NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – January 15, 2020 – Apple Leisure Group® (ALG)—one of the world’s leading travel, leisure and hospitality management groups—is poised for a highly successful 2020, benefitting from a decade’s worth of industry-leading growth. Since 2010, the Group has increased its room inventory by almost 300%, closing 2019 with over 24,000 rooms operating under AMResorts’ eight award-winning brands in Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.
Beyond its continued aggressive global expansion, ALG reached numerous other milestones in 2019. These accomplishments span across each of the Group’s various companies, and include the successful shepherding of several simultaneous new-build and brand conversion projects, with five properties set to open in the first half of 2020; the rapid adoption of its Unlimited Vacation Club loyalty platform; and the creation of a new, dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department.
The Group also announced two major leadership changes, with Alejandro Reynal’s appointment as CEO, and long-time leader Alex Zozaya taking on the role of Executive Chairman. Reynal and Zozaya will work closely with the Executive Leadership Team to continue strengthening ALG and further accelerate the roll out of innovations across all facets of the business.
“The growth and success achieved across all areas of the Group over the last 10 years have surpassed expectations; however, this is just the beginning,” said Alejandro Reynal, CEO of ALG. “The team has been successful in cultivating a culture of excellence that is unmatched, and I am certain this will remain a defining characteristic as ALG reaches new heights and continues to drive the industry forward.”
A Global ALG
With a total of 18 new resort management deals signed across 13 markets, the acquisition of a new brand (Alua Hotels & Resorts) and the addition of 18 properties / 5,256 rooms to the AMResorts collection, 2019 was a marquee year in ALG’s ongoing geographic diversification efforts. Among the most recent agreements is the 600-key Secrets Baby Beach Aruba, which marks the first Secrets® Resorts & Spa-branded property in the island nation and brings the total number of resorts operating under the Secrets brand to 18. In 2019, ALG, through AMResorts, also celebrated the grand opening of the first two Secrets® Resorts & Spas-branded properties in Europe: Secrets Mallorca Villamil in May and Secrets Lanzarote Resort & Spa in December.
Current development pipeline includes 30 projects: 21 new builds and 9 brand conversions that will add over 10,000 additional rooms to the AMResorts branded inventory.
ALG remains bullish on deal potential going into 2020, with plans to announce four new European resort brand management agreements at the upcoming FITUR conference in Madrid, Spain.
“Europe remains fertile ground for the all-inclusive model,” said Javier Coll, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of ALG, who is responsible for business operations in Europe. “The properties recently opened throughout Spain are performing exceptionally well. Their success not only shows the massive untapped potential in the area, but also gives owners across the continent added confidence that ALG is the partner of choice to enter this category. I have no doubt Europe will continue to grow into one of ALG’s most important markets.”
Passion for Loyalty
ALG’s decade of success also extends to the Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC), the award-winning loyalty platform for AMResorts guests. First launched in 2010, the program celebrated its 100,000th member in 2019 and has continued to grow at a rapid pace.
This momentous milestone is due in large part to the program’s flexible perks, which include guaranteed preferred rates and discounted car and yacht rentals, along with numerous other benefits at over 50 AMResorts-branded properties and an additional 4,000 resorts worldwide through RCI and Signature Selections. The program also brings significant benefits to AMResorts owner partners, driving an ever-growing loyal and repetitive customer base, higher occupancy and increased non-package revenue.
Raising the Bar on Sustainability
This past year also marked the establishment of a dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility area at ALG, which is tasked with the development of a sustainability framework encompassing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives. This new division will spearhead programs across ALG’s business units including impact-giving for people, communities and environment through ALG Gives Back; expand existing initiatives such as the Rainforest Alliance certification, and implementation of globally recognized travel and tourism sustainability criteria for ALG’s operations and services.
In 2019 ALG team members were involved in many volunteer programs including planting trees, building houses, food banks, and supported the economic empowerment of women through artisan skills-building in a Mayan community. In addition, KKR awarded their prestigious Eco-Innovation Award to AMResorts in recognition of their ongoing commitment and dedication to seek solutions that are beneficial for business and the environment.
For more information, please visit appleleisuregroup.com.
About Apple Leisure Group
Apple Leisure Group® (ALG) is the leading North American travel, hospitality and leisure management group with the only vertically-integrated business model, serving travelers and destinations worldwide. ALG consistently delivers exceptional value to travelers and strong performance to resort owners and partners by strategically leveraging the power of its portfolio of subsidiary companies and their brands, including: the largest seller of vacation packages and charter flights in the U.S. for travel to Mexico and the Caribbean, moving approximately 3.2 million passengers annually through the well-established vacation brands Apple Vacations ®, BeachBound®, Funway Holidays®, Travel Impressions®, CheapCaribbean.com®,, Blue Sky Tours®, Southwest Vacations®, Funjet Vacations®, and United Vacations®; brand management of 5-star and 4-star luxury resorts through AMResorts® award-winning brand portfolio including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spas Resorts, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Now Resorts & Spas®, Reflect Resorts & Spas®, Sunscape® Resorts & Spas and Alua® Hotels & Resorts; best-in-class destination management services provided by Amstar DMC and Worldstar®, the exclusive loyalty program Unlimited Vacation Club®; and the innovative technology solutions provider Trisept Solutions®, connecting over 88,000 travel agents with leading travel suppliers. To learn more about the Apple Leisure Group advantage, visitappleleisuregroup.com.
About AMResorts®
AMResorts® collectively provide sales, marketing and brand management services to eight individually unique resort brands including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets®, Breathless®, Dreams®, Now®, Reflect® and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas, and Alua® Hotels & Resorts. The AMResorts® Collection of Brands is continuously raising the all-inclusive concept to a new level of luxury with its signatureEndless Privileges®, Unlimited-Luxury®, and Unlimited-Fun® programs. Located throughout Mexico, Jamaica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, and Spain, AMResorts’ 69 award-winning properties treat every guest to premium accommodations, desirable locations and extraordinary inclusions. The brands in the collection include: Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts (zoetryresorts.com; 1-888-4-ZOËTRY); Secrets Resorts & Spas (secretsresorts.com; 1-866-GO SECRETS); Breathless Resorts & Spas (breathlessresorts.com; 1-855-65-BREATHE); Dreams Resorts & Spas (dreamsresorts.com; 1-866-2-DREAMS); Now Resorts & Spas (nowresorts.com; 1-877-NOW-9953); Reflect Resorts & Spas (reflectresorts.com; 1-855-4REFLECT), Sunscape Resorts & Spas (sunscaperesorts.com; 1-866-SUNSCAPE) and Alua Hotels & Resorts (aluahotels.com). Images, logos and informational material about the AMResorts® Collection of Brands and properties are available at amresorts.com/mediasite/media.
