AMResorts celebrated its fifth anniversary
by announcing an expansion into Jamaica. The management company
runs seven all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and three in the
Dominican Republic.
AMResorts three
brands are Secrets, Dreams and Sunscape.
We will open a
350-suite Secrets resort in October 2008 on an island located
between Montego Bay and Negril, said Alex Zozaya, president of
AMResorts. We selected Jamaica because it is a romantic destination
and because the Jamaica Tourist Board has done a great job in
marketing the destination for the U.S. market.
The high-end
resort will be an adults-only, all-inclusive property, just as all
Secrets resorts are. Zozaya said he preferred the term unlimited
luxury rather than all-inclusive, however.
Our approach is
different than most of the other hotel firms that have
all-inclusive offerings, Zozaya said. We use no wristbands and have
no buffet meals or buffet restaurants.
Secrets resorts
offer suites with hot tubs. At Dreams properties, where children
are allowed, theres a mix of 70% suites and 30% standard rooms.
Like Secrets, Dreams is a luxury brand. Sunscape is a midprice
brand geared to families and singles.
AMResorts plan is
to double its room count by the end of 2008, said Zozaya. New
destinations could include Aruba, the Bahamas and Costa Rica. In
Mexico, AMResorts is considering Los Cabos, Ixtapa and the Baja
area.
My goal is to
have one hotel for each brand at each location, he said. Our focus
from the beginning has been to deliver personal services beyond
compare and to develop lifelong relationships with our
guests.
Looking 10 years
down the road, Zozaya predicted that the Secrets and Dreams brands
will be accepted and recognized in the international luxury market.
Our resort operation and philosophy will be easy to replicate
elsewhere, such as in the Seychelles and the Maldives, for
example.
He also ticked
off possible resort locales in North Africa, Turkey, Greece and
Thailand.
Projects under
way in the Dominican Republic are the 402-suite Secrets Punta Cana
and the 400-suite Secrets Casa del Mar, both due to open in October
2007.
In Mexico, the
Secrets Maroma Riviera Cancun will open in late 2007. A Secrets
resort and a Dreams property are due to open in each of the
following destinations between the end of 2007 and the summer of
2008: the Riviera Maya, Huatulco and an area north of
Cancun.
All of AMResorts
properties in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, which were damaged by
Hurricane Wilma last year, are scheduled to reopen before
Christmas.
In other news,
AMResorts will launch a travel agent rewards program next month.
Zozaya said agents account for more than 75% of bookings.
Promotions and a TV campaign to boost product awareness also are in
the works.
To contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].