The hotels that make up the Villa del Palmar Resort Collection offer all the customary amenities and delights associated with a luxury hotel brand, but in order to up the ante and stand head and shoulders above the rest, they’ve launched a new branding campaign, “Your story starts here,” that aims to provide all guests with vacations that are unique and personal and where lifetime memories will be forged. In other words, they want the Villa del Palmar Resort Collection—with several properties in five Mexican destinations from Loreto to Cancun—to be your client’s home-away-from-home in Mexico, and for your client’s string of Mexico vacation memories to be linked to the Villa del Palmar name.
And indeed, the 415-room Villa del Palmar Cancun Beach Resort & Spa, where we plunked our suitcase and made ourselves right at home a few months back, does offer up a home-style ambiance (don’t let the number of rooms make you think otherwise), with accommodations that offer modern decor, full kitchens, washer/dryer and some suites so spectacularly spacious, your clients will want to move in and call Cancun their permanent home. One thing, though, don’t expect home-style cooking here (although we know that could be good), because what comes out of the kitchens of the resort’s four restaurants is a dazzling display of haute culinary art. The cuisine—everything from sushi at Hiroshi to authentic Mexican cuisine at Zama—is truly taken to new heights and will be, we bet on it, the highlight of the resort stay.
Says Carlos Aquino, v.p. of hospitality sales & marketing at The Villa Group Resorts, the culinary aspect “is one of the key attributes that sets the hotel apart and is a strong area of focus for us as a company. Traditionally, all-inclusive hotels have been associated with being very buffet driven and with limited a la carte options. At Villa del Palmar Cancun we aim to raise the bar and provide our guests with a truly outstanding culinary experience.”
Best part? The cuisine is only a taste of the fabulous service served up throughout your client’s resort stay. “The hotel,” continues Aquino, “provides our guests with a well-rounded experience, from relaxing on the beach, to enjoying our world-class Village Spa, casually taking in the sun or a game in one of our many outside beach bars. There are areas for families and adults alike with plenty of space and numerous pools to choose from. Our signature rooms are 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom featuring a large living area, fully equipped kitchens and luxurious dining rooms, with master bedrooms and oversized whirlpool tubs.” And may we add some of the most expansive terraces on the market with a hammock that begs guests to do just like the locals and take a nap with the sound of the surf lulling you to sleep (doesn’t get more cozy than that).
Roy Oftedal, director, Balboa Vacations, points out that, “Villa del Palmar offers units that are great for families. They offer full kitchens that allows for some meals to be prepared onsite, but still offer onsite restaurants and concierge facilities for those who want personal service.”
make it your client’s vacation
So how does the branding campaign fit in, you might be asking? Well it’s all these serviceable components plus all the extra details that the client can request: say a Mayan astrological profile for a family (think quality time together without the kids texting); a top-notch tequila tasting for newlyweds; an herbal tea tasting for empty nesters, or perhaps dinner in the privacy of one’s accommodations. The point being that Villa del Palmar knows that offering unexpected extras and top-notch service is what brings the repeat visitors back time and again, and it makes your life a whole lot easier since clients will call you up knowing exactly what they want.
Of course, one of the best places to make a lasting memory and take a breather from the every day is at the resort’s open-air Village Spa, truly a divine oasis that’s in the middle of the resort, although strategically sunken in, with palapas as treatment rooms, enveloped only by lush gardens and the sound of birds. It’s so expertly planned out and the therapists are so genuinely accommodating to your every request, that the rest of the world seems a thousand miles away. Best bet for couples? The 80-minute Mayan Love Ritual. In fact, recommend one of the Mayan Rituals to any and all clients.
Villa del Palmar Cancun offers both all-inclusive and EP vacations, with overall rates in February starting at $175 with daily breakfast for two (only), and rates in the 1-bedroom suites starting at $349 all-inclusive per night and in the 2-bedroom at $525 per night. Rates in the 2-bedroom loft start at $949 per night all inclusive.
leaving “home”
With such a resort it’s hard to tear yourself away, but offsite excursions are plentiful—this is Cancun, after all, and there’s an onsite concierge who can help out.
- Take a boat ride with Samba Catamaran to Isla Mujeres, where clients can explore the island’s small town and then grab lunch at a local beach bar, but only after they’ve gone snorkeling along the coral reef.
- A must: Swim with the dolphins at Delphinus, located at Dreams Cancun. It’s an exhilarating experience that is just too much fun to pass on.
- Families will love the Xcaret Eco Park, with its Mayan ruins and bat caves.
- Tulum, too, is a beauty. It’s the only walled city near the ocean that the Mayans ever constructed.
travel agents, take note
According to Aquino, travel agents are a key component of the Villa del Palmar team. “We believe our travel agent partners are a critical part of our team. They are the experts in their field and know where their clients will best enjoy their vacation and travel experiences, so for us in working closely with them to support our partnership together in attracting new guests is our top priority. Sharing the differences between our expansive 1- and 2-bedroom suites and tailoring them to a couple or family’s needs is key to us delivering the adequate experience and exceeding customer expectations.” In order to further that relationship, the hotel company has plans for numerous FAM trips and incentives. “We have amazing hotels,” he says, “that are a must-see for the agents to experience and understand the demographic our hotel is ideal for and there is no better way than seeing the hotel first-hand.”
Archived related articles (available on recommend.com):
Iberostar Cancun (August 2012)
contact information
Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau: https://cancun.travel or agents.cancun.travel/login
Villa del Palmar Cancun Beach Resort & Spa: (877) 845-3795; villapalmarcancun.com
