Why the Caribbean is the Hottest Business Travel Destination Right Now

Ahh, the Caribbean, where pristine beaches offer a draw for leisure travelers in search of tropical bliss. But while many of us associate the area with turquoise waters, luxury resorts and R&R, the region has also been hard at work on appealing to a new type of traveler—one who takes their rum punch with a side of networking and dealmaking.

As the beneficiary of a suite of duty-free programs and trade agreements with the United States, the Caribbean is no stranger to American business. While it’s long been a zone of opportunity for the flow of capital and tradable goods, the region has also taken on a new mantle in recent years: as the ideal place for a conference, meeting or business trip. And with the global business travel market forecasted to exceed $928.4 billion by 2030, the Caribbean is making moves to claim its piece of the pie.

Luxury residence at The Strand Turks and Caicos / Photo: Courtesy of The Strand

The growth of business travel hasn’t been a mere case of scaling what already exists, however. Since the pandemic, the proliferation of remote work has spurred a reevaluation of how and why businesses, their constituents and their clients convene. Yes, the enormous turnkey conference centers are still there, but we’re also seeing boutique properties cater to this increasingly lucrative market. Convertible indoor and outdoor spaces, private villas for the most exclusive of board meetings, and a range of trendy amenities offer new ways for the expense-account set to reach new highs of productivity—rum punch in hand, of course.

Turks and Caicos

A new community with a sustainable bend

Just opened in November, The Strand Turks and Caicos is a luxury resort community located on 2,230 feet of oceanfront on Providenciales. An array of serviced suites, villas and private residences provides flexible options for group bookings. The resort also bills itself as one of the most sustainable in the Caribbean. Solar integration provides more than 75 percent of the community’s power, and a partnership with the Denver Butterfly Pavilion will make this the first designated “pollinator sanctuary” in the region.

The Lady Lynsey II at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas / Photo: Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas

Virgin Islands

A New Era for Borth the US and British Virgin Islands

It took years for the Virgin Islands to fully recover from the one-two punch of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and the glittering restoration of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas continues to lead the way back. The property benefits from 10,000 square feet of versatile, state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor event space—which now includes, as part of its renovation, the Lady Lynsey II, an exclusive 65-foot house catamaran. So not only would a conference here benefit from some of the most robust routes to major mainland cities, but you could also take the team building out on the water.

For more intimate corporate gatherings, look to the British Virgin Islands, where Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda last year unveiled one of the most exclusive rentals in the Caribbean: Villa Katsura, spanning an impressive 23,500 square feet with five bedrooms and ten and a half bathrooms. The $19,000 nightly rate (five-night minimum) includes two dedicated butlers, semiprivate beach access and complete support from the resort team to make all your meetings and dining experiences utterly seamless.

Le Toiny, St. Barths / Photo: Courtesy of Le Toiny

St. Barths

“Billionaire’s island,” ideal for Business

This French overseas collectivity might be more known for its superyachts and champagne (the Eden Rock St. Barths just became the first hotel in the world to partner with Krug), but there’s some-thing about its je ne sais quoi atmosphere that lends itself to business travel, too. At the recently renovated Le Toiny, a Relais & Chateaux property located on the quiet side of the island, deputy general manager Adolfo Acampora has seen an uptick of corporate groups seeking smaller, more exclusive boutique properties for their meetings and retreats. He has organized poolside dinners for Fortune 500 CEOs, and can seat up to 100 in the hotel’s restaurant. “It is fascinating to see how business trips in St. Barths are different from anywhere else in the world,” says Acampora. “After all, while St. Barths is known as a ‘billionaire’s is-land’ with luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants desirable for impressing clients, the island’s small size provides a sense of privacy and security, ideal for discreet business meetings and avoiding unwanted attention.”

Beachfront Lawn, Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour / Photo: Courtesy of Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour

St. Kitts

A Hidden Gem Where Every Room is Beachfront

Despite being a resort operated by a globally recognizable brand, the Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour still feels like a best-kept secret. It’s located near one of the Caribbean’s better deepwater ports, and offers dramatic views of neighboring Nevis. The resort offers 124 spacious beachfront accommodations, each with a private balcony or terrace, and it just unveiled three newly renovated villas. Corporate travelers can also make use of the 3,712-square-foot Banana Bay Ballroom that can be divided into three distinct rooms, the Beachfront Lawn for open-air receptions, or—once business is done—basketball and pickleball courts, as well as a Topgolf Swing Suite. Best of all, it’s part of the World of Hyatt program, making it an ideal spot to accrue (or spend) those well-earned loyalty points.

Altos de Chavón amphitheater, Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic / Photo: Courtesy of Tony Arruza

Dominican Republic

A Caribbean Classic Gains Momentum

The D.R. has benefited from one of the strongest post-pandemic rebounds in the region, with 2024 tourism numbers soaring past both 2023 records and 2019 levels. For a grande-dame-style experience, the iconic Casa de Campo resort—which offers some of the best golf in the Caribbean, and has hosted the likes of Michael Jordan, Beyoncé and several U.S. Presidents—just celebrated its 50th anniversary. The resort continues to be a prime destination for corporate groups, offering an array of hotel rooms, suites, casitas and over 70 serviced villas, as well as meeting spaces and a dedicated planning team to coordinate experiences from horseback riding to tennis lessons.

The beauty of the D.R. is its diversity of offerings, which span large-scale hotels suited for the biggest groups to more under-the-radar spots—like the buzzy Cayo Levantado Resort. Located off the Samaná Peninsula along the country’s sleepy northern shore, this property provides the personalized service of a private island resort, yet with 218 rooms, also features the scale to accommodate larger groups. The resort’s Yubarta wellness center offers breath-work treatments, sound healing and introductory meditation workshops so your team can prioritize rest and mindfulness after even the most productive of meetings.

The Cove, Eleuthera, Bahamas / Photo: Courtesy of The Cove

The Bahamas

Something Old, Something New

If the Caymans are the Caribbean’s intimate tax haven, the Bahamas are its sprawling, choose-your-own-adventure one. With more than 700 islands (30 of which are inhabited), there are multiple approaches to take for your next work trip. Don’t assume Sandals Royal Bahamian is just for honeymooners—this adults-only resort located 15 minutes from Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport recently debuted an all-new, 15,483-square-foot convention center that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. Book one of the top-tier suites and you’ll be chauffeured around in the house Rolls-Royce. After your conference, extend your trip by a night or two and enjoy exclusive access to the private offshore island Sandals Barefoot Cay.

Looking to really impress your colleagues? Plan an intimate board meeting at The Cove on Eleuthera. Each year, Lenny Kravitz (who owns a home on the island) brings his personal dentist there to offer free care to the community, and The Cove provides complimentary space to offer this service. As part of the resort’s recent renovation, The Cove created an expanded boardroom that can seat 30 people with a full AV system—up to Kravitz’s specifications, of course.

Or if you really have a bonus to spend, you can take a private jet, helicopter, seaplane or ferry over to the tiny island of Bimini for team drinks at the new Bonito. This St. Barths icon made history this month by opening a second location on Bimini, inside the new Banyan Tree Bimini Resort & Residences development. That forthcoming resort spans an impressive 750 acres (nearly one-sixth of all of Bimini), and will feature a five-star hotel, overwater bungalows, a private 18-hole golf course and a superyacht deepwater marina—with sections debuting in 2026 and a grand opening projected for 2027. You’ll just have to plan a return trip for the full experience then.

La Samanna, St. Martin / Photo: Courtesy of La Samanna

St. Martin

The Resort That Puts The Buzz In Team Building

If memorable team-building exercises are your MO, consider La Samanna, a Belmond hotel. This luxe, European-style resort just underwent a redesign of its eight beloved multibedroom villas—book all eight, including round-trip airport transfers and 24-hour Villa Host service, so your group’s every need will be handled. But it’s the new bee-themed wellness experiences that will be most memorable, including “bee-watching” sessions and therapeutic craft workshops using wax from the hotel’s on-site apiary. Getting to the island is easier than ever, too, thanks to the newly rebuilt terminal at Princess Juliana International Airport, with direct flights from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta and more.

Woto restaurant at The Westin Grand Cayman / Photo: Courtesy of Janet Jarchow

Cayman Islands

The Grande Dame Of Caribbean Business Travel

Looking to close a deal? Do it in the Caymans, where an essentially nonexistent tax environment makes transacting as easy as ordering a margarita. Located directly on prime Seven Mile Beach, The Westin Grand Cayman offers some of the best meeting space on the island: a Governor’s Ballroom with 5,600 elegant square feet framed by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Caribbean Sea; the Governor’s Lawn for an outdoor oceanfront setting; or the more intimate Galleon Ballroom, offering 2,600 square feet of meeting space. If you book the Presidential Suite for a private in-room team dining experience, the resort throws in a cocktail-making class from one of its award-winning mixologists. The Westin isn’t just about prime conference space, however—it also offers unique team-building experiences in step with current leisure travel trends, such as pickleball, guided meditations at sunrise, and beachside workouts by mainland favorite F45 Training.