The Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort has been ranked by leading travel agencies in the U.S. as one of the world’s top resorts for destination weddings.
The resort, featured in Fairchild Bridal Guide’s “2004 World’s Best Awards,” made the top 10 of the Bridal Group’s American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Poll.
Fairchild Bridal Group is a leader in the wedding publishing industry, producing Bride’s, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and Fairchild Bridal Connection.
In the poll, Our Lucaya resort was among the top seven chosen by 3,000 ASTA travel agents. It was also the only Bahamian resort featured on the list.
Melissa Braverman of Quinn & Co, a New York-based boutique public relations agency, told The Guardian Wednesday that the hotel was chosen among some of the finest resorts in the world.
Additionally, Our Lucaya’s popularity among engaged couples is reportedly continuing to grow, as the resort expects to double its wedding bookings this year.
In an Our Lucaya press release, Jim Curtis, director of sales and marketing at the Grand Bahama resort was quoted as saying, “We are thrilled that Our Lucaya ranked high on this prestigious list.
“Our Lucaya offers couples a unique wedding experience in a magical island setting, and we’re proud the travel agent community has recognised that.”
To celebrate this recognition, SeaShells Weddings at Our Lucaya has a special offer for couples that purchase a Seaside Elegance wedding package. Once they sign their contract by May 31, they would receive a complimentary standard tropical bridal bouquet and boutonniere.
The Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort is a 377-acre resort with 1,260-rooms. It features two 18-hole golf courses, Senses Spa and fitness centre, 14 restaurants and lounges, a 35,000 square foot casino, four premier tennis courts, Camp Lucaya children’s centre and four oceanfront swimming pools.
The property made Condé Nast Traveler’s 2005 prestigious Gold List, ranked by the magazine’s 20,000 subscribers as one of the Caribbean’s top hotels.
The Bahamas second for honeymoons
Apart from Our Lucaya’s high rating among travel agents as an excellent wedding destination, The Bahamas as a whole ranked second in the region for honeymoons.
While addressing the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s 11th annual marketing conference and luncheon awards in New York last summer, Elizabeth Nann, vice president and general manager of Fairchild Bridal Group said The Bahamas ranked second in the Caribbean as a honeymoon vacation spot for Americans behind Jamaica.
She said location and luxury lead the way in hotel decision-making. Other features such as nightlife, easy access to the airport, the type of food served and easy access to the Internet were considered less important.
The top five locations for destination weddings, offering more personalised intimate settings, are Hawaii, Mexico, Jamaica, Tahiti and Bermuda respectively.
Mrs Nann said many Americans choose a Caribbean destination because they prefer to get married on a beach, or some other exotic location rather than in a church.
She also indicated that 90 per cent of all the wedding vacationers said they enjoyed their experience; 92 per cent of that number indicated that they would return to the same hotel or a hotel of the same brand in another location.
Bahamian hotels get high ratings
In a related story, Bahamian hotels were rated among the world’s best, according to a May 2002 issue of the Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
The magazine evaluates hundreds of hotels around the world each year, taking into consideration their design, service, and ambience.
Condé Nast Traveler is a monthly publication of Condé Nast Publications, with a circulation of more than 800,000 magazines. The magazine provides tips on safe travel, budgeting, and the availability of banking services at each travel destination, as well as suggestions for vacation destinations.
Mindell Small, The Nassau Guardian
February 10, 2005
