On the heels of the official December openings of Club Med’s new mountain resorts of Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif in France, and Tomamu Hokkaido in Japan, the company announced the continuation of its international growth strategy today. Club Med’s Global CEO and President, Henri Giscard D’Estaing, aims to open five new resorts per year, on average, over the next five years.
The company also has plans to execute five major renovations to its current resorts per year to offer new and refreshed experiences. With the expansion plan, Club Med is poised to retain its title as the worldwide leader in premium, all-inclusive vacations for families, active couples and solo travelers around the world.
Deep into a brand evolution that spans breaking ground in exclusive locations, renovations to family-favorite properties, and updated technology features across all 70 existing resorts, Club Med continues innovating its product offering to remain the champion of the all-inclusive concept.
“For more than 65 years, Club Med has continuously worked to improve and adapt to consumer demands and trends,” explains Xavier Mufraggi, CEO of Club Med North America. “This entrepreneurial driving spirit has allowed us to remain an energetic and diverse place for travelers with upscale accommodations, superior sports programming, enriching children’s programs, gourmet dining and legendary hospitality skills.”
A brief look at some of the global upcoming openings, renovations and tech upgrades this year include:
CARIBBEAN
RENOVATION – Club Med Turkoise – Turks and Caicos (May 2018):
Nestled into the best part of Grace Bay Beach, ranked the No. 1 Beach in the World by TripAdvisor, the adults-exclusive Club Med Turkoise recently re-opened its doors in January to unveil a refreshed and redefined atmosphere. The resort will earn its fourth Trident (the company’s unique star rating system) as of May 1, 2018, due to its recent renovations and upcoming enhancements, including: all-new Deluxe-level room with balconies; a redesigned pool and reception area; a new main bar; renovated dining space with a new wine cellar; a new wellness area; and tech updates.
RENOVATION – Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek – Martinique, French West Indies (summer 2018):
Buccaneer’s Creek will transform its existing specialty restaurant, L’o, into a new beach lounge emphasizing a breath-taking view of the ocean. The elegant and cool beach décor will support all-day dining within a secluded area of the resort. The main restaurant, Pays Mélés, will also undergo a renovation.
MEXICO
EXPANSION – Club Med Cancún Yucatán – Cancún, Mexico (summer 2018):
Set to open in July 2018, the Aguamarina area featuring accommodations and spaces dedicated to families will receive an expansion to introduce 60 new family rooms – 30 Family Club rooms and 30 Family Deluxe rooms – along with a new oceanfront pool. The family rooms each feature two separate sleeping areas so the parents and the children can have their own rooms. The renovation will increase the capacity of the resort and accommodate travelers with the creation of a second resort center dedicated to families. Just recently, in November 2017, the resort also completed a full renovation to all rooms and public spaces, and introduced new restaurant concepts.
ITALY
NEW RESORT – Club Med Cefalù – Sicily, Italy (opening summer 2018):
Originally hosting a Club Med from 1956 to 2006, Cefalù will once again play host to a Club Med resort. With favorable weather, lush vegetation and breathtaking panoramas of cliffs plunging into the pristine waters, the largest island in the Mediterranean is the perfect location to launch Club Med’s newest flagship resort for the Exclusive Collection: Club Med Cefalù. Located on the northern coast of Sicily, the resort will be the first full 5-Trident resort in Europe. A 5-Trident resort is identified by its exclusive upscale amenities and services for a luxurious vacation experience. Club Med Cefalù will offer more than 300 rooms, three gourmet restaurants, and three bars, all nestled in modern and refined architecture. As part of the all-inclusive concept, guests can partake in various activities from sailing and electric surfboarding to tennis and archery, or opt to self-indulge by booking an appointment at the blissful Spa by Carita.
FRANCE
NEW RESORT – Les Arcs Panorama – Savoie, France (opening December 2018):
Located in an alpine forest within the French Alps, Les Arcs Panorama is a 4-Trident family-friendly resort with a 5-Trident luxury space. The resort was built to fit the curves of the mountainous terrain and boasts a perfect view of the dramatic, soaring vistas. As the second largest ski domain in France, the Paradiski ski region features 264 miles of ski slopes, which makes this property the ideal spot for skiers of all levels. The resort features ski-in/ski-out access, 433 rooms (Suite, Deluxe and Club levels), and three restaurants – including a new family restaurant concept, Bread & Co., which encourages active participation between kids and parents through the creation of meals.
NEWLY OPENED – Club Med Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif – Samoëns, France (December 2017):
The ski-in, ski-out property is situated in the heart of the Grand Massif domain, the fourth largest ski domain in France and offers 382 rooms with views overlooking the surrounding mountains. Guestrooms are furnished with contemporary style and select rooms have interconnecting options, balconies and lounge areas. Expert ski instruction is included for all levels while children’s clubs are available for parents’ peace of mind for children from four months to seventeen years of age. Indoor and outdoor pools help skiers unwind after a day on the slopes while the Skyline Gourmet Lounge offers a menu designed by two-star Michelin chef Edouard Loubet.
CHINA
In China, Club Med is testing a new venture for the company: a brand-new, short-vacation-style hotel concept to introduce the worldwide beloved Club Med experience to the Chinese market as part of its strategy to expand across Asia. The Club Med Joyview project will create a number of new hotels in China over the next few years, each within extraordinary and easily accessible destinations. All hotels will be within a three-hour drive from a major city in China, and feature upscale amenities and premium services for travelers seeking an escape into nature – all with a touch of Club Med’s multicultural “art de vivre” spirit.
With its new flexible approach to the traditional Club Med model, Club Med Joyview hotels will allow guests to choose either a bed-and-breakfast option or an all-inclusive package. Two Joyview resorts just recently opened, with another one scheduled to open later this year:
NEWLY OPENED – Club Med Joyview Golden Coast – Hebei Province, China (January 2018):
In the Beidaihe district of Qinhuangdao City, in the Hebei province of China, Club Med recently introduced a new resort with sweeping sea views from all 308 rooms in an exclusive location right on the beach, offering a colorful getaway within the Golden Coast.
NEWLY OPENED – Club Med Joyview Anji – Zhejiang Province, China (January 2018):
Close to the international city of Shanghai, Club Med’s recently opened Joyview Anji resort features 301 rooms and is blanketed in soothing green hues and surrounded by bamboo forests, tea fields and plenty of fresh air.
NEW RESORT – Club Med Joyview Great Wall – Hebei Province, China (opening 2018):
Located at the foot of the Great Wall of China in Bakeshiyingzhen in the Hebei province, the soon-to-open Club Med Joyview Great Wall will offer guests a playful atmosphere with the innovative Club Med Playground, an indoor sports facility, and the colorful Club Med Waterland, an indoor watery wonderland.
In addition, Club Med Guilin in China recently added a new section to the resort:
EXPANSION – Club Med Guilin – Guilin, China (January 2018):
Resting within one of China’s most cherished regions and beautifully preserved sites, Club Med Guilin just opened a nearly 9,700-square-foot, two-story indoor sports complex. Guests will enjoy year-round activities, including: a climbing wall and trampoline; a virtual reality game room; a multi-sport playground with volleyball, basketball and badminton; and a circus experience with juggling, unicycling, balance exercises and an indoor flying trapeze.
JAPAN
NEWLY OPENED – Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido – Hokkaido, Japan (December 2017):
Widely accessible and just 90 minutes from the New Chitose Airport, the resort offers a modern yet comfortable atmosphere inspired by Japanese culture and nature designed by French interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. Families and couples can stay in single or interconnecting rooms with full mountain views and are encouraged to embrace the active and thrilling side of winter with four ski trails, snow trekking and a snow garden for the Children’s Club. Once back inside, travelers can splash around the largest indoor wave pool in Japan and then indulge in Japanese barbecue at the specialty restaurant.
SOUTH ASIA
RENOVATIONS – Club Med Kani – Republic of the Maldives (early 2018):
Club Med Kani will offer a new vacation experience for active couples and families looking for both exhilaration and exclusivity. The resort will open a new scuba-diving center and Mini Club to promote family-friendly travel activities, while the overwater suites at the Manta Exclusive Collection space will undergo a refresh. The Manta section will also unveil a new welcome lounge, beach restaurant and bar lounge. Manta guests will also receive access to Club Med Finolhu Villas, a luxury 5-Trident resort on its own private island, also part of Club Med’s Exclusive Collection.
LOOKING FORWARD
Club Med’s expansion plans will strengthen its presence in Asia through the creation of new resorts, develop its North American offering by breaking into a new territory, and elevate its leading role in the all-inclusive ski vacation sector with its plan to open a new Alpine ski resort annually.
In Asia, Club Med Ho Tram, close to Ho Chi Minh City in the southeast of Vietnam, will be the first Club Med to open in the country in 2021. In Indonesia, Club Med Lombok will be the third resort for the brand to open in the country, set to open in 2019. Club Med also recently announced it will open Club Med Ceylon in Sri Lanka in 2019, and a new 5-Trident Exclusive Collection resort in Seychelles in 2020.
In Africa, Club Med is planning renovations for its Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers resort in the Mauritius to expand the resort with 108 new rooms. Current rooms will also undergo renovations, and the resort will play host to a new spa, family pool, Zen space and a transformed specialty restaurant.
Additionally, Club Med will build on its established status as the global leader in premium all-inclusive mountain vacations with its much-anticipated return to North America: the company plans to open a new resort in 2020 in the Le Massif de Charlevoix region just an hour away from Quebec City. This 4-Trident resort with a 5-Trident space will be the first Club Med resort in Canada and will feature year-round activities for each season.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATES
Club Med is a world recognized symbol for seamless and personalized vacation experiences that make bookings, check-ins and check-outs a breeze. Beginning early in 2018, French and Italian resorts will offer “Easy Check-In” that automatically opens a property account for guests prior to arrival without requiring a stop at reception followed by “Easy Check-Out” that directly charges the credit card on file so there is no need to close out an account. Resorts will also engage guests with mobile welcomes and digital assistance throughout their stay using a specialized bracelet that allows mobility throughout the resort and a smoother, modernized arrival.
This year, the company is instilling new capabilities to the Club Med Resort App that allows guests to access information about sports, dining, activities and events. The app will now allow guests to make direct requests to the housekeeping or technical teams to save time. Guests will also have the ability to book services through the app, such as spa appointments, excursions and specialty restaurant reservations.
The company is also working with Google Street View to allow guests the chance to tour the resorts and their rooms prior to arrival. Currently, 25 resorts worldwide offer the Street View option, including Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Club Med Cancún Yucatán in Mexico. The company is working on expanding the list throughout the year.
ABOUT CLUB MED
Club Med, founded in 1950 by Gérard Blitz, is the pioneer of the all-inclusive concept, offering 70 premium resorts in stunning locations around the world including North and South America, Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean. Each Club Med resort features authentic local style and comfortably upscale accommodations, superior sports programming and activities, enriching children’s programs, gourmet dining, and warm and friendly service by its world-renown staff with legendary hospitality skills, an all-encompassing energy and diverse backgrounds.
Club Med operates in more than 30 countries and continues to maintain its authentic Club Med spirit with an international staff of more than 23,000 employees from more than 110 different nationalities. Led by its pioneering spirit, Club Med continues to grow and adapt to each market with more than 14 new resorts opening within the next three years.