Club Med is planning to improve its Punta Cana hotel. There is talk of doubling the number of rooms to 688 and increasing their size by six feet with the addition of a terrace. Other possible additions are the provision of televisions, hair dryers, and telephones in the rooms. The changes are being considered because “the clientele has now changed and several guests want to remain in their rooms.”
The director of the Punta Cana hotel explained that those who knew Club Med from its start do not mind the austere conditions, but new guests complain.
The hotels are receiving large number of guests from South America, primarily from Buenos Aires that request more comforts. The hotel is 23 years old. “We are obliged to change,” says the general manager. He explained that after staying a week, guests are happy, after having been in the village, and experiencing the lifestyle. But the first impression is not a good one.
The plan also calls for the expansion of the pool, and moving it closer to the shore so that when guests arrive they can see the sea. The aim is to upgrade the hotel from one with two stars, to one of four stars. Also on the drawing board is enclosing and enlarging the dining room and adding air-conditioning. Expansion work would begin in April 1997 and is expected to be completed by Christmas 1997.
Ninety-percent of guests staying at the Club Med come with their families. They principally come from the United States, Argentina, and France.