Hotel Laurena continues to be the hotly sought after venue for all major activities on the small, but immensely beautiful, Island of Carriacou.

Over the last couple of months, the demand for the venue has been intensifying, as more and more people from the Tri-Island state, utilise the facility, which is of an excellent international standard.

An excellent location, superb food and a wonderful atmosphere makes this the conference facility of choice

Its location on Middle Street, Hillsborough further enhances its convenience for a wide diversity of activities.The venue is by far the largest, as well as the most comfortable and relaxing with an irresistible ambiance.

Successful events staged at this magnificent venue include:-

• Weddings
• Conferences
• Retreats
• Seminars
• Launch of a major event
• Birthday parties
• Reunions
• Meetings
• Award ceremonies
• Graduations
• Social events

Quality Conference Facilities At The Hotel Laurena

Apart from being the only facility on the island with flat screen televisions and a state of the art designed bar, it also provides the space to enjoy your meal in comfort.

An attractive semi circular designed stage, helps amplify the beauty of the facility. Musicians at the venue have consistently complimented the acoustics, which enrich the sounds and result in everyone taking advantage of the dance floor.

The facility is also extremely multi functional, as it can be separated into a smaller space according to your requirements.

Functions can include a buffet, and an important feature is the quality of the food served at the venue.

Hotel Laurena One and Two, are the leading restaurants in Carriacou which offer you a wide variety of delicious, nutritious and sumptuous meals. The high level of professionalism which is invested in the operation of the hotel, is a major factor as to why they have reached to such a high standard of excellence.

The venue have also been responsible for the catering at various activities in Carriacou. This is simply because of the quality of service patrons receive when doing business at Hotel Laurena.

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Carriacou’s most luxurious, spacious and welcoming hotel which is always described as a home away from home has been selected as a venue for one of the visiting teams taking part in the Historic Windward Islands Cricket Tournament. The lucky team will reside at the Hotel Laurena in Carriacou, for almost a week in early December.

The Hotel Laurena which sits smartly and invitingly on Middle Street, Hillsborough will open its doors a team playing in the December 3 to December 5th tournament at the Mini Stadium in Lauriston.

Both the St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique teams are expected to arrive in Carriacou on December 1st. The multi-million dollar facility offers some of the best services and amenities to further epitomize the true magical embience, friendliness and warmth of Carriacou culture.

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Committed to making the first impression a lasting one, the Carriacou United Cricket Board have checked that not only is the island ready for tournament but also that the accommodation be the best that Carriacou has to offer. Hence The Hotel Laurena!

Hotel Laurena’s newest facility on the popular esplanade on Main Street Hillsborough affords you the best in both, Mother and man-made nature. Not only does the new eatery provide the most irresistible scenery at the Caribbean sea with its refreshing breeze and a lasting photogenic sunset, but also the most delicious Caribbean food and refreshing drinks bar to be found in Hillsborough.

The wide variety of meals makes it the obvious Go To Place whenever you are hungry or just want to enjoy a light refreshment.

Proprietor, George Andrew, for decades, easily the biggest supporter of Cricket in the Isle of Carriacou and Petite Martinique and one of the cricket “moguls” in the New York Metropolitan area, said that he is delighted to have brought a facility to Carriacou. Further is absolutely thrilled to be hosting one of the teams for this historical cricketing event.

Mr Andrew who has rubbed shoulders with some of the West Indies Greats and continues to travel to various countries to show support for West Indies cricket, pointed out that he is confident that the entire management and team will depart on the morning of Monday December 6th reflecting on a most memorable time at Hotel Laurena and Carriacou in general.

Excitement is climbing at alarming proportions as the dates draw near for Carriacou’s hosting of a most major Caribbean sporting event.

Friday 3rd December to Sunday 5th December 2010 will go down in the history of this beautiful, unspoiled, therapeutic 13 square mile gem of an island which stands as the largest and most southern of the Grenadine Islands Chain.

The level of can’t wait anxiety stems from the fact that the mini stadium in Lauriston is billed to stage the opening game of the annual Windward Islands Cricket Tournament, between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada and the Grenadines, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Already boots are on the ground, working to ensure that all the logistics are in place for a memorable staging of the event. The hope is that this will be the first of many more sporting events on our shores.

Glowing remarks about the venue have already been made by scores of people with a sound knowledge in the sport of cricket. Amongst them, Chief National Groundsman Michael Smith, Chief Cricket Coach in the Ministry of Sports Raphael Croney not to mention the visiting and local teams.

The Game will be stage under the organization of the local cricketing organization – The Carriacou United Cricket Board (CUCB). Founding President now Secretary of the CUBC, Brian Whyte, said that they have already formed the various sub committees to ensure the smooth running of not only the game but logistic support as well.

He further pointed out that the promotion of this historic event will go into third and fourth gear from early November. Whyte added that they are hoping to make it a truly colourful and lively experience which is especially good for tourism.

The sight for the broadcasting booth, score board, sight-screens, player’s dressing rooms, VIP area, parking and vending among others, have already been identified. The venue can accommodate some three thousand (3000) seated spectators in both the covered stands and about two thousand (2000) in the bleachers section.

The teams are expected to arrive here on Wednesday, December 1st 2010 and will be staying at the luxury Carriacou hotel Hotel Laurena and also at Ade’s Dream Guest House in Hillsborough.

Last year’s winners of the Carriacou Parang 2009 Festival are shown here. We will update this site with this year’s winners as soon as the results of the competition at Parang 2010 are known. Parang 2009 was sponsored by the CO-OP Bank.

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Best CO-OP Bank Jingle Winner

Competition results

The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund continues this year with an additional set of scholarships: Trevin McLawrence and Leah Hagley from Bishops College and Camille DeRoche and Gloria Wells from Hillsborough Secondary School have begun their studies at the campus with full tuition and fees, plus a stipend of $1000 towards the purchase of necessary textbooks.

These students bring to thirteen, the number of scholarships awarded by the Carriacou Children’s Education Fund. Last year, it benefited Nadia Edwards and Michelle Alexander from Bishop’s College and Codell Stafford from Hillsborough Secondary School.

Previous awardees have already put their education to good use: Tahera Paul and Rena Noel (Bishops College) are working at Hillsborough Secondary School, as are Stacey Bain and Carnisha Charles. Marcia Scott is employed by Bullens Enterprises and Reann Martineau (Bishops College) is with the Board of Tourism.

Qualifying for the Award

In order to qualify, each student writes an essay of 1000 words on the topic How I will use my education to build a better Grenada. The primary focus for all students has been development of opportunities for the youth of Grenada, an issue near and dear to their hearts.

Ms. Rholda Quamina (Bishops College) and Mr. Brian Lendore (Hillsborough Secondary) are the principals of the two secondary schools in Carriacou and they select the scholarship recipients based on a mix of CXC/CSEC scores and financial need. Mr. Patrick Compton of the island’s branch of the Grenada Union of Teachers, assists in the process every year, collecting and reviewing the essays.

The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund

Visiting yachts and local businesses continue to assist local students through the fund-raising efforts of the Carriacou Children’s Education Fund (CCEF). This year’s awards bring the total amount of financial aid to more than $25,000, and money has been allocated to assist 2011 graduates of Bishops and Hillsborough Secondary.

The CCEF is an informal, voluntary group of individuals from visiting yachts from around the world, alongside a number of concerned local businessmen and women. Since the year 2000, CCEF has conducted fund raising activities in the first week of August at the Carriacou Yacht Club in Hermitage. This coincides with the summer Carriacou Regatta.

Since its inception, CCEF has raised over $125,000 to provide uniforms, school supplies and other educational assistance to local children. The mission is to help as many children as possible and to bridge the gap between what’s each child requires and what their families can provide.

CCEF has so far provided assistance to over 500 children. Success is due primarily to the hard work and generosity of those aboard the visiting yachts and the local CCEF supporters. It is the yachts-people’s way of saying thank you to the island people for the warm welcome they’ve always received.

The scholarships at TAMCC are a natural extension of the assistance that CCEF has provided the primary and secondary school children of Carriacou in the past, targeting assistance for the future leaders of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. CCEF is just one example of how Carriacou benefits from the presence of the yachts.

T.A. Marryshow Community College is a fully accredited two-year college offering full and part-time programs leading to Bachelors and Associate Degrees, and Certificates. The TAMCC aims to provide accessible quality education and training opportunities to help individuals achieve their personal and professional goals and to cater to the changing needs of the labor market.

Spend Three Nights – Pay For Two at Hotel Laurena with Lunch at Laurena II, the New Jerk Center at Hillsborough Beach

• Spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday night but just pay for 2 nights
• Lunch on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday for FREE at our new Jerk Center at the beach
• The cost per single room for this period is $65.US + taxes
• The costs per standard double room will be $65.US + taxes, with the third and every other additional person of 12 years age and over being a further $20.00 US per person: children under 12 yrs are free.
• For Senior Citizens an addition reduction of 5% off the $65 US rate

Recently opened, Hotel Laurena II is located on Hillsborough beach. We offer delicious Jerk Chicken lunches 6 days a week, from Tuesday through to Sunday.

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Sporting hope continues climb more steeply with every passing day that the lone sportsman from Carriacou on the national contingent for next month’s Commonwealth Games in India will certainly be returning home with at least a medal, proudly pouch around his neck.

The big punching, Mike Tyson-like, Dominique Boatswain is in the best form of his life to make Carriacou and sister isle, Grenada, proud by emerging victorious in his fights. Boatswain will be fighting in the light welterweight division. The young man is now working his way down to 62 KG to be eligible to qualify for the category.

This would be the young man’s first fight on foreign soil. His previous experiences are from local and national bouts.

Boatswain, currently engaged in intense training at the Hillsborough Community Center on Carriacou said:

I’m confident of going out and doing my best towards ensuring that I secure a medal for my country

Boatswain who recently showed the local fans his boxing skills when he defeated his opponent from the Grenadan mainland a couple months ago at the Hillsborough tennis courts, added that his training level has intensified significantly over the last two months under the watchful eyes of Coach, Sebastien Stiell.

Stiell, also from Carriacou, a former Caribbean and commonwealth super heavyweight boxing champion, described Boatswain as a student who knows what he wants and what it takes to get there. The former Caribbean king of heavyweight ring, who has had a wealth of experience in countries such as England, Brazil, Cuba, plus other Englsih speaking Caribbean countries says that:

He is a very hardworking person who takes his training seriously

Stiell who was Grenada’s boxing coach at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, pointed out that Boatswain is on a strict diet in order to keep within the required weight and to maintain proper condition.

I’m confident of him gaining a bronze medal at least

said the coach as he sheperded his student, punching away mercilessly at a heavy bag hanging defensely from the roof.

He further stated that,

Boatswain, is already clear that the upcoming event, although abroad, is not going to be a ‘honeymoon’.

With the abscence of a boxing ring for training, the coach said that when they arrive in India, he will almost immediately have him in the ring in order to have him properly acquainted and acclimatized for the task ahead. The draw for Boatswain’s first fight he said will also be crucial to his success.

They are scheduled to depart Carriacou with the national contingent next Tuesday , September 28th.

Boatswain’s first fight will be a couple days after the October 3rd opening ceremony.

Grenada’s Ministry of Health is pushing the theme of Urbanism and Healthy Living for this year’s Health Week, an annual attempt to get islanders to take more responsibility for their well-being. Overcrowding and inadequate sanitation are problems that are likely to escalate as people continue to migrate from rural areas into the towns and cities seeking more opportunity. Health Week lasts from April 4th to April 10th, and is launched with an address by Senator Ann Peters, Minister of Health. There’ll be an emphasis on workplace exercises, and the Grenada Food and Nutrition Council will be staging their own exhibitions.

On a related issue, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas speaking on 30th March welcomed the initiative of a national sports policy to incorporate sport more meaningfully into the fabric of Grenadian society and help promote its tourist industry. Grenadian athletes have been doing well in international events, and Thomas wants to harness this success to create more economic opportunities for the island and promote role models as Health Week with its focus on the importance of exercise gets underway. He believes that a nation’s health and wealth are closely linked, and he wants to see a reduction in the health bill through a concerted tackling of national health issues.

On the international stage, Grenada and England have jointly signed the sixth in a series of TIEAs (Tax Information Exchange Agreements), promising to maintain transparency in financial services. The new signing reflects Grenada and the UK’s continuing commitment to combat the financing of terrorism, and comply with international standards on tax matters and money laundering. Grenada is still on the OECD’s so-called ‘grey list’ because of issues around compliance and tax transparency.

On an upbeat note, this week in Grenada Prime Minister Tillman Thomas launched the opening of the GCNA Commercial Complex in St George’s with a speech promoting his Government’s vision of the significant role the nutmeg industry still has to play in Grenada’s economy. He was primarily addressing nutmeg farmers, stressing his Government’s commitment to taking the industry forward following a 2007 decline in nutmeg production.

Hotel Laurena on Carriacou is installing a new room booking system!

The new system will allow customers to book rooms on the internet and have the prices confirmed at the time of booking.

With the previous system the guest was only able to make a reservation of the room but not confirm the price. This could potentially cause disappointment for guests when room charges were different from the lowest price on the original reservation.

With the new system the guest can pay a deposit and hence fix the price of the room.

The booking system will be installed over the next few weeks. We’ll update this post when the system has been tested and