On Location: ACV & Velas celebrate double milestones in Mexico’s Riviera Maya

Double the celebration, double the sparkle.

Air Canada Vacations (ACV) marked its 50th anniversary with a Grand Celebration at Grand Velas Riviera Maya last Thursday (Nov. 6), coinciding with Velas Resorts’ own 35th anniversary, which (officially) is Nov. 20.

ACV’s black, white, red and gold-themed beach party, as previously reported, drew some 450 travel pros from across Canada, giving attendees a taste of the luxury, service, and unique offerings of Velas Resorts, a family-owned collection of seven premier properties in Mexico.

The event kicked off with a trade show in the ballroom at the lush Zen Grand Suites area of Grand Velas, where a host of suppliers met with attendees.

Later, the highlight was a beach dinner, where guests, in between intermittent rainfall, were treated to a performance by Canadian-Lebanese singer Karl Wolf.

VIDEO: Don’t say the F-word at ACV’s 50th – Interview with Nino Montagnese at Grand Velas Riviera Maya

It was here that Juan Vela Ruiz, CEO of Velas Resorts, addressed the crowd, saying that when Grand Velas Riviera Maya first opened 17 years ago, back when he was in charge of sales, the general manager told him Canadians wouldn’t come because “they don’t spend that much money.”

Undeterred, Mr. Vela travelled to Toronto, stayed at a decent downtown hotel and restaurant, and realized that Canadians do, in fact, have the money.

What his company needed to do was demonstrate how it was transforming luxury stays in Mexico – and how the word “all-inclusive” doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality.

"You are my clients," he told the crowd. "When you choose one of our hotels for your clients, if we don’t deliver, you lose your client, I lose you. I won’t let that happen."

Grand Velas Riviera Maya features 539 suites across three distinct areas: Zen Grand (jungle serenity), Ambassador (family-friendly), and Grand Class (adults-only, oceanfront).

Guests enjoy gourmet dining, premium pours, sprawling suites, and attentive service that anticipates every need – all within an all-inclusive setting.

During a conversation with PAX earlier, Mr. Vela highlighted the importance of experiencing a Velas property firsthand.

“Everybody can say luxury, or ultra-luxury, or mega ultra-luxury. But names are names,” he said. “You have to live it to believe it.”

Seeing is believing

Seeing is believing was a recurring theme at ACV’s 50th event – (A “celebration – not a FAM,” the ACV team would say), where some 30 travel advisors flew in from Vancouver (YVR), while chartered aircraft brought attendees from Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL).

At the start of the week, upon arrival in Cancun, agents dispersed across nine resorts in the Riviera Maya region, including Hotel Xcaret Arte, Paradisus La Perla, Dreams Natura Resort & Spa, Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen, Bahia Principe Grand Tulum, Hilton Cancun All-Inclusive, Grand Palladium Kantenah, Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres, and Mahekal Beach Resort.

PAX joined agents at Hotel Xcaret Arte, an all-inclusive, adults-only retreat some 45 minutes from Cancun airport, near Playa del Carmen.

Its 900 suites, spread across five distinctive “casas”—Casa del Diseño, Casa de Los Artistas, Casa de la Pirámide, Casa de la Música, and Casa de la Paz—burst with vivid colours inspired by local and national artists.

Meanwhile, Casa del Patrón hosts the hotel’s nine restaurants and two convention centers.

A signature feature at Hotel Xcaret Arte is the “All-Fun Inclusive” concept. This includes airport transfers, access to all nine Grupo Xcaret adventure parks—from zip-lining to snorkeling and white-water rafting—and tours to iconic destinations like the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá and nearby cenotes, all bundled in one price.

Another standout amenity is a striking blue-green river winding around both the adults-only and family-friendly hotels, offering opportunities for swimming, kayaking, or paddleboarding.

A perfect partnership

Later, at the Grand Velas beach party, Nino Montagnese, vice president of Air Canada Vacations, told the crowd that he wants ACV to be Velas Resorts’ number one customer globally.

Speaking with PAX earlier that night, Montagnese highlighted the pleasure of staying at a Velas property.

"From how the property is manicured to how attentive the staff are – the front desk staff stand to greet you each time you walk by – agents are getting a taste of this. It’s a notch above whatever they’ve been selling,” he said. 

He recalled his own visit to the resort’s Italian restaurant, Luca, where he was “honestly in awe” of the culinary experience. (“I don't think I’ve ever had tiramisu that good,” he said).

One thing to note about Velas - which, in Canada, is led by Sales Director Sophie Raymond - are the positive reviews customers share when they return home, he said.

 “I don't think I've ever had a complaint from any of our customers that come here,” he said.

The secret sauce

According to Mr. Vela, the “secret sauce” of Velas Resorts is the personalized service.

The company invests as much per room as a Four Seasons, ensuring every guest receives unparalleled attention. Each restaurant features its own chef, and staff are trained to transform every interaction into a memorable one.

Cocina de Autor, one of the restaurants at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, boasts a Michelin star, while the resort as a whole is designed to accommodate all guests, underscoring the exceptional value of a stay.

“EP [hotels] have great restaurants, but they don't have as many restaurants as we do,” said Vela. “I need to have enough restaurants, of the same quality, so that everybody can go. If EP hotels have 100 per cent occupancy and everybody wants to go to the best restaurant, they won’t have enough. I'm designed to accommodate everybody.”  

Both Vela and Montagnese have observed a growing willingness among travellers to invest in premium experiences.

Families are also increasingly upgrading their stays, while Velas continues to renovate and elevate its properties to maintain world-class service standards.

The takeaway for travel advisors at ACV’s event was clear: match clients with the right experience, not just the lowest price.

“If you, as a travel consultant, immediately focus on price, then you’re doing the customer and yourself an injustice. You need to qualify the customer and identify what their needs are,” Montagnese said.

“There is a customer for every segment…and Velas is ready to take off. Big time.”

Click here to see more pictures from ACV's 50th anniversary bash! 

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