Four Decades of Transformation: How Palace Resorts is driving the future of Smart Sustainable Tourism
For the last forty years Palace Resorts has not only experienced the rapid changes of tourism globally, it has been part of making those changes. From a traditional hospitality model, Palace Resorts has developed a vibrant ecosystem of guest experience, innovation and social responsibility. Since becoming a member of The Palace Company group, the brand has maintained a clear trajectory towards growth and, moments of change have come from innovation and adaptability balanced with a longer term vision.
The experience has changed dramatically. Today, Palace Resorts is so much larger than the one-size-fits-all approach of all-inclusives from decades past. It has evolved towards a more pliable or ′living′ state, as it responds to changing expectations of travelers and tolerates their different approaches to experiencing the planet and its wonders.
Personalization as the Center of Modern Hospitality
What is evident at Jamaica Grande, perhaps the most recent property in the resort group to open, is a painting of seamless wellness practices, cultural and culinary authenticity that speaks to your mind, body, and spirit. Whether it is a yoga session to greet the day with sunrise by the beach, a cooking class with a local restaurant owner to develop taste, or Caribbean rhythms for the evening, the travel experience has been curated mindfully for enjoyment in more ways than one.
It’s one thing to react to a trend; it’s another to be proactive. We are seeing visitors from across the world approaching travel differently than they did in the past. Most are realizing and understanding that vacation is not a break from their daily lives; they see their travels as extensions of their own behaviors and attitudes. Some guests aspire to maintain their fitness or find healthy, plant-based meals during their stay. Others seek the food, culture, sounds, and flavours that accompany their chosen destination.
The company’s foundation of personalisation across the resorts is primarily general observation. Rather than comply with rigid schedules or rely on “automation-only” technology, they watch how guests plan to develop their interactions with the resort: the time they would typically eat, the way they plan to use shared resort space, the type of things they want to do. It is this type of observations that allows the company to alter its services in the most natural and intuitive way instead of being forced or prescriptive, offering a stay that moves around the guest, not the other way around.
Merging Technology with the Human Experience
Palace Resorts appreciates the human experience in hospitality, but they do realize that technology is a powerful travel experience enhancer. Through a streamlined mobile app process, visitors can reserve activities, book dining reservations or order service, without standing in line or by using other intermediaries.
Most importantly, this convenience with technology does not replace personal service; it only augments it. The app’s mobilizing of routine and predictable events frees the staff to focus on the important aspects of empathy: meaningful interaction, an act of service with care during a special event, and thoughtful reasoning when things do not go as expected. This balance allows guests to have an experience of both empowerment and personal service.
The resort’s physical spaces also reflect this balance. Common areas allow for flexibility, as a beach-y lounge that welcomes remote workers in the day may host a live music event at night. Dining is even more flexible, as menus honor the history of the Caribbean while still ensuring respectful dietary preferences through locally procured sources, presentational artistry, and recipes full of thoughtful ingredients.
The activity programming philosophy is similar. Instead of imposing a single schedule on everyone, Palace Resorts offers guests parallel experiences; from water sports for the adrenaline junkies and relaxation-based wellness workshops for those seeking a meditative response, it is encouraging guests to go at their own pace.
And it’s sustainable as you can measure it!
The sustainability engagement of Palace Resorts cannot be fully described as a marketing promise; it is something they can or palpably measure. A new activity developed by Palace Resorts, used a forward-thinking tool to assess the environmental footprint of a guest’s engagement during their stay, collecting real data like the event’s energy use. The data does not just reside in a database, but is used to develop targeted emissions-reduction and waste-minimisation plans.
This environmental consciousness is part of a broader legacy. For years the company has managed growth, with eco-friendly sustainability practices integrated in each part of its operation, assuming that growth should never come at the expense of the destinations it has called home.
When Expanding, Staying True to Core Values
Palace Resorts is now looking toward the Dominican Republic from its stronghold of properties in Cancún, Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and Jamaica. However, the goal has never been expansion for merely expansion’s sake. Each new location is selected carefully not only to provide geographic diversity, but to provide the next ompetition of the brand promise of a service experience that respects culture, incorporates technology, and cherishes the environment.
Approaching 40 years, Palace knows that hospitality is not about service, it is the ability to curate meaningful, memorable experiences that reflect today’s world while imagining the future world.