This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
With the village of Michès opening in the Dominican Republic in 2019, Club Med is riding the wave of sustainable tourism. Visit the all-inclusive vacation giant’s first-ever eco-chic resort, part of its luxury Exclusive Collection range.
Launched shortly before the pandemic, Club Med in Michès, in the Dominican Republic, had a discreet beginning. But today, the resort is gaining popularity among a clientele of Quebecers who are fond of tranquility, comfort, but also eco-responsible tourism.
Located in Playa Esmeralda, this Club Med holds international Green Globe certification for sustainable tourism, like 80% of the group’s villages. It is for its all-inclusive project which integrates into the surrounding environment, without distorting it, and for its sustainable eco-responsible initiatives favoring the local economy that the initiative was able to see the light of day. And this, in a region of the Dominican Republic where tourist development is very limited and controlled. This resort is one of the few to have been established in this sector of the northeast coast of the country. It is also the only Club Med to hold eco-village status.
An exotic refuge nestled in the middle of the tropical jungle, the resort is located in a place preserved from mass tourism, on a virgin beach stretching for kilometers.
The four boutique hotels found there have been designed to blend into the landscape without standing out. One of the sections reserved for adults, the Emerald Jungle, is located in the heart of the tropical forest. The buildings that make it up are made of wood, and the colors blend harmoniously into the lush vegetation. The second section closed to children, the Archipelago, is made up of small bungalows, each with their own private pool near the beach. The buildings are hidden by palm trees for greater tranquility. The two other divisions of the site, the Caribbean Paradise and the Explorers’ Bay, are intended for families. The accommodations are located near the main swimming pools and the mini-club in order to be of service to parents. Each area of the complex has enough space to preserve the privacy of its customers. The entire village is low density, with 335 rooms.
In harmony with nature
To preserve the richness of the area’s ecosystem, Club Med has created a nursery where 30,000 endemic species of plants grow. These include 2,000 trees to replace those that were uprooted for the construction of the hotel. Other measures, such as water and waste management, have been put in place to reduce the carbon footprint and limit waste. Plastic bottles have notably been banned from the site and replaced by a water filling station which filters, sterilizes and is used to fill recycled glass bottles. The Oasis Zen swimming pool, reserved for adults, has a plant filtration system which does not require the use of chlorine to purify its water.
The complex has received BREEAM certification, which assesses responsible and sustainable building design and construction. In addition to the certified construction process, there is also the training and recruitment of 900 local workers, both to erect and maintain the site, as well as to fill positions in the hotel’s various departments.
Focused on well-being
The particularity of this Club Med is to focus on an offer focused on well-being and health. The Fusion Well-being program combines healthy eating, sports activities, meditation, yoga, spa relaxation and reconnection with nature.
Thus, the hotel offers more than twenty hours of yoga per week under the direction of a qualified instructor. The most popular session for tourists is the one taking place in a treehouse in the middle of the jungle. Classes on the beach at sunset are also very popular with customers.
To relax, nothing beats a quick trip to the Cinq Mondes spa. This is one of the site’s essential activities. The treatments provided there are inspired by beauty and regeneration rituals inspired by North African cultures, the islands of Polynesia, Java and several others. Natural ingredients are used such as cocoa, rose water, coffee and argan oil. In addition to the treatments and massages offered there (including Japanese kobido, oriental and Ayurvedic massages), the place is worth a look. A true little setting nestled in nature, the place calls for relaxation. The hydrotherapy pools, hot and cold, give the impression of being in an oasis with soothing effects.
The Fusion Wellness program at the heart of this resort also integrates the principles of healthier eating and initiatives to avoid food waste. It also promotes the use of local products in cooking and foods from sustainable fishing, hunting and gathering.
To this end, the establishment serves smaller portions at the buffet and offers vegetarian and vegan menus. He also deals with a majority of farmers and fishermen from the surrounding area and only uses local and ethical foods for his à la carte restaurant. The coffee and cocoa found in the hotel’s restaurants and bars come from farms in the region and are fair trade.
With its eco-responsible initiatives promoting the local economy, Club Med de Michès is more expensive than other resorts of the brand. Part of its luxury range, it offers attractions at a higher price than those at Club Med Punta Cana.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.