The latest resorts to reopen in Aruba, Bermuda, SVG

TORONTO — Though Canada’s mandatory 14-day quarantine has just been extended to Sept. 30 for anyone arriving in or returning to the country, Canadians can take comfort knowing that a growing number of resorts have announced their reopening, ready to welcome back guests when they feel comfortable enough to travel again.

The latest properties to reopen their doors, or announce upcoming reopening dates, include Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Canouan Estate Resort & Villas, and The Excellence Collection, all of which are located in popular Sun destinations.

Here are some updates:

HYATT REGENCY ARUBA RESORT SPA AND CASINO, Aruba

Located on Aruba’s famed Palm Beach, this beachfront property is once again welcoming guests following a multi-million-dollar renovation. Highlights include a new adults-only pool featuring 10 outdoor cabanas, a transformed ZoiA Spa, a new Regency Club, 44 new slot machines and a redesigned layout in the casino, additional outdoor event space, and new outdoor dining experiences under the stars. There’s also a new Wellness and Wellbeing Manager who can create stress-free experiences for guests such as aerial and beach yoga, meditation, and water and land excursions.

The latest resorts to reopen in Aruba, Bermuda, SVG & more

HYATT REGENCY ARUBA RESORT SPA AND CASINO

To celebrate the reopening, the resort is offering 15% off accommodations and complimentary breakfast for guests who book qualifying stays by Sept. 8, 2020. Click here for more details.

Hyatt Regency Aruba also incorporated the updated guidelines from Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, as well as created a Hygiene Team that meets on a daily basis to discuss best practices. Guests can now expect to find hand sanitizer stations throughout the resort, enhanced food measures and hygiene protocols, the absence of high-touch items in guestrooms, frequent cleanings of public spaces and guestrooms, wellness and temperature checks, in-room care packages that include face masks and sanitizer, social distancing signage and knock-and-go room service.

For more information on Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment go to hyatt.com/care-and-cleanliness. For more information on Aruba’s entry requirements go to click here.

HAMILTON PRINCESS & BEACH CLUB, Bermuda

Located in Hamilton, Bermuda, this beloved resort reopened its doors on Aug. 28 with new health and safety protocols developed by parent company Accor. These include temperature checks for everyone entering the property, mandatory masks throughout indoor public spaces, and limited number of guests in elevators. Each guestroom comes with a wellness kit that includes masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.

Hamilton Princess Bermuda

To provide extra peace of mind for visitors, the resort, through Accor and in partnership with AXA, is providing complimentary medical support to in-house guests. This means that any guest with a non-urgent medical need can be put in touch with a medical practitioner over the phone for no cost.

“The global pandemic of COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on our industry, our island and our team members,” said Tim Morrison, General Manager. “We are extremely grateful for the support of our colleagues during this difficult time. I know that we all look forward to getting back to work and demonstrating our famous hospitality and world-class service to all those who stay with us.”

For more information on new safety protocols go to www.ALLSafeandWell.com.

CANOUAN ESTATE RESORT & VILLAS, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Canouan Estate Villas & Residences has reopened to guests with a brand new name, look and feel. Now known as Canouan Estate Resort & Villas, the luxury property also boasts an updated website featuring new booking capabilities, a new logo, updated collateral and a new on-property team, all of which are part of its comprehensive rebrand strategy.

“Our goal is to provide each of our guests with a seamless and unforgettable experience from the moment of booking until they return home, making it easy and stress-free to plan their escape, especially in these times,” said General Manager Cinzia Occioni.

The world-class villa-resort offers elegant accommodations, championship golf and private jet access. Each villa comes with its own villa host who can arrange anything from pre-stocking food items to tours and excursions. There are also four restaurants and bars, a complimentary kids and teens club as well as babysitting services, at an additional charge.

For more information go to www.canouan-estate.com.

For Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ new entry requirements click here.

EXCELLENCE RESORTS AND BELOVED HOTELS

The sister hotel brands have announced updated reopening dates for a couple of properties. Beloved Playa Mujeres is now scheduled to reopen on Dec. 13 (previously Oct. 1), while Excellence El Carmen and Excellence Punta Cana will reopen on Oct. 24 (previously Sept. 20).

Guests with existing arrival dates at Beloved Playa Mujeres between Oct. 1 and Dec. 12, 2020 will be automatically accommodated at neighbouring Finest Playa Mujeres. Guests’ current rates will be honoured and they will be accommodated in suite categories equivalent to their current reservation, within the adults-only Excellence Club section.

Guests who booked a suite-only reservation with affected dates (not a flight package) via the company’s official websites or through the Call center will not need to do anything; their reservation will be moved to Finest Playa Mujeres automatically and they will be contacted via email with their new reservation information in the following weeks.

If a guest wishes to keep their reservation at Beloved Playa Mujeres, they can op to move their date though The Excellence Collection cannot honour their current rate.

For affected guests who have existing arrival dates at Excellence Punta Cana or Excellence El Carmen between Sept. 20 and Oct. 23, 2020, they have three options available to them:

If they wish to keep their travel dates, it is recommended they move their reservation to sister property Finest Playa Mujeres in Cancun. Current rates will be honoured and they will be assigned an equivalent suite category, within its adults-only Excellence Club section. They will also be granted a certificate for two free nights for an additional future stay at any property within The Excellence Collection (by Dec. 23, 2021). If choosing this option, the arrival date of their new reservation at Finest Playa Mujeres must fall before the reopening date of Oct. 24, 2020 at their original hotel.
Alternatively, guests who wish to keep their travel dates can move their hotel reservation to Excellence Riviera Cancun (Mexico) or Excellence Oyster Bay (Jamaica). Rates will be honoured and an equivalent suite category will be assigned. With this option, the arrival date of their new reservation at Excellence Riviera Cancun or Excellence Oyster Bay must fall before the reopening date of Oct. 24, 2020 at their original hotel.
For guests wishing to stay at Excellence Punta Cana or Excellence El Carmen, they can change their existing reservation to a new date at the same property. The company will honour their rate for their rescheduled stay (all dates of rescheduled stays must fall by Dec. 23, 2021), as well as grant a certificate for two free nights for an additional future stay at any property within The Excellence Collection (for stays before Dec. 23, 2021).

For more information go to https://www.theexcellencecollection.com/coronavirus-travel-information/.

For more reopening updates from other hotels and resorts go to https://www.travelweek.ca/uncategorized/coronavirus-updates-from-major-sun-destination-resort-brands/.