The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman is accepting reservations for the holiday season, a positive sign that the $500 million, 365-room property on Seven Mile Beach will open on December 15. The resort suffered building delays during Hurricane Ivan last year and caused the planned December 2004 grand opening to be put off for a year.

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), was honored in October by two technology groups for successfully reaching the global travel market through its foreign language websites. IHG received a Standard of Excellence Award by the Web Marketing Association´s Web Awards for outstanding achievement in the development of its eight foreign language Web sites.

Following Hurricane Wilma´s passage through Mexico´s Yucatan Peninsula, Club Med confirmed that all guests and staff were safely evacuated from Cancun two days prior to Wilma´s arrival. Club Med has already begun repairs and sketched our additional plans to reopen the popular resort in the spring of 2006.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the opening of its new Parisian landmark hotel, the Westin Paris. Managed by Starwood, the stylish 438-room hotel is located in the center of the French capital. One of the National Treasures of France´s Second Empire dating back to the mid-19th century, The Westin Paris is a luxurious, historic property that offers an enviable location, on the edge of the Tuileries Gardens, and only steps away from the famous Place de la Concorde and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.

Barceló Hotels & Resorts has invested $31 million in the purchase of the prestigious La Jolla de Mismaloya Hotel, an exclusive 5-star establishment with 303 suites, set in a magnificent location in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This luxury hotel, which will now commence trading as the Barceló La Jolla de Mismaloya, was built in 1989 on the site of the sets used by John Huston in 1963 to film one of his most famous films: “The Night of the Iguana”.

The San Juan Marriott in Puerto Rico will begin a $60 million room renovation project, according to a hotel spokeswoman. One of the island´s largest hotels, the San Juan Marriott and Stelaris Casino will be completely remodeling and refurnishing its 511 guest rooms and 14 suites, spokeswoman Catherine Leitner said. The renovation should be finished by next year, she said.