Story: Nicola Cunningham Photographer: Andre Skeen (swimwear)
Have you ever wondered where all the beautiful people go to get away from it all? It has to be Breathless Montego Bay as the mood, the ambience and especially the attention to detail paid to every guest from their arrival, is nothing short of first class. However you don’t have to take our word for it as hundreds of satisfied guests have already shared what initially lured them there and keeps them coming back. You can also ask swimwear designer Brittany Johnson of Miakalani Swim what it is about the resort that inspired her creativity and she will share how the tranquil tropical colours of this ultra exclusive slice of paradise, was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Demonstrating to their guests that their personalised experience is their number one priority, is one of the numerous ways AMR Collection stays ahead of the competition. It is a full time yet fulfilling job and Fernando Garcia, the Area Commercial Director of AMR Resorts’ local operations at Breathless Montego Bay, makes it look easy.
BUZZZ magazine recently sat down with Garcia to learn how the resort has continued to thrive despite the pandemic and their exciting plans for expansion in the near future. For the past five years, he has been leading the charge of keeping operations moving seamlessly even during an epoch when it was not business as usual. With some savvy forward thinking strategies, tried and tested business acumen plus skilful social media handling by Area Social Media Manager Alisteer Nelson, Breathless and her sister resorts have survive the covid crisis. Currently, they have emerged with renewed energy and enthusiasm to provide stellar service to all newcomers while welcoming ‘home’ those returning guests who have come to expect the extraordinary.
As Garcia tells it, the resort is on the road to recovery and their position at the moment is stronger than that of many of their competitors. “Our marketing focus is stronger and now we are doing extremely well.
The demand is there because people have been dying to travel and you can clearly see that people have the money to travel. They want to have new experiences, have fun and they know that despite covid, life continues.” With four properties in close proximity to each other, the differentiating factor he emphasises, it the diversity of the market for different segments and overall needs. “We have high standards and a certain level of sophistication. The difference for us is in the detail oriented service we provide as well our ability to anticipate the needs of our clients to ensure that they have a great time. Plus we have boutique properties for privacy and high level of service. Breathless is high energy and great for partying with friends; Secrets St. James is high end for couples looking to relax and escape while with Wild Orchid we always keep you entertained. With us, you get the best of everything catered for you.”
The Covid Pandemic he said demonstrated just how much people need to socialise and stay connected. “Social media has shown people how important it is for them to live and travel. Right before covid there was an explosion in travel and then covid came and you see the struggles when people have to isolate and stay apart.”
The resort he added facilitated having 50% of their sales team working remotely. “We target productivity not working hours because it doesn’t matter where you are working from. Once employees feel appreciated they are motivated to give their best and we need to give them the tools to do this. It is important to find people who are hungry to grow and learn so we have created a strong, young team and our intention is to grow our Jamaican team as our intention is to grow in our islands and we will need good trainers to make this possible.”
Going forward, the hotel is booked and busy for summer onwards with the numbers continuing to climb. “We are seeing a lot of last minute bookings as consumers are vacationing again plus September and October is looking good with companies and groups coming for conventions so what is good for our recovery is good for Jamaica. We should have a big base in the winter and we predict that Jamaica will boom over the next 2 years. The Minister of Tourism has already announced that we will be opening two more properties, ‘Dreams’ with 350 rooms that will bring families to the resorts and then another ‘Secrets’ in Ocho Rios so we are very excited about having a bright future here.”
“We have high standards and a certain level of sophistication.”
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 11 #1 in a store near you.
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Story: Nicola Cunningham
Photographer: Andre Skeen (swimwear)
Have you ever wondered where all the beautiful people go to get away from it all? It has to be Breathless Montego Bay as the mood, the ambience and especially the attention to detail paid to every guest from their arrival, is nothing short of first class. However you don’t have to take our word for it as hundreds of satisfied guests have already shared what initially lured them there and keeps them coming back. You can also ask swimwear designer Brittany Johnson of Miakalani Swim what it is about the resort that inspired her creativity and she will share how the tranquil tropical colours of this ultra exclusive slice of paradise, was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Demonstrating to their guests that their personalised experience is their number one priority, is one of the numerous ways AMR Collection stays ahead of the competition. It is a full time yet fulfilling job and Fernando Garcia, the Area Commercial Director of AMR Resorts’ local operations at Breathless Montego Bay, makes it look easy.
BUZZZ magazine recently sat down with Garcia to learn how the resort has continued to thrive despite the pandemic and their exciting plans for expansion in the near future. For the past five years, he has been leading the charge of keeping operations moving seamlessly even during an epoch when it was not business as usual. With some savvy forward thinking strategies, tried and tested business acumen plus skilful social media handling by Area Social Media Manager Alisteer Nelson, Breathless and her sister resorts have survive the covid crisis. Currently, they have emerged with renewed energy and enthusiasm to provide stellar service to all newcomers while welcoming ‘home’ those returning guests who have come to expect the extraordinary.
As Garcia tells it, the resort is on the road to recovery and their position at the moment is stronger than that of many of their competitors. “Our marketing focus is stronger and now we are doing extremely well.
The demand is there because people have been dying to travel and you can clearly see that people have the money to travel. They want to have new experiences, have fun and they know that despite covid, life continues.” With four properties in close proximity to each other, the differentiating factor he emphasises, it the diversity of the market for different segments and overall needs. “We have high standards and a certain level of sophistication. The difference for us is in the detail oriented service we provide as well our ability to anticipate the needs of our clients to ensure that they have a great time. Plus we have boutique properties for privacy and high level of service. Breathless is high energy and great for partying with friends; Secrets St. James is high end for couples looking to relax and escape while with Wild Orchid we always keep you entertained. With us, you get the best of everything catered for you.”
The Covid Pandemic he said demonstrated just how much people need to socialise and stay connected. “Social media has shown people how important it is for them to live and travel. Right before covid there was an explosion in travel and then covid came and you see the struggles when people have to isolate and stay apart.”
The resort he added facilitated having 50% of their sales team working remotely. “We target productivity not working hours because it doesn’t matter where you are working from. Once employees feel appreciated they are motivated to give their best and we need to give them the tools to do this. It is important to find people who are hungry to grow and learn so we have created a strong, young team and our intention is to grow our Jamaican team as our intention is to grow in our islands and we will need good trainers to make this possible.”
Going forward, the hotel is booked and busy for summer onwards with the numbers continuing to climb. “We are seeing a lot of last minute bookings as consumers are vacationing again plus September and October is looking good with companies and groups coming for conventions so what is good for our recovery is good for Jamaica. We should have a big base in the winter and we predict that Jamaica will boom over the next 2 years. The Minister of Tourism has already announced that we will be opening two more properties, ‘Dreams’ with 350 rooms that will bring families to the resorts and then another ‘Secrets’ in Ocho Rios so we are very excited about having a bright future here.”
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 11 #1 in a store near you.
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