Recommend May 2018 - 27

Design
"The trend, if there is one, is toward more
uniformity," observes Bonham-Carter.
"There used to be more diversity in design.
Some of the villas in the Turks and Caicos
are spectacular, but are they particularly
Caribbean? You don't see the rich mahogany
furniture that was in vogue 10 years ago.
Many of these rooms could be anywhere."
Darensburg agrees. "Everything is so
contemporary, so streamlined, almost cold.
They need to mix warmth with those crisp
lines. And a sense of place. People don't want
straight traditional; at the very least, they
want some Caribbean pops of color." Adds
Goldstein, "They want contemporary but
with a sense that they're in the destination."
Other design trends? "People are all
about the bathrooms," declares Goldstein.
Varghese mentions the freestanding tubs that
are almost de rigueur now at luxury resorts.
"Another big seller is the private pools and
swimouts. Even if they don't use them,"
says Goldstein. Not only has this amenity
allowed resorts to charge a premium for
rooms with minimal views, but pile on yet
more amenities and you have a trend that has
caught Varghese's eye: "Sometimes the best
rooms are not on the beach, but behind
the beach."

Wellness
"Today more of the resorts see the importance
of wellness. People want to feel better, so
cuisine is more healthy. People want to be
more active, and spas are expanding," says
Darensburg.
"If you have a resort without a spa, you
have a big problem," declares BonhamCarter. "Casa de Campo has redone their spa,
and many resorts have upgraded what used
to be just a small room with a bed in it. Also,
today's luxury resorts usually offer wellness
programs, yoga retreats, vegan menu items,
and substantial fitness centers. Ten years ago
you might have had just a couple of machines
with no view."

Luxury for Families
food wherever they are," says BonhamCarter. He also notes the popularity of
'nouveau Caribbean'-international cuisine
with Caribbean flavors." (See recmd.it/
CaribbeanCulinary.)
Varghese is impressed by the popularity of
chefs' tastings: "C/X at some Blue Diamond
resorts, the chef's tasting in the wine room
at AMResorts, and the 21-course tasting
at Azul Sensatori." He's also noticed more
cooking classes at all-inclusives as well as at
EP resorts, and he's finding better spirits in
mini-bars, not to mention a martini shaker
with Belvedere vodka and cranberry juice.

Experiences
"My clients want to experience more of
what the locals are doing," says Darensburg,
who serves many high-end travelers who
prefer EP hotels. "Resorts, therefore, are
trying to find more experiences to offer these
wealthy, worldly clients, such as cooking
classes at the Four Seasons Nevis. Learning
experiences can also mean seminars in rest
and relaxation, and hotels need to do even
more of that."
Bonham-Carter sees a trend toward local
involvement in the community. "Families
want their child to spend a few hours in a
school that gets support from the ID Travel
Group Foundation, and they want to go
fishing with a local, not just from a
dive boat."
By contrast, "My clients are into
experiencing the destination, but just to a
small degree," says Goldstein. "The majority
just want to do a day or two out touring, and
they want it to be simple, with all the details
taken care of."

Varghese points to the proliferation of multibedroom units for multi-gen groups. "When
my family has rented villas or vacation
homes, my wife has ended up working. But
give us a multi-bedroom unit with good
butler service at Beaches Turks & Caicos,
and that is a real vacation."
Goldstein says, "It's easy to find luxury
resorts for adults, but there's still lots of space
in the Caribbean for high-end family resorts."
She predicts, "Karisma and AMResorts will
come in pretty strong with that."
Postscript: The day after I talked with
Goldstein, I learned that Bahia-Principe
has rebranded its adults-only resort on
Cayo Levantado to a family-friendly resort.
Someone is listening to our travel agents. ■

Clockwise from opposite page: Amanyara in
Turks & Caicos; Zoëtry offers high-end inclusions;
and Sandals Grenada.

Cuisine
"Nowadays the levels of cuisine are amazing
at both EP and all-inclusive luxury resorts,"
says Fandek. "They're growing their
own food on property, and who's cooking
it and how it's presented have reached
gourmet-like levels."
Whereas we once visited Caribbean
resorts in spite of-not because of-the food,
"people now expect the best of all cuisines,
and high-end clients want their favorite
may 2018 27
http://www.recmd.it/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2018
