Clients Looking for Something Different? Try Club Med Boucaniers

Agents might not have extensive knowledge about Club Med Boucaniers (Buccaneer’s Creek) in Martinique, or of the destination itself.  After all, tourism to the island is dominated by the European market and Canadians make up only a small portion of overall visitation, roughly 10-20%; the bulk of those travellers coming from Quebec.

But that is also part of its allure; the type of traveller best suited to Club Med Boucaniers is one that is looking to experience something different. A good way to describe it is a tropical version of France.

TravelPulse Canada spent four nights last week at the property that was the first in the America’s and is the only All-Inclusive resort on the island. The 293-room property just re-opened in late October after its first block of renovations was complete; more than half its rooms are fully renovated at this time with the rest being set to be complete in 2024.

Air Transat and Air Canada currently offer weekly flights from Montreal and Air Canada is set to launch a direct from Toronto December 16. Travellers and agents won’t find Club Med packages with airline vacation arms; instead, “air+stay” bookings are made directly through Club Med’s agent portal or by calling the call centre. All packages are commissionable.

Arriving at Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF), travellers are greeted by Club Med for their transfer to the resort in the Saint Anne, the southern part of Martinique about a 45-minute drive.  The airport itself is undergoing major renovations, suggesting tourism on this island is getting set to ramp up.

TravelPulse Canada spoke with Aline Charlec, Room Manager who explained the property’s room offerings. There are technically 16 room categories which can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but that’s mainly because there are many variables right now due to the second stage of renovations.

The resort is sectioned into different “villages” – Village Planteur (plantation), Village Creole, and Harbour Village. 

The buildings are low rise with only three storeys, and the layout is quite expansive, giving guests the opportunity to snooze under a palm tree or join the more active area at the other end of the resort for water activities.  "Active" is a term to be used loosely at Club Med Boucaniers, you won't find pounding beats from a speaker or a lively entertainment team by the pool, instead there’s live music every day, which is a perfect setting to sip a cocktail and enjoy the sunset.

The colour palette of the renovated rooms is very different from more common neutral tones. Its sunny, yellow walls are a bit of a surprise at first, however the colour does grow on you and quickly becomes a reflection of your current vibe. 

Rooms include a mini-fridge and kettle with Nescafe Instant Coffee.  It’s probably important to note there is no mini-bar in room, though bringing a drink back to your room isn’t an issue.

 

 

Water activities are abundant and range from free waterskiing, snorkelling and kayaks to jet skiing and kite sailing (not included). There’s also a tennis court offering free lessons, which will be turning into a Paddel Ball court (not a typo, a new type of game). There isn’t a kids club, but kids are welcome at the resort.

There's also a resort spa named Payot, a popular French brand, that focuses on beauty through the senses. A variety of services are offered for an additional fee, ranging from facials, to massages and more.

The only potential downfall for travellers could be the schedules of the restaurants. There are two restaurants on site; Plays Meles and Le L’O Beach Lounge. Plays Meles is a buffet that is open 7-9:30am for breakfast, 12-2:30pm for lunch, and 7-9:30pm for dinner.  At L’O, it is also open for lunch as a buffet, but in the evening, it becomes a la carte with reservations required. Snacks are offered at times in the afternoon, but for clients who may be used to having “what they want when they want it at an AI,” this could be a bit of a shock. There is also no room service.

For an extra fee, there is a private tasting room for both wine and spirits; we were able to experience a rum tasting (pictured) before dinner and walked away with new found respect for the island's local brew.

 

Agents can take advantage of the Great Advisor Loyalty Program. For each confirmed booking, agents earn points ($1 equals 1 point) that can be exchanged for free nights at Club Med resorts. Depending on loyalty status, agents can also enjoy benefits in-resort, upgrade their client's room category or upgrade their client's Great Member loyalty status.

Another way to earn points for the Great Advisor Loyalty Program is to complete lessons on Club Med University and become a “Club Med Specialist” via their e-learning platform.

Club Med also has dedicated Facebook groups in English and French, for travel agents to receive information from Business Development Managers and ask questions to the community. BDMs organize regular webinars on dedicated topics/novelties as well as FAM trips.

Bookings trend to be made far in advance, the property is at capacity until at least February 2023, so it’s advised to start exploring for clients now.