Apple Leisure Group Inks First Resort Management Deal in St. Martin
Jul 16, 2018
Photo: Secrets Resort & Spa will open in 2019 in St. Martin on Anse Marcel beach, Credit: TripAdvisor
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA. (July 16, 2018) – AMResorts®, an Apple Leisure Group (ALG) company, announced today its entry into St. Martin with the signing of a new resort brand management deal to bring its Secrets Resorts & Spas brand to the island. With the addition of this new resort, ALG maintains its position of having the largest pipeline of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, with more than 6,000 rooms in development.
The official announcement was made by Alex Zozaya, CEO of ALG, and Tommaso Sandretto, CEO of Sole Resorts, at an event held by Daniel Gibbs, President of the Collectivity of St. Martin.
“ALG is continuing to grow its brand footprint in the Caribbean by expanding into the highly marketable destination of St. Martin, which welcomes millions of international travelers each year,” said Zozaya. “We are confident that the island has the potential to become one of the region’s premier high-end destinations, making it the perfect location for our luxury all-inclusive brand, Secrets Resorts & Spas.”
The resort is owned by Sole Resorts, a longstanding partner of ALG. This will be the fourth resort conversion the companies have collaborated on and the first Secrets property for Sole Resorts, which counts Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Dreams and Sunscape Resorts & Spas in its current portfolio.
Formerly the Riu Palace St. Martin, the property will undergo a $20 million renovation designed by Luis Pons before re-opening in 2019 under the Secrets brand. The 350-room, adults-only resort is situated in a prime location in Anse Marcel, on the north side of the island only 35 minutes from the Princess Juliana International Airport. The property is set on a private and protected enclave with direct views of Anguilla. The resort boasts the largest pool in the Caribbean, and upon completion of the renovation, will offer guests a rooftop pool with stunning ocean views, and swim out suites, among other enhancements.
“This partnership with Sole Resorts demonstrates ALG’s ability to successfully convert existing resorts into one of our award-winning brands and deliver an attractive return on investment for owners,” said Javier Coll, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of ALG. “We continue to see high demand for the Caribbean and anticipate this will only increase, making it the ideal time for owners to ensure they have the right resort management partner to position their properties to maximize the demand.”
Following the renovation, the resort will offer Secrets’ signature vacation concept, Unlimited-Luxury®, where everything is included. Guests will enjoy elegantly appointed rooms and suites with 24-hour concierge and room service, multiple gourmet a la carte restaurants and lounges serving top-shelf spirits, world-class spa facilities, and endless day and evening activities.
“We discovered St. Martin right after hurricane Irma damaged the island. Immediately, we recognized the untapped potential of the Island for 5-star luxury resorts,” said Tommaso Sandretto, CEO of Sole Resorts. “With the support from President Gibbs and Apple Leisure Group, we are confident that our investment will benefit the growth of the island and the whole community creating new jobs and showing how to bounce back from natural disasters. Sole Resorts plans to keep expanding its portfolio in the Caribbean and other key markets.”
To learn more about the Apple Leisure Group advantage, visit www.algdevelopment.com.
About Apple Leisure Group
Apple Leisure Group® (ALG) is the leading North American travel, hospitality and leisure management group with the only vertically-integrated business model, serving travelers and destinations worldwide. ALG consistently delivers exceptional value to travelers and strong performance to resort owners and partners by strategically leveraging the power of its portfolio of businesses across five segments, comprising: the largest seller of vacation packages in the U.S. for travel to Mexico and the Caribbean, moving approximately 3.4 million passengers annually through the well-established vacation brands Apple Vacations ®, Mark International®, Travel Impressions®, CheapCaribbean.com®,, Blue Sky Tours®, Southwest Vacations, Funjet Vacations®, and United Vacations; brand management of 5-star and 4-star luxury resorts through AMResorts® award-winning brand portfolio including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spas Resorts, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Now Resorts & Spas®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas; best-in-class destination management services provided by Amstar DMC and Worldstar®, the exclusive travel club Unlimited Vacation Club®; and the innovative technology solutions provider Trisept Solutions®, connecting over 88,000 travel agents with leading travel suppliers.
About AMResorts
AMResorts collectively provide sales, marketing and brand management services to six individually unique resort brands including Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. The Newtown Square-based company is continuously raising the all-inclusive concept to a new level of luxury with its signature Endless Privileges®, Unlimited-Luxury® and Unlimited-Fun® programs. Located throughout Mexico, Jamaica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Panama, AMResorts’ more than 52 award-winning properties treat every guest to premium accommodations, desirable locations and extraordinary inclusions. The brands in the collection include: boutique Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts (zoetryresorts.com; 1-888-4-ZOËTRY); adults-only Secrets® Resorts & Spas (secretsresorts.com; 1-866-GO SECRETS); high-energy Breathless® Resorts & Spas (breathlessresorts.com; 1-855-65-BREATHE); family-friendly Dreams® Resorts & Spas (www.dreamsresorts.com; 1-866-2-DREAMS); vibrant Now® Resorts & Spas (nowresorts.com; 1-877-NOW-9953) and fun-filled Sunscape® Resorts & Spas (sunscaperesorts.com; 1-866-SUNSCAPE). Images, logos and informational material about the AMResorts Collection of brands and properties are available atamresorts.com/mediasite/media.
