It’s been another great year for Palace Resorts. As 2015 draws to a close, the Mexico-based all-inclusive resort company finishes its fourth consecutive year of record growth and is currently in the midst of an aggressive expansion, bringing in several million dollars of investment in the past year and opening Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa, its first property outside of Mexico.
At its second annual Global Conference — held from Sep. 27 to 30 at Palace’s flagship property, Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun — top executives assured travel agents that the company has no plans of hitting the brakes anytime soon.
While only in its second year, the event grew in attendance by more than 50 percent from 2014. More than 900 travel agents and tour operators were present, mainly from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
This year’s general session served as a platform for several announcements from Palace: Le Blanc Spa Resort, the company’s AAA Five-diamond adults-only resort, will open a new property in Los Cabos in 2016. Moon Grand, a section of the Moon Palace property, will be adding 800 rooms next fall, making it the 22nd largest hotel in the world (it already holds the title for the world’s largest all-inclusive resort). The company’s long-term goals are to add 2,000 rooms over the next 16 months and 10,000 local jobs in the next five years, with plans to expand into new markets, such as the Dominican Republic.
While Palace Resorts has much to celebrate, Frank Corzo, vice president of U.S. field sales, made it clear that while the conference was an opportunity to look ahead at upcoming ventures, it was also a time to reflect on the important role that travel agents have played in the company’s overall success.
“For us, partnership is very important, and that’s why we’re glad you are here,” Corzo said, addressing the audience during the general session.
Juan Carlos Seminario, senior vice president for global sales and marketing, echoed Corzo’s sentiments.
“Our success has depended on your support, and you have never failed us in 30 years,” Seminario said. “For that, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you very much for your support.”
The three-day event was meant to give agents an inside look at the “Palace Life” and included a variety of entertainment and performances by local musicians and artists. Agents also attended workshops on social media strategy, building a successful travel business and selling Palace Resorts. A trade show took place in Moon Palace arena, and industry experts Mark Murphy, CEO of traveAlliancemedia, and Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News, delivered the keynote address.
Travel professionals also took part in site inspections for a variety of Palace properties, including Playacar Palace in Playa del Carmen and Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun. The event concluded with an awards gala that honored 300 of the company’s top-producing agents and tour operators.
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