Med revival: Club Med's Buccaneer Bay will be refurbished in
2004.
In the year since M&C profiled the
main all-inclusive chains in the Western Hemisphere (“Who’s Who in
All-Inclusives,” November 2002), 15 new properties in these groups
have either opened or are in the works; several have been
reflagged, and two chains Occidental and Viva have renamed
properties.
Growth in all-inclusive resorts is particularly strong among
budget-priced brands in areas with cost-effective labor, such as
Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, says Scott Berman,
Miami-based principal in consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
And these destinations don’t rely exclusively on the U.S. market;
they draw guests from all parts of the world.
Following is a rundown of what’s new at 10 major all-inclusive
chains.
Barceló Hotels & Resorts
Group sales: (612) 381-0036
www.barcelo.com
This Spanish-owned global hotel company has 130 properties in
its portfolio. In the Americas, a large number of Barceló
properties are all-inclusive resorts.
What’s new: Next year, Barceló will begin
construction on a resort on Mexico’s Maya Riviera, south of Cancun.
At press time, size and opening date were unavailable. Also, the
Barceló Playa Blanca, with 219 guest rooms and a meeting room for
up to 200, was slated to open last month on Panama’s Pacific
coast.
Club Med
Group sales: (800) 453-2582
www.clubmed.com
This French company was one of the first to introduce the
all-inclusive concept. Today, Club Med has 100 properties in 40
countries.
What’s new: In April, Club Med introduced the
new Total All-Inclusive policy at its North American properties. It
enhances the chain’s standard inclusive amenities of rooms, three
meals and activities with all-day snacks and full open bars serving
premium liquors.
On the property front, the company opened Club Med Trancoso in
Brazil’s state of Bahia. The resort has 250 guest rooms, a spa and
a nine-hole golf course.
In March, Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek in Martinique will close
for 14 months to undergo a complete refurbishment and the addition
of 100 guest rooms, for a total of 399.
Club Med La Palmyre opened on France’s Atlantic coast this
summer. The 402-room property features a spa center, where
treatments are à la carte.
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts
Group sales: (888) 923-2722
www.iberostarcaribe.com
The Spanish-owned Iberostar, with 75 properties in 11 countries,
has a presence in North America, with four resorts in Cuba, five in
the Dominican Republic and six in Mexico.
What’s new: The Iberostar Paraisio Lindo
opened last month on Mexico’s Maya Riviera, south of Cancun. The
property, the sixth for the chain in Mexico, has 446 guest rooms,
of which 64 are suites. Opening this month is a convention center
with an on-site business center, a ballroom and four meeting
rooms.
The Iberostar Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is adding 80
suites, for a total of 427.
Occidental Hotels & Resorts
Group sales: (877) 284-0935
www.occidentalhotels.com
This 80-property chain, based in Spain, has 23 all-inclusive
properties in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.
What’s new: This fall, the company renamed
most of its all-inclusives to reflect the Occidental brand
(Allegro, Grande or Royal) they represent. For example, the
Occidental Grand Cozumel now is the GrandCozumel by Occidental.
In the Dominican Republic, the AllegroPuntaCana by Occidental
renovated its 540 guest rooms and public areas this fall. The
300-room AllegroPlayaGrande by Occidental reopens later this month,
following a complete renovation. In Puerto Plata, the 336-room
Caribbean Village Club on the Green opened a tennis center this
year.
Cancun course: The Golf Club at the 2,031-room Moon Palace
opened last December.
Palace Resorts
Group sales: (877) 672-5223
www.palaceresorts.com
This Mexican chain has a total of six resorts in Cancun and the
nearby Maya Riviera.
What’s new: The Golf Club at the 2,031-room
Moon Palace opened a year ago. The par-72 championship course was
designed by Jack Nicklaus. A spa with 30 treatment rooms opened at
the golf club last month.
The Harmony Convention Center opened at the 1,266-room Aventura
Spa Palace in April. The facility has three large meeting rooms and
an additional 55,000 square feet of function space.
Riu Hotels
Group sales: (888) 666-8816
www.riu.com
This Spanish chain, with 100 properties worldwide, has expanded
its Mexican portfolio in the past year.
What’s new: The chain recently purchased the
500-room Hotel Grande Caribe Real in Cancun, renaming it Hotel Riu
Caribe.
The 569-room Riu Cancun opened in May with two meeting rooms.
The 380-room Riu Palace Las Américas, being built adjacent to the
Riu Cancun, will open in February.
In Europe, the chain added the 832-room ClubHotel Riu Chiclana,
an all-inclusive resort that opened in May in Cadiz, Spain.
Sandals Resorts
Group sales: (800) 327-1991
www.sandalsresorts.com
Sandals is a major player in the Caribbean’s all-inclusive
market, with 12 Sandals Resorts and five Beaches Resorts, the
latter of which are geared toward leisure guests.
What’s new: Construction of the 360-room
Sandals Whitehouse is under way on Jamaica’s southern coast. The
property, slated to open next fall, will have a spa with 10
treatment rooms and four meeting rooms.
Construction of a 120-room addition to the 191-room Sandals
Antigua Resort and Spa began in October; at press time, a
completion date had not been set.
Tropical tee: The Paradisus Puerto Rico Beach & Golf Resort
has two 18-hole courses.
Sol Meliá Hotels and Resorts
Group sales: (888) 336-3542
www.solmelia.com
Sol Meliá, a 350-property Spanish chain, has one all-inclusive
brand, Paradisus, with properties in Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic and Mexico.
What’s new: This month marks the debut of the
Paradisus Puerto Rico Beach & Golf Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto
Rico. The 500-suite property will have two 18-hole golf courses,
six restaurants, a full-service spa, a casino and nine meeting
rooms, including a ballroom.
Last December, Sol Meliá rebranded the Meliá Playa Conchal
All-Suite Beach & Golf Resort; it is now the Paradisus Playa
Conchal All-Suite, All-Inclusive Beach & Golf Resort.
New name: Punta Cana Spa & Casino Beach Resort is now
Breezes Punta Cana.
SuperClubs
Group sales: (800) 467-8738
www.superclubs.com
This Jamaican-owned chain encompasses the upscale SuperClubs
Grand Lido Resorts, the more casual and budget-priced SuperClubs
Breezes Resorts and the singles-oriented Hedonism Resorts, all in
Brazil and the Caribbean.
What’s new: Last year, SuperClubs took over
management of two properties in the Dominican Republic: the
466-room Puerto Plata Beach Resort & Spa (with one meeting room
that holds 400) and the 774-room Punta Cana Spa & Casino Beach
Resort (with one meeting room for 200). The properties were
renovated and rebranded Breezes Puerto Plata and Breezes Punta
Cana, respectively.
Two Cuban properties will open in 2004: the 307-room Breezes
Cayo Coco, to open this winter, and the 434-room Grand Lido
Varadero, opening in July.
In Brazil, the 253-room Breezes Cumbuco is being built in the
state of Bahia. At press time, an opening date had not been
set.
Viva Resorts
Group sales: (305) 266-6465
www.vivaresorts.com
This small, six-year-old chain has seven all-inclusive
properties in the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
What’s new: Viva Tangerine, a 228-room
property, opened last month in Cabarete, the Dominican Republic,
just outside Puerto Plata. The property has one meeting room that
accommodates groups of up to 215.
As of this month, Viva Resorts has entered a strategic alliance
with Dallas-based Wyndham International to rebrand Viva’s resort
properties as Viva Wyndham Resorts. Meeting planners and leisure
guests can arrange bookings through Wyndham’s reservations number
(800-996-3426) or website (www.wyndham.com).