Casa del Mar Beach Golf & Spa, located in the Tourist Corridor of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has started a $2 million-plus renovation and refurbishment, some of which has already begun. Under new ownership and management by Grand Heritage Hotels Group, Casa del Mar´s new enhancements will be carefully planned in different phases to ensure minimum disturbance to its guests. The work is scheduled for completion by October 2006.

Marriott Vacation Club International is planning the development of its first resort on St. Kitts. Slated for occupancy in January 2007, Marriott´s St. Kitts Beach Club will be located on-property with the AAA Four Diamond - St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino, and is proposed to include 88, two- and three-bedroom villas.

Due to the recent openings of four new hotels –RIU Palace Riviera Maya in Mexico, RIU Palace Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Hotel RIU Miramar in Bulgaria and RIU Fantasy Beach in Romania- RIU Hotels & Resorts has once again substantially increased its workforce. Currently, RIU employs over 18,000 people worldwide up from 17,000 at the beginning of 2006 and 7,000 in 1997. This growth is in line with the company´s dynamic expansion over the past decade.

Demonstrating its continued commitment to diversity and inclusion, Hilton Hotels Corporation recently unveiled an ad campaign targeting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. The company is rolling out this first-time campaign beginning in a June issue of a major GLBT magazine and continuing throughout the summer with ads in other major GLBT publications, some of which will be distributed at gay and lesbian pride festivals this year.

Sharks are associated with barristers, beaches, bestsellers and bad bites. Now a new resort in St. Lucia, Le Paradis, is touting a shark´s “bight” to lure in vacation home buyers. “The Shark´s Bight” refers to the signature 14th-hole of Le Paradis Resort and Residences´ new Greg Norman-designed championship course. The name plays off Norman´s moniker and the breathtaking jagged end of the Praslin Bay peninsula.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has chosen Hilton Santo Domingo as one of the Caribbean´s best hotels, rating the establishment as a Four Diamond property for 2006, making it the only property in Santo Domingo to obtain this award. The 21-floor atrium tower Hilton Santo Domingo opened in July 2005 and is located on the city´s oceanfront boulevard, known locally as El Malecon.