Club Med

Foundation

The Club was started in 1950 by former Belgian water polo champion Gérard Blitz. Blitz, a Belgian, had opened a low-priced summer colony of tents on the island of Majorca. Gilbert Trigano supplied the tents, and in 1953 Blitz wooed him into a partnership. The first official Club Med was built the next year in Palinuro, Salerno Italy. The original villages were simple: members stayed in unlit straw huts on a beachfront, sharing communal washing facilities. Such villages have been replaced with modern blocks or huts with ensuite facilities.

Expansion

In 1961, the company was purchased by the 35-year-old Baron Edmond de Rothschild, after he had visited a resort and enjoyed his stay. With Rothschild financing, the number of villages increased greatly under Trigano's leadership from 1963 to 1993. Winter villages, providing skiing and winter sports tuition, were introduced in 1956 at Leysin, Switzerland. In 1965, the first club outside the Mediterranean was opened, in Tahiti. Club Med broadened its reach by opening villages in the Caribbean and Florida where English rather than French was the main language.

Originally attracting mainly singles and young couples, the Club later became primarily a destination for families, with the first Mini Club opening in 1967.

The Club has also ceased to be a club in the legal sense, changing from a not-for-profit association to a for-profit public limited company (French SA) in 1995. However, each new customer is still charged a membership fee upon joining, and returning customers are charged an annual fee as well.

Diversification

In the 1990s, the Club's fortunes declined because competitors copied its concepts and holidaymakers demanded more sophisticated offerings. Serge Trigano took over from his father but was replaced in 1997 by Philippe Bourguignon, former CEO of EuroDisney.

Bourguignon aimed to change the Club "from a holiday village company to a services company". The club took over a chain of French gyms, launched bar/restaurant complexes known as Club Med World in Paris and Montreal, and commenced a budget resort concept aimed at young adults. Oyyo was the first such resort, opened at Monastir in Tunisia. Thirteen new villages were planned for the new century.

Relaunch

The change in strategy was not successful and the Club fell into a deep loss following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA. In 2002, a new CEO, Henri Giscard d'Estaing, was appointed. His strategy was to refocus on the holiday villages and attract upmarket vacationers. Oyyo, Club Med World Montreal and many villages, particularly those in North America or with more basic facilities, were closed. The Club returned to profitability in 2005.

In 2004, the hotel group Accor became the largest shareholder, but it sold most of its stake in 2006, announcing that it wished to refocus on its core businesses. From 2001 onwards, the resort company worked to rebrand itself as upscale and family-oriented.

In 2006 and 2007, Club Med and its partners dedicated a total of $530 million to renovate several resorts.

Chinese acquisition

In February 2015, Fosun International Ltd.'s Gaillon Invest II and the Silverfern Group finalized a takeover deal of Club Méditerranée S.A. The acquisition culminated a bidding war that began in May 2013, which was conducted by Gaillon, a special investment vehicle used by Fosun, to execute its bidding for Club Med. The two-year-long war boosted the price of the company from the initial €541 million "friendly bid" in 2013 up to the final sale price of €939 million ($1.07 billion). Gaillon Invest's chairman, Jiannong Qian, believes that Chinese ownership of the company is crucial to tap into China's huge population of potential tourists.

Services

Each resort provides a list of services and activities in one single package. This includes lodging, food, use of facilities, sports activities, games, and shows. Certain items such as premium alcoholic beverages previously required the use of beads or tickets as a form of payment; this is not required anymore.

Partnerships

CLUB MED CREACTIVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Club Med Punta Cana and Cirque du Soleil have joined to launch CREACTIVE. The new enhancement to the resort is not a show, but a hands-on playground where adults and kids alike can participate in up to 30 activities inspired by Cirque du Soleil performances. Guests learn new skills under the supervision of Gentils Circassiens (Cirque du Soleil trained staff). CREACTIVE features a flying trapeze, tightrope, dance, juggling, acrobatic bungee, trampoline, mask painting, clowning, aerial silks, and so more.

FACEBOOK - CLUB MED AT WORK Club Med is the first global travel company to begin testing Facebook at Work, a platform that about 300 companies in industries from banking to brewing are already trialing, before it becomes widely available in 2016.

Latest Innovations

Club Med has opened an adult-exclusive section within Club Med Punta Cana called Zen Oasis which focuses on guests’ well-being. Guests have access to the Olympic sized pool (complete with in-water lounge chairs), a private section of beach, a beach-side yoga palapa – or they can simply sip a smoothie at the Hibiscus Bar & Lounge.

OPENING OF CLUB MED VAL THORENS, FRANCE 2015 Club Med Val Thorens, Club Med's all-new all-inclusive resort. The resort features ski-in/ski-out access, panoramic views of the Alps, a restaurant with terrace, ‘Epicurious' specialty restaurant and gourmet lounge featuring a menu designed by 2-star Michelin Chef, Edouard Loubet. Wellness facilities also include the Club Med Spa with multi-purpose treatment rooms and Turkish baths.

Staff

Club Med staff are called "GOs", or Gentils Organisateurs (Gracious/Nice Organizers). Clients are "GMs", or Gentils Membres (Gracious/Nice Guests/Members). The resort is known as a village. The resort manager is called the chef de village (Village Chief).

The special feature of Club Med is that the GOs and GMs play, dine, drink, and dance together every day and night. Outdoor buffet dining (usually on tables of eight, mixing GMs and GOs), daytime sport-playing, and evening shows with extensive audience participation, are part of the holiday experience.

A particular institution is the communal dance or crazy signs led by the GOs at varying intervals during the day and evening (the frequency varies by village). The dance steps for each song are standard across the organization with some new ones introduced each year. The evening shows, often requiring detailed choreography, are also standardized and include both new and established routines.

"Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" by Ottawan is regularly played to accompany the crazy signs during the evening shows.

GOs are moved between villages and many work both winter and summer seasons. All GOs, regardless of their area of specialty (a sport or administrative function), are expected to regularly participate in both the show and "crazy signs". Their work is supplemented by locally recruited support staff such as cleaners and cooks, known as "GEs" or Gentils Employés (Gracious/Nice Employees).

There are 15,000 GOs of 96 different nationalities working in the villages around the world and most of them reside in the village.

Villages

Most villages are designed for families, with villages providing daytime supervised facilities for children: the "Baby", "Petit", "Mini", "Junior's" clubs and 12 Passworld facilities worldwide which offer a special hang out space for 11- to 17-year-olds.

The villages are now divided into three different types:

As of November 2015 the resort company operates 65 villages in Europe, Africa and Middle East, North America, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Company announced they will open 20 to 25 resorts by 2020.

NORTH AMERICAN LOCATIONS

CLUB MED SANDPIPER BAY, US North of West Palm Beach - FL Club Med Sandpiper Bay is an all-inclusive, premium sports resort designed for active families. This multi-sport center comprises the Club Med Tennis Academy, Club Med Golf Academy, Club Med Beach Volleyball Academy, Club Med Fitness Academy and Club Med Triathlon Academy.

CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN, MEXICO You’ll find Club Med Cancún Yucatán on the southern end of Cancun's Hotel Zone, surrounded by 3 beaches. The resort has three restaurants that serve up Mexican cuisine and steaks; all meals, as well as drinks served at the four bars, are covered by Club Med's all-inclusive policy. This Club Med property is known for its kid-friendliness, with a Petit and Mini Club Med engaging children and teens between ages 3 and 10 with supervision of G.O's. Club Med Passworld offers tweens and teens their own private hangout area, called the Car Wash. Families with age diversity can take advantage of water sports equipment, such as snorkeling gear, and lessons for activities like wakeboarding, windsurfing, waterskiing and sailing — all are included in your package.

CLUB MED PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Club Med Punta Cana features the largest beach on the island and 75 acres of tropical gardens. This resort is perfect for beach and adventure lovers and great for families with children's programs for kids of all ages. Guests can enjoy windsurfing, a flying trapeze, and tennis lessons at this active-traveler vacation spot, Club Med CREACTIVE by Cirque du Soleil, amongst many other land and water activities.

Club Med Punta Cana opened a new adult's only Zen Oasis, designed to provide adult guests with peace and serenity. The Zen Oasis section has its own concierge, a pool with in-water lounge chairs, a separate lap pool, and a quiet beach. A new beach lounge, the Indigo Beach Lounge at the resort provides waterfront dining from an all-day restaurant. The restaurant closes after dinner, and once the restaurant closes, the venue re-opens as a nightclub for even more adult fun.

CLUB MED COLUMBUS ISLE, San Salvador Island BAHAMAS Club Med Columbus Isle is a Bahamian paradise for diving and honeymoon vacations. As one of the top 5 wall diving destinations in the Caribbean, this resort is also the best luxury resort for couples. This environmentally-friendly resort also offers a wide range of activities and sports for adults. The resort includes premium oceanfront accommodations, oceanfront massage and treatment, palapas, scuba diving, and so much more.

CLUB MED LA CARAVELLE, GUADELOUPE Club Med La Caravelle offers guests an all-inclusive retreat with beach access. Guests find a wide array of outdoor activities here, including tennis and trapeze lessons. Then cool down with a therapeutic massage at the spa while your youngsters take part in the resort's kids-oriented activities and clubs. At the end of the day, enjoy a family dinner in one of the resorts two restaurants.

CLUB MED BUCCANEER’S CREEK, MARTINIQUE Located on the southeastern part of the island of Martinique, 1.9 miles south-southwest of Le Marin, Club Med Buccaneer's Creek, an all-inclusive property, offers a warm welcome to visitors who are thinking about lodging on this island. Facing Diamond Rock, the resort's bungalows neighbor a coconut grove and a white sandy beach and feature amenities like air conditioning, sea views and flat-screen TVs. Let Club Med school you on proper scuba diving techniques, or sign up for an island excursion (both at extra cost). When you need a break, head to The Club Med Spa by PAYOT for a body scrub or a massage. Continue recuperating with the buffet at Pays Mélés, or try Lô's light lunches and Asian-Creole dinners. Though recent guests say the resort deserves kudos for its bevy of activities, they bemoan the fact that the property caters to French-speaking guests and the fact that it's located on a crowded public beach.

CLUB MED TURKOISE, TURKS AND CAICOS Club Med Turkoise is a paradise for sports lovers with scuba diving, tennis and flying trapeze. This is one of Club Med's most social and international villages. The beach stretches for miles in each direction. Grace Bay had been voted best beac in the world by tripadvisor in 2016.

CLUB MED IXTAPA PACIFIC, MEXICO Club Med Ixtapa Pacific was the first resort on Playa Quieta, north of Ixtapa's main two-mile hotel strip. This resort also introduced its Baby Club Med program for babies and toddlers—a program that sets Club Med apart from most family resorts. This true all-inclusive resort provides guests with all day dining options, sports lessons, childcare and tips included in the price of a stay. Guests can learn skills like trapeze, tennis, sailing and archery from professional's on-property, and young children can make friends at Petit and Mini Club Med. For the youngest guests there is Baby Club Med, and teens have optional activities through Juniors’ Club Med.

Club Med Villas

Club Med is constructing and selling 40 Club Med Villas at La Plantation d'Albion on the island of Mauritius. Ranging from 2-4 bedrooms and priced between €992,000 and €1,590,000, each villa comes furnished, with air conditioning and features its own swimming pool. Owners can take part in the amenities and activities in the village. Additionally, owners can allow Club Med to rent out their villas when they are not occupied.

In popular culture

The Club Med style of vacation was satirized in the 1978 film, Les Bronzés (released in English as French Fried Vacation) directed by Patrice Leconte. Sequels Les Bronzés font du ski and Les Bronzés – Amis pour la Vie were released in 1979 and 2006 respectively.

The 1983 film Copper Mountain: A Club Med Experience, starring Jim Carrey and Alan Thicke, is a quasi-commercial for the now-closed Club Med village in the U.S. ski resort at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

The 1986 ABC TV movie Club Med stars Jack Scalia and Linda Hamilton as a Club Med manager and guest, respectively, who fall in love.

In the Pink Panther series, The Pink Panther makes a reference to Club Med in the episode "Momma's Boy".

In The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car", one of Dr. Nick Riviera's diplomas reads "Club Med School". In the episode "Little Big Mom", Bart says that he and Homer, who have been sent to a leper colony in Hawaii due to a since-discovered trick played on them by Lisa, plan to "put our fake sores back on, then jump into Club Med and scare the normals". In the episode "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", Bart and some other kids have to clean an advertising billboard as a punishment for breaking a curfew and Chief Wiggum tells them: "Don't forget to clean under the jowls. That spot is Club Med for mildew!"

The song "Shake Your Rump" off the Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique features Mike D "chilling at the beach, down at Club Med".

In 2004, a Korean TV drama broadcast by MBC titled First Love of a Royal Prince was filmed in Club Med Bali, Sahoro, and Bora Bora. In the drama, the main actress, Sung Yu-ri, played Kim Yu Bin, a GO.

The 2004 comedy/horror movie Club Dread, set at a vacation resort, is a play on the Club Med name.

In Northern America minimum security prisons are often referred as Club Fed, another pun on the Club Med name.

Criticism

Club Med was criticised in graffiti during the May 1968 student uprising in Paris as "a cheap holiday in other people's misery". That line was given a nod to in the opening lyrics of the Sex Pistols song "Holidays in the Sun".