MIAMI—Club Med will open 17 new resorts by 2024. The new openings include Club Med’s experiences, digital innovations, and product novelties with a range of locations and activities.
“Since 1950, Club Med has continued to shape the all-inclusive industry by introducing new destinations and experiences to travelers worldwide,” says Carolyne Doyon, president and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean. “Throughout our 72-year history, we’ve successfully adapted our portfolio to appeal to upscale travelers and families, as well as demonstrated our leadership in the all-inclusive mountain experience. Maintaining our ambitious expansion plan, we are on track to open 17 new resorts, as well as complete 13 renovations or extensions of existing resorts, by 2024.”
Some of the upcoming openings, renovations, and upgrades from Club Med include:
Expansion Plans and Introducing All-Inclusive Ski to North America
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Club Med continued its expansion in 2021 with four resort openings, including Club Med Seychelles (Africa), Club Med Lijiang (China), Club Med Québec (Canada), and Club Med La Rosière (French Alps). The brand also completed four renovations, including Club Med Albion (Mauritius), Club Med Peisey-Vallandry (French Alps), Club Med Pragelato-Sestriere (Italian Alps), and Club Med Marrakech (Morocco).
Club Med has also committed to expanding its all-inclusive mountain product to new markets with the forthcoming December 2024 opening of Club Med Utah. This property will be the brand’s first new resort in the United States in more than 20 years, as well as its first-ever Exclusive Collection mountain resort in North America, which will be open year-round. Club Med’s Exclusive Collection portfolio, which features 13 of the brand’s luxury resorts, is characterized by accommodations, locations, and dining concepts. Of the 30 development projects in the works for Club Med over the next two years, several of them will feature new additions to the Exclusive Collection portfolio for both families and couples.
North American and the Caribbean
Club Med Utah, United States: The brand’s all-inclusive mountain concept will be expanding to the United States with an Exclusive Collection resort in Snowbasin, Utah. Located 35 miles from Salt Lake City, the Snowbasin resort is one of the oldest operating ski resorts in North America. The 320-room resort is for families, couples, and groups. Accommodations will include two-bedroom rooms, family suites, and penthouse suites. Club Med will also offer its children’s clubs from four months to 17 years old for families seeking a more tailored experience. In addition to all-day dining available at the resort’s restaurants and lounges, guests can also enjoy included group ski and snowboard lessons with ski-in/ ski-out access, lift tickets, and a heated swimming pool during the ski season. During the warmer months, there will be opportunities to explore more than 3,000 acres of mountains and valleys through guided activities like hiking programs, mountain biking, and Club Med’s circus activities.
Europe
Club Med Magna Marbella, Spain: Located 45 minutes from the Malaga International Airport in the Andalusia region of Spain, Club Med has taken one of Spain’s destinations to open a new resort. With a focus on cultural and natural southern Spain, the resort will mix tradition and modernity to offer an experience focused on wellness, nature, family experiences, and the destination. Guests will find features in the 485-room resort, such as a family fun zone, garden parties, 14 hectares of Andalusian gardens, a Club Med Spa by Cinq Mondes, and five different swimming areas.
Club Med Tignes, French Alps: A historic destination that has been home to Club Med since 1958, Tignes Val Claret is located at an altitude of 2,150 meters. The new Club Med Tignes resort will be located in the center of town. The resort will have 430 rooms, including 25 Exclusive Collection suites, two restaurants, a full spa and wellness salt wall, the largest Club Med pool in the Alps, a full childcare program, and a ski domain suitable for every level.
Club Med Val d’Isère, French Alps: The resort is undergoing a renovation to fit the Exclusive Collection designation. As such, it will have a total of 216 rooms available in both winter and summer. As well as offering skiing, gourmet dining, childcare starting at age 4, and a spa and yoga program, the resort will combine intimacy and relaxation.
Club Med San Sicario, Italian Alps: A new addition to Club Med’s mountain portfolio in the Italian Alps, the Club Med San Sicario will feature 200 rooms located on a ski location from the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Club Med Pragelato-Sestriere, Italian Alps: In the Piedmont region of Italy, Club Med’s Pragelato Sestriere resort’s expansion plan will include 17 new chalets housing 105 new rooms. Construction will be completed following the architectural style of the region.
Club Med Gregolimano, Greece: One of the brand’s flagship summer resorts in the Mediterranean Basin, located on the Greek Island of Evia, will undergo both a renovation and extension including newly renovated beachfront bungalows.
ASIA
Club Med Phuket, Thailand: Visitors traveling to Club Med Phuket, located on Kata Beach, can look to refreshed facilities and experiences aimed at recreating a Thai atmosphere. The refreshed resort spaces will include a redesign of the main restaurant, meetings and events center, pool and sun deck, and more.
Club Med Hokkaido, Japan: Following the success of its two other mountain resorts in Japan, Club Med will open a third property on the northern island of Hokkaido. Hokkaido offers a family experience, snow for skiing and trekking, natural landscapes, and local culinary options.
Club Med Borneo Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Adding to its portfolio in Southeast Asia, Club Med will build a new resort on the Malaysian side of the island of Borneo. The destination is known for its beaches, rainforest, Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan Island, and native species such as orangutans and clouded leopards.
Sustainable Practices
Since its inception, Club Med has held a belief that memorable experiences cannot be lived at the expense of others or of nature, which is why the brand continues its responsible practices. Club Med’s Happy to Care program, founded in 2019, has a range of commitments based on sustainable tourism.
For example, Club Med’s two newest resorts in North America—Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda and Club Med Québec—were designed with sustainability in mind. Today, Club Med’s objectives to address sustainable practices include:
- Phased elimination of single-use plastics, including water bottles
- Eco-certifications including the BREEAM certification ensuring responsible construction and the Green Globe certification ensuring a responsible hotel operation
- Construction of new resorts in harmony with nature, with built-up surfaces covering less than 10 percent of the total site surface
- Reduction of energy consumption and introduction of green energy sources
- Responsible, local, and ethical sourcing of food products and materials
- Employee uniforms created out of recycled plastic bottles; since 2019, 2.3 million bottles have been recycled for this initiative in North America, with 1.2 million more expected to be recycled by 2023
- Sponsorship of rural farming development projects to increase the efficiency, quality, and demand for local farmers
- Promotion of animal welfare by prohibiting experiences involving captive cetaceans, large cats, and elephants
- Food waste and hazardous waste management
- Community outreach via the Club Med Foundation, founded in 1978
- Partnerships with organizations focused on environmental preservation
Happy To Care continues its purposeful objectives in 2022. Looking ahead, Club Med’s North American resorts will see more ecological menu options featuring plant-based proteins and an increase in both local and organic products. Club Med North America has also set an objective to source 100 percent fair trade coffee by 2023 and 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2025.
Product Novelties and Digital Innovations
As family travel evolves, Club Med is enhancing its existing teen programming (Club Med Passworld for teens ages 11–17). Club Med’s new teen program will feature activities and events that give teens the opportunity to have vacation moments and experiential content to share online. As part of this new programming, teens will also be able to take part in Club Med’s Happy To Care CSR mission. The pilot program is launching this spring in Club Med Punta Cana and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda.
Over the past year, numerous studies have shown that travelers are eager to get outdoors, are prioritizing health and wellness, and are interested in vacation options that cater to the entire family. With this market research in mind, Club Med updated its existing resort experiences, including:
- Circus School by Club Med, an acrobatic playground with activities like flying trapeze, tightrope walking, and aerial silk in Club Med Punta Cana
- New and/or upgraded pickleball courts in all resorts in Florida, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Coast of Mexico
- Club Med Amazing Family Program, an agenda of weekly activities designed to help families bond and reconnect, launched in all resorts across Florida, the Caribbean, and Mexico
- Club Med Spa by Sothys opened in three resorts including Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Club Med Québec, and Club Med Ixtapa Pacific
- Wing foil watersport activity in Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda
- All-day yoga programming in Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda and Club Med Québec, with planned expansion to other North American resorts
- The “sunset ritual,” a weekly lifestyle experience on the beach in Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, with planned expansion to Club Med Cancun and Club Med Ixtapa Pacific
- New dining concepts in existing resorts
Touchless travel and contactless amenities are important. Club Med continues to enhance its digital, touch-free offerings. In 2021, Club Med’s Easy Arrival contactless check-in/check-out service, which prepares guests to get vacation-ready before vacation begins, was deployed in all Club Med resorts in Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Through the app, guests can sign their children up for childcare services or book ski equipment before they arrive to their respective Club Med resort. The My Club Med app features options to create a personalized itinerary, preview the daily activity schedules and, launched in 2021, guests can book spa appointments at Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Club Med Québec, and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda. In 2021, the “room ready” feature was also deployed in North America, so guests can be informed upon check-in when their room is ready.
