Mexico/Caribbean: All in the Family—Sun, Sand and Fun in Mexico & the Caribbean

FIRESKY NEGRILAll In the Family—Sun, Sand and Fun in Mexico & the CaribbeanBy Lydia GregoryIt’s been a long winter, and your clients will be ready for you to tempt them with some sun, sand and fun for their summer family vacation. We’ve put the spotlight on some of the hottest family-friendly properties in Mexico and the Caribbean. Beaches Negril“Giving generations of families a place to make incredible memories together is at the center of everything we do at Beaches Resorts,” says Gary Sadler, executive v.p. of sales & industry relations at Unique Vacations Inc. “And with its neighborly village vibe, warm Jamaican hospitality that makes families feel part of ours and amenities and activities all within steps of one another, travel advisors can recommend Beaches Negril with supreme confidence.”SANDALS QUOTEThe resort will debut 12 new butler suites next month, raising its room count to 197. “Our setting along Negril’s famed Seven Mile Beach is a standout, and the Firesky Reserve Villas and Eventide Penthouse Collection offer an unmatched connection to the sea, along with space and butler service to assist with all needs. They are the perfect solution for families seeking places to gather, a top trend for 2023,” he says. We also asked him for advice on how to sell this resort to your clients best: “My advice to travel advisors is always the same. Develop a close relationship with your BDM. They are your best resource for resort information, sales strategies and incentives. Invest time to learn,” adds Sadler. “Beaches Resorts, for example, has one of the world’s best programs for children on the autism spectrum. Award-winning and in concert with partner Sesame Street, this program has made an incredible difference in the lives of families with kids who experience the world differently. Which leads me to my third tip, be frank with your customers and ask the questions that need to be asked. From budget to special needs for family members—the more you know, the better prepared you will be to offer a solution the whole family will love. Earning trust is everything in our business.”GRAND PALLADIIUMGrand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa“We take family travel to the next level thanks to Family Selection at Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa, premium accommodations created especially for families located on the stunning beach of Costa Mujeres in the Mexican Caribbean,” says Pilar Arizmendi-Stewart, v.p. of sales and marketing for the Americas. “It offers exclusive facilities and personalized services for the entire family, situated in a privileged area of the resort, so that both parents and their little ones can enjoy their vacation to the fullest.” Located in the heart of this sprawling resort with 660 suites set on over 50 acres of beachfront property in Costa Mujeres near Cancun, it also provides families with three supervised children’s clubs, an aquatic park for kids and several family-friendly pools. PALLADIUM QUOTE And there’s a twist: “At Family Selection, children are always our top priority,” she says. “Family Selection gives kids, which the company has dubbed ‘Family Bosses’, the VIP treatment with a wide variety of unique amenities and surprises tailored to a variety of ages.” Don't worry, she adds, not all the fun is for the kids. “Parents will love the ease of Family Selection’s packing and unpacking services, secluded pool with waiter service, reserved beach area and 24-hour room service. Each family is assigned a Family Host to assist with any special requests during their stay.”HACIENDA DRIberostar Selection Hacienda DominicusNewly renovated, the Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus in the Dominican Republic has refreshed all of its 528 guestrooms and most of its facilities. The guestrooms received new furniture and renovated bathrooms, plus high-tech installations, including Chromecast, USB sockets and a new key system that does away with card keys, replacing them with guest wristbands and phones via QR codes. Most importantly for the kiddos and teens, the resort’s Star Camp also got a significant facelift. A space where play intermingles with learning and multicultural programs, the camp now has a kitchen for Mini Chef activities and a Mini Cinema with a giant screen, a new video game area and new furniture. Other improvements include a new bubble pool in one of the pools and a new Lobby Bar, theater and main buffet. Clients looking for a vacation that’s in line with their green ideals will like to know the renovation follows the company’s sustainability-led 2030 Agenda, which created to reduce, reuse and recycle departments in all its hotels and is moving towards being waste-free by 2025 and carbon neutral by 2030.Majestic Resorts“With so much to offer for every member of your family, there’s really no need for any other resort—Majestic Resorts has it all,” says Lucien Echavarria, director of sales and strategic partnership, USA and Canada. “Majestic Resorts offers an excellent vacation for families and multi-generational travel groups, as it has the best of both worlds available in one place—it’s family-friendly with activities and fun in our Family Section and, the Adults-Only (18+) section, includes access to dedicated adults-only VIP areas and lounges. Guests can find this perfect combination in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Costa Mujeres, Mexico.”MAJESTIC QUOTE She adds that the hotel designed its accommodations with families in mind—i.e., with plenty of room to roam in their Jr. Suites and Suites, which have jacuzzis and options with direct access to the pool, pool on the terrace or ocean views. The resort also has plenty of family-friendly facilities onsite, including a kids club and daily entertainment programs for every age and every stage. “And if you’re looking for more activities for adults, we have them, too. Guests can practice their swing at nearby golf courses, enjoy the casino in Punta Cana, or indulge in a spa treatment at the luxurious Blossom Spa located at the resorts,” she says. For Echavarria, the combination of activities, kid-friendly restaurants, services and location make Majestic Resorts an easy sell. New for 2023, a family-friendly bar in the Family Section at Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres, serving juices, smoothies and snacks, and updates to the Splash Kids Club at Majestic Elegance Punta Cana, which expanded its play area for kids and added water slides and daytime activities with the Entertainment team. St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya“[At St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya], the Astor family welcomes the Mayan family,” explains Xavier Collard, multi-property director of sales and marketing, St. Regis and EDITION, Kanai, when talking about the circular structure of the new-build, created to respect nature and the local culture—and to keep families close together. “The particularity of the building is that everything is concentric to the beach, and we offer a large variety of bars and restaurants—eight outlets in all—because we want to be sure when the customers come, they feel like they can stay here, together, and not have to run out to find something else,” he says. “Kanai is more than selling a room for a holiday, it also offers you a chance to create new experiences and memories. And family is an important part of the Astor tradition.” Collard adds the 124-guestroom and -suites resort—which opened this month—has created a series of exceptional family experiences and includes the signature Family Traditions at St. Regis amenities in the suites, such as child-sized bathrobes to match their parents’. “Everything is done for the family to feel okay and comfortable. We have almost 20 suites, most of which connect to double queens. We have 40 double-queen [guestrooms], and all of them are connected to a suite or a king room because we think it’s important when you go on vacation.” Another signature amenity of St. Regis is Collard’s hottest tip for selling: “At the time of reservation, make sure your client contacts their butler; it’s very important to leverage this. Recommend the [client] always communicate with them to ensure the best experience.” He says this will ensure an unforgettable and perfectly personalized trip that begins from the moment they’re booked to the moment they get on the plane ride back home. Falcon Resorts by Melia - All Suites Punta CanaOne of the most significant projects to open this year in the Dominican Republic, Falcon’s Resort by Melia - All Suites Punta Cana, has officially put the “resortainment” hospitality experience on the map. The compound is opening in phases: Phase one saw a rebrand of the Paradisus Grand Cana with 432 luxury suites, three swimming pools, nine restaurants and a spa and fitness center. Phase two, which opens late this year, will be a rebrand of Garden Suites by Melia, adding 190 rooms. MELIA QUOTE “[The resort is] located just steps away from Katmandu Park, a cutting-edge new theme park, that will transport guests through immersive storytelling experiences and never-before-seen ride technologies,” says Andre Gerondeau, COO for Melia Hotels International. “The combination of the resort and park provides every generation, from young kids to grandparents, a unique vacation experience in a tropical paradise that will keep the entire family entertained from beginning to end. When staying at Falcon’s Resort by Melia, families have the freedom to choose their type of vacation, whether that be lounging poolside in a private cabana or adventuring through The Hidden Realms of Katmandu. There is something for every generation to come together for an unforgettable experience.”DREAMS COZUMELThe Inclusive CollectionAMResorts made headlines with its evolution into The Inclusive Collection, which brought the best of its all-inclusive luxury properties under the World of Hyatt umbrella. Mexico and the Caribbean continue to be the focus of the company’s expansion, with two recently opened family-friendly properties: Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa (opened in 2022) and Dreams Flora Resort & Spa, which debuted in Punta Cana in February
of this year. The new property on Cozumel Island, just across from Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya, opened with 154 Preferred Club suites that include swim-ups and connecting doors for larger families. The luxury beachfront property has nine restaurants and bars, so a quick bite to ward off the “hangries” with the kids is never too far away, and its location in Cozumel gives your clients plenty to do off the property as well. If the parents want to get away for a bit, let them know adult guests are welcome to access the nearby Secrets Aura Cozumel. The newest jewel in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s shining tourism crown, Dreams Flora Resort & Spa, is set on the shores of Cabeza del Toro Beach, just 20 minutes from the international airport. With 524 luxurious rooms with a private terrace or balcony, it has four pools and a white-sand beach to choose from, five gourmet a la carte eateries, six bars and lounges, and, most importantly, an onsite water park. This kid-pleaser has two water slides guaranteed to give the kiddos a workout. Parents will also love the Explorer Club for Kids and the Core Zone Teens Club, which will keep every underage vacationer happy. Velas VallartaLooking for an over the top family experience? Book them at Grand Velas Riviera Maya on the 5-night G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S Getaway all-inclusive package. This stay in the 2-bedroom Grand Class Presidential Suite starts at check-in with a chilled flute of Veuve Clicquot for parents while kids get milk and cookies from the resort’s monkey mascot, Pancho—and it only gets better from there. Think spa services for everyone—littles will love the Tarzan & Jane Experience relaxing stretches—a molecular cuisine class with head chef Nahum Velasco, private toes-in-the-sand dinners, beach cinema, butterfly release and much more. And did we mention the Presidential Suite comes with 24-hour hour suite and poolside butler service? Note: As of press time, all the kids clubs at Grand Velas properties (Los Cabos, Riviera Nayarit and Riviera Maya) were undergoing a renovation that should be completed by this spring. Contact InformationBeaches Negril: taportal.sandals.comFalcon's Resort by Melia: www2.melia.com/meliapro/en/agencies.htmlGrand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa: pro.palladiumhotelgroup.comIberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus: iberostar.com/en/travel-agentsMajestic Resorts: majestic-resorts.com/enSt. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya: travelagents.marriott.comThe Inclusive Collection: hyatt.com/en-US/info/traveladvisorsVelas Vallarta: velasexperts.com

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