With interest in vacationing at all-inclusive resorts continuing to rise, as indicated in MMGY Global’s 2016 Portrait of American Travelers, competition is growing and more new properties are opening to attract your clients. Travel Agent looks at some of the latest, significant developments in the Caribbean, most notably Blue Diamond Resorts’ new all-inclusives in St. Lucia and Jamaica and to whom you should be pitching each of these stylish resorts.
Royaltons in Saint Lucia
The luxurious, yet laid-back, 352-room Royalton Saint Lucia opened in mid-February and is a solid pitch for families, with splash pads and waterslides, supervised kids’ and teens’ clubs featuring fun daily activities and dining menus designed for children.
For a quieter getaway, adults (ages 18 and older) can stay at the 104-room Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia, which has private infinity pools and an exclusive seafood grill. Offerings at Hideaway include yoga on the beach, mixology classes beside the pool and champagne toasts at sunset.
Suites at Hideaway use aromatherapy to greet clients each time they enter. Inside guests will find a Jacuzzi for two, a Royalton premium “DreamBed” with high-thread-count sheets and a selection of premium spirits. Twenty-four-hour room service is available. Also, Hideaway clients have access to butler service plus other extras such as afternoon hors d’oeuvres, exclusive à la carte restaurants and personalized beach bags.
Nestled on a private cove in Cap Estate, Royalton Saint Lucia provides intimate spots for sunset-watching and exclusive waterfront views, making it a suitable pitch for destination weddings as well. Beyond the beach, the resort has a Sky Wedding Terrace with views of Pigeon Island. Culinary options include Calypso, a gourmet West Indies restaurant serving authentic dishes from the Caribbean, eight other signature Royalton restaurants and two all-inclusive food trucks.
Royaltons in Jamaica
The 407-room Royalton Negril will open in the spring with waterfront rooms throughout three distinct sections, including the main resort, an exclusive Diamond Club wing and a 166-room Hideaway at Royalton Negril for guests 18 and older.
Royalton Saint Lucia provides intimate spots for sunset-watching and exclusive waterfront views.Royalton Negril will have eight bars and eight restaurants offering a wide selection of local and international venues, including Hunter Steakhouse, Armadillo (Tex-Mex), Calypso (West Indies), Zen (Teppanyaki) and Grazie (Italian). Ocean Point Bistro, a new concept exclusive to Hideaway, will serve gourmet French cuisine with an island twist with dishes such as its Caribbean Lobster Bisque, prepared with a splash of Jamaican dark rum.
For groups, families or those who simply seek a presidential vacation experience, the Diamond Club Chairman’s Suites will provide views from a private balcony, complete with private outdoor Jacuzzi and dining table.
After a day at the beach, entertainment comes in the form of sunset champagne cheers at the 18+ Hideaway, boogying at XS Disco Bar, live nightly performances and more.
Grand Lido Negril
Also slated for a spring debut is Grand Lido Negril, a luxury boutique resort with 26 premium ocean-view, butler-serviced suites. Amenities include 24-hour room service, dual-headed rain showers, a fully stocked minibar replenished daily, free high-speed Wi-Fi resortwide, in-room Bluetooth speakers, USB recharge stations and satellite TV with specialty channels.
Guests will also have exclusive use of a secluded au naturel pool and the Reggae Bar and Grill, in addition to preferred access to all services and facilities at neighboring Royalton Negril or the adults-only Hideaway.
Since its opening on November 1, travelers have been flocking to the 228-room Royalton Blue Waters resort in Montego Bay. Here, guests can double up on fun at the adjacent Royalton White Sands, where they can enjoy full access to the main facilities, pools, restaurants, and more, including the Royalton lazy river, and fully serviced luxury cabanas with private infinity pools, flat-screen TVs and minibars.
The one- to three-bedroom Presidential and Chairman’s Suites, designed with families in mind, include a walk-in closet, indoor Jacuzzi tub and handcrafted DreamBeds.
With a combined total of 11 restaurants across both resorts, two new dining concepts have been rolled out at Royalton Blue Waters: Jade, serving sushi and contemporary Asian fusion cuisine, and the Jerk Hut, dishing up authentic Jamaican jerk fare.
Advisors with all other inquiries regarding any of Blue Diamond’s Caribbean properties should reach out to Kerry Ann Quallo Casserly (kquallo@bluediamondresorts.com), regional director of sales and marketing for Royalton Luxury Resorts.
More All-Inclusive Resort Updates
After the success of debuting the Caribbean’s first Over-the-Water Villas in Jamaica, Sandals Resorts has announced that nine new Over-the-Water Honeymoon Butler Bungalows at Sandals Grande St. Lucian are available to book now for travel beginning in May 2017. Sandals is also debuting new luxury room categories at Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals South Coast, both featuring Sandals’ signature soaking tubs for two.
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has launched its Iberostar App, an innovative phone app for guests designed to make the browsing, searching and booking process simpler and more efficient. Some of the features include E-concierge, which allows guests an hotel staff to chat at any time; Iberostar Experience, an interactive map that provides guests with access to all the hotel’s services and facilities; and options for late check-out, luggage storage or even checking courtesy room availability
Active couples and groups alike will have plenty to do while at the new (opened in November), adults-only, Riu Reggae in Montego Bay. During the day, guests can opt for a number of sports and activities, ranging from tennis, golf, diving, kayaking or windsurfing at the hotel’s facilities to horseback riding or a trip to see bioluminescent plankton at Glistening Bay off-resort. At night, guests can visit Hotel Riu Montego Bay’s nightclub, Pacha, just a few yards away. To recover, the Renova Spa has a sauna, Jacuzzi, gym, and a variety of body and beauty treatments. Restaurants include Italian and Asian cuisine and steakhouse fare, while four bars serve a variety of drinks.
The Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive has just completed extensive renovations throughout the property that ensures a new, trendy look while providing modern luxuries and views of its signature mile-long beach in Aruba. Pizza per Tutti bar is now the central gathering place to meet for poolside drinks during the day. The trendy pool deck is complemented by sun cabanas and lounge chairs. Tamarijn’s Cunucu Terrace Restaurant is a newly designed space with expanded indoor and outdoor seating capacity. Clients can choose to dine in an air-conditioned setting or by the ocean. The open kitchen now has induction cooking stations and à la carte stations that serve fresh fish, steaks and rotisserie chicken. At the Palm Grill Restaurant, guests can prepare their own fresh fish, steak or chicken at interactive hibachi-style tables.