Top tour operators open more clubs and resorts

TUI and Thomas Cook are opening more own-brand resorts and club hotels to broaden their portfolios and target diverse customer segments.

Top tour operators open more clubs and resorts


Germany’s two largest tourism groups are each planning various openings during 2018 with more scheduled in 2019 and 2020. TUI is opening five Robinson Club and two Magic Life all-inclusive resorts while Thomas Cook is opening more own-brand hotels and hotel partner Aldiana will put three new resorts into operation.

Both tour operators stress that German holidaymakers have become more demanding and want their hotels, for example, to offer more individual concepts and more diverse cuisine. As a result, hotels need to focus more clearly on different target groups instead of trying to offer something for everyone. Thomas Cook Germany chief Stefanie Berk commented: “80% of people’s holiday experiences come from the hotel itself, and little things count here a lot.”

In terms of the new openings, TUI’s mid-market all-inclusive club brand Magic Life opened a new resort at Masmavi, near Belek on the Turkish Riviera last month. This large hotel, with 595 rooms, offers a wide range of entertainment, sports and other activities for families. The first Magic Life in Italy, a 641-room resort, will open in Calabria in May 2019, offering a mix of beach and sports activities.

Two new Robinson Clubs already opened their doors at Khao Lak (Thailand) and Noonu (Maldives) in November last year, targeting not only German holidaymakers but also international guests from different regions.

In November this year, the first-ever Robinson club, at Jandia Playa on Fuerteventura, will re-open after a major modernisation and extension. In autumn 2019, a new Robinson will open on Sal in the Cape Verde islands, targeted at “active singles and couples”, followed by a new family-focused club on Crete in summer 2020.

Thomas Cook is also busy with various new hotel projects. A new Sentido hotel opened in Andalusia in March while a new Sunprime adults-only hotel will open on Kos in June, close to the recently-opened Casa Cook on the Greek island.

Strategic partner Aldiana, the German-based club holiday company in which Cook has a minority stake, will open its first property in a long-haul destination this autumn. The Club Cabarete, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, mostly aims to attract active guests interested in sports along with families.

Aldiana’s other two forthcoming properties, at Ampflwang in Austria (opening in December 2018) and in Calabria (opening next summer), have similar profiles.

From FVW
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