In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Verónica Brizuela, Sales Manager of Sandos Hotels.
How has the result been for you in the last few hours of this event?
This year was very special for us because we celebrated 18 years as a brand in the market. In fact, yesterday we had a very important celebration where we gave awards, as we do every year, to our best producers. We had a great turnout, a great support, it was a really super active fair.
We have noticed a renewed interest in traveling again despite the current situation and a lot of expectations for next summer. Sandos, as a Mexican chain, has four hotels in Mexico and has always had a very family-oriented imprint. And in January 2025, as a big news, our Cancun property, Sandos Cancun, will become adults-only for those over 18, maintaining the family profile for Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, Santos Playacar Beach in the Riviera area and in Los Cabos at Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos. Even though the South American market visits the Pacific area so much, we always offer it because it really is a hotel with many activities, very well located, and ideal for weddings.
Do you have any infrastructure renovations planned?
We are going to do a complete renovation in 2025 at Sandos Playacar in the Adults Only Sector. Our hotels, despite having a family profile, within the properties have a group of rooms considered Select Club, exclusive for adults over 18, with additional services, private pool, exclusive breakfast area, a special area on the beach, premium drinks throughout your stay and we have actually had that for years, but by 2025 in Playacar we are going to renovate all the rooms.
How has this year been for the company in general?
Overall, we had a very good year. We recovered business relationships with some operators, with very marked growth. Honestly, we were even surprised that at this moment the properties are at 40% or 45% occupancy in the Argentine, Uruguayan and Chilean markets, which are our strong point in South America. And compared to the average occupancy of 70% that we are having worldwide, it is a huge number.
What is your plan for 2025?
We will continue working to reach the final public through the agency and the tour operator. For us, that is the unbreakable marketing chain, even though we do have many actions aimed at the final public. In the marketing part, Sandos still maintains and defends the added value that the travel agent has in order to continue growing, to tell the public or its clients what the difference is, why they should choose Sandos and not choose another chain. The idea is to maintain that channel and continue growing along that path.
What awaits you in terms of participation in events or touring destinations?
We have always participated a lot in caravans, conventions and fairs, especially in the interior of Argentina when the famous workshops are held. That is part of the presence that we have established with Sandos in the region and we are going to maintain that path with the help of the operators, with training for the agencies.
We have grown a lot this year in the interior of Argentina in markets such as the center of the country, in Córdoba, San Luis and in the Cuyo region, and despite the fact that international flights have not yet opened as they did in the past, we are very satisfied and happy with the balance at the end of this year.
Is there greater connectivity today than there was last year?
Yes, there is much greater connectivity, but we have not returned to the records of before. And yet, we are Mexico and there was a lot of connectivity with Punta Cana, much more openness that connects us as well. Our great ally has always been Aerolíneas and Copa Airlines because of the ease of getting to Cancún. Despite that, we are really happy with the growth we have sustained over all these years.