Even in a noisy wine bar, the news from Palladium Hotel Group’s Monica Larcada, senior marketing manager for North America, and Karen Terry, marketing manager, got my attention. Here’s why:
- Grand Palladium Palace Resort, Spa & Casino, Punta Cana
Having completed refurbishments of public facilities and some of this Dominican Republic resort’s 410 guestrooms, Grand Palladium Palace Resort, Spa & Casino resort began another round of renovations in May that will be completed this fall. Upgrades to accommodations include new decor and furniture for 140 rooms (renovated baths and terraces, too), the conversion of 12 ground floor Ocean View rooms into Junior suites (by converting the terraces into interior rooms, then building out new terraces), the total transformation of 42 suites into loft suites replete with a new second bath, plus new baths and decor for 28 Double Deluxe suites. In addition, Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness center, which closed for much of the summer, will reopen after a makeover with, among other things, new equipment in the spa’s fitness center. - Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa, Montego Bay
In January, Palladium announced the completion of renovations at this adults-only property, including new furnishings, decor, and bathrooms in all Junior, 1-bedroom, and Honeymoon Villa suites; improvements to Las Brisas Beach; and the grand opening of Bhogali Restaurant. This doesn’t sound as much like late-breaking news as the Punta Cana renovations, but here’s the cool part. “We had South Asian brides-to-be approach us to ask if we could accommodate weddings with up to several hundred guests,” said Terry. They could, because adjacent to Lady Hamilton is Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa, which (handily) accommodates children. So Palladium’s wedding planners, led by Karen Bussen, have come up with a customizable Shaadi Royal Bliss program for the South Asian market, and, as Larcada pointed out, destination weddings are booming among that demographic. “What makes us successful,” said Terry, “is the authenticity of our South Asian weddings.” The package can include a baraat and marriage ceremony, a Goddess Mehndi party, and/or other options, and this may be the most well thought-out South Asian wedding program between Miami and Trinidad. - Agent Connect
“Travel agents are the core of our business,” declared Larcarda, to which Terry added, “We’re so committed to retail agents that we recently expanded our business development team to accommodate agents’ requests.” Since its launch last year, 5,000 agents have signed up. For more information, visit corporaterewards.com. For more information, visit palladiumhotelgroup.com/en.
