AMResorts brings its flavour to Canada

It was an evening of surprise cocktails and even more surprising dishes at AMResort’s Sip, Savour and See event, where travel trade professionals gathered to experience the flavours of Cancun, courtesy of the company’s chefs and sommelier who travelled from Mexico for the occasion.

“We think the experiences offered in our resorts are something that really have to be felt, touched and tasted,” Jan LaPointe, senior director of sales & marketing, Canada, for AMResorts told PAX. “So we decided to bring those experiences to Canada.”

LaPointe was accompanied by Felipe Vega, executive chef at Zoëtry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres Cancun; Daniele Muller, head chef at Rolandi Restaurants Group; and Ariel Morales, head sommelier, Secrets The Vine Cancun, who greeted guests as they arrived with his own version of a margarita, which he mixed and poured with engaging flair.

The event began with a presentation of the company’s 36 properties by LaPointe and was followed by a menu designed by Vega and Muller, with French and Canadian wine pairings provided by Morales.

The presentation outlined the company’s distinctive take on the all-inclusive experience, with the Endless Privileges offered at their Zoëtry Wellness & Spa resorts, the Unlimited-Luxury services provided by their Secrets, Breathless, Dreams and Now properties, and the Unlimited-Fun found at their Sunscape resorts.

“The services and amenities we offer to our guests does not typically fall under the moniker of a typical all-inclusive experience,” LaPointe said, describing how AMResorts went about redefining vacationer expectations. “We realized this when we were developing the brand; the term ‘all-inclusive’ really didn’t describe what we were offering.”

LaPointe went on to showcase the nature of the AMResort collection, from the intimate luxury of Zoëtry to the adults-only Secrets and Breathless brands, as well as the family-oriented Dreams resorts (a product LaPointe said was developed once the company realized their adult guests at Secrets were beginning to have children).

“AMResorts offers experiences on a higher level,” she said, describing the company’s commitment to creating incomparable products for its guests – and to grow with them.

Canada makes up a significant portion of AMResorts’ market, with more arrivals now being noted during the summer months. According to LaPointe, Los Cabos, Costa Rica and Jamaica have been seeing an increase in Canadian visitors on a year-round basis.

An increase in demand would certainly account for the growth in AMResorts’ collection, which has included eight new additions to its current destinations of  Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Panama, as well as the first-time development in Aruba.

The presentation also covered the services and amenities unique to AMResorts, from the sustainability and wellness products found in its spas to its complimentary celebration products, as well as its Shaadi package, designed to be a culturally authentic South Asian wedding experience and a relatively new product for AMResorts that is available for purchase,.

The company’s Sip, Savour & See product, included in its Unlimited Luxury offerings, allows guests to venture beyond their own resort and enjoy the restaurant at neighbouring AMResort properties – a program that lets the product speak for itself, according to LaPointe.

“Once people go, they know,” she said.

The presentation ended with a walk-through of the menu by Muller, a diverse offering that included aguachile of tuna; carnitas, hibiscus reduction with chipotle and duck skin chicharrón; chile en nogada granité; black cod al Pastor and deconstructed lemon pie.

Morales then toasted the party with a glass of Domaine du Vacheron Sancerre the first of many French and Canadian wine pairings that included Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir, Henry of Pelham cabernet merlot, and Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne.

Morales and Muller stepped in to address the guests throughout the meal, offering tips on how to best enjoy elements of each course, with the signature charm and charisma redolent of the singularly unique dining experience AMResorts is known for.

Later on in the evening, Morales delivered a lesson in proper wine pairing, explaining that it isn’t necessarily about the right type of food or the right kind of wine - it’s about creating a new flavour altogether.

“You have to take the risk,” he advised, warning that while things may not always turn out as planned, “if you can create something new that excites people, it is worth it.”

PHOTO: Felipe Vega, executive chef, Zoëtry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres Cancun; Daniele Muller, head chef, Rolandi Restaurants Group; Jan LaPointe, senior director of sales & marketing, Canada, AMResorts; Ariel Morales, head sommelier, Secrets The Vine Cancun; Orelbys Vigoa, regional sales manager, Eastern Canada, AMResorts; and Carlo Trinidad, regional sales manager, Western Canada, AMResorts.