Club Med grows Ontario with ski and sun

Club Med continues to make in-roads in Ontario, with the province recording another year of double-digit growth fuelled by interest in both ski and sun destinations.

The hotel chain met with its Ontario travel partners in Toronto last night to officially launch its 2017-18 winter season, including previews of four properties which will be key to Club Med this season.

Carolyne Doyon, Club Med’s senior vice-president - Canada & Mexico, told PAX that Ontario saw growth of 10 per cent this year, in line with Club Med’s Canada-wide growth rate of 11 per cent for 2017. Describing the province as a “dynamic” market, Doyon explained that Ontarians are opting for both skiing in Europe and Caribbean sun, with the former seeing a 30 per cent increase in bookings this year.

“It’s a mix,” Doyon told PAX. “We’ve see very strong growth in booking to our ski villages, due to flights by Air Canada out of Toronto and Montreal to Geneva and Lyon. But we also see lots of bookings to Cancun and Punta Cana, which are our classic destinations.”

Also on the horizon is an updated Great Agents loyalty program; according to Jacinda Lowry, national sales director, the new program will be targeted to individual agents instead of their agencies. More details will be announced on Clubmedagents.ca.

Here’s an overview of four key Club Med properties for the 2018 travel season:

Cancun Yucatan, Mexico

Just in time for winter bookings, the property now boasts a completely renovated Jade 5 Trident Luxury Space, with renovations to all existing rooms – along with 60 new rooms - to be completed by the end of the year.

New to the resort is the Tacos Arte beach lounge restaurant, offering modern twists on local Mexican culinary specialties, featuring a modular space open all day with complete with a lounge bar and wine cellar. Renovations have also been completed at Las Velas Bar, outdoor theatre and the main pool.

Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif, French Alps

Opening in December in the heart of the Grand Massif ski area – the fourth largest ski area in France with 265 km of ski slopes - Samoëns Morillon Grand Massif is just over an hour away from Geneva. A family resort with a complete childcare service for children aged four to 17 years old, the upscale property features 420 rooms and is located at the top of a mountain with a panoramic view of the valley below.

Guests can take advantage of an all-inclusive premium package which includes round trip flights, transfers between the airport and the resort, lifts, ski classes from the École de Ski Française, childcare services, lodging, gourmet meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and much more.

Opio in Provence, France

A number of renovations have taken place at Opio, including all rooms (some of which will now feature new balconies) and La Provence restaurant, which has been completely reimagined with a new outdoor terrace. Opio is also home to the second Club Med CREACTIVE playground by Cirque du Soleil (after Club Med Punta Cana) where guests can try their hand at 30 acrobatic and artistic activities.

Club Med Cefalú — Sicily, Italy

Initially discovered by Club Med in 1957, Club Med Cefalú will reopen its seaside doors next summer, overlooking the Cefalú bay with a view of the medieval city. Club Med’s first 5 Trident Resort in Europe, Cefalu will feature 302 rooms, three restaurants, four bars, two pools (one of which is a natural Zen pool) and a Club Med signature spa.