Press room for Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica

Rosalie Bay Resort Owner Featured in New EX-PATS Show Episode

The owner of the eco-boutique Rosalie Bay Resort, Beverly Deikel, has been featured in the latest episode of the EX-PATS video series, entitled “Baby Turtles in Dominica from Grandbabies in Minneapolis.” The former Minnesota native moved to Dominica more than 10 years ago, and now calls the Caribbean island home.

In the 20-minute episode, host Savannah Jane Buffet travels to Dominica and joins Beverly Deikel at Rosalie Bay Resort. The episode, which is available for on-demand viewing on YouTube, shares Beverly’s inspiring journey to the Nature Island, leaving behind her children and grandchildren in Minnesota to create Rosalie Bay Resort, save the endangered sea turtles and find love.

In addition to Rosalie Bay Resort, the EX-PATS episode showcases many other locations on Dominica. Savannah and Beverly spent time at Trafalgar Falls, set sail on a catamaran to view stunning coastal views of the island, met with Simon George, President of the Nature Enhancement Team (NET) at Rosalie Bay, and had the incredible opportunity to witness baby Green sea turtles emerge from the nest and venture out to sea. One of Beverly’s daughters and her close friend were also interviewed and featured in the show.

“It has been an incredible honor to be selected by Travel + Leisure and included in the EX-PATS show,” says Beverly Deikel, owner of Rosalie Bay Resort. “The unsurpassed natural beauty of Dominica first captured my attention, but it is the people and the sea turtles that have captured my heart. I hope this show inspires more people to visit the Nature Island and follow their dreams.”

The EX-PATS episode first aired on May 9, 2013. Since then more than 1,000 people and counting have viewed the video.

EX-PATS is a video series that airs on the Reserve Channel on YouTube. The series is in cooperation with Travel + Leisure magazine and profiles ex-patriates who made the leap to move to another country. The episode was filmed in October 2012.

To view the episode, visit http://youtu.be/wAERD78uoFw.

For more information, visit www.RosalieBay.com.

Dominica’s Rosalie Bay Resort named Finalist in U.S. Secretary of State’s Award
for Corporate Excellence

Rosalie Bay Resort in Dominica has been named one of the finalists in the Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence for 2012.  This award, established by the State Department in 1999, recognizes the important role that U.S. businesses play abroad as good corporate citizens.  Of the many businesses nominated by U.S. Ambassadors around the globe, only eleven have been chosen as finalists and recognized as global leaders in advancing corporate social responsibility.

This nomination reflects Rosalie Bay’s support for sustainable development through eco-tourism by promoting protection of endangered sea turtles and other community environmental protection initiatives; source locally produced goods; using recycled and sustainably produced materials, including solar and wind power generation; and assist local hospitals and literacy programs.

Owned by Minnesota native Beverly Deikel, Rosalie Bay Resort is a pioneer in its sustainability efforts on the Caribbean island and the only Green Globe certified resort on Dominica.  The eco-boutique resort founded the sea turtle conservation program on the island, significantly increasing the number of sea turtle nests and hatchling survival, and earning a Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award in 2012.  “It is an incredible honor to be named among such an elite group of socially responsible businesses worldwide and to be recognized by the U.S. Secretary of State,” said Beverly Deikel, owner of Rosalie Bay Resort.  “More than ten years ago, we embarked on a journey to create a boutique resort that would protect the environment and its resources, empower the local residents with job training and opportunities, and share the beauty of the Nature Island with travelers.  It is fulfilling to see this dream become a reality, and rewarding to witness the positive impact we have made in the community and environment.”

The Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) underlines the United States’ commitment to further corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices, and democratic values worldwide.  As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated, "Corporate social responsibility and socially responsible development are not marginal to our foreign policy but essential to the realization of our goals."
Secretary Clinton will announce the 2012 winners of the Award at a ceremony anticipated to be held in Washington in December this year.

For more information on the ACE, please visit:  http://www.state.gov/e/eb/ace/

Rosalie Bay Resort Receives 2012 Travel + Leisure
Global Vision Award for Conservation
Dominica Resort Honored for Sea Turtle Conservation Efforts

ROSALIE, Dominica — Rosalie Bay Resort, an eco-boutique and wellness retreat on Dominica, has been honored by Travel + Leisure as a 2012 Global Vision Award Winner for Conservation. The intimate 28-room resort was recognized for its efforts to protect endangered sea turtles on the Caribbean island.

Resort owner Beverly Deikel and her partner Oscar partnered with Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) and Field Director Marine Biologist Rowan Byrne to bring the first research and conservation effort for endangered sea turtles to Dominica. The program began more than 10 years ago during construction of the resort.

Rosalie Bay Resort engages locals and guests in opportunities to help in the recovery of sea turtles on the island and throughout the Caribbean. Efforts include night patrol during nesting season, clean up on nesting beaches, education programs and data collection. In 2003, there were just seven leatherback nests. By 2010, there were 69 nests of three species of sea turtles – leatherback, hawksbill and green – and a 100% survival with all nesting species protected.

“The effort that one person, Beverly, put into this success story cannot be over-emphasized,” says Dr. Karen L. Eckert, Executive Director at WIDECAST. “She had the help of the WIDECAST network, which designed the project and provided field directors, and there was strong support from the Forestry Division and other agencies. But without her determination and funding, nothing would have taken place. Beverly is Dominica’s Turtle Lady and she has made an incredible difference in the lives of the magnificent animals.”

Travelers who wish to participate in the sea turtle program can visit between March and October to witness turtles nest on the black sand beach and watch hatchlings make their way into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rosalie Bay is one of 20 travel companies honored in the 2012 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards, which recognize standout efforts to protect and preserve the world’s cultural and natural resources. Winners are selected in five categories: Sustainability, Conservation, Community Building, Leadership and Preservation. Awards are determined by a panel of nine expert judges, including a Nobel Prize-winning economist and past Global Vision Award winner.

The 2012 Global Vision Award winners are featured online at www.TravelandLeisure.com and in the October issue of Travel + Leisure magazine.

Beverly and Oscar will represent Rosalie Bay Resort at the Travel + Leisure 2012 Global Vision Awards roundtable event at The National restaurant in The Benjamin hotel in New York City on October 15, 2012.

For more information, visit www.RosalieBay.com.

Detox in Dominica at Rosalie Bay Resort

ROSALIE, Dominica — Rosalie Bay Resort, an eco-boutique and wellness retreat, invites guests to de-stress, detox and renew the mind, body and spirit with a new five-night package.

Inspired by its unmatched natural setting, at the edge of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Morne Trois Pitons, the Rosalie Bay Resort Detox and Renew package offers a pure, natural and healthy way for guests to rid of impurities and feel their best.

This package includes:

• Spacious accommodations with a veranda overlooking the gardens, ocean or river.
• Healthful breakfast, lunch and dinner each day with pre-selected organic, vegan meals void of caffeine, sugar, alcohol, wheat and dairy, and created with ingredients from the resort garden.
• Daily yoga and meditation to reduce stress
• Day trip and healthy picnic lunch to the Hot Sulfur Springs to soak in the naturally detoxifying hot spring waters.
• 90-minute Land & Sea organic body scrub with massage to remove impurities from the skin.
• Daily counseling, encouragement and motivation from the resort Wellness Coordinator
• Private airport transfers

During down time, guests can reflect or read a book by the onyx-lined pool, stroll the black sand beach, kayak the Rosalie River, join the resort’s morning power walk to a nearby village, and workout in the well-equipped fitness center.

The Detox and Renew package is available year-round. The five-night package rates begin at $2,059 for two people and include all taxes and gratuities.

For reservations, call toll-free (877) 732-2864 or speak with a travel agent.

For more information, visit www.RosalieBay.com.

Green Globe Certifies Rosalie Bay Resort on Dominica

ROSALIE, Dominica — Green Globe has announced the certification of Rosalie Bay Resort on Dominica in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea. The eco-boutique resort is a local pioneer in sustainability management and the only Green Globe certified property on the island. Rosalie Bay Resort is committed to providing high-quality services while minimizing the property’s impact on the environment by using renewable energy and implementing eco-friendly practices.

Rosalie Bay Resort features 96 solar panels and a 225 kW wind turbine, which is the first wind turbine on Dominica and one of the largest in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. Currently most of the energy used at the resort, including the energy to heat water, comes from renewable resources. An additional 106 solar panels, which are 50% more efficient, are to be installed later this year to further enhance its renewable energy sources.

The resort also actively contributes to protecting endangered sea turtles on the island by providing a protected nesting ground. Every year between March and October three species of sea turtles – Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill – nest and hatch on the resort’s black sand beach. Guests can take part in educational walks along the beach or night guard duty to protect the nesting animals, and can ask for a ‘wake-up call’ when hatchlings make their way out to the sea.

“We are excited to be Green Globe certified and to bring this distinction to Dominica,” said Beverly Deikel, owner of Rosalie Bay Resort. “More than ten years ago, we set out to create a boutique resort that would protect the local environment, empower local residents and share the natural beauty of the island with guests. Seeing our dream become reality is very fulfilling, and receiving international recognition for our environmental and community achievements makes us very proud.”

Green Globe Certification’s CEO, Guido Bauer, said, “We are very pleased to award Rosalie Bay Resort the Green Globe Certificate. Everybody at the resort considers the environment in everyday decisions and little details – from installing LED lights and using chairs made from recycled materials to providing sustainably produced cotton towels and UV filtered natural spring water. Employees, clients, customers and the community are educated about environmental issues and sustainable work practices as well as encouraged to adopt green practices themselves.”

“The health and wellness resort also has a 1.5 acre organic garden which provides herbs, fruits and vegetables,” added Mr. Bauer. “Harvested goods are used in the resort’s organic restaurant, for cocktails in the hotel bar, or for natural spa treatments. Deservedly so, the resort recently received a 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award.”

Rosalie Bay Resort actively supports the community by providing a much-needed source of employment and training to locals, who were impacted by the decline of the banana trade industry. 97 percent of Rosalie Bay Resort’s staff members are local Dominicans – many were employed during construction of the property and received professional training to become resort staff members. All of the resort’s furniture, artwork and buildings were created and built by local artists and artisans, and the gift shop in the hotel features local artwork and crafts as well. A Beach Clean-Up Day with the community is organized each year on Earth Day and once a month.

About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, supported by the United Nations Foundation. For information visit www.greenglobe.com

Share a Romantic Six-Course Dinner at Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica

ROSALIE, Dominica — Surrounded by lush tropical beauty along a black sand beach, eco-boutique Rosalie Bay Resort on Dominica invites couples to reconnect in a new romantic dining experience.

For Rosalie Bay Resort’s Two-to-Share dinner, a candlelit table for two is set up in the gazebo over the Rosalie River with views of the Atlantic Ocean. This memorable evening begins with a glass of sparkling wine to toast one another, followed by six courses specially prepared for the couple to share.

Dishes highlight local seafood as well as herbs, vegetables and fruit grown in Rosalie Bay Resort’s organic garden. As with all dining at the resort, the menu features options that are Gluten Free and Vegan.

This romantic evening is enhanced with the tranquil sounds the river flowing out to sea, waves coming ashore and palm trees rustling in the breeze. As the evening turns into night, the couple has a prime seat to watch the moon rise above the horizon and its light begin to dance upon the seas.

The Two-to-Share gazebo dining is included in the Romance package, which is available year round, or as an add-on dining option for $150 USD plus tax per couple.

It is the perfect complement to a romantic getaway at Rosalie Bay Resort. After days spent strolling secluded nature paths, swimming underneath nearby waterfalls and more, couples can retreat to one of 28 spacious rooms and suites with hand-carved four-poster beds, spa bathrooms with rain showers and soaking tubs, and private verandas overlooking the garden, river or ocean.

For reservations, call toll-free (877) 732-2864 or speak with a travel agent.

For more information, visit www.RosalieBay.com.

Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica, Earns 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
Honored as a Highly Rated Hotel as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

ROSALIE, Dominica — Rosalie Bay Resort, an eco-boutique and wellness retreat on Dominica, has just received a 2012 TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months. The 28-room Rosalie Bay Resort is currently among the top three hotels on Dominica on TripAdvisor and was recognized for maintaining a perfect 5.0 rating.

“Rosalie Bay Resort is excited to be honored with a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Oscar Lora, General Manager of Rosalie Bay Resort. “We strive to offer our guests a unique and memorable experience. This accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive traveler reviews on TripAdvisor and recognizes the hard work of our staff members.”

“TripAdvisor is pleased to honor exceptional businesses for consistent excellence, as reviewed by travelers on the site,” said Christine Petersen, President of TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award gives highly rated establishments around the world the recognition they deserve. From exceptional accommodations in Beijing to remarkable restaurants in Boston, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience.”

For more information, visit www.RosalieBay.com.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors**.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, January 2012
**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, January 2012

Spring Signals the Return of Sea Turtles to Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica

ROSALIE, Dominica — Spring may bring warm weather to most of the world. At Rosalie Bay Resort on Dominica, where it’s tropical year-round, spring signals the return of some of the resort’s most famous guests – three species of endangered sea turtles.

Beginning in March, the Green, Hawksbill and giant Leatherback sea turtles travel from as far away as Canada, Europe and Africa to nest on Rosalie Bay Resort’s protected black sand beach. While there’s no exact way to predict their arrival, the best chance to witness these gentle giants nesting is during the peak of the season from May through July. Later, between September and October, is the best time to see the tiny hatchlings emerge and make their way out to sea.

The eco-boutique and wellness resort, which founded the sea turtle conservation efforts on Dominica, ensures that these special guests are well cared for. At Rosalie Bay, security guards watch over the nesting grounds and turtle-sensitive landscape lighting is used to not confuse hatchlings, which rely on the moonlight to guide them out to sea.

Guests who visit during this special time of year can join a turtle expert for an educational walk along the beach, help watch over the nesting turtles and be “on call” for when hatchlings appear.

When not helping the turtles, guests of Rosalie Bay Resort enjoy nature trail, oceanfront spa, onyx-lined pool, wellness program and organic cuisine at Zamaan Restaurant. Nearby, guests can explore the Nature Island by hiking rainforests, swimming in natural pools underneath waterfalls, go whale watching, scuba dive offshore and much more.

For reservations, call toll-free to (877) 732-2864 or speak to a travel agent.