PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -- It looks like Los Cabos will soon be
getting the royal treatment; the Royal Hideaway treatment, that is.
Occidental Allegro Hotel Corp. will expand the Royal Hideaway
brand by opening a second upscale, inclusive resort that will fly
the Royal Hideaway flag.
Teresa Alfonso, managing director of the Royal Hideaway Resort
and Spa in Playacar, said construction of the Royal Hideaway resort
in Los Cabos is scheduled to begin next summer, with an official
opening planned for fourth-quarter 2004.
"The financing is in place, with each of the 200 rooms costing
about $150,000 to construct," Alfonso said.
The Royal resort will be built near the Presidente
Intercontinental.
Allegro Resorts developed the Royal Hideaway brand believing
that the inclusive market was ready for an upscale inclusive resort
with amenities such as a la carte restaurants, 24-hour room service
and concierges for every guest villa.
When Occidental Resorts acquired Allegro, it decided to expand
the brand, impressed by the fact that guests at the Royal Hideaway
Resort in Playacar tend to stay longer (about six nights) than
guests at the Occidental Allegro brand, whose hotels are typically
300 rooms or larger and offer fewer amenities, Alfonso said.
In addition, the Royal Hideaway in Playacar has the distinction
of being the first inclusive property to become a member of Leading
Hotels of the World.
"The Royal Hideaway was created with the discerning vacationer
in mind, pairing luxury with a sophisticated, inclusive package,"
according to Alfonso. "On the leisure side, the target market is
mostly professionals and couples accustomed to amenities such as
room service, spas, gourmet food and a cigar lounge. On the
business side, the Royal Hideaway accommodates corporate incentive
travel and small groups."
When it opens, Alfonso said, the Royal Hideaway in Los Cabos
will offer three room types, five a la carte restaurants, a spa and
fitness center, a business center and meetings facilities.
The rooms will be priced at about $400 a night per person,
double, compared to the $400 a night per room, double, that the
Royal Hideaway in Playacar charges.
Alfonso said the Los Cabos property will be able to charge more
because Los Cabos attracts a more affluent clientele than the
Cancun-Playacar region.
In addition, Alfonso said, the Royal Hideaway in Los Cabos will
offer a higher level of service and amenities, including a 2-to-1
employee-to-guest ratio, data ports in every room and one more
restaurant than at Playacar.
For additional information or to make reservations at the Royal
Hideaway Resort and Spa in Playacar, travel agents should call
(800) 999-9182 or visit the Web at www.royalhideaway.com.