Playa Hotels & Resorts recently announced its entrance into an agreement to manage the upscale Sanctuary Cap Cana resort in the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana. The adults-only, all-inclusive Sanctuary Cap Cana is a new brand addition for Playa Hotels & Resorts, joining its Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara and Panama Jack Resorts brands.
“Sanctuary Cap Cana is a spectacular resort and resort destination, as well as a great opportunity for us as a new brand,” said Kevin Froemming, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Playa Hotels & Resorts. “The resort is unique for having an extraordinary amount of beach: 2,100 feet of waterfront. This is a significant advantage for our customers, since new resort laws in Punta Cana and Cap Cana prevent new construction this close to the beach.”
Featuring sleek and sophisticated architecture with a Spanish influence, Sanctuary Cap Cana currently has 184 rooms, including 33 luxury villas, 12 suite categories and two elegant two-level suites on a private island. (Playa Hotels & Resorts has plans to add more suites to the property.) The resort also offers five eateries (including the oceanfront Blue Marlin Restaurant), six bars, a fitness center, the 20,000-square-foot Sanctuary Spa and five pools.
“We want to restore Sanctuary Cap Cana to its original beauty and build on the resort’s strengths,” Froemming said.
This includes adding more personalized touches, such as butler and high-end concierge services.
Froemming also notes other factors in Playa Hotels & Resorts’ decision to manage Sanctuary Cap Cana, including the tremendous number of flights into Punta Cana and the hotel’s proximity to Punta Cana International Airport, which is only a 15-minute drive away.
“The travel trade is very important to us, and we’ll be organizing special soft-opening fam trips for agents to experience Sanctuary Cap Cana for themselves,” Froemming said. “Dates haven’t been determined yet, but these fam opportunities will probably take place in summer or fall 2018.”
Building Playa’s Brand
Froemming says the company has three ways to grow its brand portfolio.
“One is to build from the ground up, which requires more work,” he said. “The second is by securing management contracts, and the third is to put our brand behind resorts that are up and running but currently unbranded.”
According to Froemming, just two lots over from Sanctuary Cap Cana will be a brand-new, 750-room Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara all-inclusive resort complex. Set on 40 acres, the two properties will open in 2019 and will offer travel agents flexibility in booking, since Hyatt Ziva is family-friendly and Hyatt Zilara is adults-only.
The company also recently announced the opening of its first two Panama Jack Resorts in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for December 2017. Before rebranding as Panama Jack resorts, the two properties were formerly Gran Caribe Resort in Cancun and Gran Porto Resort in Playa del Carmen.
“With Panama Jack, we saw a tremendous opportunity in the four-star resort space,” Froemming said.
Playa Hotels & Resorts is looking to expand the company’s brands in Mexico, Punta Cana and Jamaica, as well as in various other locations.
The Details
Playa Hotels & Resorts
www.playaresorts.com
Sanctuary Cap Cana
sanctuarycapcana.com
