Travel Agent met yesterday, August 16, with Yan Monplaisir, president and general director of Club Med Les Boucaniers and hotel La Bateliere, both in Martinique.
Club Med Les Boucaniers
This particular Club Med opened its doors in 1969 as one of the first Club Med villages in the area, building up the brand's reputation as a family-friendly company and experience.
In 2005, the 289-room Club Med Les Boucaniers underwent an approximate $64 million renovation— which included upsizing the new rooms and suites, rebuilding the center of the Club Med village and adding a 5,381-square-foot pool.
The 12 suites measure at 462 square feet while the regular rooms are 344 square feet. Both room categories are scattered throughout the property, some offering ocean views (and a stretch of the two-mile private beach) and others offering views of the 2,400-tree coconut plantation.
Like all Club Meds, Les Boucaniers offers a wide range of included activities— from kayaking to windsurfing to tennis. From the resort, guests have access to certain excursions like speed boating and jetskiing, for an additional fee. A catamaran and 63-foot yacht are also available on the premises, also for an extra cost.
Guests can choose from two restaurants and two bars. The newest restaurant, Lo, just opened in April and offers beachside dining. Menu options include salads, light lunches and Asia/West Indian fusion.
At the end of 2010 all guest rooms are expected to have access to free Wi-Fi.
La Bateliere
Monplaisir's other Martinique property, La Bateliere, is expected to be rebranded as a Radisson by the end of 2011. To get the property up to Radisson snuff, it will undergo a renovation that will take part in two stages, allowing the hotel to remain partially open at all times. The renovation will include the rooms and all the common areas to keep details in accordance with the American brand.
For Monplaisir, the hope is to expand to other hotels, though he doesn't have any plans for the short term. He has been looking to acquire property possibly in the countryside, but not for some time. He told us that, previously, he had been working on a project with Marriott but that it had fallen through. He is still in touch with the company and hopeful that they can start things up in the next two to three years, possibly for a hotel in Fort de France.
Visit www.clubmed.com, www.hotel-bateliere.com or www.martinique.org.