U.S. Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Caribbean Nation
U.S. Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Caribbean Nation
Renaldo Matamoro on Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/trinidad-and-tobago/experiences/news/u-s-updates-trinidad-and-tobago-travel-advisory-to-level-3
The U.S. State Department updated its Trinidad and Tobago travel advisory, highlighting crime risks, emergency measures, and safety tips for travelers.
The U.S. State Department updated its advisory for Trinidad and Tobago this week. The Caribbean destination — popular among cruisers — remains at Level 3: Reconsider Travel, but the department has added specific areas of risk and removed kidnapping indicators. It continues to caution travelers due to the risk of crime in the country.
“Reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to crime. There is also a heightened risk of terrorism. Some areas have an increased risk,” the department says. It also notes that violent crime has declined since 2024 due to states of emergency imposed by the government, but crime remains a challenge. Tobago has a lower crime rate than Trinidad, and travelers should be cautious in Port of Spain.
Those employed by the U.S. government are not allowed to travel to various parts of the capital (Laventille, Piccadilly Street, Besson Street and more), and the department also discourages visiting beaches at night. “Exercise increased caution due to limited health care in rural areas on both Trinidad and Tobago. Medical services for routine and emergency procedures in those areas are limited.”
In March, the government of Trinidad and Tobago extended the state of emergency for three more months. The emergency was first declared in December 2024 following gang violence, and the country spent most of 2025 under emergency measures as it grappled with a high crime rate. In the first three months of this year, the island nation recorded more than 60 killings.
During the state of emergency, the government has imposed a number of measures, including searching public and private properties, arresting people on suspicion, and suspending bail for suspects, the U.S. State Department warns. There are no curfews or restrictions, and that could change with little or no notice.
The U.K. Foreign Office advises, “The State of Emergency was introduced following persistent violent crime and criminal activity and gives authorities additional powers of search, arrest and detention.”
A travel advisory does not mean a country is off-limits. You can still travel to destinations with higher risk on the advisory scale, but you are encouraged to remain aware and take additional precautions. Travel insurance is a must, even if it is more expensive for higher-risk destinations.
Flights are available from the U.S. to Port of Spain, and Royal Caribbean is still planning to stop there later this year. The 10-night itinerary takes cruisers to the Southern Caribbean from Panama, with a day in the capital.
If you decide to visit the Caribbean country, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). On March 26, the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel to share security alerts and advisories, updates during emergencies, and consular services. It is also wise to join this channel and stay informed.
The department also recommends that travelers avoid remote or poorly lit areas and drive at night with caution. Do not display signs of wealth and do not physically resist robbery attempts unless forced into a vehicle.
Jumeirah Burj Al Arab announces renovation
https://hotelsmag.com/news/jumeirah-burj-al-arab-announces-renovation/?
Jumeirah has announced that Jumeirah Burj Al Arab will undergo a phased restoration program led by Paris-based interior architect Tristan Auer. The project is planned for approximately 18 months.
The restoration aims to preserve the architectural and cultural identity of the hotel, which has operated continuously since opening in 1999. The 198-suite property is recognized for its Arab dhow sail silhouette and interior design featuring Swarovski crystals, marble, and gold leaf.
“Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is far more than an architectural landmark; it is a symbol of ambition, craftsmanship, and enduring excellence,” said Thomas B. Meier, CEO of Jumeirah. “For the last 27 years, this exceptional property has served guests with the same passion and world-class standards that distinguish it from any other hotel in the world. This restoration program marks a new chapter in the story of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, one that will carefully preserve the heritage of what is currently the sole property in our Jumeirah limited-edition collection of iconic landmark addresses defined by design distinction and prestige.”
“Being entrusted with the very first restoration of a property of this caliber in Dubai, the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, a timeless icon of the region, is a profound privilege. To carry forward, with the utmost dedication, the legacy of such an extraordinary landmark is both an honour and a responsibility,” said Tristan Auer.
Auer founded his studio in Paris in 2002 after working alongside Philippe Starck and Christian Liaigre. His previous projects include the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and the Les Bains Douches transformation.
A member of Dubai Holding, Jumeirah currently operates a portfolio of 29 properties across 11 countries in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Accor augments its luxury hotel brands after decade of acquisitions
Finding the right projects remains the challenge, says firm's Xavier Grange
https://www.costar.com/article/1461103504/accor-augments-its-luxury-hotel-brands-after-decade-of-acquisitions?
BERLIN — Xavier Grange, global chief development officer, Sofitel, Emblems and MGallery, and all luxury brands, Europe and North Africa at Accor, said even if brands have the scale, history, and color of a global hotel firm such as Accor behind them, building a brand remains a very tough proposition.
Technical rigor and deep market expertise are required, he added, speaking to CoStar News Hotel at the 2026 International Hotel Investment Forum EMEA in March.
“To be honest, at the beginning, it was difficult, the feeling of being at the bottom of a big world, looking up … now is the time we need to do something,” he said.
That “something,” he said, was refreshing and relaunching the Sofitel brand; accelerating the growth of MGallery, of which he said there was a problem with the lack of awareness; and launching in its entirety the Emblems brand.
For Sofitel, he said, “We have convinced owners all around the world — in India, Southeast Asia, and also in Europe — to invest in the brand, and now we are signing the same number of hotels as our main American competitors.”
Emblems Collection is Accor’s newest brand, which debuted its first property, Lucknam Park in Wiltshire, England, in November 2025.
“We have a vertical now at Accor, starting with [brand] Handwritten [Collection], then MGallery, and now Emblems, the luxury level. … We took time to position it, to find the right product … and now we can see the attraction to the market,” he said.
Grange said he sees the future as being bright, even for new builds.
“The money is here. Looking at [IHIF] in Berlin, and I have been to here for the last 10 or 20 years … you have so many investors, they are looking for projects,” he said.
He added that the challenge is finding the right projects, not the right investors.
For more of Grange’s insight and comments, click the video or podcast embedded above.
Rift between weekday, weekend performance leads to modest week for US hotels
Transient demand surged following Easter with more students on spring break
Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite National Park on April 2, 2026. The park's waterfall season is coming earlier than usual this year due to low snowpack and rapid melt-off. (Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/1842238246/rift-between-weekday-weekend-performance-leads-to-modest-week-for-us-hotels?
By Cole Martin
U.S. hotel performance for the week of April 5-11 finished with a modest 0.4% increase in revenue per available room, though aggregate weekly performance masked a sharp divide between weekday and weekend results. Early weekday declines due to Easter were offset by a pronounced late-week lift, leaving headline results relatively flat.
Easter Sunday saw the largest decline and led to progressively softer declines through Tuesday. Hotel performance turned positive after midweek, with RevPAR, average daily rate, and occupancy all increasing year over year from Wednesday through Saturday. While weekly room demand declined 0.6%, this was still the second-highest demand level for an Easter week since 2000.
The primary headwind during the week was a pullback in business and convention travel following the Easter holiday. Weekday group demand from Sunday to Thursday declined by 564,000 rooms year over year across luxury and upper-upscale hotels, representing a 35% drop, the largest weekday group decline observed in nearly a year. Larger business-oriented markets experienced the brunt of this weakness, with the top 25 markets collectively posting a 9.7% decline in weekday RevPAR. All but one top 25 market recorded weekday group demand declines. Las Vegas saw the steepest drop in weekday RevPAR, down 48%, driven by an 83.6% decrease in group demand.
While group and business travel softened early in the week, transient demand surged as spring-break travel accelerated. Transient room demand increased by 875,000 rooms, marking the largest increase since New Year’s Eve, as more than twice as many K–12 public school districts were on spring break compared to last year. This influx of leisure travelers fueled double-digit RevPAR growth in Orange County, California; Orlando; Miami; and Tampa, along with strong gains in several non-top 25 markets that are less dependent on business travel. Markets outside the top 25 collectively posted a 4.3% increase in RevPAR, led by outsized gains in South Carolina, Delaware, Florida, and Hawaii, each of which recorded RevPAR growth exceeding 15% for the week.
As the impact of reduced group demand diminished later in the week, the strength of transient travel became more evident in aggregate results. Weekend U.S. hotel RevPAR increased 7.4% year over year, supported by a 4.5% rise in ADR and a 2.1-percentage-point lift in occupancy. Nearly 70% of all markets reported gains in weekend RevPAR, including 18 of the top 25 U.S. hotel markets. Collectively, the top 25 markets posted an 8.8% increase in weekend RevPAR, a sharp reversal from the 9.7% weekday decline. Markets such as Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., San Diego, and Minneapolis – each of which recorded double-digit weekday RevPAR declines – registered some of the strongest weekend rebounds.
The contrast between weekday and weekend performance also extended to the hotel class level. All classes except luxury hotels experienced weekday declines across RevPAR, ADR, and occupancy, while every class recorded gains across all three metrics on the weekend. Luxury hotels were the lone exception during the week, maintaining positive weekday RevPAR despite a decline in room demand, supported by a 9.9% increase in ADR. Overall, the pattern points to Easter-related displacement driving early-week softness and spring-break travel supporting a late-week rebound.
Global RevPAR impacted by post-Easter decline
Excluding the U.S., global hotel RevPAR on a same-store and constant USD basis fell 12.6% in the week of April 5-11. Global RevPAR has declined for three weeks. As expected, the largest declines were seen Sunday through Thursday, with lesser decreases on Friday and Saturday.
The sharpest decrease was once again in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, where RevPAR fell 66.6%. This is the third consecutive week where the measure was down by more than 66%. Five of the six GCC countries saw RevPAR fall by more than 50%, with the U.A.E. reporting the largest decrease (-91%). Saudi Arabia was also down, but significantly less than the others (-25%).
Germany and Italy also saw sharp RevPAR decreases this week, with the former down 50% and the latter falling 29%.
While most of the world saw the post-Easter drop, several areas saw growth, including the Caribbean, Japan, and Spain.
Cole Martin is an analytics and insights specialist at STR.
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