Meagan Drillinger
Karisma Hotels & Resorts kicked December off with a bang with its 12th annual Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant awards and marketing forum. More than 300 top-producing travel agents were in attendance to celebrate as well as to gain insight into where the company is headed in 2020 and beyond.
The company is driving forward with a new brand message: "No Guts, No Story," which was revealed to members of the media and travel agents at the forum.
"One thing that I've learned in my career with Karisma is that we write our own story," said Marilyn Cairo, associate vice president of sales, North America, at Premier Worldwide Marketing. "We're looking to make things different. We like to ruffle feathers and shake it up just a little bit. If you don't have the guts to do it, you're not going to have a story to tell."
With that in mind, Karisma is gearing up for three high-profile openings in 2020. Next year, Mexico will see the openings of Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun, slated to open in March; Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya, slated to open in the fall; and Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, slated to open at the end of 2020.
The Riviera Cancun property represents a complete conversion of the former Azul Beach Resort Riviera Maya. The property will feature 148 guestrooms and suites, four pools, four restaurants, six specialty bars and an 8,000-square-foot St. Somewhere Spa.
Mexico's first Nickelodeon hotel, which will sit next to Generations Riviera Maya, will feature 276 oceanfront swim-up Pad Suite and Flat Suites, plus four Nickelodeon-themed signature Penthouses perched on the top floor of two buildings. The penthouses will be created with favorite Nick characters, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob SquarePants. All four penthouses have infinity pool swim-up access and oceanfront views. All rooms, no matter the category, will have two bathrooms in each room.
But the main focal point of the property will be Aqua Nick, at 500,000 square feet the largest water park in Mexico. This will include a lazy river, waterslides, a splash park, a water playground for toddlers, and mini relaxation pools.
On property, families can get ready to mingle with whimsical Nickelodeon characters, like Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Other amenities will include an immersive theater, a Club Nick hangout for kids, a fitness center, a spa (featuring kids treatments) and more.
Looking to the future, Karisma has confirmed that they will be expanding their ever-popular Palafitos at El Dorado Maroma starting as soon as 2022. The plan is to double the inventory from 30 to 60 Palafitos.
Mandy Chomat, chief sales and marketing officer at Karisma Hotels & Resorts, also confirmed that there will be six Margaritaville Island Reserve by Karisma hotels open by 2021. Not all locations have been confirmed, but ground has been broken in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. Other destinations might be Jamaica and Latin America. A seventh Margaritaville is rumored, as well, but not confirmed.