30 Minute Interview

‘We have tried to blur the concept of obscure luxury’

French hotel chain Club Med is all set to throw open the gates of its first five-trident (equivalent of a five-star) luxury property in Albion, Mauritius. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Caroline Peuchoultres, president and CEO of Club Med for Asia Pacific, discusses the concept of Club Med holidays and the company's plans to tap the Indian market. By Andrea Lopez

Caroline Peuchoultres President and CEO of Club Med for Asia Pacific

What sets Club Med apart from other luxury resorts?

Traditional luxury resorts bring with them a cold, impersonal feeling and the distance between employees and guests is very pronounced. What we have tried to do is blur this concept of obscure luxury. Club Med builds on a concept of 'new luxury' and positions itself as a friendly, multicultural and upmarket brand. Our employees are termed GOs (gentle organisers) and our guests, GMs (gentle members). Our primary focus is to build on experiences, which is why we follow an all-inclusive holiday concept. It is simpler for the traveller and completely hassle-free. Our properties too have been designed keeping this concept of 'new luxury' in mind.

This is the first five-trident property. Your comments.

Yes it is. Spanning 21 hectares and constructed at a cost of US$ 40 million, La Plantation d'Albion is the first and only five-trident village in the world. Perched along the coast, the hotel has been primarily designed for couples. In keeping with our USP, the ambience is very cordial. The village features 266 rooms, 30 suites and is replete with all leisure and sporting activities. The village will be officially opened in December this year.

How do you plan to sell Club Med holidays to the Indian traveller?

India is still an emerging market for us and we are looking at targeting only the upper class segments - the top two per cent of ravellers. With a population of over a billion Indians, we are currently looking at attaining a target base of 2.3 million. We've only recently forayed into the Indian market and our immediate plan is to build on developing brand awareness.

The Club Med brand is still very hazy in India, and we plan to reinforce it through affiliations with the travel trade. We plan to build our network through five key agents in the country who will in turn work through their network of GSAs and PSAs. As of now, we are working on building product knowledge.

Apart from India, we are looking at other emerging markets in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America.

Are you looking at selling Club Med holidays online as well?

Yes, we are working with online travel agents in India like Yatra and MakeMyTrip.com. The online space is gaining momentum and we want to make sure we get to our target audience through this medium.

Any plans to set up a property in India?

We are constantly receiving invitations to set up properties in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. To qualify as a potential location, the site should be exceptional in terms of the climate and facilities available. Yes, India is on our radar and we are exploring locations in southeast India.

As far as other ventures go, we are in the process of setting up and leasing out luxury villas (under the Club Med umbrella) to interested parties. This is our newest worldwide initiative and we are confident of it faring well. The villas, which can be bought out, will be located a short distance from the Club Med villages and will be serviced by our staff. We are currently working with real estate partners from Asia to further build on this concept.