The opening of the new Riu Palace Bavaro, in the Dominican Republic, coincides with the 20th anniversary of Spain-based hospitality company Riu Hotels & Resorts international expansion.

Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia announced the construction of a hotel in the Dominican capital’s metropolitan zone at a cost of around $200 million on Winston Churchill Avenue, by the company Real Hotel. The 15-floor structure will feature 200 rooms, parking on two levels and a surface area of 3,866 square meters.

Costa Rica’s Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort has introduced Shangri-La Gardens, a new private garden spot for adults to relax while surrounded by the thermal mineral springs and rainforest of Tabacón and the nearby Arenal Volcano.

For the fourth consecutive year, Coco Reef Resort & Spa in Tobago received the 2011 World Travel Award for the “Caribbean’s Leading Hotel”.

Virgin Holidays, the leading U.K. holiday company owned by Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, hosted a function at the Battersea Power Station in London on Sunday, November 6, 2011 to honor the top hotels worldwide. Couples Tower Isle Hotel & Resort was honored with the Gold Award, which is given to a hotel establishment providing an excellent Jamaican tourist destination.

Spain-based hospitality company Iberostar Hotels & Resorts this week unveiled Iberostar Cancun, the newest addition to the company’s portfolio of all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. The property marks part of the company’s expansion strategy and was previously the Hilton Cancun.