Recovery has been strong and significant for Playa Hotels & Resorts, a testament to the strength of its brand and partnerships and the hard work and dedication of its team members. In this week’s Take Five, we sit down with Rose Cosentino, Vice President Sales – Canada & Eurasia to discuss Playa’s post-pandemic recovery, which includes an exciting new alliance with Wyndham Alltra.
Rose Cosentino
How did the winter 2021-2022 go for Playa Hotels & Resorts? Did it see some recovery?
We are seeing significant recovery as travel has reopened and sales are surpassing pre-pandemic levels. I am so happy to see that winter 2021-2022 bookings were coming in – finally – from the Canada market as travel restrictions continued to lessen. The balance of 2022 and into 2023, we plan on seeing even more bookings coming in at our properties.
Canadians typically travel to sun destinations during the winter months. Do you think this summer will be busier than usual due to pent-up demand?
As we learn and feel more comfortable to travel in terms of air travel and holiday travel during a pandemic, people now more than ever are seeking vacations where they feel safe, and all-inclusive is leading the way. Household names such as Wyndham, Hyatt and Hilton will continue to be at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Playa is well positioned with these brand partnerships we have solidified, allowing travellers to feel more comfortable and confident in their choice to stay with us. The demand we are seeing across all our brands is astounding.
Ribbon cutting ceremony, Alltra Cancun
What’s new at Playa for 2022-2023?
In 2022 and 2023 you will see a lot of growth within Playa. I wish I could expand further but that would take all the fun out of any exciting news to come! We are continuing to expand in our number of properties with our new strategic alliance with Wyndham Alltra. Just last week we held a ribbon cutting ceremony at our Alltra Cancun resort with Wyndham and Playa Hotels leadership. All I can say is, stay tuned – big things to come ahead!
How is Playa working with travel agents this year?
Our partnership with our travel agents is always top priority for us at Playa Hotels & Resorts. In partnering with more brands that guests are familiar with, we are giving our travel agents more options to book their clients. I am so proud of our Canadian BDM team. They are so engaged with the agency community and are so dedicated to work with travel advisors to provide the necessary support they need to help them sell and make it easy for clients to return happy. Amanda, Freddie and Christian are always busy attending events, in-person meetings, virtual trainings, conferences and fams. If they’re not on the road, you can always see where and what they are doing by following their social channels. Our Travel Agent portal is also undergoing improvements, which will help our travel agents find more ways to sell.
What do you want travellers to know about health and safety at Playa Hotels & Resorts at this stage of the pandemic?
As part of our Playa Safe Stay initiative, all Playa brands implemented new measures to increase overall safety and hygiene such as innovative cleaning standards and physical distance guidelines. In addition to protocols established by sister-brands, Hyatt and Hilton, all Playa brands have adapted new cleaning and disinfection procedures, service methodology and safety protocols in line with the recommendations of leading industry experts, the World Health Organization and local governments. Guests can have peace of mind when choosing any Playa resort, knowing each one is strictly adhering to updated policies and procedures that meet the highest sanitary standards. To learn more on Playa Safe Stay please visit https://www.playaresorts.com/safe-stay-promise
Travel advisors can go to www.agentcashplus.com for more information about Playa Hotels & Resorts.
