Top local travel partners for 2023 were awarded at an incredible gala held at the Grand Palladium & Lady Hamilton Resort in Hanover on December 12.

As part of the hotel’s 15-year anniversary celebrations, the Grand Palladium honoured the top-performing travel agents whom they have recognised as essential partners in their mission to serving local and international guests with excellence.

Resort General Manager Gerardo de Groot and Merrika Dyer- Cunningham, hotel sales manager gave brief remarks at the start of the festivities. Both executives highlighted the significant role that local agents play in the success of the Hanover-based resort and important role they will play going forward.

Dyer-Cunningham, in speaking to Our Today, emphasised the importance of fostering excellent relationships with the agents and the pivotal role that it plays in Grand Palladium’s efforts to be the premier resort on the island.

“We recognise that a lot of our local travel agents have small operations and it is important for us to know who they are as well as for them to know who we are. It is important they feel they know us and what we have to offer so that they can sell the resort from a personal place,” she said.

She also highlighted how well the resort did this year and expressed gratitude that, with the help of the local agents, Grand Palladium was able to do “exceptionally well in 2023”. Dyer-Cunningham also shared that the profile of the guests who stay in the resort has evolved and the resort is the perfect stop for that evolution in hotel guests.

“I have observed a change in the guests we now get coming to the resort. I’ve seen guests who come alone to reconnect with self, I see families who come here to spend that one special family vacation together. We also have an amazing spa with the best masseuses and fitness trainers on staff to appeal to the health and wellness traveller as well.”

During the ceremony, the hotel honoured all local agents with tokens of appreciation, with the top three agencies, Dream Destinations, Expressions Travel and Leisure for Pleasure, receiving special awards from the resort. These agencies were recognised for being the top local partners of the hotel in 2023, with the winner, Leisure for Pleasure accounting for 80 per cent more revenue than the second and third place agencies.

When looking forward to what 2024 will bring for the resort, Merricka Dyer-Cunningham pointed out that Grand Palladium in Jamaica does not have an adult-only or family resort, which are also staples of the Grand Palladium hotel group, and that it has seen the benefit of the Jamaican market and is willing to invest even further to expand the brand in Jamaica.

Critical to the growth in the next year will be the employment of more innovative use of social media. Senior social media advisor, Kadeem Wong, shared with Our Today aspects of the strategy going forward.

“I am a big advocate for showcasing personalities and experiences. It is important that people see themselves. One of our big goals in 2024 for the social media platform is for there to be more personality to give potential guests a feel of not only the resort but the people they will meet here.”

The Grand Palladium & Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa will see more renovations and innovations as the management look towards a better 2024 and 15 more impactful years.