STI) three times a week with very competitive fares. Alfredo Gonzalez, vice president, tourism and international business of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Fort Lauderdale traveled to Santiago to promote Fort Lauderdale to the Cibao travelers.
Summer Jazz in the Dominican Republic
From DR1:
Santo Domingo boasts the best night life in the DR and summer is the time when Casa de Teatro welcomes leading jazz performers for its Annual Summer Jazz Festival, with performances every Thursday throughout June and July.
Performances take place at the Cristobal de Llerena auditorium, with a giant screen outside in the Cafe Teatro for those who prefer an informal setting to talk with friends. And there will be a special concert with Bryan Lynch from the US at the Plaza Bartolome de las Casas on Saturday, 4 July.
This year's schedule is: 18 June: Roberto Carcasse and his trio (Cuba); 25 June: Rafael Mirabal and Sistema Temperado (DR); 2 July: Patricia Pereyra (DR); 4 July: Bryan Lynch (USA); 9 July: Ossia Saxophons (France); 16 July: Natalia Calderon Quartet (Spain); 23 July: Guillo Carias and his group (DR); 30 July: Paula Shokron and trio (Argentina). Tickets are for sale for RD$350 for hall performance, and RD$200 for the Cafe Teatro.
New Junior Suites at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe
Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort Upgrades to Greener Grandeur with New Junior Suites at Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe
Fairfax, VA/Punta Cana, D.R. - In December 2008, the Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort completed a multi-million dollar renovation project that included the addition of 488 junior suites with amenities for greater luxury and "greener" sustainability. Together, the junior suites make up Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort's new Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe, offering the best value in all-inclusive luxury travel in the Caribbean. New eco-friendly features also help ease travelers' minds as all junior suites include low consumption lights and LEDs, energy-conserving lighting and water control and flow-limiting faucets in both the sinks and showers.
Continue reading "New Junior Suites at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe" »
The Punta Cana Hotel Explosion
News from our friends at DR1:
The east coast of the DR continues to be the fastest growing area in the Caribbean, currently with 62 hotels and 31,500 rooms for 48% of the total lodging inventory in the DR, said Ernesto Veloz, president of the Punta Cana and Bavaro Tourism Cluster in his overview address to the Dominican Annual Travel Exchange (DATE) meeting held at the Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center in Punta Cana last week. Veloz spoke of several large hotel and residential complexes that are under construction, including the expansion of the Royal Catalonia, Westin Roco Ki, Bahia Principe Esmeralda, Punta Cana Village, Hacienda Punta Cana, expansion at the Palladium, and works at Iguana in Cap Cana. He predicted that the eastern coastline would have 51,000 hotel rooms by the end of this decade. Veloz said that this year they are seeing a 1% decline in travel compared to 2008, minimal at times when many destinations are seeing double-digitted declines.
JetBlue to Add Two New International Routes from Fort Lauderdale
- Cancun and Santo Domingo routes planned for 2009 -
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announces plans to further expand its South Florida focus city at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport with two new international routes. The airline, best known for its award-winning in-flight experience and its commitment to customer service, intends to commence daily nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and to Cancun, Mexico, in May 2009, subject to receipt of government operating authority.
Continue reading "JetBlue to Add Two New International Routes from Fort Lauderdale" »
Dominican Republic Named "Golf Destination of the Year"
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Nov. 18 PRNewswire - The Dominican Republic (DR) was named the "Golf Destination of the Year for the Caribbean and Latin America" by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). The award was presented to Francisco Javier Garcia, the DR Minister of Tourism, at the 2008 International Golf Travel Market's (IGTM) annual meeting held Nov. 17-20 in Marbella, Spain.
Continue reading "Dominican Republic Named "Golf Destination of the Year"" »
Dominican Republic Jazz Festival 2008
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JAZZ FESTIVAL 9TH EDITION EVENTS CALENDAR.
Playa Cabarete November 7-9
Dominican Republic
Friday November 7, Playa Cabarete., 8:30 PM
Ambar Jazz Group (Dom. Rep.)
Dave Valentin & PR All Star Latin Jazz (USA, Dom. Rep.)
Eric Figueroa, Endel Dueno, Javier Oquendo, Ramon vazquez y Eddy "Guagua" Rivera
Special guest Luis "Perico" Ortiz
Free
Saturday November 8th
Playa Cabarete 10:00am - 12pm
Jazz workshop for the youth
Playa Cabarete 12:30 pm
Youth Concert
Playa Cabarete, 8:30 PM
Sandy Gabriel & Electric Jazz (Dom. Rep.)
Giovanni Hidalgo & Descarga Boricua Quintet (PR), Eric Figueroa, Tito de Gracia, Piro Rodriguez y Eddy "Guagua" Rivera
Descarga de Congueros: Giovanni Hidalgo, Tito de Gracia, Javier Oquendo y Guarionex Aquino
Special Guest Puppy Santiago
Free
Sunday November 9, Playa Cabarete, 8:30 PM
Fidel Morales Trio (Cuba)
Fidel Morales, Yan Carlos Artime y Ramon Vazquez
Prodigio en Jazz (Dom. Rep)
Free
Other activities:
Photography contest (Topic) : Music
Cap Cana PGA
DR1 has got the scoop on the 2009 Cap Cana PGA event:
The PGA Tour's Champions Tour, The Cap Cana Championship 2009, will take place at the Punta Espada golf course on 23-29 March. The event is a repeat of last year's successful tournament that brought some of the most famous golf champions of all times to the eastern seaside course designed by Jack Nicklaus in the luxury residential community. Mark Wiebe was last year's winner, and this year 78 golfers are expected. Last year, Jay Haas, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Fred Funk, Eduardo Romero, Vicente Fernandez, Bernard Langer and Ian Woosnam also played in the tournament.
At a press conference held to announce the tournament, PGA Champions Tour president Mike Stevens said that the tournament had been an unprecedented success in all senses of the word -- given the DR's hospitality and the extent that the players enjoyed the complete experience. Our players and our work team are looking forward to returning to Cap Cana in 2009," he said. Players will compete for a US$315,000 prize for the winner, and a US$2.1 million purse. The Cap Cana Championship will be transmitted by The Golf Channel for North America, Europe and the Caribbean and ESPN Latin America for Latin America. Golf Digest magazine has ranked the Punta Espada course among the 100 best courses outside of the US. Forbes also lists it among the 10 best golf courses in the Caribbean, and Robb Report's "Best of the Best" featured it as one of the most extraordinary golf courses around the world. The course opened in November 2006 and is operated by Troon Golf. The Champions Tour is open to golfers over the age of 50. In 2009, it will be in its 30th year.
Dominican Fashion Week
DR1 has the early scoop on Dominican Fashion Week:
Dominican Fashion Week opens next week in Santo Domingo at the Occidental Embajador Hotel. Twenty-three runway passes have been programmed for the 13-18 October benefit that will run from noon to 10pm. Innovating and new-to-market Dominican designers are joined by well known Dominican designers and guest designers from abroad. This is the third year of the popular event that this year includes a dedication to South American design with presentations of designers from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. New this year, the event also presents a trade exhibition where companies showcase textiles, design and fashion accessories. The event is a benefit for local charity groups.
Oktober Fest in Puerto Plata
DR1 is reporting on the first Oktober Fest in Puerto Plata:
The first Dominican Oktober Fest will take place Friday, 3 October through Sunday, 5 October in Puerto Plata. It will be a weekend with music, live performances, German gastronomy and the possibility to taste more than 50 different beers from the world over. The event will be centered at the Fun City Action Park in Puerto Plata.
Imported beers and the locally-produced beers will have their weekend. There will be beers from Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and the DR.
But there will be much more. Performers Krispy, DJ Mariela, DJ Newton, Mojiganga, Banda Gorda, Jazz Tropical, Silvio Mora, Masters & Friends, Rene Arena, Brugal Orchestra, Sergio Vargas have been booked for the event. A pageant to choose Miss Dominican Fest will also be held.
The event is sponsored by Brugal & Co., Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (Presidente Beer), Cerveceria Vegana (Quisqueya beer), Ambev Dominicana (Brahma beer), World Premium Beverage, LTU Airways, Puerto Plata Village, Century 21, Banco Santa Cruz, Canal 50, Helados Bon, Pizza Hut. It also has the support of the city governments of Puerto Plata and Sosua, the Association of German Residents in Sosua and Cabarete, Casa Goethe, 21 Century-Juan Perdomo, Ocean World, Sosua Ocean Village, among others.
Oktober Fest began when Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Theressa Von Sacasen-Hildburghausen of Bavaria married on 17 October 1810. Since then it has continued strong in Munich and in cities all around the world.
Chris Evert Hosts Reception to launch her new Tennis Center at Costa Blanca, Dominican Republic
September 16, 2008 - Miami, FL - Chris Evert, the world-renowned tennis icon and new wife of golf legend, Greg Norman, recently headed to Miami's sandy shores for a private reception at the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key. The highly-anticipated event played host to Miami's elite and top media figures. The couple, who recently made a media splash with their whirlwind romance, became an item when Chris Evert began working with The Great White forming Tennis Villages in his resort residential developments throughout the world. Chris Evert chose Miami as the city in which to formally announce her new Tennis Center, which will be alongside her husband's first PGA quality course in the Dominican Republic.
Resort boom in Dominican Republic
Course architect Tom Marzolf normally is an understated fellow. But here on the 18th tee of Corales Golf Club, perched on the Caribbean shore, the senior design associate of Tom Fazio is not even pretending to contain himself. "This could be one of the great holes anywhere," Marzolf gushes.
Golfweek is reporting on the resort and golf course building scene in the DR:
Course architect Tom Marzolf normally is an understated fellow. But here on the 18th tee of Corales Golf Club, perched on the Caribbean shore, the senior design associate of Tom Fazio is not even pretending to contain himself. "This could be one of the great holes anywhere," Marzolf gushes.
As he and his entourage survey the scene, a large passenger plane crosses above them on its descent into nearby Punta Cana International Airport. It's the world's only privately owned international airport - built and operated by the same Dominican consortium that developed Punta Cana Resort and Corales GC.
I have been lucky enough to golf in the DR and I would go back in a heartbeat. Some of these new courses look and sound amazing, and of course you have one of the original great courses of the Caribbean at Casa de Campo, the Teeth of The Dog. Old and new, the Dominican Republic is a great golf destination.
