A partnership between a private jet service and a luxury resort and residential community in the southeastern Bahamas is taking visitor satisfaction to new heights, literally, adding muscle to the meaning of taking the stress out of traveling, according to tourism officials.
Exuma’s Grand Isle Villas, an oceanfront collection of two-story villas and penthouses with prices that tickle the $2.2 million mark, and New York-based Marquis Jets have signed an agreement that represents “a paradigm shift in the delivery of first class service to the Bahamas,” according to Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe.
The agreement makes the $100 million project, Grand Isle Villas, the first property to designate a jet company as a private aviation partner. And it makes partner Marquis Jets the first jet provider service to include a Family Island as an official destination. Both companies called it “a white-gloved fit.”
The jet company plans to utilize the 7-seater Citation V Ultra jet for guests of Grand Isle Villas, 60+ two-story villas with dramatic ocean and bay views.
Located a five-minute walk down the beach from Four Seasons at Emerald Bay with the 11th hole of the Greg Norman Golf Course running by its infinity pool deck, Grand Isle has attracted visitors and buyers from around the world.
Owners can put units into a resort pool to earn revenue when they are not there. Rewards and discounts from Grand Isle Villas, Marquis Jets and their affiliates will also be included as exclusive benefits to guests.
The alliance between Marquis Jets and Grand Isle Villas provides 24-hour on call access to Exuma from nearly anywhere in the world. Guests can be whisked from New York to Exuma in three hours – and even faster from closer destinations like Washington, DC or Atlanta – with no connections, delays, lines or baggage claim, spokesmen for both companies boast.
And they both believe it will add to the economic boost the new Exuma tourism market has created. Sales are ahead of schedule in Grand Isle, a project that has pumped millions into the local economy.
In the pocket of Exuma where golfers, tennis players, spa-goers and high profile CEOs go to keep a low profile, businesses have opened to serve the new resorts and their guests. Employment is up.
While the infrastructure had to expand to accommodate demand, government derives bed tax, licenses, customs duties and other fees. Small mom-and-pop shops have expanded; native Exumians have returned home because work is available.
Visitor satisfaction is said to be high, unemployment low. Now the new private jet service to a single resort adds another dimension, making the fun of going as much as the fun of getting there, Marquis says.
Minister Wilchcombe applauds the partnership as further evidence of “corporate citizens who have a commitment to excellence and extraordinary customer service.”
“This new partnership ushers in an exceptional level of luxury air transportation and deluxe accommodation for visitors to Exuma,” he said.
“It also represents a paradigm shift for deliverance of first class service to The Bahamas. We look forward to the long-term benefits such a service is likely to have on the economy of Exuma. I wish Marquis Jets and Grand Isles Villas a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
“We are excited about the partnership between Grand Isle Villas and Marquis Jet because it signals another leap in luxury in the offerings of The Bahamas,” said Jim Clabaugh, President of EGI LTD, developers of Grand Isle Villas.
Ken Austin, executive vice president of Marquis Jets, said, “At Marquis Jets, we carefully vet our partners to ensure that we only align ourselves with the finest brands, and Grand Isle Villas provides the comfort and service that our owners have come to expect.”
From: The Bahama Journal
