Bali Club Med Set to Become “Flagship for Asia Pacific”

Jugglers and jazz musicians created a cosy environment on an otherwise cold and wet Monday evening in Sydney as Club Mediterranee executives updated travel industry partners and media representatives about developments for the “global brand with a unique history”.

Henri Giscard d’Estaing, Club Med’s Chairman of the Board and CEO paid tribute to the Australian travel industry for their part in the company’s success story.

Club Med now has 80 resorts worldwide – nine in the Asia Pacific region – offering some 60 different sports.  About 67 per cent of company business is from the family market with another 20 per cent coming from couples, he said.

Since 2005 more than US$1.5 billion has been invested in renovating, upgrading and creating new resorts to “reinvent Club Med”, he added. More than US $50 million has been allotted to renovate Club Med resorts in the Asia Pacific area.  For instance, Club Med Bintan has undergone a US$6.5 million refurbishment.  The gala relaunch will be held next month.

[Pictured: Henri Giscard d’Estaing says that the family market is still the mainstay of Club Med business.]

Meanwhile, the completely renovated 4-Trident rated Club Med Bali in Nusa Dua will open on December 19.  This “flagship Club Med for Asia Pacific” has a boutique spa and a 6-hole golf course within the resort compound, he said.

As well, the significant refurbishment added a wider variety of room choices including suites, an extensive Mandara spa with 12 treatment rooms, two Turkish Hammams and two saunas and new common areas.

Club Med’s extensive renovation programme is part of its bid to appeal to a more sophisticated travel market. “We are targeting families and couples who want upscale, all-inclusive and multicultural holidays and aiming to provide a broad range of choice to suit a variety of tastes, said Mr D’Estaing.

The move to appeal to more sophisticated travellers has motivated the company to create a new range of properties with a 5 Trident rating. The closest of these to Australia is the Club Med La Plantation d’Albion, a US$75 million resort on the west coast of Mauritius.  Located in a 21 ha. park planted with rare trees, the resort features a Turkish bath, sauna and beauty treatments at the Club Med Cinq Mondes Spa.

Another 5 Trident property is the Club Med le Riad in Marrakech Morocco.  The company’s 187 metre sailing ship, Club Med 2 will be upgraded this year making it the company’s third 5 Trident cruiser.

Coinciding with the company’s comprehensive refurbishment programme is a new advertising and marketing campaign with the tagline “Where Happiness Means the World”.

Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel and Lifestyle Editor