Dominican Republic Boasts New Travel Gem: Michès

It’s not easy being the first at anything, but Club Med is taking it all in stride. The company first announced in May that it will be opening a new resort in the Dominican Republic in December 2019, not in the island’s typical tourist hotspots but in the little-known region of Michès, about 90 minutes north of Punta Cana.

In fact, Michès is so unfrequented by tourists that the new Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda will be the first resort to ever debut in the region.

It’s essentially a blank canvas in one of the Caribbean’s most popular destinations, which has many hotel developers and tourists talking. But what do we know about Michès, and why haven’t we heard of it before?

Michès has mainly been regarded as an agricultural region that grows rice, coconut and tubers. Until recently, it’s been cut off from the rest of the island due to its geographic location (the sea is to its north, and a mountain range is to its south), which means that it hasn’t benefitted from the economic growth that tourism has brought to other areas.

But all that is about to change. In recent years, the government has invested in new roads and improved infrastructure in the region, linking it to Punta Cana, Santa Cruz de El Seibo, and Sabana del Mar, essentially opening it for tourism.

Castillo says other hotel brands are expected to follow suit, but that development is being carefully timed in order to adhere to the highest levels of environmental standards.

The rugged beauty of Michès is exactly what appealed to Club Med in the first place. Coupled with the fact that it’s within a reasonable driving distance from the airport, the region’s rare offerings and stunning environments matched the company’s criteria when opening a new resort. But being the first to develop an untouched location doesn’t come without some challenges, mainly with regard to sustainability.

Once finished, the resort’s daily operations will perform under the Green Globe certification and span 93 acres, Club Med’s biggest project of its type in the Caribbean in the past 40 years. It will be home to four boutique villages (Archipelago, Caribbean Paradise, Emerald Jungle, and Explorer Cove), each one with its own unique environment, and will be Club Med’s first full ‘Exclusive Collection’ resort in the Americas.

As with any new resort, amenities and location will be key when selling it. But with Michès being brand new to tourists, how confident is Club Med that Canadian vacationers will book, knowing that they’re going in blind, so to speak?

Having French roots, Club Med has always appealed to French Canadians and has enjoyed a loyal French following for years. But as Michès is considered a novelty for being largely untouched, Doyon says that the new resort is expected to attract a lot of interest across Canada.

The company is relying heavily on travel agents to get the word out about the new resort, as they play an “integral” role in Club Med’s Canadian sales.

Source: Travelweek Group