Playa Hotels & Resorts hosted 26 mothers and small-business owners in Barrington, Ill., on Aug. 25 to network and promote the company's new "Work & Learn from Paradise" promotion.
The women met at a culinary school called One Life Kitchen for a "Taco Tuesday" dinner, drinks, conversation and a presentation. The event was hosted by area resident Andrea Wright, vice president of travel industry sales for Playa, and Patty DeRoo, owner of nearby Crystal Lake Travel.
Wright said she wanted to promote "Work & Learn From Paradise" to moms who may be suffering from "COVID blahs" while dealing with remote working, home-schooling children and the typical household chores of cooking, cleaning and laundry.
"'Work & Learn From Paradise' is a great opportunity for families, for moms and dads working or working from home, and families that have to do e-learning at home," Wright said. "Playa came up with this incredible concept - we were one of the innovators, we were the first to launch it. We wanted to provide them with an extended stay that incorporates everything - all their meals, all their drinks, all their activities, daily laundry, fitness center, a trainer, two spa appointments a week, cabanas, help kids with activities such as learning conversational Spanish or cultural art classes. Everyone has had to stay at home and shelter in place, and people are getting worn out from that."
Playa plans on hosting similar smaller gatherings to promote specifically to mothers the benefits of this program with their kids.
DeRoo said she eagerly partnered with Wright and Playa on the local event. "It's all about partnerships for us and our clients are our partners, they trust in us, and there's no better partner for us than Playa Resorts," she said. "We trust in their properties, in their product and how they're going to take care of our clients who are so important to us. So this was a win-win for Crystal Lake Travel."
DeRoo said she enjoys participating in both large and small events, but that smaller gatherings allow her to find out what people are really looking for in a vacation.
"The smaller event really allows me time to talk one-on-one to somebody and find out what their interests are and really show them what we have to offer. There's so much more, I personally think, to booking a vacation than the cost. It's really finding out what somebody's looking for, and so on these smaller events, when you can talk to somebody one-on-one, it's fantastic."
The event has so far resulted in two bookings for "Work & Learn From Paradise," Wright said, with more in the works.
The promotion requires a 14-night minimum stay starting at $149 per person, per night. It includes numerous extras, such as upgrades to a suite or interconnecting rooms, office space with high-speed Wi-Fi, onsite tech support, complimentary laundry services, three personal fitness training sessions per week, two spa treatments per week, private cabana on Saturdays and Sundays, personalized activities and educational experiences for children, quiet shared space for students learning remotely and complimentary conversational Spanish classes with bilingual instructors at resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
The promotion will be available through Dec. 22, 2020, at the all-ages Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, as well as adults-only Hyatt Zilara Cancun, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall and Sanctuary Cap Cana.
Playa's "Safe Stay" program includes new cleaning protocols, new arrival and departure methods, enhanced training and more.
For more information on "Work & Learn From Paradise," click here.
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