Endeavour talked to Mark Ozawa, Managing Director of the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort, to discover how he has created a slice of heaven here on earth for his guests.

WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

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A subsidiary of the EllisDon Corporation, a privately held construction company founded by Don Smith, the WLVBR was opened in 1989 by one of Smith’s

daughters. Keen to remain involved with the resort, numerous Smith family members remain in managerial positions at EllisDon and support the resort as villa owners. Clearly this intrinsic connection to family has had a positive impact, and contributed to the continued success, of the resort, as has the ability to stay at the forefront of client services, as Mark Ozawa describes,

“The resort has, of course, changed and adapted over the years. We are Wi-Fi friendly, resort-wide, but looking beyond technology, we are passionate about delivering an authentic St. Lucian experience. With that in mind, we’ve put into place ‘resort ambassadors’ that act as a personal concierge to assist guests in both off-site and onsite experiences, all with the goal of delivering a personalised and memorable vacation.”

Coupled with a deep-seated commitment to creating ‘family vacation memories’, the team at WLVBR seeks out opportunities to cater for the needs of each and every guest, treating them as individuals, not just a room number. With such impeccable levels of

service to adhere to, staff are selected in accordance to stringent standards,

“We pride ourselves on hiring the best and brightest that St. Lucia offers. Our employees are part of the “authentic St. Lucian” travel experience, with many of our guests speaking to the team about their favorite places, eateries and more. This provides guests with a truly ‘local’ experience; a huge travel trend that is here to stay.”

Not an organisation to expect staff to work without development or progression incentives, WLVBR has a number of initiatives already in place,

“To keep our employees happy and engaged we provide a host of classes, for example, job skills training, customers’ relations training and countless others.”

Offering access to technical skills training, as well as position-specific orientation, the management team at WLVBR is demonstrating a level of staff acknowledgement rarely witnessed in the hospitality industry.

The combination of a stunning resort, staffed by an engaged, highly trained team naturally leads to guest satisfaction, but

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You could be forgiven for assuming that the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort (WLVBR) is a recent addition to the white sand beachfront of St. Lucia. A stunning complex, it befits its glorious surroundings with modern, clean lines and an organic sense of belonging, yet it has been in operation for just 25 years, as of November this year.

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describing just how incredible visitors’ experiences are is difficult. With every need catered for, guests can sit back and revel in their own piece of paradise,

“Our guest ambassadors make sure that each guest is taken care of as no request is to big or to small. Many families come back year-after-year to enjoy our villa and estate villa accommodations. The villas range in size from 1 to 5 bedrooms, so they easily accommodate any group. Guests frequently return for the variety of entertainment and dining options, we provide, plus the many complimentary water sports program for both children and adults. Parents can also take full advantage of the Jacquot complimentary kids’ club, giving them time for a spa treatment or uninterrupted beach time”

Unsurprisingly it is not just guests that sing the praises of the resort, with professional recommendations, industry acknowledgements and awards all contributing to the exemplar reputation of the WLVBR. Clearly delighted, Ozawa expands on this,

“We have been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, one of the most trusted and the largest travel websites in the world, as well as being named as one the 10 Best Caribbean Destinations for Families by Parents Magazine, this year. We consistently receive high review scores from our guests on TripAdvisor,

and as a result, we have received a 2014 Certificate of Excellence.”

A steadfast, favourite destination for travellers, the Caribbean continues to provide its hospitality industry with fiscal buoyancy, but setting themselves apart from other complexes, remains important. Already enjoying incredible success, and fulfilling the travel dreams of countless guests, it could be assumed that there is little room for improvement at the WLVBR but looking to the future, there are a number of exciting development plans already in progress.

“We are excited to be working on several new projects that will enhance guest experiences,

plus provide additional choices in regards to wellness and accommodation. The beach is currently approximately 60,000 square feet and we will be adding another 23,000 square feet, with plans to be completed by September 2014. The new spa facilities should be fully operational by spring 2015, and we are still in the planning stages for a number of new Villas but we are very excited about them.”

Asked what is driving these developments, Ozawa is definitive,

“Each of the new additions is entirely focused around the experience of our guests. Visitors will now be offered a more comprehensive wellness

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experience thanks to the new spa, while the larger beach will offer more guests a ‘true’ waters edge experience. This in particular has been driven by guest feedback as we are often told that they enjoy eating breakfast with their villa doors wide open, to let them take-in incredible views of the crystal clear blue waters. Extra villas will offer increased numbers of guests a ‘resort within a resort’, private experience which is exceptionally popular for destination weddings, generational family travel and intimate corporate retreats.”

Keen to highlight the resort development, the WLVBR has embarked upon a genius marketing strategy, enticing travel agencies to visit by sending out beautiful gift boxes filled with stunning literature and imagery.

Clearly Ozawa is leading his team into the future with big development plans, fuelled entirely by a desire to continuously exceed guest expectations and contribute to unforgettable travel memories. Though paradise can clearly be created, passion and a natural propensity for client relations cannot and this is what makes Ozawa and the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort stand out in a competitive marketplace.