As with Hyatt, Hilton and IHG, over the last two years, Marriott has been expanding its all-inclusive footprint.
Initially, the offerings were primarily in Mexico. The brand has since increased to 33 properties across the Caribbean and South America, including Jamaica, Costa Rica, Brazil and now Barbados.
Last month, Marriott unveiled the first of its Barbados Collection luxury resorts with the Waves Resort and Spa in St. James on the island’s west coast. Hotel executives, tourism representatives, travel advisors and journalists gathered at the renovated resort for a splashy celebration.
The Waves Resort and Spa is part of Marriott’s increasing desire to dip its toes – okay, maybe even its feet and shins – into the luxury, all-inclusive resort space. In 2019, Marriott acquired seven Barbados hotels, previously part of Elegant Hotels, with plans for extensive renovations and revitalizations of each property.
With more than 9,000 locations in 138 countries, Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company based on number of rooms; nearly 1.6 million and counting.
The Barbados acquisitions are part of Marriott International’s plan to introduce travellers and Marriott Bonvoy members to more options of elevated all-inclusive experiences in sought-after destinations, with hotel products that appeal to every kind of traveller.
“We’re increasing our footprint in the all-inclusive luxury space,” Marriott officials told Open Jaw in October.
All the hotels in the Barbados Collection are considered boutique given their intimate size, adding to a more personalized experience.
Marriott International took advantage of the November launch to offer an exclusive preview of elevated dining options conceived with the help of French Chef Clement Vergeat, owner of the Michelin star-rated Paris restaurant, Tracé. Guests sampled such delicate and delicious dishes as tomato and watermelon gazpacho, lobster tempura, smoked beetroot with fermented milk kefir and dorado with caviar and hollandaise.
The properties are designed to accommodate different travel styles, whether focused on families, adults-only, mature solo travellers and multigenerational groups.
Guests will have the freedom to move beyond their hotel. Free water taxis between the Collection’s hotels, offered as part of Marriott’s Dine Around program, will allow guests to visit and enjoy the amenities and culinary options at several Collection properties.
The concept is simple, notes Omar Carrington, Director of Sales, Elegant Hotels Portfolio. “Stay at one, play at all.”
Under the umbrella of the Barbados Collection, Waves Resort and Spa in St. James is the first to be integrated into the Autograph Collection brand of Marriott’s seven Barbados hotel properties.
After completing their major renovations, the hotels will go into the Autograph Collection (Waves, The House, Treasure Beach, Tamarind), The Luxury Collection (Colony Club), and the Tribute Portfolio (Crystal Cove, Turtle Beach). Marriott’s initial investment in the hotels’ multimillion-dollar renovation budget is $150 million USD.
The scheduled opening dates of the renovated hotels are staggered over the next two years, with Waves being the first fully refurbished adults-only, all-inclusive hotel to reopen.
Treasure Beach is in its final phase and will reopen in December 2024; and luxurious The House in Q1 2025. The Colony Club and its 96 EP plan rooms are scheduled to reopen in Q3 2025; Tamarind in Q4 2025; and Crystal Cove and Turtle Beach Resorts in 2026. All dates are subject to change.
