Rockresorts Eyes The U.S. Niche Market, Enters Expansion Mode

SCOTTSDALE, AZ— While the CuisinArt Resort & Spa, located in Anguilla, British West Indies, has recently been shed from the Rockresorts portfolio, the company has inked a deal to add the Casa Madrona in Sausalito, CA— which is currently executing a guestroom expansion project— to its collection. The nearly simultaneous addition of the Casa Madrona and disassociation of the CuisinArt Resort means the company will maintain its five-property portfolio— a portfolio that is now entirely concentrated in the United States due the absence of the Caribbean-based CuisinArt. In addition to the Casa Madrona, the Rockresorts portfolio is currently comprised of The Equinox in Manchester Village, VT; La Posada De Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM; Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, FL and the Rosario Resort & Spa in Eastsound, WA. Although expansion of the Rockresorts portfolio is on the horizon, establishing an international presence is not in the company’s immediate future. Rockresorts will add three new properties to its portfolio this year, the first of which will be located in Arizona. Carlos Lopes, Rockresorts’ executive vp told HOTEL BUSINESS® that a desert location, a Colorado ski location and an additional California property will comprise the company’s three-property expansion plan for this year. Going forward, Rockresorts will continue to add two to three properties per year until its portfolio reaches a critical mass of 20 resorts, said Lopes. Additional targeted locations for expansion include Hawaii and Europe, he added. The expansion plan will be executed through a combination of acquisitions, property investments or joint venture partnerships for redevelopment, and third-party management contracts, Lopes explained. The controlled growth can be attributed to the fact that Rockresorts is focused on catering to a niche market, providing guests with an entire “experience” rather than just a place to stay, said Lopes. Each resort in the portfolio offers a roster of special activities— such as ballooning, cooking classes, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, etc— specifically tailored to provide education and enjoyment as well as entertainment. In line with Rockresorts’ mission to provide a superior guest experience, the company decided it will offer Avanyu, its spa concept, at each hotel in its portfolio. Rockresorts has even developed a line of spa products carrying the Avanyu name, and offers “affiliated activities” such as power walking and yoga classes “to integrate the spa into the overall resort experience.” However, Lopes noted that Rockresorts’ growth plans will be extremely controlled to maintain the integrity of the guest experience. “Rockresorts provides individuality from hotel to hotel. The setting, the architecture, the interior design, food and activities are all specially tailored from property to property,” said Lopes. “Nothing is standardized at Rockresorts. Our standard of service and quality serves as the common thread,” Lopes added. Stressing the importance of providing a well-rounded leisure experience, Lopes said that 70% of Rockresorts’ guests are leisure travelers and that 60% are repeat customers. “Anyone today can provide consistent service. The objective is to provide an environment that is welcoming, that talks to the needs of our clients who will then associate themselves with the experience and return time and again,” said Lopes.