Beauty & Sustainability: Caribbean holiday properties that offer both

What if you could have your dream vacation in the Caribbean, and know that your vacation helped promote sustainable development and tourism at the same time? A new website called Caribbean Experiences can help you do just that.

An initiative of the Organization of American States Department of Trade and Tourism (DTT), through its Caribbean STEP Program (Small Tourism Enterprises Program), the website – which launches this month – features properties that demonstrate "innovation, high quality vacation experiences and environmental stewardship".

The site features not just accommodation facilities, but offers travelers a site to search for various STEP recognized properties while also featuring details of top attractions in each of the participating Caribbean destinations. As of now, those destinations are: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and, Trinidad and Tobago.

"The Caribbean Experiences website offers an exciting new way for travelers to discover the authentic features of the Caribbean. By staying at these leading small properties visitors have an exceptional vacation and can feel confident that they have been part of a product that reflects responsible tourism practices," says Richard Campbell, Tourism Section Chief at the DTT.

The ever-growing list of properties who have participated in and been approved by the DTT's Caribbean STEP programme are:

ANTIGUA

• Tradewinds www.twhantigua.com
• Anchorage Inn www.antiguaanchorageinn.com
• Long Bay Hotel www.longbayhotel.com
• Admiral Inn www.admiralsantigua.com/english/history.htm
• Heritage House www.carib-hotels.com/antigua/heritage%20hotel/english/hotel.htm
• South Coast Horizons www.southcoasthorizons.com
• Catamaran Hotel and Marina www.catamaran-antigua.com
• Coconut Beach Club www.coconutbeachclub.com

BAHAMAS

• Quality Inn Cigatoo
• Gems at Paradise www.gemsatparadise.com/v2/index.htm
• Sugar Apple Bed and Breakfast www.sugarapplebb.com

BARBADOS

• Pirate Inn http://piratesinnbarbados.com
• South Gap Hotel http://southgapbarbados.com
• Yellow Bird http://yellowbirdbarbados.com
• Plum Tree Club www.barbadosplumtreeclub.com
• Worthing Court Apartments www.worthingcourt.com

BELIZE

• Machaca Hills www.machacahill.com
• Great House www.greathousebelize.com
• San Pedro Hotel www.sanpedroholiday.com
• Villa Boscardi www.villaboscardi.com
• Windy Hill www.windyhillresort.com
• San Ignacio www.sanignaciobelize.com
• Lamanai Outpost www.lamanai.com
• Black Orchid Resort / Belize R Us www.blackorchidresort.com

DOMINICA

• Garraway Hotel www.garrawayhotel.com
• Castle Comfort Lodge www.castlecomfortdivelodge.com
• Beau Rive Hotel www.beaurive.com
• Exotica Cottages www.exotica-cottages.com
• Evergreen Hotel www.avirtualdominica.com/evergreen.htm
• Jungle Bay Resort & Spa www.junglebaydominica.com
• Papillote Wilderness Retreat Inn www.papillote.dm
• Rainforest Shangri La www.rainforestshangrilaresort.com
• Sunset Bay www.sunsetbayclub.com

GRENADA

• True Blue Hotel www.truebluebay.com
• Blue Horizon www.grenadabluehorizons.com
• Flamboyant www.flamboyant.com

GUYANA

• The Residence Inn http://rri.hnconsultancy.com
• Cara Lodge www.carahotels.com/guyana_lodge/index.php
• Grand Coastal Inn www.grandcoastal.com

JAMAICA

• Hotel Mocking Bird www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com
• Rondel Village www.rondelvillage.com
• Morgan's Harbour www.morgansharbour.com
• Village Hotel www.villagehoteljamaica.com
• Hibiscus lodge Hotel www.hibiscusjamaica.com
• Negril Escape Resort www.negrilescape.com
• Christar Villas www.christarvillashotel.com
• Relax Resort www.relax-resort.com

NEVIS

• The Hermitage www.hermitagenevis.com
• Golden Rock www.golden-rock.com
• Montpelier Plantation Inn www.montpeliernevis.com
• Oualie Beach Hotel www.oualiebeach.com

ST. KITTS

• Ocean Terrace www.oceanterraceinn.com
• Rawlins Plantation www.rawlinsplantation.com
• Ottleys Plantation Inn www.islandinns.com/ottleysplantation.html
• Timothy Beach Resort www.timothybeach.com
• The Golden lemon Inn and Villas www.goldenlemon.com
• Bird Rock Beach Hotel www.birdrockbeach.com
• Frigate Bay Resort www.frigatebay.com
• Palms Hotel www.palmshotel.com

ST. LUCIA

• Palm Haven Hotel www.palmhavenhotel.com
• Harmony Suites www.harmonysuites.com
• Auberge Seraphine www.aubergeseraphine.com
• Habitat Terrace www.habitatterrace.com
• Zamaca http://zamaca.com
• Villa Beach Cottage www.villabeachcottages.com
• Caribbean Jewel Resort www.caribbeanjewelresort.com
• Stonefield Estate Villa Resort www.stonefieldvillas.com
• Fond Doux Estate www.fonddouxestate.com
• Vista Villas
• La Haut Plantation www.lahaut.com

ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

• Grenadine House www.grenadinehouse.com
• Bequia Beach Hotel www.bequiabeach.com
• Beachcomber Hotel www.beachcombershotel.com
• Grand View www.grandviewhotel.com
• Sunset Shores www.sunsetshores.com
• Mariners Hotel www.marinershotel.com
• Villa Lodge Hotel www.villalodgehotel.com
• Rosewood Apartment Hotel www.rosewoodsvg.com/
• Fairview Guesthouse http://caribbeansunenterprises.net
• Hotel Alexandrina www.hotelalexandrina.com
• Young Island Resort www.youngisland.com
• Friendship Bay Resort

SURINAME

• The Residence Inn www.resinn.com/rooms-a-services/residence- inn-paramaribo
• Kristal Apartments www.kristal-apartments.com
• Kekemba Apartments www.kekemba.info
• Guesthouse Amice www.guesthouse-amice.sr

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

• Royal Hotel www.royalhoteltt.com
• Tradewinds www.tradewindshotel.net/Info_page.htm
• Cara www.carahotels.com/trinidad/index.php
• Coblenz www.coblentzinn.com
• Blue Haven Hotel www.bluehavenhotel.com
• Cuffie River Nature Retreat & Lodge www.cuffie-river.com
• Deyna's City Inn www.deynascityinn.com
• The Chancellor Hotel www.thechancellorhotel.com
• Marion’s Hotel www.marions-place.com
• Kariwak Village / Holistic Haven and Hotel www.kariwak.com
• Blue Waters Inn www.bluewatersinn.com
• The Speyside www.speysideinn.com
• Wave Crest Apartments http://grenadawavecrest.com
• Petit Careme Villa www.petitcareme.com
• Plantation Beach Villas www.plantationbeachvillas.com