Luxury, Caribbean Style

DESTINATION SALES SAVVY

This is the first of two parts on the Caribbean for luxury travelers

A growing luxury product in the Caribbean is creating more options for travel agents to sell to affluent clients, according to tourism officials and hoteliers.

While the region has always offered upscale options, now entire islands are targeting the wealthy while others are rapidly developing luxury resorts and services.

“All of our destinations position themselves to attract business from the luxury markets,” said Sylma Brown Bramble, director of the Caribbean Tourism Organization-USA. “Each has a hotel or product offerings that these discerning visitors would be interested in experiencing.”

Five-star resorts
The destinations most often mentioned at the top of that category are Anguilla, Turks & Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Barbados,  Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis, said Bramble.

Forbes Travel Guide (formerly the Mobil Travel Guide) has just ranked Caribbean properties for the first times with three Five Star properties for the region – Jumby Bay on Antigua, and Cheval Blanc and Eden Rock on St. Bart’s.

Four more resorts received Four-Star awards: Le Guanahani on St. Bart’s, Ladera Resort on St. Lucia, Cap Juluca on Anguilla, and Amanyara on Turks & Caicos.

“A five star hotel means a truly extraordinary experience and the fact that the Caribbean has three is very impressive; even a Four Star is the best in class,” said Gerard Inzerillo, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide.

Informal luxury
The good news for the Caribbean is that it seems to offer the kind of informal, experience-based luxury that’s become the standard for wealthy travelers.

“The difference in the Caribbean’s luxury product and the luxury product elsewhere, is that we have the ability to make you relax with humor, fun, joie de vivre, and empathy,” said Ross Stevenson, general manager of Cap Maison on St. Lucia.

Joe Duckett, vice president, sales and marketing for Windstar Cruises, which sails the Caribbean, said, ”Luxury travel in the Caribbean is different than elsewhere; even at nicer resorts, guests are quite casual in Tommy Bahama wear and flip-flops.”

While it’s a sensitive subject, the Caribbean also subtly promotes its safety and security compared with other destinations.

“The peacefulness of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique [the islands of Grenada] allow for maximum comfort and safety throughout one’s holiday, “Chrislyn Lashington, a spokesperson for the Grenada Tourism Authority.

Villas: luxury with value
It may not be surprising that there are more than twice as many villas as hotel rooms on St. Bart’s, a hub of Caribbean luxury and one of the islands that’s almost entirely targeted toward the affluent.

Pascale Ghérardi, president of Voyage by Pascale, said there is a trend to residence villas as part of resorts. The company represents 45 luxury properties in the Caribbean and Mexico and works exclusively with agents.

And Anne Dentel, president of Eden Rock Villa Rental in St. Bart’s, said the potential for generating commissions is rich.

There are 80 villas throughout the island featuring one to eight bedrooms. All the villas offer VIP access to the Eden Rock Hotel. Villas with more than five rooms have their own chefs and butlers.

All of these very expensive units are fully commissionable to agents.

The cruise option
Among the Caribbean’s luxury cruise options is SeaDream Yachts.

Robert Lepisto, president of the SeaDream Yacht Club, said his small vessels offer the opportunity to sample a number of islands – a good way for clients to choose where they want to return on a future vacation.

“We travel only short distances and spend long days and even overnights on the islands so the passengers can get a full land experience,” he said. “They can try restaurants or even do a long hike or bike ride.

“We’re not for everyone; we’re about outdoorsy, active lifestyles with casual luxury that is not stuffy,” Lepisto added. “We even have a gourmet raw menu, not something you would find on a lot of cruise ships”.

High commissions
Agents can do very well with substantial commissions earned by booking a group or even chartering an entire yacht.

“One agent chartered a yacht for ten nights and earned a $150,000 commission,” according to Lepisto.  Charters must be arranged 18 to 24 months in advance.

“The most luxurious aspect of our sailings is the intimacy of sailing in the Caribbean on a small ship that can access hidden harbors that big ships cannot,” said Windstar’s Duckett.

“[Clients] can spend time on smaller, less commercialized islands such as Les Saintes and Jost Van Dyke.”

Next time: Marketing the Caribbean for luxury travelers