by Brian Major
Last updated: 5:47 PM ET, Thu August 30, 2018
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is building new properties around the world, including several in some of the highest-profile global cities. Yet Caribbean destinations remain critical to the company's aggressive expansion plan.
Iberostar's newest oceanfront resorts in the region include properties in Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Iberostar is also launching new hotels in Caribbean cities including Havana and Santo Domingo, placing the region at the forefront of the all-inclusive operator's future.
"Being an international brand we want to be where our customers want to be, so our expansion plans [include] Cuba," and the Caribbean, said John Long, Iberostar's vice president of sales and marketing, in an interview with TravelPulse. Iberostar currently operates six resorts in the Dominican Republic; three in Jamaica and 10 in Mexico.
The company's newest beachfront resorts will be highlighted by the adults-only Iberostar Cancun Star Prestige, an all-inclusive, 13-story, 156-room tower scheduled to open in December. The resort will feature all oceanfront, junior suite accommodations plus exclusive 13th-floor suites equipped with private terraces and whirlpools.
"We are literally on the steps of the beach there," said Long. "It's a fantastic property."
The new Cancun property will also include "Star Prestige" rooms offering exclusive feature Star Prestige services, which include private check-in and -out, Balinese beds, premium wine lists at specialty restaurants and access to special events.
Urban Profile
While 80 percent of the company's properties are on oceanfronts, said Long, Iberostar is also focused on operating numerous deluxe hotels in city centers, including urban Caribbean destinations.
"City hotels are a big part of our expansion plan," he said. "We look for hotels in the heart of the city where tourism will be flourishing."
Later this year Iberostar will open the Iberostar Packard in Havana. The property will be located "right on the Malecon oceanfront with incredible views of the bay, Long said.
In addition, "we have plans to build in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic." Between 2020 and 2021, Long said. "Our resort tourism customers obviously travel to cities all around the world, so we want to have that option for them."
Agent Access
Iberostar's Caribbean resort and city hotel expansion has been fueled by travel agents, according to Long. In fact, the Star Prestige room category was re-configured with travel agents in mind.
"[Star Prestige] was previously a service we provided to guests but we have expanded it to an entire room category which is now commissionable for travel agents," Long said.
Long added, "[Travel agents] are probably the best salespeople we have. They are involved in social media so they spread the word there, and even when folks do say bad things about the brand they defend you. It is great how travel agents engage the customer," using social media, he added.
Earlier this year Iberostar launched an online reservations system allowing travel agents to directly book the company's global inventory.
"We [also] have a loyalty program called 'Star Agents' [through which] agents can earn bonus commission points," Long said. "And we are constantly offering promotions that feature booking incentives when they book directly with us or through their preferred supplier."
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