Resorts are excited and prepared to welcome large groups back with new properties, programming and safety measures
Editors from Destination Reunions gathered with executives from major hotel and resort establishments, including Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, Princess Hotels & Resorts and Decameron Hotels & Resorts, to discuss family travel trends, exciting new concepts implemented for the holiday season and COVID-19 safety measures. Their all-inclusive resorts are some of the most popular vacation choices for families traveling with kids and are perfect for those ready to travel again.
With a wide variety of accommodations, unique dining experiences and activities built in, these resorts provide a stress-free way for families to travel. No matter what age, there’s something for everyone.
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts has fun-filled properties in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and the recently opened Riviera Maya in Mexico. Their uniquely designed, welcoming rooms can accommodate families with up to five children. Everyone has access to the Aqua Nick Waterpark and over 20 slides and multiple lazy rivers. At character-themed breakfasts, kids meet favorites such as SpongeBob Square Pants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Rugrats.
For pre-school-aged children, Nickelodeon Riviera Maya will be offering the Nick Junior Event with Blue’s Clues, Cosmo & Wanda, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and others. The event will be hosted in the fall season when older kids are off to school and families with little ones have more flexibility to travel. Activities will include story time, hands-on fun and movie nights.
Credit: Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts
In other resort development news, Princess Hotels & Resorts will be opening brand-new hotels in the Dominican Republic. The Deluxe Princess and Tropical Deluxe Princess hotels cater to families. Additionally, Princess Hotels & Resorts have just launched a new Family Clubs concept where there will be special areas within the hotels designated for families with children. Furthermore, parents who want to participate in adult-oriented facilities can visit sister hotels in Punta Cana and the Riviera Maya. These cater specifically to adults who prefer a more mature area with activities and facilities for them to use.
“What sets us apart is that each of these Princess Family Clubs also have access to our sister hotels in Punta Cana and Riviera Maya. For parents who don’t just want to do kid things, they can visit these sister hotels that cater more for them,” said Nicole Perez, North American sales manager, Princess Hotels & Resorts. For the kids, Princess Hotels & Resorts will be hosting fun shows that are usually held inside, but are now held outside due to COVID-19.
Decameron Hotels & Resorts specializes in making vacations affordable and caters to large groups and families. Ricardo Valdes, Decameron’s business development manager, said, “Our entire list of destinations is a very nice variety of different places for you to explore the world in an all-inclusive way.” Decameron Hotels & Resorts has locations in Central and South America, including Colombia, Peru, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Credit: Princess Hotels & Resorts
During the holidays, you can expect to see these establishments offering special experiences to celebrate the season. You may encounter SpongeBob delivering gifts and Patrick Star in his pajamas spreading holiday cheer. Marilyn Cairo, senior vice president of Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, states, “We will add on to our daily activities schedule with milk & cookies, story time and green slime in the water park. There will be a lot of in-room decor packages where clients can upgrade their experience.”
Princess Hotels & Resorts will prioritize giving back, asking guests to bring toys as donations for less fortunate local kids in Punta Cana. Additionally, there will be a special Christmas tree lighting ceremony with Santa Claus. It will be a special experience for families with children to come together and celebrate the season.
As the travel industry continuously evolves, people are looking for more meaningful connections with the places they visit. For the season, Decameron Hotels & Resorts will be designing new seasonal tours for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. These will offer a fun twist to exploring destinations.
In regards to COVID-19 safety procedures and protocol, these hospitality establishments will be adhering to guidelines. Everyone will need to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status, and social distancing will be enforced. Additionally, hand sanitizing stations can be found throughout the hotels, and there will be on-site testing.
Credit: Decameron Hotels & Resorts
“We’re going to be offering the sanitizing experience, sanitizing station, masks are worn by everyone. QR codes will also be available for restaurants and guests can opt-out of daily housekeeping if they’d like to avoid less touch-points in the room,” said Marilyn Cairo, senior vice president of Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts. The properties will be offering both forms of testing (Antigen and PCR) on-site for traveling back to the United States and other countries.
Cairo said, “The pandemic is not over. It’s still very much present, especially with traveling. But I do feel confident that as an industry, we have done what we have to do to rise and to give that assurance to the consumer that the hotels are taking note of this pandemic and have implemented all of the protocols.”
“Overall, we’re feeling pretty excited for our guests to come back and enjoy a relaxing vacation during the fall and winter season. I anticipate it will be a success in the travel industry as vaccines continue to roll out and precautionary measures continue to be enforced. Whether you plan to travel domestic or international, we hope for a safe and pleasant stay for you and your families.”
