Originally founded in 1950 for rustic beach getaways, what was then known as Club Méditerranée has evolved and grown through the years, expanding into a sophisticated resort company with properties throughout the world.

Today, as the pioneering company embarks on a major expansion plan – 17 new resorts and 13 renovations by 2024! – it is clear that Club Med now offers upscale all-inclusive resort vacations that are a far cry from its early days of beach tents and beads used as currency for drinks.

“With close to 65 all-inclusive resorts around the world and growing, travelers have an enormous choice of destinations and accommodations, from beach vacations to mountain retreats,” said Amélie Brouhard, vice president of marketing omnichannel-North America and U.S.A. sales.

Breadth of Product

While often thought of as a sun-and-sand vacation, Club Med also is well-known for year-round resorts in famed ski destinations, with more on the way.

“We are always looking to expand our rich portfolio to attract new clients,” said Carolyne Doyon, president and CEO, Club Med North America & the Caribbean. “Following the success of our all-inclusive, year-round mountain resorts in Europe, China and Japan, we saw an opportunity to bring the Club Med mountain product back to North America.

Canadian Mountain Resort

“Our development team here, led by Eileen Kett, senior vice president of development, has succeeded in doing just that,” Doyon added. “Last year, we proudly opened Club Med Québec, our first resort in Canada. This marked Club Med’s symbolic return to the mountains of North America, thanks to Eileen and her team, as well as our CFO, Christelle Ramen, who was the project sponsor. Next, we knew it was time to open a new mountain resort in the United States, but the question was where?”

Club Med executives settled on Utah, a stunningly beautiful state in all seasons, focusing specifically on Snowbasin.

“It perfectly fits our criteria for a new Club Med resort,” Doyon said. “Utah is already a very popular destination for American travelers, who will now be able to discover Club Med as a mountain brand. Snowbasin is also very accessible internationally, as it’s about one hour away from the Salt Lake City International airport, which sees 395 daily non-stop flights from over 90 international destinations.

Singular Location

“Lastly, there are not yet other hotels in this location. With all of these factors combined, we saw an opportunity to create something very special. We are pleased therefore to announce our expansion to the United States with Club Med Utah, which is slated to open in December 2024.”

The resort, which will be built from the ground up, will be Club Med’s first new resort in the U.S. in more than 20 years, as well as its first-ever Exclusive Collection (5-Star) mountain resort in North America.

'Glocal Destinations'

For future growth, is Club Med focusing more on beach or ski destinations – or a little of both?

“We have specific criteria when it comes to identifying new destinations. One of them is being ‘Glocal,’ which means that the destination should appeal to both local and international markets,” Doyon said.

“The name ‘Club Med’ is an origin story tracing back to 1950 that references our first resorts on the Mediterranean Sea in Spain. Therefore, sun-and-beach destinations have always been part of our DNA and will remain a priority for our portfolio. However, Club Med has also become a true leader in designing and curating the most pleasurable, hassle-free mountain vacation experiences, which have been incredibly successful.”

Included Experiences

How should travel advisors position Club Med today? “Many first-time Club Med guests are surprised by the number of included experiences we offer, from 25- plus land and water sports, such as sailing, kayaking, standup paddle-boarding, flying trapeze, pickleball and mountain biking, to all-day, highly customized kids’ clubs with a variety of activities,” Brouhard said.

“While kids are having fun, adults can enjoy off-site excursions or adult-exclusive areas, such as our Zen Oasis spaces, that offer dedicated wellness experiences, pools, and bars. For families looking to reconnect and maximize on time spent together, we have dedicated family spaces, such as the Aguamarina section of Club Med Cancun or La Perla in Club Med Miches. It’s easy for everyone, therefore, to find what they are looking for out of a vacation.”

Sustainability

Club Med also is a leader in focusing on sustainability measures to protect the environment.

“Here in North America and the Caribbean,” Doyon said, “we are proud to be actively working on reducing food waste, animal welfare, green energy sources, local sourcing of food products, eco certifications of our resorts, elimination of single-use plastic, biodiversity preservation and waste management, just to name a few of our current priorities.”

Agent Assistance

Last summer, Club Med launched a new educational platform, Club Med University, which provides the latest details on its resorts.

Completion grants agents certification as a Club Med Travel Advisor Specialist.

“Within the same platform – traveladvisors.clubmed.com – our travel partners can find comprehensive resources and a brand-new booking engine to facilitate the booking process,” Club Med’s Amélie Brouhard said.

“Along with a modernized digital interface, it also includes the tools advisors need to book travel for their clients online with ultimate ease.”

In the Pipeline

By 2024, Club Med plans to open 17 new resorts and complete 13 renovations or expansions of existing resorts. A few include:

– Club Med Magna Marbella in Spain, a family-fun resort that just opened in late May 2022, marks the brand’s return to Spain since Club Med’s first resort opened in the Balearic Islands in 1950.

– Club Med Val d’Isère in the French Alps is Club Med’s first entirely five-star mountain resort opening in December 2022.