The Caribbean Hotel Association Marketplace 2009 is holding its closing ceremony tonight in St. Lucia. Travel Agent's Joe Pike has been there since Sunday and has been reporting some breaking news while on location.
Big news came from SuperClubs Resorts, as the operator announced that all of its Grand Lido and Starfish properties will be re-branded as Breezes Resorts. “All of our competitors had a clear message,” says Bob Ford, director of wholesale sales. “We did not have a clear message. Now we do. It was a lot harder having to explain our product and have to discuss five different brands.”
Meanwhile, Grace Bay Resorts announced that it will take over management of the Verandah Resort & Spa. The exchange will take place in October with minimal changes to the property.
Other supplier news was revealed as the St. James Club on Antigua announced that it will open a hotel within a hotel sometime in April. The new 48-suite Royal St. James will be an adults only property.
Although closing ceremonies are tonight, there was still a final press conference for the event today, in which it was announced that there were 406 booths, 1,336 delegates and 12,292 appointments.