Health/beauty and spa treatments
Clients looking to pamper themselves with spa treatments and beauty regimes should head to the Caribbean.
Several all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica have their own spas and offer a range of treatments within the package price. SuperClubs’ Sans Souci Lido is the only hotel on the island to have its own natural mineral spa. Treatments include massages and seaweed wraps and there are also regular aerobic and aqua-aerobic classes.
At Enchanted Garden, clients can participate in meditation and tai-chi classes, as well as enjoy specially created healthy meals, while Sweptaway has recently added selected spa treatments to its all-inclusive package.
Sister properties, La Source in Grenada and Le Sport in St Lucia, offer a wide range of treatments at their Oasis spas, including aromatherapy and reflexology.
Sandals Resorts has spent £15m adding spas to a number of its properties in Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua and the Bahamas, making it the leading operator of spas in the Caribbean. But, unlike any of its other facilities, spa treatments are not included in its all-inclusive price.
Excursions/sightseeing/two centre
Although many people never leave their all-inclusive complex throughout their entire holiday, most resort operators do encourage customers to get out and explore the local area.
And if clients want this kind of holiday it’s important to sell them the right all-inclusive resort as some, particularly in long-haul destinations, can be in quite isolated locations.
In the Caribbean, where companies have more than one resort, shuttle buses or watertaxis are often laid on to transport guests from one to the other.
Sandals’ ‘Dine Around’ programme encourages its guests to eat at its other properties, as does Elegant Resorts in Barbados who will ferry its guests between its five hotels on the island.
Couples Resorts in Jamaica has gone one step further and included a choice of four excursions to sights in the immediate area, while Sweptaway throws in free flights between its two Jamaican hotels.
For holidaymakers interested in historical and cultural sightseeing Cancun offers the chance to combine the beach with visits to ancient Mayan sites, as well attractions in neighbouring countries such as Belize and Guatemala.
Kenya’s beaches are within easy reach of local game parks, while clients staying at all-inclusives in Cypruscan take their pick from a variety of scenic and historical excursions.
Something different
Skiing: Mark Warner offers all-inclusive holidays to seven European ski resorts, including Verbier, La Plagne, St Anton and Val d’Isere. Some of its Clubhotels are targeted towards families, while others have been set up with couples and singles in mind. Comprehensive child care facilities all day allow parents to ski throughout the day.
Club Med also offers all-inclusive holidays in 28 ski villages – some aimed at families, some adults only – with two new ones in Meribel opening this season. New products include Discover the Mountain tours offering guided treks, snow shoe walks and an introduction to cross country skiing.
Singles: SuperClubs is opening its second Hedonism resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, next month. The 225-room Hedonism III, like its sister property Hedonism II in Negril, is aimed at the uninhibited lively singles market. A feature of the new resort is its waterslide that snakes through the hotel cutting through the disco and swimming pool.
Safaris: Odyssey Resorts is offering a two-day, all-inclusive safari extension to its all-inclusive Turtle Bay Beach Club resort in Watamu on the Kenya coast. The safari, in Tsavo East National Park, is tented and includes all game drives, park fees, meals and tented accommodation.
Cruising: Kuoni is featuring a seven-night all-inclusive cruise in the Maldives. Atoll Explorer has 20 cabins, one restaurant, a Jacuzzi and sun deck. Prices start at £998.
Cosmos has included three all-inclusive Nile Cruises for 2000. The seven, four and three-night cruises take in all the main historical sights and include all meals, drinks and excursions. Prices start from £439 for a seven-night Wonders of the Nile cruise.