I’m excited to be writing and checking in today from the beautiful Tortuga Bay Puntacana Resort & Club at Punta Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic.

One thing I can say about the travel industry that I love so much, is that we know how to throw great meetings and events!  The product we sell is the World.  We get to spend our days advising clients and helping them create lifelong memories with family and friends.  We do this in conjuntion with our partners and relationships developed throughout the world, and by traveling ourselves to learn as much as we can.

I serve on the Board of Directors of a travel industry corporation and this week is our Board Retreat.  This is an annual event where we get away from the day to day of running our business and the ongoing work of the Board to focus on bigger issues, forward looking opportunities, reviews of the various projects in the works and spend time with our fellow board members and the executives of the corporation.  I was speaking with a client last week and he was teasing me that when he was with Boeing, the meetings were in Detroit or Kansas City, and I am sure he will never let me forget it.  It is one of the perks of being in our industry.

We are staying and working at the beautiful Tortuga Bay Puntacana Resort & Club.  This is a waterfront boutique hotel with only 13 Villas housing 30 rooms, within the larger Punta Cana Resort Complex.  They are all large Junior or multiple room suites with amazing views of the water, the gently swaying palm trees and the beautiful gardens.  Large walk-in showers, tile lined bathrooms, kitchens areas and spacious closets round out these immaculate accommodations.

This is the perfect property for a medium sized meeting, family getaway or a romantic retreat.  Even though it is an easy walk to the on site restaurant, pool, bar and other amenities, every guest receives a Golf Cart for use getting around the property.  I promise we did not use them for any races on the beach or other rumors you may hear! 

This is part of a larger community, so the golf carts came in really handy for getting to the other properties and restaurants in the immediate area.  We had the opportunity to visit the Westin Puntacana Resort one evening and the Playa Blanca Restaurant, where we were treated to a fun evening of camaraderie, cocktails and cooking classes!  We all put on aprons, rolled up our sleeves and participated in making ceviche, brochette and a salad, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.  Our table was set on the beach for 20 of us and we had an exceptional evening amongst colleagues.  We are in a great industry and get to create and design memories like this for clients every day!

Today we had a half day of meetings and then headed off to play golf, enjoy the services of the Spa, relax around the pool and experience the resort as our clients do.  It was a great afternoon and we are soon meeting up again for a dinner on the beach hosted by one of the neighboring resorts.  Once I finish this update, I am headed to the pool for a quick swim and probably a cocktail in the sun.

On Thursday we are headed to another local resort for a few days on our own as we continue to develop our knowledge of this country, the resorts and options for our clients.  Stay tuned!