by Edwina Simpson | Mar 7, 2020 | Special event
Name: Sabrina
How long have you worked here? Since November 25th 2010, it was Thanksgiving which is how I remember so precisely. Things have changed since the departure of Ross. I used to have to work late more often, so it was a late night on Thanksgiving but that doesn’t happen these days.
What’s your favourite item on the food menu? Pork loin with peppercorn sauce
How far away do you live? Lagoon at the end by Purple Turtle – this it the far end of Portsmouth and Purple Turtle is a popular beachfront bar and restaurant…so i just get a short bus ride and walk up the hill to come to work.
Sabrina in front of the re-purposed plastic bottles curtain
What’s your favourite spot in Dominica? I like Purple Turtle’s beach parties (these happen most Sundays). I went to the parade for Carnival which was really fun this year. Last year I didn’t go because I had a small baby who is one year old now, so doing things like that is a bit easier.
We were sitting in the dining room during the interview and were interrupted by a hotel guest who had a piece of plant in his hand that looked like LionTooth and he was asking for Aloe Vera, she said she would get him some in a minute when done with the interview. I promised not to take much longer. The next thing she was going to do was going to do would be to show the guest which plant was the Aloe Vera and make sure he had a piece.
So you like helping guests? Yes I really do, but it’s funny because some guest come from another world and are used to getting everything NOW i.e. immediately, things are more developed where they are from. We are used to island time and we help them get used to it too. We work with what we have.
I stated that some things at the hotel were pretty awesome, like the chairs that hang from the tables in the dining room instead of being on the floor, making it easier to clean.
Sabrina: Yes, there are so many improvements that have been made like that and the shade blinds make a big difference in the restaurant. It was really an experience – us staff – me and two colleagues walked from our homes in Lagoon to the hotel the morning after the storm, through all the wreckage and helped re-build from that moment on.
We are sure you will enjoy meeting Sabrina when you visit or remember her well from your stay.
by Monique Jacob | Dec 22, 2019 | Restaurant, Special event
Pictured Above: Chef Ainsley Harriot’s Sorrel Cocktail Drink
It’s not Christmas in Dominica, and throughout the Caribbean, without Sorrel Drink.
Traditionally served during Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, Sorrel Drink is a beverage made from the flower of the ‘Roselle’ plant in the hibiscus family (locally called Sorrel, the scientific name is Hibiscus sabdariffa). The bright red petals are steeped with various spices including cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, lemon or orange peel, and ginger according to your taste. Some versions of Sorrel include white or dark rum, but this is optional. The resulting beverage is tangy and a bit acidic similar to lemonade and is served over ice.
At Hotel the Champs and restaurants and bars across Dominica, one is sure to find a version of Sorrel drink during the holiday season.
Chef Ainsley Harriot
In 2018, famed British Chef, Ainsley Harriot filmed an episode of Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen in Dominica. The episode aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on Sunday, March 10, 2019, and featured a variety of traditional Dominican delicacies and highlighted elements that truly showcase why Dominica is the Nature Island and a must-visit. The signature cocktail during this episode was Sorrel Drink, which he prepared right here at Hotel the Champs. View the episode’s trailer here: Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen Episode 8 – Dominica
Photo Credits: AINSLEY’S CARIBBEAN KITCHEN by Blue Marlin Productions
by Lise van de Kamp | Oct 10, 2019 | Hotel, Rooms, Special event
Hotel The Champs would like to provide you with the best service and best discounts that you will not be able to find anywhere else across the island of Dominica. We are here to serve, pamper and make you happy.
Click here on this link and a new page with an email to info@wpz7ehzfkn.trulywp.com will open. In that email the From field already has your email address. And in the body of the email are already the words asking for your Promo Code. Verify that all is fine, and click Send. Shortly after, during our working hours, we will send your Promo Code. As explained in the images below, use this Promo Code and place it in the upper right corner box, when you’re ready to book your desired room nights at unbeatable rates.
How to use your Promo Code
Hotel The Champs will provide you with the best discounted deals with the use of Promo Codes. When you click to book a room you will arrive to the page shown below.
Upon arrival onto this page, check on the upper right corner of your page and click on the date option that is there and choose your date of arrival. Next click in the empty box to the right of the dates and type in the number of days that you would like to stay at our hotel. Now click on the search option to the upper right on the page.
Next, look for the word “ Promo Code “ which is in the upper right side of the page just beneath the image. Type in your Promo Code in the box at the front of the word Promo Code.
The prices of the rooms will now change into the some great discounted prices.
Time to choose your room
It’s now time to make a choice from our three different room types. As your scroll down through our room options, you will see the difference in prices and descriptions so this may just help you to make a choice.
However when you have selected your room, click in the drop down arrow box at the front to state how many rooms of this room type that you would like to book for your stay.
When you have done that you can now click continue to make a better choice of things that you can do while you stay with us.
Additional Extras
Wouldn’t you just love to add more excitement to your stay at The Champs? Well here’s your chance to add as many options as possible.
If you would like to get picked up from the ferry or the airport upon your arrival, then the click on the plus sign, to the right of the first option which is Airport /Ferry pickup or drop off.
The other options below being Dinner and Drinks, Birdwatching, Horseback riding can also be pre-booked.
Contact Details
We always need to stay in contact, thats why we need your contact details. Fill out your name and email address. Ensure that you check this email address frequenlty.
Ensure to place a working cell phone number in correct area. We can also try contacting you on your cell phone if an emergency arises.
With your email address we will be able to send a thank you and welcome email address as soon as you book with us.
Card Details are necessary to guarantee your booking.
In order to fully guarantee your booking your card details are necessary. Please choose your card type in the first block. Then in the second block fill in your card number
In the third block fill in the expiration date of your card. In the CVV section enter the three digit number at the back of your card.
Enter the name that is on your card in the last section which states “Name on Card.”
Click next and now you have your fully confirmed booking with us. Feel free to send us an email if you need any verification . Remember we want to do all in our power to ensure that your stay is an enjoyable , satisfactory and long lasting memorable one. Thanks again
by RJ | Jul 8, 2019 | Environs, Pool, Restaurant, Special event
Congratulations! Happy 60th birthday Lise
On Saturday June 29th our proprietor Lise reached her big-six-o and of course that was a good reason to celebrate and to do some other things than just the usual weekend workdays.
We actually started already on Friday by giving ourselves time to get a guided tour of the new Hotel Kempinski which is still under construction. The opening is scheduled for October and it looks like they still have a lot to do but General Manager Michael Schoonewagen feels confident they will be ready in time.
What an impressive 5-star Grand Luxe resort this is going to be. A majestic entry and lobby, sea views all around, 3 restaurants, a conference center, more swimming pools than you can imagine, a fitness and spa complex like you’ve never seen and even the smallest room is bigger and more luxurious than the superior rooms in Hotel The Champs.
Our tour also included all the kitchens, offices, and the spaces “in the back” for the staff. Picture this: a buffet restaurant for the 175 staff that can easily compete with any public restaurant on island :-).
This resort is absolutely going to be a big addition to our island and for those guests who cannot afford the 5-start room rates (they are scary…) The Champs can offer a great alternative:
Book a Superior XL room at The Champs and have some money left to go dine in one of the 3 restaurants of Kempinski or treat yourself to a day in their spa. Our beds and our personalized service will make you feel like a 5-star VIP guest and the perks at Kempinski will complete your vacation of a lifetime. We will be happy to shuttle you up and down.
So back to Lise’s birthday. Friday night we enjoyed dinner prepared by Chef Francis and Tarnita in our own restaurant at Hotel The Champs. Friday night is pizza night but we took one of the alternative dishes, the mussels & shrimps in white wine sauce with a side salad. I just love that sauce. I used one of the shells of the mussels to scoop up the sauce to the very last bit. Delicious.
For the Saturday we had in mind to go “shop” for a new car for Lise and her staff team. The current vehicle has survived hurricane Maria but we never really brought it back in good shape and the engine is giving us challenges so we’re ready for the next one.
Bad luck for us, or is it that we just don’t pay enough attention? We drove to Canefield to find out that Auto Trade is not open for sales in Saturday morning since the hurricane. Well, I tried to check that on Friday using my WhatsApp but I should have made a phone call. So now Lise just had a nice island ride in the sun on the Saturday but no signed deal for a new car. Sorry Lise!
Saturday evening dinner was the “pièce de résistance” of Lise’s birthday. We were going to have dinner in the Zing Zing Restaurant of Secret Bay. What a delicious and relaxing experience.
We were treated by executive chef Grant Lynott and his team to culinary trip around the world with start and finish in Dominican ingredients and flavors that we did not discover in the 12 years we are here on island. Paired with the welcome cocktail, via the excellent wines, to the after dinner drink the taste combinations of food and drinks were heavenly.
So beloved guests staying at Hotel The Champs here is some good news for you: the Zing Zing Restaurant is now open to the public, but be aware, you cannot just walk in. If you’re staying at The Champs and you have something special to celebrate and would like to have dinner or lunch at the Zing Zing, then we can try to make a reservation for you. If they have an opening then you will receive two forms to fill in: one for your credit card and one to inform the kitchen about your food preferences, allergies, dietary requirements etc. Chef Grant wants to be well prepared because this is what he wants to give you: “Indulge in nutrient-rich, colorful and succulent island fare with a personalised dinner program designed by our executive chef himself and delivered fresh in the comfortable surroundings of the beautiful Zing Zing Restaurant.“
Dinner or lunch at Secret Bay is not just eating; it’s a culinary feast for your all your senses and especially for your taste buds.
And the party for Lise’s birthday wasn’t over yet. For Sunday afternoon Lise had invited her island friends to come over for a pot luck pool party. While Lise provided a good start for the drinks and snacks the other guests came with their own favorites to share with all. We cooled in the pool, were lazy at the sun beds, sat in the shade of the big umbrella, and chatted with each other. A great relax until after sunset and time the switch the colorful pool lights on. Our
Dominican StayCation guests joined the fun and had a good time like all the others.
Now that our extended pool deck is (almost) ready with small service area, a changing room and toilet and room to move all around at the pool a new facility opens up at The Champs. Dominicans can now come and enjoy our
special StayCation offers and see with Lise how to combine that with time at the pool with their friends and family. Hotel guests of course have free access to the pool and get complimentary use of pool towels. Friends can be invited using our
new Pool & Restaurant Combo and you can all have a great afternoon at the pool and enjoy the colorful cocktails and savory snacks of The Champs. Life in Dominica keeps getting better and better with Hotel The Champs.
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