In this context, we had the opportunity to talk with Alejandro Tellez, Sales Director for the MICE segment of Xcaret Hotels.
What is Xcaret's current offer?
As the Xcaret Group, we have more than nine parks and tours in Riviera Maya; Cancun and Tulum and throughout that area. In addition, we have three hotels: Xcaret Mexico Hotel, Xcaret Arte and La Casa de la Playa Xcaret.
It is very important for us that you know that these hotels are totally different from conventional hotels, because we have something called “All fun inclusive”, which also includes fun.
So, when you stay with us, we include transportation from the Cancun Airport to the hotel, updated admission to all Grupo Xcaret parks and tours, transportation to the parks, and a food package to consume there.
We are currently expanding our 900-room Hotel Xcaret Mexico, which will open in the summer of 2025 with a total of 1,800 rooms. It is a family-friendly hotel with many activities for children, teenagers and adults.
At Xcaret Arte we also have 900 rooms, with a concept oriented towards adults, because we welcome teenagers aged 16 and older.
Our hotels have five diamonds, we have four stars for these two. Whereas La Casa de la Playa is a little bit different, because it only has 63 suites. It is a luxury hotel, more boutique. There we have more private transportation, with Tesla or Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Is the Beach House too far away from the rest?
No, they are relatively close together, in fact, you can walk from one to the other. If you are staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, you can only stay there, as well as at Hotel Xcaret Arte. But if you are staying at La Casa de la Playa, you have access to the facilities of the other two establishments.
You include parks and entertainment in your service. Does this affect the rates you charge?
Our average rate may be a little higher than the competition, depending on what you are looking for with other companies, but sometimes it is lower.
There is also a luxury hotel competition, but the difference is that we include all the entertainment, transportation, and more. The rate is really affordable when you calculate how much transportation from the airport to any other hotel in Riviera Maya or Cancun, the entrance to a park, food, and round trip from the park to the hotel costs.
What capacity do hotels have to receive the MICE segment?
At Hotel Xcaret Mexico we currently have a convention center for approximately 1,000 people in an auditorium. At Hotel Xcaret Arte we have two convention centers, one for 2,000 people and another for 1,000. And at La Casa de la Playa we also have a small room for 200 people, which is the maximum capacity we can reach.
What do you offer for groups?
We offer to make a tailor-made program for you. We always try to listen to our clients and their needs, especially to adapt our products to what they are looking for. We try to make tailor-made programs, see what they need and give them suggestions on absolutely everything we know.
At the end of the day, we are the experts on what can be done at the hotel and we give them options or tips so that their event is much better than they thought. And so that they leave our hotels with the heart of Mexico in their hands, and that they want to return, generating loyalty.
Do you have any loyalty program?
Yes, we have a loyalty program for travel agents at the hotels and also at our parks, for groups and conventions. We are currently working on something new, which we will be able to announce at a later date.
What other news do you have to tell us about Grupo Xcaret?
In addition to the expansion of Hotel Xcaret Mexico, where we are building 900 rooms, we also have some ferries that go from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel and from Cancun to Isla Mujeres.
We also have boats, some yachts and catamarans for rent. We also do tours that leave Cancun and go to Isla Mujeres. We have a beach club there where visitors can spend the day. All of this is open to the public and is part of all the brands and activities that Grupo Xcaret has, and can be booked regardless of whether or not you are staying at one of our hotels.
What are the Group's main markets? Which are the most important countries?
In general, internationally, it is the United States that we have the most in our hotels and parks in general, traveling a lot in the first quarter of the year, because they escape from cold places where it is the middle of winter, to come to the Riviera Maya. The same happens with Canada. And from there on, we have a national market and from Latin America as well, which has grown and has surprised us quite a bit lately. We have had many groups from Colombia and Argentina, and even from Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico and Panama.
What difference does Xcaret make when it comes to choosing them?
At Xcaret we are known for our dedication to service and hospitality, so the way we serve our customers, the way we always have a smile on our face, is very special. And our parks, boats and all the transportation we have make a big difference.
We also always want to highlight Mexico, because we are a 100% Mexican company. So we really want all our clients to take something away from Mexico, since these are not resorts that you can find in any other country.
What can you tell us about the parks? How many visitors can they accommodate?
Xcaret Park is very large, and we can receive up to 10,000 visitors a day, and during the high season we have even reached more. Our greatest flow is during the holidays. During these dates it is a low season, but we are always receiving at least 3,000 or 4,000 people.
The other parks are Xel-Há, Xplor and Xplor Fuego, which are a little bit smaller, where we can receive between one thousand or two thousand people, depending on the date. And on weekends is where we have the most visitors.