Caribbean Hotels Shut Down

The unprecedented end of travel and tourism caused by the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has prompted hotels and hotel chains around the world to shut down, especially in popular getaways in the Caribbean and Mexico.

It’s a sad reflection of warnings to stay at home, and follows both airlines and passengers cancelling international flights.

As with airlines, some hotels are issuing refunds while others are holding on to your money for a future booking.

ecoXplorer money-saving tip –

Don’t wait for the last minute to cancel your hotel or flight
The hotel might charge you a one-night penalty, and the airline will consider you a no-show, if you cancel less than 24 hours ahead.

Bahamas

By order of the Bahamas government, the island nation is closed to visitors, with airports shut and the population on a 24-hour curfew.

The largest hotel chain in the Bahamas is Atlantis, with five distinct properties, including The Royal, The Reef, The Beach, The Coral and The Cove.

Atlantis also home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, and the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, the resort’s nonprofit, 501 (c)3 organization dedicated to saving marine life and their habitats throughout the Bahamas and surrounding Caribbean.

The company will make a decision on May 15 about a reopening date.

For information on cancellation and rebooking policies, visit www.atlantisbahamas.com/travel-policy.

Sandals Resorts International and Sandals Beaches Resorts

All 19 all-inclusive resorts on seven Caribbean islands are closing from March 30 to May 15, 2020. The company becomes the first major all-inclusive resort chain to close all of its resorts.

“Never could we have imagined the impact the current global health crisis would have on the world,” Butch Stewart, chairman and CEO of Sandals, said in a statement.. “In these unprecedented times, and now more than ever, the safety and health of our valued guests is of paramount importance.”

Stewart said the Caribbean is resilient and has always come back better, stronger and more passionate than ever, as it has after devastating hurricanes.

For more information, visit www.sandals.com.

Marival Resorts

Both of the chain’s upscale resorts on the Riviera Nayarit, close to Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s west coast, are closing for an undetermined length of time.

Marival Armony and Marival District, in Punta Mita, will remain closed “until the health contingency has been lifted and the conditions of operation become totally secure for our guests and staff”, Marival alerted me in an email statement to recent guests.

I stayed at the Armony and at the family-oriented Marival Emotions, and visited the District in November, 2019, and was impressed by both.

Marival is keeping active all current and future reservations. For chances or cancellations, Marival is offering guests these choices, which depend on how the reservation was made:

If you booked through a travel agent, a tour operator, or a third-party website, please contact them directly.

If you made the reservation through our webpage or call center, please call Marival directly at the number in your confirmation email.

All guests who decide to keep their reservation during this period and until the reopening date will be accommodated at Marival^® Armony and Marival^®Distinct‘s sister property, Marival^® Emotions, with a similar room category as the one you have selected in your original reservation, subject to availability.

Iberostar

The popular all-inclusive chain is is closing all but three of its resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Brazil and offering guests several choices.

For stays through April 30, 2020, all no shows and cancelation penalties will be waived.

For stays booked by April 30, 2020 for travel from May 1 to December 21, 2020, new and existing bookings) cancelled at least 24 hours before arrival also will incur no penalty.

Cancellations within 24 hours will result in a one-night penalty. Changes will be permitted without penalty and any price increase will be the responsibility of the customer.

Guests also have the option to change to another property within the same resort category in a different destination with no additional fee or cancellation penalty.

If the rate is lower on the new travel date, the client will be refunded the rate differential. If the client wishes to change the resort category, they would be responsible for any price increases.

There are different cancellation rules for groups, so check with your tour operator or travel agent.

Iberostars remaining open include –