Last Word: Optimism Returns

One of my favorite Caribbean resorts, Malliouhana in Anguilla, will reopen on November 1 after a comprehensive refurbishment. The rebirth of this classic property seems somehow symbolic. The Caribbean suffered greatly as a result of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, and nowhere more so than Anguilla, where resorts stood empty and major hotel and real estate projects were abandoned. Today, the Caribbean is a much more cheerful place. Aside from Kittitian Hill, upscale resorts such as the Capella Marigot Bay in St. Lucia and the Pink Sands Club on Canouan in the Grenadines will debut this fall. The new Eden Roc at Cap Cana has brought a new level of luxury to the Dominican Republic, while the Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France has been refreshed and will reopen in October as a Cheval Blanc (LVMH) resort.

For a while I have wondered — to paraphrase Churchill — whether we were at the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end, of the recession. But suddenly, it feels as though it really is over. I am pleased to say that this mood of optimism is confirmed by our Travel Office, which to date in 2014 has seen a 17 percent increase in year-on-year bookings — for which 
I sincerely thank you!