More than 32 million people visited the Caribbean in 2023, and that number should be eclipsed by the end of this year. In other words, the Caribbean is more popular than ever — deepening its position not just as the world’s premier warm-weather destination but, in our opinion, as the most complex, diverse, vibrant destination on the planet. We work hard to convey how layered, how distinctive, the Caribbean is across its more than 30 different destinations.
With the Caribbean Travel Awards, now in its 11th annual edition, we celebrate the mosaic of Caribbean travel excellence across 36 different categories ranging from the Caribbean Destination of the Year to the region’s leading chef to its top tourism executive, as voted on by the world’s foresmost experts on Caribbean travel: the Caribbean Journal Editorial Team, who have nearly a century of experience traversing the Caribbean, exploring the region in depth and immersing themselves in the Caribbean with on-the-ground travel.
“This is the 11th edition of the Caribbean Travel Awards, and the tapestry of Caribbean tourism has never been more dynamic,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “The Caribbean continues to evolve: new hotels redefine the hospitality experience; all-inclusive resorts reinvent the concept; destinations look not just to sustainability but to regenerative travel; and the world’s most exciting culinary destination just keeps tasting better. We’re extremely optimistic about what’s next in the Caribbean, and with this year’s awards we honor the people and places that are working so hard to keep pushing it forward. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!”
Destination of the Year: The Bahamas
After a record-breaking year in 2023, The Bahamas has reinforced its position as a Caribbean tourism powerhouse this year, with a continued surge in air and sea arrivals, a booming hotel pipeline and a commitment to sustainability that isn’t just welcome — it’s essential in a country of 700 islands and cays that is in many ways defined by the sea. But it’s been comprehensive growth — not just in Nassau and Paradise Island, where travelers keep flocking for its blend of world-class resorts, a cutting-edge culinary scene and a commitment to on-the-ground experiences to the exciting develpoments in Out Islands like Eleuthera, which is seeing strong growth in new airlift and renewed hotel expansion. By virtue of its size, The Bahamas is a travel universe unto itself. And for a destination that says it’s “Better in The Bahamas,” well, it’s getting better and better.
Caribbean Hotel of the Year: British Colonial Nassau
Nassau Harbour’s classic hotel celebrated its 100th birthday this year — but after a $100 million renovation, the newly-relaunched British Colonial is practically a brand-new hotel. When we stayed here after the reopening, what was striking was just how exquisitely the property managed to preserve its historic charm while catering to the needs of today’s traveler. From the always-beautiful beach to one of the world’s great hotel lobbies, the British Colonial isn’t just a gem of a Caribbean hotel; it’s also a symbol of the continued renaissance of downtown Nassau — a movement that has turned this corner of the Bahamian capital into a new level of destination.
Caribbean Small Hotel of the Year: Blancaneaux Lodge, Belize It began life as legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s private lodge, and now it’s a remarkable jungle retreat in the heart of Belize’s Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Everything here is intimate, thoughtful and luxurious; it’s a place where you can dive right into the natural wonders that define Belize and savor the property’s particular take on Caribbean luxury. From the thatched-roof rooms to the lovely Jaguar Bar, it’s a truly unique, bucket-list travel destination.
New Caribbean Hotel of the Year: Six Senses La Sagesse, Grenada
Exciting things are happening in Grenada right now, and the first-ever Six Senes to open in the Caribbean is right at the center of it. The 71-room resort, which welcomed its first guests in April, is set on the island’s fantastic La Sagesse Beach, with a plunge pool in every room, a collection of high-design villas and Six Senses’ extraordinary blend of modern luxury and immersive wellness. It’s a hotel that fits in seamlessly with Grenada’s burgeoning identity as a global sustainability destination, and instantly in the pantheon of top Caribbean hotels.
Caribbean All-Inclusive of the Year: Galley Bay, Antigua
The story at Galley Bay starts with the natural beauty. Every time we’ve stayed here, we’ve remarked at how breathtakingly beautiful it is, from the lagoon to the beach to the myriad birds singing from the trees all day long. But Galley Bay isn’t just a beautiful place. It’s one of the world’s great destination all-inclusives, from its true toes-in-the-sand rooms to the endlessly comfortable Gauguin cottages (with private plunge pools) to the rum shack to the food at Ismay’s. This is a resort that oozes romance, and it’s the archetype of what the modern luxury traveler is seeking out.
Small All-Inclusive of the Year: Keyonna Beach, Antigua
This lovely “barefoot” Caribbean all-inclusive manages to convey the essence of what we love about small all-inclusive resorts: the combination of a boutique feel with the convnience of the all-inclusive concept. At Keyonna, you can enjoy locally-focused food with a beautiful layout that marries plunge pool cottages with toes-in-the-sand bali beds and a commitment to delivering a truly Antiguan experience.
New All-Inclusive of the Year: Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres
Marriott has been making a dedicated push into the all-inclusive space for the last five years, adding new All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy properties across the Caribbean-Mexico region. But its new Luxury Collection resort on the lovely little island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun might be its crown jewel right now, with 105 rooms in a direct-oceanfront setting with a terrific spa. Almare just opened its doors this fall, and it’s instantly one of the region’s must-visit all-inclusive destinations.
Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year: Chester Cooper, The Bahamas
Most Ministers of Tourism have one island in their portfolio. For I. Chester Cooper, there are 16. Such is the breadth and extent of The Bahamas as a tourism destination, where Cooper has helped oversee a post-pandemic tourism renaissance, with a continued-booming hotel pipeline, fast-growing airlift, a powerhouse cruise industry and a wave of ongoing airport redevelopments across the country — all while helping to usher in a new focus on sustainability across the destination.
Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year: Mrs. Rosa Harris, Cayman Islands
How do you balance luxury with authenticity? Development with identity? How do you manage growth to ensure that it’s sustainable? For years, Mrs. Rosa Harris has been expertly handling the challenge of leading one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated luxury destinations, cultivating new airlift, navigating the post-pandemic reopening and helping to foster a climate that welcomes new hotel development while working passionately to preserve the unique, kind, friendly charm that defines the Cayman Islands. And it seems like she’s still just getting started. We’re excited to see what’s next.
Caribbean Tourist Board of the Year: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority
In the last decade, no destination has seen quite such dramatic growth as the twin-island destination of Antigua and Barbuda, which has gone from being something of a well-guarded secret to one of the most sought-after places to visit in the Caribbean, with an impressive portfolio of hotels, strong airlift, a world-class airport and an impressive degree of authenticity across the tourism sector. And that’s in large part thanks to the efforts of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, which, under the stewardship of CEO Colin C. James, continues to be a model for the proactive, innovative, creative Caribbean tourist board.
Caribbean Hotelier of the Year: Martein van Wagenberg, Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth
St Barth might be the most challenging hotel market in the Caribbean: an extremely competitive, ultra-luxe collection of hotels and some of the most discerning, demanding travelers anywhere in the world. And for decades, Martein van Wagenberg has helped to steward the island’s most famous, most celebrated resort: the Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth. With his exacting, meticulous, guest-focused hotel philosophy, van Wagenberg has cultivated a hard-to-match ambience and culture, including through the post-pandemic transition to the Rosewood brand. A true legend of Caribbean hospitality, he is for many the standard to which general managers and managing directors hold themselves to in the Caribbean — and continues to raise that standard on St Barth’s Grand Cul de Sac beach.
Caribbean Sustainable Hotel of the Year: Jakes, Jamaica
Sustainability is term that’s thrown around quite a bit these days, but at its core it’s about making sure the impact of tourism is beneficial, lasting and deep. This boutique resort in Jamaica’s exquisitely beautiful Treasure Beach has made the community a centerpiece of its tourism philosophy for decades, with an overarching sustainability manifesto that applies to everything from supproring local entrepreneurs to local farming to regenerative fishing practices. That’s along with a broad green program that includes solar water heating and a chemically-free pool. When you stay at Jakes, you’re not just staying at a Caribbean hotel — you’re living in the heart of Treasure Beach.
Caribbean Wellness Resort of the Year: Kokomo Botanical Resort, Turks and Caicos
What is wellness? Yes, it’s about spa treatments and healthy eating and mental serenity, but it’s about more than that. It’s about body and soul. At this lovely boutique resort set within a tropical garden in Providenciales, wellness is a holistic concept, from the stunningly good Balinese spa to the meticulously-crafted food. A residential resort, Kokomo and its endlessly serene environs provide a respite from the noise of the world and a place to re-balance your energy. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Turks and Caicos, but perhaps not for long.
Caribbean Culinary Resort of the Year: Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
When you have as many different amenities as the Dominican Republic’s Casa de Campo does (spa, wellness, golf, equestrian and more), it can be easy to forget that the La Romana resort is also a world-class foodie destination, with countless restaurants touching every cuisine from classic Dominican fare to a Mexican taqueria to a traditional Italian trattoria. But Casa de Campo continues to up its game, too, including its new Food & Wine Festival, which just held its second edition and reinforced the property’s place as one of the Caribbean’s great gourmet outposts.
Caribbean Golf Resort of the Year: Aurora Anguilla
It’s one of the most beautiful courses in the Caribbean: The International Course at Aurora Anguilla, the luxury resort that has quietly developed a world-class golf offering over the last few years that includes the signature Greg Norman design and an equally stunning short course called Avalon Links. That, along with outstanding practice facilites and an on-site golf academy, have helped to turn the resort not just into the most complete hotel in Anguilla but one of the best destination golf resorts in the hemisphere.
Caribbean Dive Resort of the Year: Buddy Dive, Bonaire
From the drive-through tank system to its coral reef restoration, Bonaire’s Buddy Dive Resort continues to cement its position as not just the Caribbean dive resort leader but a model for a conservation-focused, regenerative resort. Buddy Dive is also the rare dive-focused resort that is equally accessible to the non-diver, whether you just want to snorkel or you’re looking for a family-friendly, warm, residential-style experience that is a portal to life in Bonaire.
Innovative Destination of the Year: Belize
Belize is two destinations in one: on one side, there are rainforests, reefs and jungles; on the other, reefs, beaches and offshore cays. What’s remarkable is how expertly the country has been able to blend the two into a unified, accessible, easy-to-explore experience, one that just keeps getting better and better. But it’s not just the way they’ve been able to tell their story and make it work — the destination has also been a leader in digital innovation within the Caribbean tourism industry, including its just-launched digital arrival portal for air passengers.
Caribbean Culinary Destination of the Year: St Croix, USVI
When you walk the streets of downtown Christiansted, you can easily feel like you’re in a kind of mini-New Orleans, where there seems to be a world-class restaurant on every back corner. In recent years, St Croix’s culinary prowess has only grown, both in Christiansted and beyond, from the world-class eateries like Savant and Too Chez to the fantastic tiki bar called Breakers Roar on the boardwalk. This is a place for gourmands and bon vivants, whether for a weekend or a week or two.
Caribbean Cruise Destination of the Year: St Kitts
It’s one of the best-designed cruise ports in the Caribbean, and Port Zante’s village-style layout remains one of the best off-the-ship experiences for cruise passengers in the Caribbean. But that’s of course just the beginning of why the island is such a great place for ships to call, with a wide range of beloved activities all over the island, from its uber-popular scenic railway to Cockleshell Bay, one of the region’s great beach bar-hopping stops.
Sustainable Destination of the Year: Grenada
From the local organic farms that supply produce to many of its hotels to the Caribbean’s premier voluntourism offering, the Eastern Caribbean island of Grenada has put sustainability at the forefront. But it’s not lip service — sustainability, community and engagement and regenreation are all at the core of Grenada’s identity: and that means a country where nearly every experience is about making a lasting, authentic connection.
Caribbean Cultural Destination of the Year: Curacao
It’s hard to walk 10 feet in Willemstad without feeling something new, hearing something you’ve never heard, or making some great discovery. It’s a truly vibrant Caribbean city, and it’s the essence of what makes Curacao’s cultural offering so rich: the art galleries, the live music, the palpable, immersible history. Curacao has a sound, a vibe, a taste all its own, and the Dutch Caribbean island has cultivated a rareifed niche as a culture-strong hotspot.
Experiential Destination of the Year: Nassau and Paradise Island
It’s what travelers want these days. They want to explore, they want to get out of the hotel and eat, shop, live and engage with communities. And it’s hard to think of a better place to do that than Nassau and Paradise Island, from its remarkably transformed, walkable historic downtown to its art galleries, craft shops, street food spots, fine-dining restaurants and live music, all part of a cornucopia of experiences that are all easy to reach and easy to access. Nassau and Paradise Island is a destination that’s all about experiential travel, and it just keeps getting better.
Caribbean Adventure Destination of the Year: St Kitts
Some of the best hiking in the Caribbean. A robust watersports offering. A world-famous swimming race. Off-roading. Horseback riding. Volcano exploring. While St Kitts is in some ways still one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets, those in the know appreciate the island’s broad adventure offering, anchored by its position as one of the Caribbean’s most naturally beautiful islands.
Event Destination of the Year: US Virgin Islands
With the reopening of the USVI’s biggest venue, the Frenchman’s Reef resort complex, the territory has returned to its rightful place as one of the Caribbean’s prime meetings and event hotspots, with all of the ingredients you need: a business-friendly environment, exceptionally easy air access and a strong hotel product ready to meet the meets of every kind of event, whether a hotel conference or an NCCA basketball tournament.
Luxury Destination of the Year: Turks and Caicos Islands
The Shore Club. Ambergris Cay. Point Grace. The Ritz-Carlton. Parrot Cay. You can go on and on with the list of top luxury resorts in Turks and Caicos, a destination that has only deepened its position as a top Caribbean luxury destination since the pandemic. Turks and Caicos is also carving out an exclusive niche in arguably the most popular trend within luxury travel: the residential resort, where spacious condos and large villas coalesce to form a different kind of hospitality experience.
Caribbean Wedding Destination of the Year: Aruba
Aruba has made a major push in recent years to promote the ease and quality of its weddings, from beach cermonies to the large-scale vow renewals, too. And thanks to its combination of large, comfortable resorts, robust, wide-ranging air access and a friendly, welcoming vibe, it’s a hard-to-match destination for your big day.
Caribbean Honeymoon Destination of the Year: Antigua and Barbuda
You may know that the twin-island hotspot of Antigua and Barbuda is home to 365 beaches or, as locals like to say, a beach for every day of the year. But Antigua and Barbuda’s natural environment makes it a perfect honeymoon spot: uncrowded, pristine beaches, a number of which are home to the kinds of adults-only, all-inclusive luxury resorts that are tailor made for post-wedding getaways. In short, Antigua and Barbuda is just about the perfect honeymoon location in the Caribbean, something more and more travelers are starting to realize.
Caribbean Beach Destination of the Year: French Saint Martin
While St Martin rightly gets praise for its world-class food, sometimes the island’s breathtaking beaches get lost in the shuffle. But on the French side of the island you will encounter a surfeit of top-level beaches, from uncrowded spots like Friar’s Bay and Baie Rouge to bustling party beaches like Orient Bay and tiny islands like Pinel. It all adds up to one of the region’s truly great beach destinations.
Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year: The US Virgin Islands
St Thomas. St Croix. St John. Water Island. Buck Island. That’s just the beginning of the adventure for sailors and charter boat travelers in the USVI, which has quietly become a top destination for yachting in the post-pandemic period thanks to its safety, ease of island hopping and striking natural beauty. That you can also hop over to the BVI right next door makes it a hard-to-match maritime getaway.
Caribbean Airport of the Year: Princess Juliana International Airport, St Maarten
It’s been a long time coming for Princess Juliana International Airport, but the result is worth the wait: the completely renovated airport just debuted its arrivals terminal, and that, combined with its already-opened departure hall, is a sparkling, clean, well-designed facility that lives up to the airport’s identity as a prominent Caribbean air hub.
Caribbean Villa Company of the Year: Wimco St Barth Properties
It’s the single biggest thing in travel right now, particularly in the luxury segment: villas. Travelers want the space, they want the comfort, they want the amenities and they want the privacy. It’s a trend that largely took off during the pandemic, and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. But one company continues to set the standard: Wimco St Barth Properties, the leading villa operator on the French Caribbean island and one with an impressive approach, from its diverse collections of villas to its unique concierge offering, which supplies every villa with a dedicated concierge that can do everything from make dinner reservations to find that impossible-to-locate brand of foie gras at the market.
Caribbean Airline of the Year: Cape Air
It’s no small feat to run a regional airline in the Caribbean, meeting the needs of citizens, residents and island hoppers alike. But for decades, Cape Air has done just that out of its Caribbean base in San Juan, helping to connect people with some of the smallest, most remote places in the region, and adding new routes, too, including just-debuted flights to St Kitts and Anguilla.
Caribbean Residential Resort of the Year: Secret Bay, Dominica
It’s one of the biggest trends in travel, something we’ve covered extensively: the residential resort, where hospitality and real estate converge into a hybrid experience that satisfies the biggest demands of today’s luxury traveler: space, comfort and seclusion. At Dominica’s top luxury resort, the property has a collection of luxe villas — and continues to add more villas for sale.
Caribbean Restaurant of the Year: Graycliff, The Bahamas
We’ve long said there’s no more memorable meal in the whole Caribbean, and if you’ve been to this centuries-old destination restaurant in the hills above old Nassau, you understand. The Garzaroli continues to steward a marvelous, romantic experience that marries truly impeccable service with some of the best sourcing in the hemisphere.
Caribbean Chef of the Year: David Benjamin, St Thomas
They call him Benji, and the star chef behind St Thomas’ celebrated Blue Eleven continues to serve up an exquisite, inspired chef’s table tasting menu at his Yacht Haven Grande location. Benjamin continues to set the standard for modern Caribbean cuisine, and we’re excited to watch his continued growth.
Caribbean Bar of the Year: La Part des Anges, St Martin
It’s set adjacent to one of the top restaurants in the Caribbean, and this intimate, clubby boutique-style bar fits right in. Home to several hundred of the region’s rarest rums (along with an impressive humidor), it’s a full-fledged rum sanctuary, with a cool indoor-outdoor design that brings the energy of Grand Case right into the room. If you love rum, this is a true pilgrimage destination..
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