With the winter season in full swing, Melia Hotels International has several new updates for families, couples and all guests that will enhance their stay. In this week’s Take 5, we sit down with Marti Aragones, Senior Key Account Manager, to discuss the latest resort offerings and how travel advisors can benefit from bookings.
1. What can you tell us about new resorts, either ones that have opened within the past year or any in the pipeline?
“We have exciting news when it comes to new openings in the Caribbean! For this upcoming 2024, we will be opening in Mexico two new ‘ME” Hotels, ME Sayulita and ME Guadalajara, and one hotel in Cancun – Melia Casa Maya – reinforcing the importance of this destination, Mexico, for our company.
“We do have as well some changes in the Dominican Republic, another key destination for Melia Hotels International. We are reconverting our Falcon’s Resort to a Paradisus, our flagship brand in all-inclusive resorts, keeping the connection with the Katmandu Park in its superior rooms. And, on a more long-term project, we will be reopening Paradisus Punta Cana by 2025, a completely new resort located on one of the nicest beaches in Punta Cana.
2. What do you offer families specifically that travel advisors should know about?
“We do offer hotels that cater to families where the kids have all the amenities and facilities that they’re looking for to have fun: water parks, pools for children, mini clubs, teen clubs, a full program of activities just for kids, everything and more.
“Our Melia Caribe Beach, Paradisus Playa del Carmen or Garden Suites by Melia are the best examples of hotels where everything is prepared for ‘small ones’ to enjoy their holidays.”
3. Are you seeing a return to destination weddings, post-pandemic? How does Melia work with destination wedding couples?
“Without any doubt, we have seen an increase in demand for weddings in destination, and we have been working since the pandemic on offering couples who want to get married at one of our hotels the best wedding ever.
“We offer tools for travel agents and clients to have all the information required to book a wedding at one of our hotels. We also offer wedding coordinators at all of our resorts who will take care of the event since the moment couples decide to get married until the day of the ceremony.
“Melia Hotels International ensures a wedding like no other, with two complete offers from our two brands: ‘Love Stories by Melia’ and ‘Romance By Paradisus’ featuring a dazzling array of collections, services and amenities.
Gaby Bridge Paradisus
4. Melia opened the Katmandu theme park in Punta Cana in fall 2022. What feed have you heard from guests about the park?
“The feedback is good, especially from families, and that feedback has been used to keep improving the offer. The park opened one year ago and we will keep looking for ways to make it attractive for locals and visitors.”
5. Do you have any winter promotions for travellers or travel advisors?
“Without any doubt, travel advisors are a very important part of our success. We have for all of them an incentive program, ‘Earn and Grow,’ where all advisors can get points for every booking that they make with us. We offer a wide array of ways they can redeem their points. It is one of the best programs on the market and we invite all travel advisors to join and take advantage of its great benefits.”
Paradisus Palma Real
For more information go to www.melia.com.
