Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Image credit: Ritz-Carlton
Hospitality group Marriott International is linking with Lin-Manuel Miranda and his musical “Hamilton” to help Puerto Rico’s arts community rebuild.
After Hurricane Maria hit the island, Mr. Miranda, his parents and the play set up Flamboyan Arts Fund to help Puerto Rican arts and culture get back on its feet. Through a new partnership, Marriott will donate at least $300,000 to the organization, showing its support for the locale that a number of its properties call home.
"We're incredibly grateful for Marriott International's strong support of the arts community in Puerto Rico," said Carlos Rodríguez, executive director of the Flamboyan Foundation Puerto Rico office, in a statement. "We hope visitors to the island can see that at the heart of Puerto Rican culture is a vibrant expression of humanity through the arts that they can enjoy and help sustain and amplify."
Stay for a cause
Mr. Miranda has a personal connection to Puerto Rico, as both of his parents were born there.
The composer and actor is bringing his Tony-winning Broadway play to Puerto Rico this January. Running from Jan. 8-29 at Teatro UPR, the musical based on the life of Alexander Hamilton will see Mr. Miranda reprise his role as the titular character.
Now through Feb. 28, Marriott will be donating $1 per room booked at five of its hotels in Puerto Rico to the Flamboyan Arts Fund. Included among the properties are the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort and Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel.
In addition to the donation, Marriott is giving members of its loyalty program the ability to bid on a Hamilton experience by using their points. The package includes seeing the show and a chance to attend a meet-and-greet reception.
St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico. Image credit: St. Regis
"We're excited that this collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton in Puerto Rico is putting a well-deserved spotlight on the island," said Diana Plazas, vice president owner and franchise relations and brand, marketing and digital, Caribbean and Latin America, at Marriott International, in a statement.
"Our properties across the island are beyond excited to show visitors everything Puerto Rico has to offer,” she said. “From its beautiful beaches to its heritage and flourishing culture, the Isla del Encanto (the island of enchantment), is the perfect destination.”
The Caribbean has typically been a go-to destination for luxury travel, yet a year after Hurricane Maria ravaged many of the islands, the region is still working to win back some of the tourists who have steered clear following the storm’s destruction.
Puerto Rico is undergoing a major campaign to get more travelers interested in vacationing to the island by highlighting the major progress that has been made in the year since the storm. Discover Puerto Rico, one of the companies leading the charge, said more than 50 percent of travelers had their perception of Puerto Rico as a viable destination negatively impacted by media reports of the island’s damages (see story).