Q & A with Victor Manjarres, Iberian American Division Chief for Sandals & Beaches Resorts and Royal Plantation Boutiques in Jamaica

Sandals & Beaches Resorts boasts a far-reaching development plan for the Caribbean in 2007. In June 1, the company will open the Mediterranean Villa in Antigua & Barbuda and has just bought a hotel there that will be reflagged as the Beaches Antigua. Also underway there are three projects under the Royal Plantation brand, two of them in Jamaica and the third in Turks & Caicos. It has no plans to be the region’s largest hotel chains, but it is intended to be the finest in terms of luxury products for couples and family trippers.

Q.- What were Sandals’ perspectives in FITUR 2007 and what are the company’s projections for the European market, especially the Spanish segment?
A.- My division deals with the Spanish and Portuguese markets within Europe, as well as with Latin America. Last year we launched the brand in those markets and I must say the results of this first year have been pretty interesting, with very good sale volumes.

We’ve got a three-year plan that has been meeting our expectations and whereby we plan to put Sandals & Beaches high on the list of deluxe properties for couples and family travel in the Caribbean. We intend to add far more options and amenities in those hotels, and I’m not only referring to the number of restaurants, but also to the possibility of choosing between an a-la-carte or buffet-style breakfast, for instance. It’s not the old-fashioned all-inclusive system that got started some 20 or 25 years ago in which guests only had smorgasbord meals. The ultra all-inclusive system juggles a number of opportunities, within cuisine from around the world for patrons to choose from.

Q.- What investments is the company carrying out in the Caribbean right now?
A.- Sandals is executing several projects right now. In June 1, we’re going to open the Mediterranean Villa in Antigua & Barbuda following a $300 million investment. We’ve recently bought a hotel another hotel in Antigua that’s going to be reflagged as Beaches Antigua. Last year we started the enhancement of the Beaches Turks & Caicos with the addition of 180 suites and the Caribbean’s largest marine park, plus four new restaurants. This means tourists could stay a couple of weeks at the hotel and have their meals in a different restaurant each day because now the offer includes 14 bistros in all.

In addition to that, we’re in the process of expanding the Royal Plantation product with three different projects in execution right now, two of them in Jamaica and a third one in Turks & Caicos. All this much speaks volumes of how large an expansion process the company is embarked on in the Caribbean.

Sandals has no intentions whatsoever to become the Caribbean’s largest hotel chain but the one that gives out the very finest deluxe options for couples and family travelers. This will allow to enhance our products in a piecemeal fashion and clinch better quality for our customers.

Q.- Have you reached agreements with any airline to guarantee this inflow?
A.- We’ve been working with airlines on a regular basis. We’ve cut deals with American Airlines, Delta. Virgin and British Airways, a bunch of top-drawer carriers serving our markets and the islands where we run our properties. We always make sure airlift in a certain region is strong before we weigh a new investment project and get it going.

Q.- From a promotional standpoint, are you sticking to the same campaign you launched back in 2006?
A.- Yes, but with innovative changes. Our company’s President made a recent announcement in New York City about the things we’re planning to implement in the advertisement and marketing front. We simply want to continue being the leading luxury hotel chain of the entire Caribbean Basin.