It
was in 2001 that Phil Jones, newly transplanted to Kauai from
California, realized that the upscale, customized vacation was a
business niche waiting to be filled. For Jones, upscale, customized
vacations meant stays at luxury homes and estates, personalized
services and pampering.
"The idea was to
offer the ultimate, customized vacation experience," said Jones,
CEO of Pure Kauai and its sister company, Pure Maui. "You name it
and we'll make it happen, with staff who really know their
stuff."
Pure Kauai offers
not only luxury accommodations but activities such as yoga, hiking
and meditation sessions, but usually only to individual travelers
and couples.
"We generally don't
book group tours or activities. Everything is private," said Jones.
"We're in business to pamper people."
Island hopping
After four years of
steady growth on Kauai, Jones decided to take the concept to Maui
in October 2006.
But rather than
market the islands together, Jones kept the Pure Kauai and Pure
Maui operations separate, establishing island-specific reservations
lines, packages and on-call staffs of specialists such as
professional surfers, private chefs, boat captains and
scientists.
"While our
standards for quality and personalization are the same, each is a
separate company," he said. "Our people need to be experts in the
places they serve. That means they can answer questions
knowledgeably, which is not the case with a centralized
reservations system."
The formula is
apparently working: Business has tripled this year, said
Jones.
Jones credited
increased business to the successful debut of Pure Maui last year,
continued growth for Pure Kauai (despite slowdowns for other Hawaii
suppliers) and word-of-mouth referrals, including an
ever-increasing number from travel agents.
"We've been around
long enough to have made some inroads with travel agents," he said.
"They're becoming more familiar with us now and are a growing
source of bookings. We welcome new agency
relationships."
Travel agents
booking Pure's pricey product line benefit from 10% commissions not
only on accommodations but on all activity and service components.
That translates into healthy pay on vacations that can exceed
$10,000.
Even better, the
company pays commissions to the original booking travel agent if a
return client opts to book future travel directly with Pure Kauai
or Pure Maui.
"We value the role
agents play in our business and want to cultivate new referrals,"
Jones said. "We're loyal to the agents we deal with, and they've
proven loyal to us.
Pure Kauai and Pure
Maui work with travel agents in a variety of ways, he
noted.
"Some agents like
to serve as an intermediary between us and their clients, some turn
them over to us right away," Jones said.
Encouraged by
strong demand on Kauai and Maui,
Jones is slowly expanding the
Pure concept to other upscale enclaves. The Big Island is a
possibility a few years down the road, but Pure Jackson Hole in
Wyoming is next in line, with Aspen, Colo., likely to
follow.
However, Jones
isn't emphasizing growth. He said he's a hands-on businessman who
prefers to manage a company where he can provide oversight and
maintain quality.
"I want to go slow
and keep it small," he said. "It's our familiarity with a place and
our expertise in putting it all together that is our real
strength. You really need to know and
appreciate the place for this level of customization to work. Our
expertise provides a valuable service for agents in dealing with
their clients."
California the top source market
Turning to source
markets, Jones pointed out that California is his key geographic
wellspring. However, bookings come in from all over the U.S., and a
single sales representative spreads the word nationwide.
Demographically,
Pure Kauai and Pure Maui have found particular strength in family
and multigenerational travel, largely thanks to diverse and
spacious accommodations options ranging from small, deluxe cottages
to grand homes.
In economic terms,
Jones caters to a decidedly upscale client -- many of the
properties he offers rent for thousands of dollars -- yet Pure
Kauai and Pure Maui have options from as low as $300 a
night.
"We work with
people to achieve any goals they've set for their trip," said Mindy
Robertson, who heads up sales and marketing for Pure Maui. "We have
from 15 to 20 homes and condominiums to choose from, so we can
truly match the property to the expectations and needs of the
traveler."
In addition to
customized vacations, both Pure Maui and Pure Kauai offer several
set packages. For example, both offer a six-night Learn to Surf
& Yoga package.
Typical of Jones'
ability to customize vacations for all ages and interests, the
six-night stay includes all meals, prepared by a private chef; all
island transportation; a variety of surf lessons and yoga sessions;
and the services of a trip host.
The package is
priced at $6,800 for one person, or $8,000 for two, based on double
occupancy, land only, providing travel agents an $800
commission.
There's also the
four-night Adventure Boot Camp, priced at about $3,000 per person.
This package also includes meals prepared by a chef and a wide
range of activities.
For more
information on Pure Kauai or to book a vacation, call (866)
457-7873 or visit www.purekauai.com. For Pure Maui, call (866) 787-6284
or visit www.puremaui.com.
To
contact reporter Allan Seiden, send e-mail to [email protected].