For this edition of Take 5, Playa Hotels & Resorts’ Director of Sales, Canada, Amanda Morris, has some words of advice for travel advisors: “Don’t let your clients wait to book! We are seeing ‘revenge travel’ and space is filling up quickly. If you see the room your clients want, book it and don’t wait!” Morris also notes that vacationers are spending more than they normally would, “so don’t be afraid to offer them higher suite categories.”

1. So many Canadian travel advisors are looking forward to sending their clients back to Playa Hotels & Resorts properties in the coming months. What can you tell us about Playa’s portfolio including properties under the new Wyndham Alltra brand, and the new Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun?  

“Within the last year we have added four properties to our portfolio, bringing us to a total now of 20 all-inclusive resorts.

“Starting in the spring of 2021 we introduced The Yucatan Resort Playa del Carmen, by Hilton; a boutique 60-suite luxury adults-only resort located in the heart of Playa del Carmen right on 5th Ave.  This property is a full all-inclusive resort but guests also have the option of sharing privileges with its sister property only three blocks away: the Hilton Playa del Carmen. This can be done in advance or on property with the purchase of our All Inclusive PLUS package.

“In addition to The Yucatan Resort we opened our 10th Hyatt property, Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun. This is a breathtaking and completely remodelled 438 all-suite property located just outside Puerto Morelos (about 20 minutes from Cancun International Airport). This Hyatt ‘ZIVA’ (which means we accommodate guests of all ages) offers not only a beautiful beachfront but also nine pools, a waterpark including a splash pad and 17 restaurants, bars and lounges for our guests to enjoy.

“And to wrap up the year in December we announced our strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotels and the birth of our exclusive brand, Wyndham Alltra. Wyndham Alltra is an upper mid-scale all-inclusive resort collection, and we are thrilled that we have completed the transition of our first two Wyndham Alltra Resorts: Wyndham Alltra Cancun (all ages) and Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen (adults only).

2. While travel is resuming in earnest, health and safety are still very much on vacationers’ minds. Why is Playa Stay Safe such a strong selling tool for agents?

“I believe moving forward it is going to remain very important for travel advisors to keep themselves aligned with reliable partners and brands they can trust. And with our Playa Safe Stay Promise, in addition to our own protocols we have implemented the use of Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, Hilton’s CleanStay and Wyndham’s Count on Us protocols providing our guests an added level of trust from three legendary hospitality brands.

“In addition, now that Canada has eased the re-entry requirements there is no added expense for our guests, as we include antigen tests at all of our resorts for guests staying three nights or longer. And for peace of mind, at time of check-in we offer all guests our Extended Stay Protection for only US$49 per person. This protection will cover guests for an additional 10 nights stay should they receive a positive test result prior to their return home.”

3. We know that at Playa Resorts you pride yourself on your three pillars: Food & Beverage, Service, and Health & Wellness. Can you elaborate on Health & Wellness?  

“Absolutely! Health & Wellness has always been a primary focus for us and we have certainly noticed a shift in the market over the last few years. Our guests are prioritizing their physical fitness, mental health and overall they are focusing on a more balanced lifestyle, even while on vacation.

“For us this means providing our guests with state-of-the-art fitness facilities like our 14,000 sq. ft. gym at Hyatt Ziva/Zilara Cap Cana and world-class spas like our Grande Spa at Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa. And last but certainly not least, our culinary team does an excellent job of offering an array of authentic dining venues where guests can find healthy options on the menus.”

4. What are some of the perks for selling Playa, for travel advisors? 

“Aside from the support of our small but mighty team here in Canada I believe most travel advisors would say that the biggest perk when selling Playa would be our incentive program, AgentCash+.

“This program allows advisors to earn points on any bookings they make to any Playa Resort which they can redeem for either cash or free nights. And we are currently offering a Double the Points promo on any bookings made March 7 – 31 for travel completed by Dec. 15, 2022.

“All the advisors have to do is take a moment to log into AgentCash+ (www.agentcashplus.com) and register their bookings. In addition, when they register a room in advance, they are automatically arranging an amenity to be delivered to their client’s room on their behalf.

“In addition to our incentive program, we also have incredible tools available to support advisors and to assist with selling our resorts within our AgentCash+ platform. Advisors can find our property fact sheets, a travel agent reference guide and hundreds of high-resolution photos and videos. You can also find all our wedding information including packages, our wedding date availability calendar plus travel agent rates and our own direct booking engine.”

5. At this point in the pandemic, with travel really starting up again in earnest around the world, do you have any words of advice for travel agents?

“We are thrilled to see Canada’s business really start to rebound and we are so grateful for the support of our travel agent partners.

“If I could give the advisors any advice, I would say, don’t let your clients wait to book! We are seeing ‘revenge travel’ and space is filling up quickly. If you see the room your clients want, book it and don’t wait!

“And clients are spending more than they typically would, so don’t be afraid to offer them higher suite categories. Our top suite categories are selling out first.”