Hyatt’s Confidant Connect Live Reaffirms the Power of Advisors—and Canada’s Rising Influence

Confidant Connect 2025 (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

Hyatt’s top-producing North American travel advisors gathered at Secrets Tides Punta Cana from Dec. 5–8 for Confidant Connect Live 2025, a four-day event designed to celebrate advisor success while offering a deep dive into the future of the Inclusive Collection. 

Set against the backdrop of Hyatt’s newest adults-only luxury resort—stunning, romantic and intentionally indulgent—the event delivered its theme, “Clear Horizons,” through property immersion, executive access, and honest conversations about what’s ahead for 2026.

Set against Hyatt’s newest adults-only luxury resort, the event fully delivered on its “Clear Horizons” theme. (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

For advisors, the trip is more than a reward.

Confidant Connect Live is an annual, all-expenses-paid experience for the top 100 advisors who register Inclusive Collection bookings through the Confidant Collective portal. It provides a chance to connect with senior leadership, preview what’s ahead, and sharpen the expertise needed to sell the portfolio confidently.

Secrets Tides Punta Cana (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

Day One: A Warm Dominican Welcome

The weekend kicked off with a resort tour led by Denisse Ulerio, Director of Sales at Secrets Tides Punta Cana, showcasing the property’s oversized suites, plunge pools, indulgent amenities and quiet pockets of barefoot luxury. Advisors were then welcomed with cocktails and a relaxed dinner—an easy start to an itinerary built around connection as much as content.

Advisors were then welcomed with cocktails and a relaxed dinner (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

From its culinary experiences to thoughtful turn-down touches, Secrets Tides immediately impressed. The resort, which opened last year, feels tailor-made for special-occasion travellers seeking romance and pampering—an important sell for advisors heading into peak winter booking season.

Day Two: Strategy, Trends, and Honest Conversations

The conference’s General Assembly offered a focused look at the future of the Inclusive Collection, including brand evolution, product updates and insight into how advisors’ feedback continues to shape Hyatt’s direction.

At a media lunch with Carolina Bellina, Senior Director Canada Sales, HIC; Mark Benson, Associate Vice President of Sales & Strategy; and John Long, Region VP Commercial for the Dominican Republic, one theme stood out: transparency.

Carolina Bellina, Sr. Director of Canada Sales, HIC (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

Bellina told TravelPulse Canada that her primary goal for the weekend was connection.

“The most important thing was to connect to my advisors—make sure they feel appreciated,” she said. “We want to spend time with them, recognize them, and make sure they are learning. I want them to understand not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it.”

She added that Confidant Connect Live offers an opportunity for advisors to see behind the curtain.

“They don’t always know how we get to branding decisions or how a brand evolves. So they are learning all the time. We want transparency on where we’re going and our goals for the future.”

John Long; Denisse Ulerio; Mark Benson; and Domenic Cacace of Hyatt Inclusive Collection/Hyatt Hotels. (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

Looking to 2026, Bellina highlighted Hyatt’s sharpened focus on brand evolution and the merger with Playa Hotels & Resorts.

“Javier Aguila has put great effort into rebranding—making sure each brand is the correct one and evolves in the right way. And with the merger, we’re going to become a team, shoulder to shoulder, helping the company continue to grow.”

For the Canadian market specifically, wellness and luxury remain key pillars.

“We’ll continue to focus on luxury service and wellness. With tools like the Deepak Chopra AI and Peloton, we want to educate advisors so they can promote these benefits to their clients,” she said.

Advisors also toured Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana, adding another layer of product knowledge to their toolkit.

Day Three: Trade Show & Recognition

The weekend’s trade show brought together teams from across the Hyatt Inclusive Collection—from La Romana to Punta Cana to Miches—offering advisors one-on-one time with resort leaders, sales reps and on-the-ground experts. 

A spa treatment break built into the itinerary ensured the “Clear Horizons” theme wasn’t just metaphorical.

Carolina Bellina, Sr. Director Canada Sales (Hyatt Inclusive Collection), Bujar Zejnullahu (Travel Only, Confidant Cares 2025 winner) and Brian Joseph, BDM, HIC. (Photo Credit: Natasha Lair-McKenty/TravelPulse Canada)

That evening’s “Here Comes the Sun” Gala honoured top-performing advisors with the coveted Confidant Cares Awards, including two Canadians. The award recognizes advisors who pair strong production with community impact and humanitarian contributions—a hallmark of the Confidant Collective ethos.

The Advisor Perspective: Why Confidant Connect Matters

Hyatt executives repeatedly emphasized that advisor feedback directly influences strategy. The long-standing Travel Advisor Board, formed in 2014, continues to guide everything from branding and product development to program enhancements—including this very event.

Bellina noted that ongoing dialogue with advisors is essential.

“I try to get their feedback on what we’re doing correctly and what we should change—what trends we may not be seeing,” she said. “Every year is different, and that’s the beauty of this industry.”

A Year of Growth—and Big Potential for Canada

Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection is coming off a year of significant expansion, with 2025 openings including Secrets St. Lucia, Secrets Baby Beach Aruba, Secrets Playa Esmeralda and Dreams Playa Esmeralda. The highly anticipated Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana will open in 2026, marking the first Vivid property in the Dominican Republic.

All this new product has been accompanied by exceptional Canadian performance. Canada saw an 85% increase in overall initiatives and more than 80% growth in in-person advisor engagement.

Carolina expects that momentum to continue.

“Canadians are looking for new destinations and more meaningful connections,” she said. “Airlift to hubs like Cancun and Punta Cana continues to expand. 2025 was very strong, and 2026 looks positive.”

Final Thoughts

Carolina’s message to advisors was simple, “Continue to trust in our plans. We’re working to serve advisors and their clients better. The all-inclusive segment has evolved so much—it’s now about meaningful time, culinary experiences, and responding to what guests truly want.”

After four days of connection, immersion and genuine conversation, Confidant Connect Live 2025 made one thing clear: Hyatt’s relationship with advisors is not an accessory to its strategy—it is the strategy.

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