Four times – still a charm!

For the fourth consecutive year, The Crane has been the official hotel sponsor of the 2010 Barbados Jazz Festival and much like previous years the last was a resounding success. This year’s festival brought stars like Etienne Charles, Joe Lovano, Smokey Robinson, Elio Villafranca, Lalah Hathaway, Bwakore, Lao Tizer, Karen Briggs, Chieli Municci, Robin Thicke, Babyface and Warren Hill to the beautiful shores of Barbados. The Crane had the privilege of hosting the artistes who thoroughly enjoyed their stay on property.  And the festival began…

On Monday night, Bar 1887 came alive as we featured our first After Jazz Lime. Commencing directly after the show at Sunbury Plantation, Etienne Charles and Joe Lovano took to the bar for a second shot at a live performance in Barbados. This upbeat party continued for a few hours as all those in attendance were truly soaking up the atmosphere and the great music.

On Wednesday night, the classical Smokey Robinson delivered a breathtaking performance at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium and continued the show on the road to Bar 1887, The Crane, St. Philip, where his band staged a rocking jam session along with members of the Elio Villafranca quintet.

On Thursday, January 14^th, 2010, The Crane was under the limelight as it hosted the dinner set of the festival. Those in attendance opined that the quality of food and show were excellent. This was evident during the After Jazz Lime themed 1887 & All That Jazz as patrons enjoyed the music of Barbados Jazz Artist of the Year, Kellie Cadogan.

On Friday night, Lalah Hathaway continued the tradition of the entertainers of previous nights and rocked the bar with her soulful voice after her performance at Ilaro Court and made way in the Bar for Grammy Award Winner, Robin Thicke the following night. Mr. Thicke performed some of his well known hits such as Lost Without You, The Sweetest Love, amongst others.

Stay tuned to our Blog and Facebook pages for photos! 

Imagine waking up, throwing open your balcony doors which recede into pockets to offer a full vista of the outdoors, and stepping out into your private garden….while at it, why not have a coffee in your private dining gazebo, or dip into your private pool for a swim?

In December 2009, as persons were well into the festive season, The Crane too was celebrating as the resort opened 18 new Residences in the Park. These fabulous suites feature the same finishes as the Crane residences on the sea, and many offer the added benefit of private gardens with inset private pools and hot tubs or private roof terraces, all at a fantastic value for either vacation stays or property ownership.

Residences in the Park offer one and two bedroom suites, all of which feature  handcrafted king-size four poster beds and mahogany furnishings; floor-to-ceiling cedar doors with adjustable louvered shutters; traditional Barbadian coral stone walls; air conditioning; fully equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, ice dispenser, oven, stove, microwave, dishwasher and washer dryer; flat-screen TV’s and complimentary Internet access.

Check out some photos of the units:

Living Room Area of the 2 Bedroom Ground Floor Park Apartment

Living Room Area of a 1 Bedroom Deluxe Park Apartment

Master Bedroom of the Park Residences

Exterior Shot of the 2 Bedroom Ground Floor Park Apartment

Roof Top View of a 1 Bedroom Deluxe Penthouse Park Apartment

At the stroke of midnight, the pleased diners as well as those who just came to party joined the band in the town square for the 2010 countdown. Lead singer of Virtuosity Kim Derrick, belted Happy New Year to the attendees which was followed by the customary ‘Auld Lang Syne’ as guests exchanged hugs, kisses and well wishes for 2010. An array of balloons and confetti showered the village from different angles and the party continued for a couple hours as the patrons truly enjoyed the band’s mixture of pop, reggae and calypso music from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Hotel Manager and Coordinator of the Village Masquerade, Paul Collymore said the party was a significant event for The Crane, as it was the first time in several years that the luxurious resort had hosted a major Old Years night event.   “We are bringing back the tradition of New Year’s Eve at The Crane and this year was a great start to what we expect to do in the future. We had around 400 persons here for the comeback party and they fully enjoyed a good night out. The reports have been favourable and we are looking forward to a fantastic 2010,” said Collymore.

Newlyweds - Mr. & Mrs. Schlosser

To check out more of our Old Year’s Night photos visit,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crane/141437243877?v=photos#/album.php?aid=138302&id=141437243877

The resort this year will be the host of the cocktail and dinner show scheduled for Thursday, January 14th 2010 and the performer for the night will be renowned pianist, Elio Villafranca who will present Cuban Classics.

For more information on the Barbados Jazz Festival, visit

http://www.barbadosjazzfestival.com/

In this article, the writer creatively and quite adequately covered The Crane and by extension the warm hospitality and beauty of the island Barbados.

It is definately a must read for those interested in visiting Barbados and more specifically The Crane. For a full read of this article, check out http://74.54.115.114/node/1378

The Crane was also briefly featured in the Los Angeles Times, Travel Magazine in an article entitled “Barbados makes the belly happy”. Follow the link to check it out, http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-barbados1-2009nov01?page=2

Kim Goddard, Director of Sales

The Residences in the Park, both one and two bedroom floor plans, are ready to view and occupancy opens in December 2009. With the Park, The Crane has created the most beautiful floor plans yet at an extremely attractive price point.  With all the advantages of the stunning gardens, water features and private swimming pools and outdoor dining, enhanced rental pool returns; superb floor plans, privacy, quiet and enhanced residential feel these residences offer an ownership opportunity not to be missed.  For more information on the Park Residences, contact property@thecrane.com.

Park Residences

The Crane Village is open and full of life, offering visitors and Barbadians the “best of street life without the traffic.” Visitors are encouraged to come and see this authentic heritage Village, complete with traditional Bajan architecture, old-fashioned gas lanterns, and a fabulous mix of retail shopping, dining and services.  Lifestyle choices in The Village include duty-free shopping, the General Store, the brand new Aweipo fine art gallery, a fantastic new bar, Bar 1887, named for the year The Crane first opened, and two restaurants coming in 2010.

The verandah of Bar 1887

The microsite is now live–check out some sneak-peak webisodes: http://www.caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean/

Get ready, because the show is about to start!  The first episode, Barbados, will air July 25 & 26 at 8:00 a.m. EST.

We invite our members and guests to tune in to this special feature which showcases our special piece of paradise.

New Executive Chef L'Azure - Michael Hinds

The Crane, renowned for its historic charm and pristine beaches, is excited to introduce its newest addition to the culinary team – L’Azure’s Executive Chef Michael Hinds.  Prior to joining The Crane, Hinds served as executive chef and director at Aqua Restaurant & Lounge.

One of Michael's mouth watering creations - Herb Crusted Lamb.