By Alexander Britell

Apple Leisure Group’s surging AMResorts brand is planning another major all-inclusive expansion in the greater Caribbean.

The company is set to open five new all-inclusive hotels in 2019 under the Dreams, Now and Sunscape brands.

Two of those resorts will open in June: the all-inclusive Now Emerald Cancun Resort and Spa, which will feature 427 rooms on a site just eight minutes from Cancun’s airport; and the Sunscape Akumal Beach Resort and Spa, which will feature 360 rooms in the up-and-coming destination of Akumal near Tulum.

In November, AMResorts will debut the Sunscape Star Cancun Resort and Spa adjacent to the Punta Cancun Golf Club.

The Now Emerald Cancun.

In December, the company will debut the Now Natura Riviera Cancun, a 556-room resort featuring a water park.

A rendering of the Now Natura Riviera Cancun.

That’s topped off by the planned late 2019 opening of the Dreams Acapulco Resort and Spa, a 605-room resort on Playa Icacos on Acapulco’s Miguel Aleman coast.

“Mexico continues to offer an abundance of investment possibilities for resort owners, given its variety of destinations catering to every type of traveler,” said Javier Coll, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Apple Leisure Group. “With our growing footprint in Mexico, and access to the largest distribution network selling all-inclusive vacations in Mexico, we offer an incomparable value proposition for investors. As one of the leading leisure hospitality companies in the country, AMResorts will have over 60 branded resorts with more 24,000 rooms across Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe at the close of this year and will continue to enter new and emerging destinations further expanding its brand presence globally.”

The company also announced it would be streamlining the branding of its newest brand, Reflect, changing the names of three resorts in Mexico to Reflect Cancun Resort and Spa, Reflect Los Cabos Resort and Spa and Reflect Nuevo Vallarta Resort and Spa.

“Despite the challenges present in the market, expansion throughout Mexico remains one of our major priorities,” said Alex Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group. “We remain bullish on the county’s long-term potential and are committed to working closely with local officials to help Mexico reach its full potential. We look forward to further expanding AMResorts’ brand presence in the country, with more opportunities to come.”

AMResorts is also planning other properties in wider region, with the highly-anticipated Secrets St Martin set to open in March 2020, while a pair of Breathless-branded resorts will open in 2020 and 2021 in Cancun and Tulum, respectively.

“We are thrilled to continue our growth efforts in a country filled with culturally rich destinations and diverse tourism offerings,” said Gonzalo del Peon, AMResorts President. “Mexico remains a priority market for AMResorts as we continue to raise the bar to meet travelers’ expectations.”

— CJ