Viva Wyndham founder looks back on 10 years of growth

To commemorate its 10th anniversary in December, Viva Wyndham Resorts is rolling out promotions for 2007 that revolve around the number 10 in terms of discounts and deals at its eight all-inclusive resorts. "We're proud of this anniversary milestone and owe much of our success to our guests and friends in the industry," said Ettore Colussi, president of Viva Wyndham Resorts.

Although 1996 marks the official launch of Viva Resorts (its affiliation with Wyndham began in 2003), Colussi traces the company's real starting point to 1986.

"In October 1982, I was sailing in the Caribbean with friends. We found an abandoned hotel along the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, bought it, remodeled it and opened it in 1986 as the 60-room Club Dominicus Beach in La Romana, Dominican Republic," he said.

The hotel grew to 150 rooms, kept growing and now is the 530-room Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach and the 330-room Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace.

Colussi took his game plan to the Bahamas in 1992 with the 160-room Club Fortuna, which today is the 270-room Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach on Grand Bahama.

Mexico's Playa del Carmen area was next.

"This was an unknown fishing area along Mexico's coast, but it really had something that I knew would work," he said.

By 1996, Colussi had three hotels, but he needed a common identity to tie the all-inclusive properties together.

"I wanted a short, snappy name. Viva means 'happy,' and that's what I went with," he said. Viva has come a long way since then. Its eight resorts total 2,500 rooms in the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, with average occupancies of 85%.

"Our company is built upon the philosophy of providing a vacation experience that begins at the destination and incorporates ambience, atmosphere, food and service," he said.

A beach and sea location is the top priority, according to Colussi. "We want to offer fun, sports and entertainment at each," he said.

Viva increased its visibility in 2003 when the company entered into an alliance with Wyndham.

Colussi had worked with European tour operators in selling Viva vacations, but he wanted to expand its U.S. market base, and felt the Wyndham alliance was the right vehicle.

Expansion has always been part of Colussi's plan.

"We keep growing our room count," he said. "We opened the 223-room Viva Wyndham Cabarete in the Dominican Republic in 2004. Last year, we added 215 rooms to our two resorts in Mexico as part of a $17 million renovation after the 2005 hurricane season and 80 rooms at the Dominicus Beach, with 50 more planned for 2007. We are working on the Viva Wyndham Samana now, also in the Dominican Republic."

With the new airport in Samana opening this month, Viva will more than double its room count at the Viva Wyndham Samana, bringing the total to 500 rooms, some of which will be condo/hotel units and apartments that are part of a $20 million resort expansion project.

The Samana complex will add a casino and a commercial center, opening in late 2007.

Also in the Dominican Republic, Viva Wyndham is involved in the Casino Dominicus project in La Romana, close to the two Viva Wyndham resorts.

On Grand Bahama, Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach added facilities two years ago and will remodel all 276 guest rooms next year, Colussi said.

The resort also will gain a spa, a casino and new meeting rooms.

The Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, which Colussi touted as Viva's best dive facility, recently added a 50-foot catamaran to its dive boat fleet.

As for further expansion plans, Colussi would not go into specifics but mentioned Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Brazil as possibilities.

The family market looms large for Viva Wyndham.

"We have miniclubs for kids at each resort, and we're targeting this niche with new packages in 2007," he said.

Other markets getting his attention include dive, groups and romance.

Spas will be introduced at all Viva Wyndham properties, "especially for the U.S. market," he said.

The U.S. represents a sizable chunk of the firm's bookings, accounting for more than 80% of business to the Bahamas, 20% to the Dominican Republic and more than 50% in Mexico.

"We are not a big company," Colussi said. "We don't run, but we do walk fast, and we are here to grow and to stay."

To contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].