One-on-One With Couples Resorts’ Dean Sullivan

Couples Resorts is synonymous with the clientele its properties accommodate: romantic partners seeking a relaxing getaway they will remember long beyond the vacation’s end.

Couples features four distinctive Jamaican properties: two in Negril (Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away) and two in Ocho Rios (Couples Tower Isle and Couples Sans Souci).

Guests enjoy 24-hour gourmet dining, unlimited premium-brand spirits and complimentary Wi-Fi. Beyond the upscale amenities, Couples offers travelers opportunities to spend lazy days on the beach, followed by intimate dinners and dancing under the stars.

We spoke with Dean Sullivan, Couples’ chief marketing officer, to learn how the company provides its target audience with rewarding vacation experiences.

TravelPulse (TP): As one of the Longest-Tenured Caribbean Resort Operators, How has the Company Changed its All-Inclusive Resorts to Reflect Consumer Tastes in the Last Few Years?

Dean Sullivan (DS): We were the first all-inclusive in the Caribbean, and one of the first in the world when we unveiled our all-inclusive offering in 1977. Couples Resorts defined the category, and we pride ourselves on constantly refining it.

Our formula for success stays true to our vision from day one, remaining truly all-inclusive with more inclusions than our competition. We never call the guest’s room [attempting] an upsell. Frankly, the only time we call their room is for a wake-up call, typically on the day of departure… a sad day for us all!

Since our founding, the all-inclusive category has become very crowded, with varying levels of quality and authenticity. Mega-structures dot the landscape with room numbers that resemble postal codes. But we remain loyal to intimate boutique appeal with property footprints designed for the privacy our guests deserve.

TP: What are the Attributes of the Brand and Resorts that set Couples Resorts Apart from Other All-Inclusive Resorts?

DS: First-time guests become lifelong family and in this world of social media, our guests become our brand ambassadors. Search “Couples Resorts” on any major social media platform and you will discover hundreds of conversations and thousands of followers telling our story with a level of authenticity I could never convey through traditional branding or advertising.

Using our loyal guests as sounding-boards along with the desire to surprise and delight, we are constantly refining our offering. Most notable was our debut of the Caribbean’s first truly all-inclusive spa experience in 2016, when we debuted the Oasis Spa Villas and Signature Oasis Spa Villas at Couples Tower Isle in Ocho Rios. Guests have complete, unfettered access to any and all treatments in our award-winning Oasis Spa.

TP: Is There Anything Else Travel Agents Should Know About Couples Resorts?

DS: As with any business, loyal customers are the foundation of profitability. Our product is second to none and, based on our very high level of repeat business, travel agents can recommend us to first-time clients that may very well become a life-long business.

Agent Advantages

—Couples Resorts educates agents on the company’s resorts via its revamped online certification program, which features virtually all the information you need to book the company’s four properties.

—The program also provides selling tips and increased incentives and margins once agents complete the course and become certified.

For more information, visit couplesresortsspecialist.com.