The chief executive of Saint Lucia's award-winning boutique hotel, Coco Palm, is reporting that a meeting in Puerto Rico highlighting small hotels in the Caribbean was a big success. Feolla Chastanet, managing director of the Rodney Bay-based Coco Palm, said recent Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Small Hotels Retreat at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, tailor-made for small, boutique properties, exceeded her expectations. Chastanet reports participants from around the Caribbean sharpened their skills during enlightening and educational seminars: "The workshops were on target as we examined current global trends, marketing tactics, revenue management and customer service training." During the conference, the CHTA promoted its "Tourism Is Key" advocacy campaign which underlines the importance of travel and tourism to local Caribbean economies which are more tourism-dependent than any other region in the world.

The Saint Lucia delegation to the Retreat included Coco Palm's Operations Manager Claudine Gilbert; McHale Andrew of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association; Cheryl Skeete of Habitat Terrace along with a culinary team headed by Chef Bobo Bergstrom who competed in the Taste Of The Caribbean. Taste of the Caribbean provides education through seminars, workshops, tastings and demonstrations, created to enhance performance, style and profitability in food and beverage operations. Caribbean culinary teams and individuals compete for the honor of Caribbean Team of the Year, Caribbean Chef of the Year, Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year and Caribbean Bartender of the Year.

Pictured here from left: Josef Forstmayr, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); Coco Palm's Claudine Gilbert and Feolla Chastanet; McHale Andrew; and Alec Sanguinetti, CHTA's director general.


For further Coco Palm information or reservations, visit www.coco-resorts.com or call toll free (877) 655-COCO (2626) or (758) 456-2800.