DESTINATIONS — ALL-INCLUSIVE
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The Travel Weekly team
rounds up what’s new
to the all-inclusive
market and tests
two properties
WHAT’S
GOING ON?
W
hen you’re booking an all-inclusive
holiday there’s nothing more
important than finding the right hotel, which
is why it’s imperative to stay up to date with
changes and developments.
We’re helping you keep your finger on
the pulse with a short run-down of new
properties, and first-hand reviews of the
new all-inclusive packages from Cypriot luxury
property Aphrodite Hills and the redeveloped
Beaches Ocho Rios.
TRIED AND TESTED:
BEACHES OCHO RIOS,
JAMAICA
.co.uk/d
travelwe ekly
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Jo Cooke visited the property formerly known
as Beaches Boscobel for Travel Weekly after
its £20 million makeover.
There’s a Miami Beach-feel to Beaches
Ocho Rios’ oceanfront accommodations. All
white-washed with splashes of blue, the rooms
of the Greek Village stack up in three tiers
curving around the property’s bay. Interiors
boast mahogany furnishings, sumptuous
beds, contemporary rugs and paintings, while
outside, smart sunloungers stand on woodstained decks. Italian and Caribbean-themed
Villages cluster closer to the main building and
kids’ club. The French Village stands in a more
tranquil wing of the resort and has an ocean
view pool deck as its centrepiece. Edged by
sofas, it’s serviced by a new crêperie.
Organised activities and a ream of
facilities await those who don’t want
to lie around the resorts’ three pools.
Pirates Island water park offers an
alternative to the secluded, white-sand
beach, and there are tennis courts, an
Xbox games room, scuba diving, glassbottomed boat rides and snorkel trips,
and the chance for kids to try out golf
at a championship course.
A disco for teenagers where no parents
are allowed, and a sunset bar exclusively for
adults, ensure everyone gets a private slice of
paradise. The Kids’ Camp entertains 0-17-yearolds with movies, crafts, indoor and outdoor
9 May 2013 — travelweekly.co.uk • 49
DESTINATIONS — ALL-INCLUSIVE
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TOP Tts ’ new
continued
TRIED AND TESTED: BEACHES OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA
AGENT
FEEDBACK
Louella Cooper,
product
manager Europe
and aviation,
Destinology
“People are looking for a luxury
all-inclusive option so they can
keep to a budget. Turkey is
the leader at the moment so
Aphrodite Hills offers a Cyprus
option. This is an excellent resort
for the family market with good
service and standards.”
Emma Pine,
manager,
agency support,
Prestige
“This all-inclusive
package offers not only a great
buffet, but an amazing range
of restaurants serving gourmet
meals. It’s ideal for the family
market, golfers and groups.”
Club Med has taken over the
former LykiaWorld in Belek,
which it reopened in April.
Set on a 1.5-mile stretch of
sandy beach the hotel has 433
rooms, four restaurants, and as
part of the inclusive activities,
academies teaching golf, sailing
and even flying trapeze.
clubmed.com
nachos and soft drinks all day.
Speciality Caribbean, seafood
and Italian à la carte restaurants
contrast with the main buffet
restaurant, which has a kids’
section with lowered counters.
The resort is two hours 15
minutes’ drive from Montego Bay
airport, and, for those who want
to get out of resort, a 30-minute
drive from Dolphin Cove, Dunn’s
River Falls and Mystic Mountain.
games from 9am to 9pm. The
highlight is Sandals’ partnership
with Sesame Street, with a
stage show, character meetand-greet sessions, and a weekly
Disney-style parade through the
resort’s gardens that the children
absolutely love.
Dining options range from
the new BBQ Park where a pizza
is cooked to order, and you can
serve yourself ice cream, popcorn,
HOTEL UPDATE
TRIED AND TESTED: APHRODITE HILLS, CYPRUS
Travel Weekly’s Flora Ioannou
and 70 travel agents spent a
long weekend at Aphrodite Hills
in Cyprus to celebrate the launch
of its all-inclusive package.
“I’ve eaten my own
body weight in
food”. This is the
only complaint
agents are
likely to face
after booking
clients on an allinclusive holiday
to Aphrodite Hills.
The launch of
the resort’s allinclusive package was
well received by more than 70 UK
agents last month, who were the
first to try out the product. Sales
director Darren Eade says: “The
Amanda
Mathews,
managing
director,
Designer Travel
“As Aphrodite is set on its own
the introduction of the allinclusive will give families and
couples the option to relax and
enjoy their holidays knowing
what it will cost upfront. The
product has so few restrictions it
allows freedom and choice.”
50 • travelweekly.co.uk — 9 May 2013
all-inclusive was introduced not
only on the recommendation of
agents and operators, but after
listening to customer feedback.”
If clients love great food,
they need look no
further. There’s a
stunning range
of restaurants,
including Greek,
Italian and
Asian, but it
doesn’t end
there. Just lazing
by the pool they’ll
require the restraint
of a nun to resist the
pancakes and waffles, and
come 4pm, it would seem rude
to say no to tea and cakes. And
if they want an ice cream, they
can hire a Segway and zoom over
to the Haagen-Dazs shop in the
resort’s Village Square.
Children between three and
13 can attend the kids’ club as
part of the package, but there is
a charge for the crèche. Outside
the all-inclusive package, activities
on offer include the Retreat Spa,
golf course and the Annabel Croft
Tennis Academy.
Iberostar has renovated and
reopened the Iberostar Mojito
in Cayo Coco, Cuba. The 352
rooms have been renovated and
activities included in the price
are windsurfing, kayaking, water
polo, tennis and scuba diving.
iberostar.com
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Sandals LaSource Grenada
is set to open on December
12, with lead-in prices starting
from £1,899. There are 231
rooms and suites set in three
villages, nine dining options,
including the first-ever Sandals
steakhouse, five pools and a spa.
sandals.co.uk
Riu will open its fifth hotel in
Jamaica in December. The 238room five-star Riu Palace Jamaica
will be adult-only and situated
next to Riu Montego Bay. With an
Ibizan chill-out feel, the hotel will
have a swim-up bar and free Wi-Fi.
riu.com
all-inclusive
news
Hayes & Jarvis has added 21
resorts to its latest all-inclusive
programme, including four
five-star hotels in the Dominican
Republic and three five-star
hotels in Mexico. In response
to demand for all-inclusive
packages in the Far East, the
operator has added options
in Thailand and Bali, and has
doubled the size of its Africa and
the Middle East programme.
Shearings Holidays has added
two all-inclusive packages: a
nine-day trip to the traditional
Spanish town of Malgrat, which
includes three excursions, and
an eight-day holiday in Lake
Como staying in Hotel Britannia
Excelsior, which has a new
floating pool and sundeck set
on a platform on the lake.
WIN A VIP
HOLIDAY!
Aphrodite Hills is offering
agents the chance to win
a seven-night holiday for
four in its Presidential Suite.
Simply book a minimum of
seven nights to be entered
in to the competition to win
the all-inclusive VIP break.
Every booking from now until
May 31 will be entered and
the winner will be chosen
in June.
9 May 2013 — travelweekly.co.uk • 51