by Danielle Andrews Sunkel
Highlights:
- First Class Pod for flight
- VIP Airport Concierge greeting
- Private Driver for 3 days
- Stay at Boutique Hotel
- Wedding & Romance Professionals Symposium
In late March I went to Barbados to speak at the Wedding & Romance Professionals Symposium, put on by the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association. WPIC was also a sponsor of the event.
From the moment I arrived at the airport in Toronto, to the moment I returned, each element of my trip to Barbados was luxury. The best part is, everything I experienced during my trip can be experienced by a bride and groom for their wedding and honeymoon on the island. See a past post about WPIC experiences on this fabulous island here.
My First Class Travel Pod
If you’ve read my other posts or followed my adventures on Twitter, you’d know that I was in 4 different countries within 4 weeks. Six hours after returning from Barbados, I needed to be on another flight to Mexico, so I was feeling a little travel-weary. I decided to upgrade my ticket to a First Class ticket to be as comfortable as possible during the 5-hour flight. Imagine my joy to see this Air Canada flight had lie-flat travel pods! If you have never tried one of these seats before, they are great. You can adjust your seat like a hospital bed, incline, flat, legs up, back up, you name it. You also get your own large television and of course stellar service, food and drinks througout the entire flight.
Janya, my Airport Concierge
Upon arriving in Barbados, I was met outside at the gate by my VIP Airport Concierge, Janya, from Platinum Services. This was sponsored by the lovely Sue Morris from Soulmates Barbados, a WPIC Alum and our newest Barbados-based instructor. This was the second time I had experienced this service in Barbados and it is must for everyone! Your Concierge whisks you to a dedicated Customs Agent (no line in Customs!!!), picks up your luggage for you and then escorts you to your waiting car. Sue had also arranged for the wonderful Ron, to be my dedicated driver for my entire stay in Barbados. (She’s a class act 😉 )
While in Barbados I stayed at the wonderful Mango Bay Resort, an all inclusive boutique hotel located in the heart of Holetown. Rates include breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and beverages. Water skiing, kayaking, snorkeling, pedal boats, a glass bottom boat ride and a catamaran trip to snorkel with the turtles are also included! I will be reviewing this great resort further in a subsequent post.
The Front of Mango Bay Resort
The Property
My Ocean Front Room
The view from my balcony
The “Bringing the Fabulous” Wedding & Romance Symposium was an event for 100 Wedding and Romance travel professionals from Barbados and neighbours St. Lucia & Grenada. Guest speakers included: Shri Lildharrie, Global Travel Director for The Knot, who spoke about “Marketing to the Destination Couple”; myself, Danielle Andrews Sunkel, co-founder of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, I spoke about “Practices of Successful Wedding Professionals”; and Brian Green, CFO of F & G Events spoke about “Bringing the Fabulous”.
Brian Green on-stage at "Bringing the Fabulous"
Sue Morris and Danielle Andrews Sunkel at Bringing the Fabulous in Barbados
The Wedding Luncheon designed by F & G Events
I was so sorry to have to miss this speaking engagement, and experience the beauty of Barbados.
The photos are stunning, and your recap of your time there was fantastic!
It was a delight to have you in Barbados again. Your presentation was excellent and I hope that the growing relationship with Barbados turns into a love affair with our island. Thanks for all your support!