Begin with the end in mind
On Friday, January 17th, Viceroy Anguilla Resort and Residences celebrated the success of its 2013 Festive season with a phenomenal colleague event entitled ‘Glitz and Glamour’ at La Vue Boutique hotel. The event was kicked off with a poolside cocktail reception from 8 – 9 PM hosted by the Executive and HR teams. At 9 PM, the event moved upstairs to Flavours Restaurant for the cocktail party. Mr. Richard Alexander, General Manager, gave the welcome remarks and the door prize of $500 USD was won by Ms. Anna Kennedy, Assistant Director, Landscaping. The Viceroy team partied into the early morning with music provided by DJ Deanie and Boss and the Horsepower band.
Only at Viceroy Anguilla
The 2013 Festive season has been the most successful one to date. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for a room was just under $4,000, with the villas going for more than $17,000 a night. During the 2 weeks of Festive, the Resort completed over 1120 Spa treatments and over 200 fitness classes with celebrity and resident trainers.
Viceroy is known for its elaborate fitness and wellness program. The 2013 festive season lived up to our reputation. Amanda Topaz, the aerial specialist, mesmerized all, as she glided effortlessly through the air making guests feel like they could do likewise. As a result, her training sessions were very popular. Seth G and Carmela Mondello, trainers from Barry Bootcamp, were absolutely amazing with the kids and adults. Samantha Green, our resident yoga instructor, demonstrated her world-class skills during her daily, poolside sessions. Danny, the renowned, local spin instructor, continued to be one of the favourites as his daily spin classes were always in demand. Vernon Carty, the Fitness Manager, completed his 1st festive as a trainer on property.
The Sports Pavilion was bustling with activity from the tennis courts to the basketball courts, to volleyball/soccer area to the rock climbing wall. Tennis pros, Vallan Hodge- Richardson (resident instructor) and Kyle Plum (1 of the top pros from Texas) were supported by N’Zingha Banks and George Richards. Mr. Rick Barry and Mr. Clifford Ray (both NBA legends) spent time coaching and speaking with our guests on the basketball court. Michael (Dexy) Willock kept it interesting on the rock climbing wall.
From December 28 – 30th, the Hotel showcased the culinary skills of celebrity chef, Shea Gallante and his Sous Chefs Abbey de la Rosa and Brad Thompson. Mr. Josh Beckerman (the Foodie Magician) dazzled the little ones, as well as the adults with his amazing tricks all over the property. The Gen V team under the leadership of Sarah Kenworthy was a huge hit with children of all ages. The feedback from the parents was overwhelmingly positive.
Despite the occasional rain, the pools and beaches were always crowed. The Bamboo Restaurant and the Sunset Lounge were two of the most popular destinations for the lunch time crowd. While more intimate, the Half Shell restaurant hosted many of our villa guests.
Lights, camera…New Year’s Eve
firework display
Viceroy Anguilla proved yet again, why it is the place to be on New Year’s Eve. There were 2 dining options for the evening; the buffet dinner at Aleta and the 4 course menu at Coba. After dinner, the energy shifted to the epicenter, Sunset Lounge. The Exodus Band entertained the crowds until 10:30 PM and transitioned to DJ Hapa, who kept the crowd in a frenzy with his musical selections. The hosts for the evening were Jesse Tyler Ferguson (from Modern Family) and his partner Justin Mikita. The band, St. Lucia, was the main attraction on center stage. Many guests went to the Ocean Terrace to set sail their hopes and dreams for the New Year via wish lanterns. At 11:59 PM, the sky over Viceroy lit up with an amazing firework display which kept the crowd mesmerized for appropriately 12 minutes. When the fireworks ended, everyone realized that they had witnessed the dawning of yet another year. Many found comfort and camaraderie in the familiar faces that were quickly becoming part of their extended family.
Living the mission
The colleagues at Viceroy have much to be proud of. Through the highs and lows of 2013, they continue to deliver, what many previously said was unattainable on the island of Anguilla and in the Caribbean. There is a reason why our guests return year after year, to pay a rate that is the highest in the region. Our colleagues are demonstrating what can be accomplished when you touch the heart and soul of every guest.
In the midst of all of the excitement, the property said goodbye to Chef Cliff Denny (Executive Chef) who led the culinary team for 2.5 years. Chef Denny has moved on to an amazing opportunity and we wish him the best of luck.
The colleagues measure the success of Festive on a number of indicators but none more important than the service charge payout for the month of December. The airwaves were buzzing when colleagues found out that the maximum service charge payout for the month of December was a couple dollars short of $1650 ($200 more than the previous year). On January 15th, the colleagues gathered in the Melting Pot to toast this amazing accomplishment. Throughout the lunch period, members of the Executive Committee served Sparkling Cider to well deserving colleagues.
Work hard, play hard, recognize
On Tuesday, January 21st, Viceroy will host an awards gala honouring its 2013 colleague of the month, supervisor of the month and manager of the quarter winners. The event, ‘Toasting Our Stars’ will take place at Coba restaurant. The Executive Team will host the winners along with their guests at a reception beginning at 6:30 PM. During the formal dinner later in the evening, the announcement of the 2013 Colleague of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and Manager of Year will be made.
Scenes from the Glitz and Glamour Affair
