FUERTEVENTURA MAGAZINE hoy WHO’S WHO IN THE ISLAND?
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Tomás de Vera - Director of the Fuerteventura Princess and Jandía Princess hotels
“The exclusive Esencia concept is available in our hotels since November” FMHOY - Fuerteventura While enjoying the beautiful landscape of the beaches of Esquinzo, from one of the new facilities of the Fuerteventura Princess hotel, we take this opportunity to have a chat about the novelties that the hotel chain Princess Hotels and Resorts recently inaugurated with the director, Tomás de Vera. This pleasant area where we are now is a different area within the hotel, called Esencia de Fuerteventura (Essence of Fuerteventura). Can you explain what the concept of Esencia de Fuerteventura consists of? After the renovation and update of our hotels in the Canaries, we created this new concept last year. The product Esencia consists in creating, in hotels that
have adequate characteristics, a totally separate and independent area where we provide a personalised and specialised service, making it different from the rest of the hotel. The Esencia area consists of 212 rooms of which 10 are suites; they have been totally refurbished with a private and exclusive access, although those clients can also enjoy the other facilities of the hotel.
In the heated pool we organise various punctual activities and it is animated daily with live music and we offer our clients all day long an ample gastronomy offer that goes from fresh fruit brochettes, to salmon, sushi, Cava, cocktails, etc. In those new installations we have the Mirador restaurant where in addition to the daily buffet, one day per week we organise an “à la carte” Gala diner for our Esencia clients with live music. We complete this offer with the Esencia bar and its Chill out terrace with music, natural cocktails, fresh fruits, etc.
It is still all inclusive? Yes and it is not only an area reserved for adults, it also welcomes families with children. We have included heated pools and a mini-club, with a game area for children with their own pool. We also have a new gym area with personalised activities and a very active sports animation where we offer Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, Nordic Walking, etc. We created an area with Balinese beds, in a very quiet area with beautiful sea views.
How long has this section been open? Since last November, and it has been well adopted by clients. During the Christmas holidays this section was full, although new products need some time of introduction that tends to last one season. Clients who arrive at the hotel and see the difference with Esencia, can they pay a supplement and change their booking? Yes of course, by paying a small supplement. Is it one hotel only divided in two sections?
It is two separate hotels, Fuerteventura Princess where we have the Esencia area and Club Jandía Princess, that was completely refurbished in 2012 and where we have created an area exclusively for adults and another dedicated to families. The Hotel Club Jandía Princess also has a novelty for children with a farm shed with animals and a little plot of land for farming which creates a different and unique place so that children can enjoy their holidays. There is also a chill out bar with its own pool and live music and a wellness area with Turkish baths, massages, Jacuzzi, etc. In both hotels we propose an area dedicated to naturism. Few hotels on the island are able to offer their clients a nudist area that is private and comfortable with its own pool, a relax area, etc. We have many clients, mostly German, who are very loyal because of this service. Those hotels are very big and both allow for those divisions without any problems, don’t they? That is true. Fuerteventura Princess represents 60.000 m2 and Jandía Princess 55.000 m2, which allows us to do many different things without feeling cramped. With both hotels there are close to 1.300 rooms, surrounded with gardens and open spaces and always with sea views and easy access to the beach. Is the Princess chain very large? This hotel chain comes from Cataluña and is spread all over the Mainland, as well as other hotels in various locations in the Canaries, Sto. Domingo and Rivera Maya in Mexico. Managing such big hotels seems difficult and with the refurbishments it’s quite a challenge… I have quite a bit of experience in various hotels and locations, which allows me to handle the situation well, although it takes a lot of my time logically. The refurbishments were a challenge which is a new experience to add to me cv. Tomás, are you from around here? I am from Fuerteventura, from La Matilla exactly and after travelling in various destinations, I came back to my home land. I studied in tourism; it was a good decision work-wise although it then became a vocation. Later I did a Master in Hotel management in the school-hotel of Santa Brígida (HECANSA) and it was a great experience, which helped me later in my working life.