Destino Xcaret: The most ambitious project ongoing in the Riviera Maya

CANCUN, Q. Roo — Mexican firm Grupo Xcaret, focused on building and operating aquatic and archaeological parks in Mexico, will enter the hotel industry with the construction of a complex of 6,000 rooms, which will include a multipurpose stadium and a shopping center.

CEO Marcos Constandse, said that the new resort “Destino Xcaret” will be located in Cancun, Quintana Roo, with an initial investment of $330 million USD for the construction of the 900 hotel rooms of Hotel Xcaret, as stage one of the project, for which construction will start during the first semester of the year 2017.

“With a total of six stages, featuring 12 hotels, the whole project is expected to be completed in the next 12 years”, the CEO added.

“The multipurpose stadium”, explained the manager, “will be used for sports, cultural and entertainment events and Grupo Xcaret will broadcast shows, many of which, will be self created and produced”.

The shopping center will boast high fashion stores comparable to Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen, in addition to the surface and underground rivers throughout the complex.

According to the Hotel Xcaret website, room prices per day will range around $900 USD, and the resort is almost sold out for the opening date, in December 2017.

Constandse indicated that in the months after opening, there is a possibility of having slightly lower prices, in the neigborhood of $450 USD (7 thousand pesos) per night, approximately.

The business group indicated that the construction of the Hotel Xcaret already has an advance of 60 percent, reason why they are in time and form to deliver it next year. Constandse added that one of the strategies to attract customers and to have a differentiator is that, along with the price of the room, the guest has automatic access at no additional cost to their eight theme parks Xel-Ha, Xplor, Xichen, Xoximilco and Xenses.

The director specified that this project will be built on a 370 hectares lot, where the 12 hotels to be built will range from luxury class to five or four stars.

Constandse said that the company is not worried about the climate of uncertainty the country faces, after the triumph of Donald Trump in the United States elections, since it is envisaged that tourism will continue in growth.

They are sure that tourism is the present and the future of Mexico, especially in the privileged area in which Xcaret is located, so the firm will continue to bet on the sector, he added.

“We are convinced that the travel and leisure industry is a great opportunity for everyone, in addition to the fact that Cancun has some of the best aerial connectivities in the country, since it is already the first terminal with greater presence for international destinations, above the International Airport Of Mexico City”.

Constandse said that in spite of the international scenario, the American traveler will continue to visit beaches and other destinations in Mexico.

The Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) pointed out that Donald Trump’s speech against Mexico has not affected the sector, since from January to September this year a growth in foreign tourists of 8.5 percent has been registered nationwide.

The Mexican Federation of Tourist Associations “Fematur”, indicated that even with the arrival of Trump to the US presidency in January 2017, no harm is anticipated, since people will want to continue traveling, and thousands of tourists already have confirmed reservations for next year.

The Fematur said that the dollar exchange rate is a benefit for the sector, as it is cheaper for US travelers to come to the country.

Constandse, general manager of Grupo Xcaret, informed that in addition to this hotel project, the company will continue to build more parks in the destination.

He explained that the company emerged as a creator of Entertainment parks, so they will not lose their essence and look for new opportunities in the market.

The manager said that they are working from the beginning of the construction with the company EarthCheck, to find the best practices of Sustainability worldwide.

Source: http://www.milenio.com/