It’s clear the venue was a huge success: Oakville’s Waterfront Bronte Boathouse was the scene of a gathering of some 65 advisors, a few of their hand-picked clients, and teams from Sandals/Beaches and the Jamaica Tourist Board on 16JUL.
During the evening event, guests were brought up to date on news from the ever-evolving resort group as well as in a detailed presentation from the genial Lancelot Lebert, GM of Beaches Negril (Sandals is strictly couples only, while Beaches welcome all guests, especially families).
Beaches Resorts is executing on its $1 billion "Beaches 2.0" expansion to double its footprint, adding new destinations in Barbados, Exuma (The Bahamas), and Runaway Bay (Jamaica).
Negril was home to the first Beaches resort, and today has 13 restaurants and 197 rooms including some “very cool family suites” with up to 4,000 square feet and featuring the resort group’s signature butler service. The staff to guest ratio can be as high at 1:1, and - with advance notice - the property will accommodate clients with kosher and halal dining requirements.
The resort showcases the corporation’s long-standing partnership with Sesame Street, and the famous characters charm and enthrall even the littlest guests. There is a newly-expanded Kids’ Camp, with activities for offspring as young as infants up to those hard-to-please teens.
In a bold, innovative and caring step, Beaches Resorts – currently located in Turks & Caicos and in Negril - are also home to the Caribbean’s first certified Advanced Autism-Friendly Kids’ Camps. “We proudly celebrate children with special needs by providing exclusive services for an unforgettable family vacation,” reads a flyer promoting the service. All front-of-house and Kids Camp staff undergo continuous training in sensory awareness, communication, and emotional regulation, ensuring that activities are inclusive for all.
Services include a rating of all resort areas on a stimulation scale of 1 to 10; one-on-care through the Beaches Buddy service, and “Fast Track” services to make arrivals and departures seamless and easy. A video on the program featured parents of autistic children who could not recommend the program highly enough.
Beaches is certainly having a moment, CJ Smith, Director Sales Canada for Sandals and Beaches told Open Jaw. “The multi-generational thing is huge – people wan to be together and connect.” And accommodation at Beaches Negril can accommodate up to 18 people for a true family get-together.
The brand is enjoying such huge success and demand that Beaches Exuma (formerly Sandals Emerald Bay) is slated to open this coming winter; and other resorts in Jamaica, Barbados and St. Vincent are well into planning phase.
All of which was clearly music to the ears of the advisors and clients in the room. “I love the product,” Sue Hawkes of Expedia Cruises in Mississauga told Open Jaw. “There truly is a resort for everyone with fantastic dining and great inclusions, like scuba diving and waterskiing, that the other all-inclusives surcharge.”
She’s also a huge admirer of Executive Chairman Adam Stewart (son of ebullient Sandals founder Butch Stewart) for his business acumen and how he compassionately dealt with the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica in October last year.
It’s no secret that these Sandals and Beaches are not the cheapest option on the all-inclusive vacation spectrum, but Hawkes says it’s all about incredible value, amazing food and beverage, and, as she put it, “Cheap is cheap for a reason.”
A flyer available to advisors at the event touched on that very topic, counselling to “sell value, not price”, and to “know the product deeply: new resort openings create more opportunities for higher-value bookings”. More sales tips and training can be found at the training portal.
“There are tons of competitors but they can’t keep up with us!” Maureen Barnes-Smith, VP, sales & marketing, Unique Vacations Canada, the marketing, sales and reservations arm of Sandals and Beaches, told the guests. To get more updates and insider info from Barnes-Smith, check out her recent interview on Open Jaw’s very own Pink Couch.
