Business View Caribbean | May 2022

23 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 ELEGANT HOTELS , ALL - INCLUS I VE BY MARR IOTT BONVOY The All-inclusive acquisition of Elegant Hotels by Marriott International happened in 2018, pre-COVID, and it’s an interesting story of how they’ve managed to keep the operation steady and strong despite the challenges. Pineda reports, “Some things that changed in the last year – first of all, Barbados became the world’s newest republic on Nov 30, 2021. On that day, our President of the New Republic of Barbados was sworn in, which I think is great. The market is in a steady recovery. We have new flights arriving to the destination from cities like New York and Washington, and also two new flights from the United Kingdom. There is an optimistic point of view that new routes are being created for Barbados.” The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program was activated in May 2021 and now guests can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points within all seven Elegant All-inclusive properties in Barbados. Of those properties, Colony Club is the only one that is still a European plan hotel. Colony is an historic hotel in Barbados and it made sense to maintain the European plan, which customers enjoy there. However, it may be converted to All-inclusive in the future. The House and Treasure Hotels were converted to All-inclusive resorts in 2021. The House is popular with couples, honeymooners, and celebrities alike. It’s a chic hideaway and one of the island’s finest ‘adults only’ All-inclusive resorts. Even with 34 suites, the barefoot elegance at The House gives the sense of being in a private beach house in Barbados. Amenities within the new All-inclusive model include gastronomic delights featured in all-day dining at the restaurant, indulgent champagne breakfasts every day, a 24-hour cocktail bar, a grab-n-go bar with fresh light bites and drinks, sophisticated afternoon tea, and evening canapes. Simply delicious… With love always in the air, Pineda shares, Xavier Pineda, Director of Sales and Marketing