There’s lots happening with Karisma Hotels and Resorts in 2020. Three new hotels will be opening, two of which two of those are part of a new brand, Margaritaville Island Reserve. The brand is positioned as top tier and is in line with Karisma’s reputation for delivering a superior product.

“It’s not just opening up a hotel, it’s establishing the brand in the marketplace,” Marilyn Cairo AVP of Sales, North America, Karisma Hotels and Resorts told TravelPulse Canada Wednesday night in Toronto during an intimate VIP dinner celebrating top agents.

Cairo and Karisma Hotels and Resorts Senior Director of Sales David Black, are in Toronto for meetings with agents and operators to show their support and appreciation for the partners.

“Our main purpose of this trip is to show we care about the Canadian market,” says Cairo. “We’ve had a lot of changes in the last year and anytime there’s change it’s disruptive and people can get uneasy wondering what’s going on. We’re being transparent and looking how we manage retail and wholesale support and seeing where we can make changes to benefit all.”

The agents we spoke with all agreed and said booking Karisma is easy due to the level of service across all properties.

“I was at a Karisma restaurant recently and where I had had the best churros ever,” said Liana Rowan, TripCo Travel “”But this time, there weren’t any listed on the dessert menu. I said ‘oh no you don’t have churros?’ And the server said ‘we’ll make you some’. Ten minutes later he came out with a whole platter of warm churros. That’s the level of service at Karisma.”

Karisma is known for their “Gourmet All-Inclusive” concept, which Black says separates them from the competition.

“If you look into the Riviera Maya, everyone is all inclusive. One of the reasons we came up with Gourmet All-Inclusive is because we wanted to separate ourselves from the rest of the competition and how do we do that? One of the ways is through food and creating an authentic Mexican experience.

We’ve eliminated words like “buffet” because we don’t have any. We have food displays, which are much smaller and replenished often, our food isn’t sitting out under heat lamps. You don’t have to be in qualified room category to get room service and 99% of our restaurants don’t require reservations.”

Sierra Aquino, Founder of travel agency Wellness by the Waves echoes Black’s thoughts.

“I’ve eaten at almost every restaurant and I have a very picky diet and I can honestly say that in every restaurant I’ve asked for a modification of a menu item. I’ve also had wedding groups who’ve had cultural dietary restrictions and every single time not only do they accommodate it but they knock it out of the park.

I always encourage my clients to not be afraid to ask if there’s something they’d like or want a change of ingredient, because they will do it.”

The agents say Karisma’s level of service leads to many repeat customers.

“My clients keep going back and their stays get longer and longer”, says Melissa Harley, of Adventure Away Travel Co. “I find if you go to one hotel (brand) in Jamaica, it’s the same as in St Lucia, in Mexico. But with Karisma you’re getting an authentic experience at each one.”