Business View Caribbean - Sept. / Oct. 2014

26 %XVLQHVV 9LHZ ‡ &DULEEHDQ ² 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU &D\PDQ ,VODQGV B ut it’s the prospect of month after month of 24/7 activity that pulls Gaetan Babin back in each day. “They say in the flower business, if you can’t make money on Mother’s Day then you shouldn’t be in business,” said Babin, director of sales at The Reef Resort, on the eastern tip of Grand Cayman on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. “I’ve been involved in this industry for 25 years and it’s very exciting. “People are coming in from the frigid cold up north – from Canada to New York to the Midwest – and you land here in paradise; sunny days, no wind, mid-80 degrees. It’s nice.” The resort will typically do 50 percent of its annual business in the five-month stretch from December to April, with the majority of visitors arriving from New York and its immediate surroundings. Other strong bases from North America include Texas, Florida, the Carolinas and Canada. The United Kingdom, Italy and Germany are the top European sources, and Babin said the reputation of the Caymans as a particularly well-off destination means the clientele is particularly discerning. “People are coming here by choice because of what we have to offer, and not because it’s the cheapest place on the planet,” he said. “We have a mixed-used property, from rentals to limited timeshares, so we draw a client base that’s a little more affluent. “A third of our members are in the medical or education fields. So it’s not the over-, over-affluent, but it’s certainly not the people who are looking for what they can get for 99 dollars, including all the food and including all the tequila they can drink.” The resort features 1,600 feet of beachfront and all 166 studio and suite floor plan arrangements are on the water. Regular one-bedroom suites are 900 square feet with a full kitchen, while one-bedroom executive suites include a dining room and lounge and cater Gaetan Babin An Ultimate Vacation Experience The Reef draws high marks for peace, quiet and serenity Working at a luxury destination in the Cayman Islands is, by definition, a hectic endeavor.