New accommodation, innovative dining experiences and expanded international air connections to St. Kitts are just a few of the many things awaiting visitors to the Caribbean’s award-winning Sugar Isle in 2024.
Accommodation Updates
The luxury resort, the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, unveiled a range of exciting new facilities in late 2023, including the Topgolf Swing Suite®, which combines sport and dining in an intimate space.
Without the square footage required to house an actual golf course, the stylish resort opted to launch the suite, currently the only Topgolf Swing Suite® in the Eastern Caribbean, to offer guests the next best thing.
In addition, new menus were launched at four of the resort’s dining outlets at the end of 2023, namely Great House, Stone Barn, Rampart Pool Bar and In Room Dining. Designed by new Executive Chef Karl Christian Aular, who joined in June 2023, the menus incorporate more locally inspired dishes to take guests on an authentic culinary journey of the destination.
In addition, the resort’s exclusive fine dining Destination Dining program introduced five new signature menus carefully crafted by five of the resort’s chefs, offering distinct culinary experiences for guests at intimate locations on property like The Sugar Mill and Rampart Waterfall cabanas.
The resort also welcomed a new resort & swim retail outlet called Sea Urchin in November 2023. Located at Fisherman’s Village, the boutique offers resort and swimwear, top-brand fragrances and local souvenirs.
Finally, Banana Bay Market was opened in December to offer added convenience for guests, offering fresh coffee, baked goods, light fare, snacks, skincare, branded apparel, locally produced confections, condiments and gifts, among other merchandise.
Following the appointment of a new board of directors for its management company, Belmont Resorts Limited, the boutique hotel Belle Mont Farm will be renovated and upgraded in 2024.
The renowned Kittitian/Anguillian hotelier, Mr Eustace Guishard, the Managing Director of Guishard & Associates, has been retained to spearhead the upgrades that will showcase the resort’s design, spa, food, wine, and style of service.
Belle Mont Farm sits at 1,000 feet atop the 400-acre Kittitian Hill development in the heart of the rainforest.
Its personal style of service, splendid West Indian-inspired cottages, and villas with private infinity-edge pools, together with its expansive, stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, true farm-to-table menu and experience, make it the perfect choice for visitors who seek to enjoy a truly singular, upscale, Caribbean and world-class expertise.
Following a two-year renovation project, the beachfront St. Kitts Marriott Resort has re-opened its Emerald Mist Spa. The extensive upgrade saw the 15,000-square-foot spa receive a complete structural and design overhaul as well as brand-new equipment.
It was unveiled at a soft opening in December 2023 and will be fully complete by the end of January 2024.
The luxury spa features a 550 square foot full-service hair salon; six private treatment rooms, including a couple’s treatment room, complete with private bubble bath soaker for two, private plunge pool and shower area; an extensive menu of treatments including
- Massages
- Facials
- Body wraps
- Waxing
- Four manicure and pedicure stations
- Men’s and ladies’ private changing rooms with Jacuzzi and cold plunge pools
The resort will also complete a lobby rejuvenation project in early 2024.
Situated on the Atlantic side of the island, St. Kitts Marriott Resort is fringed by a well-kept expanse of beach, with a protected swimming area and is perfectly located for visiting the bars and restaurants of Frigate Bay.
St. Kitts’ Timothy Beach Resort has received several upgrades in the past 12 months, including renovation of the pool and beachfront areas and a refresh of the exterior paintwork of all the resort’s buildings.
Under the direction of new General Manager Jewelle Griffin, who was appointed in April 2023, a renovation of the reception area was completed in December 2023. In addition, the resort’s restaurant and beach bar were re-named “The Bistro” and “The Dock Beach Club” and placed under new, external management in December.
Positioned on a golden sand beach in the heart of Frigate Bay, the intimate, 55-room Timothy Beach Resort offers a private freshwater swimming pool with views of the Caribbean Sea and is located a stone’s throw from St. Kitts’ best beach bars and restaurants, where the locals like to dine and “lime”.
New Rooftop Vista
The lively Spice Mill restaurant, with its prime position on Cockleshell Beach, one of the island’s best beaches, will unveil a dramatic, new roof terrace in the first half of 2024. The additional 2,500 sq ft of rooftop space will comprise a grass-thatched roof area with a cocktail bar at one end and an open-air terrace at the other.
Diners will soak up breathtaking views of neighbouring Nevis, accessible from every table, whilst sipping cocktails at sunset.
The bar will serve speciality cocktails featuring the owner, Roger Brisbane’s, signature Hibiscus Spirits, which are created by infusing handpicked and locally grown Roselle Hibiscus calyx, known as sorrel, to flavour the rum and create a natural red colour.
In addition, the rooftop bar will serve a full range of spirits, beer and wine alongside small plates and tapas-style cuisine. The new space will play host to live music and local DJs from Thursday to Sunday.
Increased Connectivity
Building on the launch of the new Makana ferry routes in late 2022, which has made it easier and cheaper for visitors to island-hop between St. Kitts and St. Eustatius (Statia), St. Maarten, and Saba, InterCaribbean Airways (ICA) launched a direct service between St. Kitts and Barbados – three times a week – in March 2023; Liat has increased their schedule between Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts – there are now five roundtrips a week; and Caribbean Airlines initiated service to St. Kitts, in July 2023, further connecting the island to key destinations of Barbados, Trinidad, and Antigua.
JetBlue launched a direct, year-round service from New York (JFK) to St. Kitts three times weekly (Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays) in November 2023, and United Airlines expanded its Newark to St. Kitts service from November 2023 to August 2024 (previously it was Dec – April). The island has also seen the return of weekly Friday and Saturday flights with Air Canada (Toronto to St. Kitts).
Cruise News
January 2024 will see St. Kitts welcome the world’s largest cruise ship to Porte Zante – Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. The increase in cruise calls to the destination provides a significant economic boost for the island. As of 30 September 2023, St. Kitts welcomed 772,528 passengers for the 2022-2023 cruise season, an increase of 50 per cent over the previous year.
Award-Winning Island
St. Kitts has been identified as one of the most exciting places to visit in AFAR’s Where to Go in 2024, a highly-anticipated list from the award-winning travel media brand.
AFAR’s team of editors, contributors and experts selected the top destinations worldwide, going above and beyond to create valuable travel experiences. St. Kitts was the only Caribbean destination included, highlighting the island’s lush rainforests, sunny beaches and deep history with rum.
Additionally, St. Kitts was one of 10 holiday spots and the only Caribbean island featured in American Express Travel’s 2024 Trending Destinations report, the theme of which was “Off the Beaten Path.”
St. Kitts was also awarded the prestigious 2023 Travel Weekly Magellan Gold Accolade for “Caribbean Eco-Friendly Sustainable Destination”. The award recognised St. Kitts as the Caribbean’s eco-tourism gem. With its commitment to sustainable living, thriving rainforests, and breathtaking natural beauty, St. Kitts is a haven for eco-conscious travellers seeking unforgettable experiences in harmony with the environment.
Finally, St. Kitts’ Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Marsha Henderson, was named “Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year” in the 2024 Caribbean Travel Awards, whilst luxury boutique resort Sunset Reef scooped the “Sustainable Hotel of the Year” award.
A Brand New Tourism Website
2023 saw the first major refresh of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s website in over six years, with updated website navigation capabilities and a streamlined approach to content viewing.
Unveiled in September, the new-look website features a collection of stories that reflect the authentic Kittitian way of life, including the art of limin’, feeding your soul, and making time for love.
St. Kitts can be easily reached from the UK via twice-weekly flights from London Gatwick with British Airways.
For more information, go to www.visitstkitts.com.
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