Third-party management logical for Tafer expansion

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Last week, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico-based Tafer Hotels & Resorts announced it was launching its own hospitality management services. Chief Operating Officer Sasa Milojevic said the decision was a logical extension of the company’s strategic expansion strategy and plays into its strength of managing its own properties.

“This move allows us to partner with independent developers and hotels, expand our presence in top-performing markets and bring our renowned service excellence to a broader audience,” Milojevic said.

Tafer has signed on to manage three properties so far: the 440-key Palmar Azul Beach in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the 360-key Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Miches and the 50-key Kairi Club Miches in the Dominican Republic. Milojevic said it took almost two years to sign the Palmar property and six months to sign the other two properties, which are both new builds in Miches, Dominican Republic.

The Palmar Azul Beach Resort Riviera Maya by Tafer will reopen in November following an extensive renovation, while the Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Miches by Tafer and the Kairi Club Miches by Tafer are scheduled to debut in late 2026 following construction.

Tafer currently owns and operates eight hotels throughout Mexico, with more than 4,000 keys. It also has several other hotels in its pipeline in Mexico and the Caribbean, which equals another 2,000 keys.

Milojevic said Tafer will be adding some of its own hotels to its management business and plans to add at least one to two new properties to its third-party management business every year.

Tafer also owns 50% of all Villa Groups Resorts & Spas, including the Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta, Villa del Palmar Los Cabos, Villa del Palmar Flamingos, Villa la Estancia Nayarit, Villa La Estancia Los Cabos, Villa del Arco and Villa La Valencia in Los Cabos.

Sasa Milojevic

Hotel Investment Today asked Milojevic questions via e-mail about expansion plans, lessons learned from managing its own properties and leisure travel trends. 

Hotel Investment Today (HIT): Are there any plans to expand ownership or management outside Mexico and the Caribbean?

Sasa Milojevic: While our plans over the next several years pertain to Mexico and the Caribbean, we’re excited about the possibility of expanding our services and portfolio into new markets worldwide. 

HIT: What trends are you seeing in the first half of 2024? What are you projecting for those hotels for the second half of 2024?

Milojevic: We have grown by double-digit numbers yearly since 2021, and 2024 is no exception. We see this trend continuing in the second half of 2024 and in the years to come. 

HIT: What did you learn from managing your own hotels that made you want to pursue third-party management?

Milojevic: Managing our own properties has provided us with invaluable insights and firsthand experience in every aspect of hospitality operations, from architectural and concept design to resort management, marketing, and guest services… By pursuing third-party management, we can extend our standards of excellence to new partners and markets, ensuring high-quality, memorable stays for more travelers and achieving greater operational efficiency and profitability for property owners.

HIT: What trends are you seeing in leisure travel at your properties? Group and business travel? What do you see in business transient?

Milojevic: Both leisure and transient guests are increasingly seeking unique and personalized experiences, including engaging activities, a continual interest in wellness and culinary experiences, and accommodations tailored to multi-generational families and groups. Additionally, companies are prioritizing venues that offer flexibility, advanced technology, and safe, spacious environments. We’ve also noticed notable interest in combining business trips with leisure stays as travelers continue to take advantage of remote work opportunities to extend their stays and fully enjoy the destination. Lastly, travelers are looking for accommodations that offer convenience, connectivity and comfort.

HIT: What are the biggest trends you are seeing in F&B right now? What changes have you made that have brought you the biggest ROI?

Milojevic: We’re noticing a growing trend in guests seeking attentive service and personalized dining experiences at our resort and restaurants, and healthy dining options. To meet this demand, we’ve invested in staff training to ensure a high level of attentiveness and customized service, including the recent introduction of our dedicated Tafer Meat Sommelier program, a bespoke wine program and more interactive dining offerings like our dynamic Gourmet Hall at Garza Blanca Cancun.  We continue to increase guest satisfaction at all our dining outlets by offering locally sourced produce to support our communities and give diners the highest quality, farm-to-table meals.