With its six ecoparks, three all-inclusive properties, tour operations and boat transportation services, Grupo Xcaret has become a dominant force in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico. The group's latest innovation is its Xcaret Agents Pro Booking platform, a dedicated tool designed to simplify the hotel reservation process for travel advisors. Hotels editor Christina Jelski discussed the new platform as well as what's next for the company's flagship property with Rodrigo Motavelazco, sales director for Grupo Xcaret's Hoteles Xcaret hospitality division.
Rodrigo Motavelazco
Q: How does the launch of Xcaret Agents Pro Booking build on your existing tools for advisors?
A: We've been working with the travel agent community for many years. About 10 years ago, we launched the Xcaret Sales Network, which is our dedicated program for travel agents in the North America region, especially those looking to sell or presell activities to their clients prior to their arrival in the destination. This hotel tool complements that program, offering an easier way for agents to find real-time availability and rates for all categories across all three properties in the group: Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Hotel Xcaret Arte and La Casa de la Playa. And it's also a good opportunity for us to put all our educational and marketing resources in one place. What we hope to do, in the near future, is have a one-stop shop where agents can find the entire portfolio: tours, parks, hotels and other products. We're working on that, and hopefully by the end of next year we'll have a more solid vision of that new platform.
Q: What percentage of Grupo Xcaret's business comes from advisors?
A: It's hard to tell, because a lot of our sales channels are utilized by travel agents, whether through tour operators, OTAs or bed banks. But I would say around 50% of our business comes from travel agents across all different modalities.
Q: You opened both the adults-only Hotel Xcaret Arte and ultraluxe La Casa de la Playa in 2021. How are these two properties faring?
A: Both properties are doing great. Hotel Xcaret Arte, which has 900 rooms, has had a phenomenal performance on the group side, as that hotel is very attractive for groups looking to hold a conference or different presentations, but also for incentive travel, because of all the inclusions. It's important to note that all our properties feature our All-Fun Inclusive concept, which means that in addition to the resort, you have the inclusion of all the parks and tours that Xcaret Group offers on top of that. La Casa de la Playa is more secluded and private, with only 63 suites and a private beach. It's been especially attractive to celebrities, because they appreciate the tranquility, exclusivity and also the high-end service at the hotel.
Q: What's next for the flagship Hotel Xcaret Mexico?
A: We are in the process of adding another 900 rooms to Xcaret Mexico and will have those new rooms ready by fall of next year. We are also adding 10 new restaurants to the hotel and a lot of entertainment as well as new experiences for young teens and kids, such as a spa for kids and a teen nightclub. And we are also renovating our existing room inventory as we speak, so we're aiming to have 1,800 new or renovated rooms by fall 2025. Also, we are nearly doubling the size of our exposition and convention space at Xcaret Mexico, because what we're seeing is demand for bigger groups, including buyouts. We have received quite a few buyouts already this year and have a lot of requests for later this year and the year to come from companies looking to hold their annual sales conventions, product launches and incentive trips. So we are very excited to still be growing that destination.