The spotlight on the 2025 CMEx laureates continues, with celebrations set for Sunday, December 7, at Loews Coral Gables Hotel in Miami.
Janelle M. Hopkin is President and Managing Director of Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada. A graduate of the prestigious Glion Institute of Higher Education in Montreux, Switzerland, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in Business Administration and Hospitality Management.
Her early career included formative management internships at the Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane and the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London. These experiences crystallized her vision of luxury service and shaped her philosophy on delivering high-end Caribbean hospitality.
After returning home in 2006, Hopkin spent 14 years mastering every aspect of the business under the guidance of her father, the late Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG, founder and former Chair and Managing Director of Spice Island Beach Resort. Starting as a Management Trainee, she progressed through roles including Rooms Division Manager and Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, before becoming Deputy Managing Director in 2015.
She worked closely alongside her father until his passing, and in March 2020 was appointed his successor. Since assuming leadership, Hopkin has successfully steered the resort through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and has launched an ambitious transformation to meet the evolving expectations of today’s and tomorrow’s travellers.
A proud mother of one, she previously served on the Board of Directors of the Grenada Tourism Authority and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Home for Children, where her passion for supporting disadvantaged youth is evident. Spice Island Beach Resort remains family-owned and -operated, earning consistent praise from industry leaders and guests alike for its unwavering commitment to providing a definitive 21st-century Caribbean luxury experience.
The CMEx Leadership Awards is powered by Platinum Sponsor Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation. Other sponsors include Barbara Pyle Foundation; Calabash Cove Resort & Spa (St. Lucia); Carnival Corporation & plc; Chukka Caribbean Adventures; Coco Palm (St. Lucia); Comfort Suites Paradise Island (Bahamas); Grenada Tourism Authority; Jade Mountain (St. Lucia); Ladera Resort (St. Lucia); Marketplace Excellence Corporation; Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort (Grenada); Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (Bahamas); Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour (St. Kitts); Rodman Marketing Guru; Round Hill Hotel and Villas (Jamaica); The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission; The Decker/Royal Agency; Tortuga Rum Company; Tropical Attractions; Tropical Shipping; Unique Vacations Inc. (the worldwide representative of Sandals & Beaches Resorts); and Vanessa James Media.
Proceeds will support educational initiatives that empower Caribbean youth and tourism professionals.
