Halfway in Cancun’s hotel zone – on the 14.5th mile to be exact – lies a little boutique hotel with big offerings that clients who may shy away from a visit to the area will want to check out.
Sandos Cancun (Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
Last week, TravelPulse Canada was with Canada Jetlines in Mexico on a Sandos Hotels and Resorts FAMs checking out three of the company’s four properties in the area: Sandos PlayaCar,Sandos Caracol and Sandos Cancun (Finesterra in Los Cabos is the fourth).
Each property offers something very different for travellers, and at Sandos Cancun that could best be described as “elevated sophistication.” The hotel used time during COVID to update the property and bring it to what it is today; it’s not officially an adults-only property but tends to find itself that way. Kids are welcome, but there’s no dedicated kids’ activities or programs, so the resort generally is filled with only adults.
“We listened to what our guests wanted, and we tried to reflect that by bringing a certain vibe that starts on arrival,” David Hernandez, General Manager tells us at a special rooftop dinner in the resort’s penthouse.
Rooftop wedding area overlooking the ocean. (Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
They’ve succeeded. There are 213 rooms, five restaurants, three pools, a spa and both indoor and outdoor space that can accommodate large groups of up to 450. Restaurants and available 24/7 room service features a variety of dishes that all focus on intensely fresh and authentic ingredients. The resort itself is in a prime spot near elegant restaurants, great shopping and many bus and taxi options available. Rooms and suites offer ocean or lagoon view and the penthouse which comes with rooftop pool, can be rented for smaller group events of up to 46 guests.
On the day we stayed, a highly talented fiddle player was serenading guests by the pool with extremely well done adaptions popular tunes like "Take on Me" by Aha, just one example of the entertainment program the resorts have in place.
“Other resorts can be very loud by the pools or on the beach, and that’s not what we are doing here. We’ve started our Rhythm Experience, a program that features daily live musical performances, instead of just playing music through speakers,” he smiles. “We are trying provide a balance of entertainment with relaxation and focus on musical talent in a way that elevates the experience to give the best place to relax and enjoy, especially in one of our cabanas.”
(Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
Hernandez says it’s important for agents to become more familiar with the property to better offer it to clients who are looking for a boutique experience that’s different from the larger options available both in the zone and in other popular regions like Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen. The overall service and experience is part of a larger strategy across Sandos properties called "Reasons to Smile" which are pillars to give guests the ultimate vacation.
“For the Canadian market, the travel agent is still very important, and we know we have to work closely with our agents,” Hernandez says. “They help us to know what people want, and we try to focus on their needs, to discover what is effective. Because we’re a smaller boutique hotel, it’s easier for us to listen, adapt and offer exactly what their clients want.”
Helping assist agents are brand new Sales Manager (Canada was her first FAM!) Manager Marysol Cepeda, and Room Division Manager Rodrigo Carmona. Together with Hernandez, the team has daily meetings to alert staff to special guests and needs and agents are encouraged to reach out so they can help provide those special touches for clients.
“We’re trying to change the perception that Cancun is only for people who want to party, Sandos Cancun is for guests looking for an elevated experience with amazing food and drink, relaxed entertainment, beautiful rooms, gorgeous weather and views and I think we’ve done that.”
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