Club Med Expands Globally With Upscale Resorts And Sustainability Focus

The iconic French vacation brand Club Med is celebrating its 72nd birthday, and with it comes big news as it expands to even more places around the globe. Known for its all-inclusive holidays with onsite entertainment, its signature pool activities with music and even a trapeze experience, Club Med knows a thing or two about how to please people on vacation.

Still, all-inclusive trips have not caught on with Americans in the same way they have for European travelers. Club Med wants to change that as it seeks to attract more Americans to its international network of properties. While it recently closed its sole U.S. property in Florida, it is only temporary as Club Med has plans for more to come.

Carolyne Doyon, president and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, shares where the brand is headed in a post-pandemic vacation world.

What are Club Med’s plans for North America?

In 2025, Club Med Utah will become the first new resort in the U.S. for the brand in more than 20 years and the first-ever Exclusive Collection (5-Star) mountain resort in North America. With 65 years of expertise operating mountain resorts in Europe and Asia (and today’s growing popularity in outdoor-focused vacations), this is the right opportunity to bring this concept to the market.

Club Med wants to make winter sports more accessible and cost-effective for American travelers, whose options are currently limited to expensive and time-consuming “do-it-yourself” ski vacations. With the brand’s unique all-inclusive mountain vacation model, everything is taken care from lift passes, group ski or snowboard lessons, and guided hiking groups to all-day dining, childcare, and family activities – which are all included.

The plan is to grow by adding 3-5 new resort openings or renovations per year, seeking destinations that are ideal for both families and upscale travelers.

Does Club Med work with American travel advisors?

The brand has a close relationship with travel advisors around the world through investments in education and self-service tools such as the Club Med Travel visor Portal and Club Med University, an e-learning and training program. It helps them discover the latest offers, learn about the resorts and book client vacations. Club Med University teaches travel advisors about different Club Med products.

How is Club Med moving in a more upscale direction?

Throughout the brand’s 72-year history, we’ve watched the company evolve and appeal to a more upscale and family-friendly experience. The portfolio is adapting to cater to that shift by removing properties that don’t meet that high bar.

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The Club Med Exclusive Collection portfolio boasts 19 of Club Med’s most luxurious 5-star accommodations. This will grow to 25 properties by 2025. The collection is divided into different product lines ranging from resorts and chalets to cruises. Within the Exclusive Collection portfolio, there is also the soon-to-be renovated sailing yacht, Club Med 2, setting sail again in December. Each of these properties has tapped renowned architects and designers to create beautiful properties that show the Club Med spirit and trademark French savoir-faire.

What is Club Med doing on the sustainability front?

Happy to Care is Club Med’s global sustainability program that addresses various environmental and social issues that affect the communities where the brand operates. Across the network, Club Med is working to eliminate single-use plastics, construct professionally-certified, sustainable resorts and implement efforts toward energy conservation. Club Med resorts in North America and the Caribbean are already Green Globe certified.

This past summer, Club Med partnered with renowned vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli to help implement more plant-based dishes in resort restaurants. She led intensive training sessions with food and beverage teams in the Caribbean and Mexico. The goal was to help them learn how to develop and deliver their own elevated plant-based dishes for resort guests.

Local sourcing is another primary focus. At Club Med Québec Charlevoix, 80% of food products are sourced from Canada and 30% are from farms within 62 miles of the resort. At Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, coffee, cacao and produce are all sourced from local farms.

Where is Club Med growing in the coming year?

Travelers can expect to see 10 new Club Med resorts and 13 renovations or extensions of existing resorts by 2024, including Club Med Pragelato-Sestriere in Italy and Club Med Gregolimano in Greece. This December, travelers have three new all-inclusive mountain resorts – Club Med Tignes and Club Med Val d’Isère in the French Alps and Club Med Kiroro in Japan. Next year, Club Med will open its third Japanese property in Hokkaido and a new resort on the Malaysian side of the island of Borneo.

What is the Club Med Joyview brand?

The Joyview brand is a hotel-style concept in China with resorts situated an hour outside major cities for guests to enjoy a weekend away from the hustle and bustle. The concept includes more flexibility like daily room rates or an option for an all-inclusive package.

Does Club Med have a loyalty program?

Yes, it’s called Great Members, and each time a guest books a Club Med vacation, they receive points that helps them build status (Turquoise, Silver, Gold or, the highest, Platinum). A guest can earn points with each dollar spent as well as by referring friends and family. Each status tier comes with a different set of benefits like discounts on spa treatments and excursions, priority check-in, private transfers, resort credit, and early access to sales, discounts and promotions.