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Bon Giorno!
Bellasera has seen a good start to the year
with revenues continuing to grow. Once again, many ‘would-be’
travelers are very wary after Florida’s 2004 and 2005 hurricane
seasons. This is particularly evident July through October. We
are working hard to offset this by securing as much in-state
business as possible as well as offering incentives to groups
and corporate clients.
Bellasera continues to enjoy excellent
exposure from
TripAdvisor™.
The property is currently ranked number one out of fifty-five
Naples properties in Trip Advisor’s Popularity Index, based on
independent traveler reviews. Trip Advisor named Bellasera in
the Top Ten in the United States in 2005 in two categories,
including ‘Best Hidden Gem’.
For additional information,
click here.
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Year to date (through April), owner
distributions increased by 10.4% over the same period last
year.
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Despite the negative impact of the past
hurricane seasons, we are currently pacing equally with last
year for future reservations revenue for July through
October. (However, with a large percentage of our
reservations being booked at the last minute, we are
cautiously optimistic of exceeding 2005 revenues during this
timeframe.)
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November and December are pacing well,
with future reservations revenue currently at 10.1% over
this time last year.
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Comment cards and mystery shopper
reports continue to provide excellent feedback. Overall,
indications are that our guests are extremely happy with the
product and staff and the guests are becoming very loyal to
Bellasera by making repeat reservations.
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Reservations from Internet wholesalers
remain strong and we frequently find Bellasera in the top
placements in many sites. We continue to receive
significant business from Expedia and we constantly look for
new trends in this arena, both nationally and
internationally.
During Collier County’s Tourism Week in
May, Margie McGlynn, Sales Manager was awarded the Sand Dollar
Award for Outstanding Hotel Sales Employee. This award was
based not only on what Margie does to promote Bellasera but also
for what she does in the local community and promoting Naples as
a destination. Margie serves on several Boards and is involved
with many Committees and charities in Naples and Collier County,
including Naples 5th Avenue Association, Meeting
Planners International, FunTime Children’s Academy and many
others. Bellasera and Zizi Restaurant had 8 nominees out of a
total of 45 within Collier County.
As a ‘new’ property, we currently do not
have any refurbishment projects taking place. Later this year,
we will be inviting owner volunteers to serve on a Refurbishment
Committee. Typically, a refurbishment committee comprises of
three to five owners. Along with the property general manager,
a SunStream team and a team of designers, the Committee will
work together to ensure that the quality of furnishings
throughout all of the suites in the rental program is
maintained. Owners not participating in the rental program will
still have an opportunity to participate in refurbishment plans
if they wish. More details will follow later this year.
SunStream’s webmaster, Carolyn Masten has
done an excellent job of re-designing the Bellasera website.
The site is eye-catching, easy to navigate and user friendly.
SunStream’s graphic designer, Jennifer Gossett assisted with
some fabulous Flash insets on the site. Check out our new look
at
www.bellaseranaples.com.
Summer and fall are a wonderful time of
year to visit Bellasera. There are no crowds, considerably less
traffic than in season and the lowest room rates of the year.
Recommend Bellasera to your friends and as an owner, you will
have the option to extend a specially reduced rate to them, or
receive a thank you in the form of a check for 10% of their
total stay (not including incidental charges, tax and
gratuities.) Please contact Kelly Tynion, Guest Service Manager
to make arrangements. You can reach Kelly at
bsrgsm@sunstream.com
or 239-649-7333.
As a
reminder, peak travel dates in season and holidays fill quickly,
particularly the larger suites. As soon as you know your travel
plans, please contact Kelly Tynion, Elizabeth Peleckis (bsradmin@sunstream.com)
or myself for your personal reservations. We look forward to
welcoming you back to Bellasera.
Sincerely,
Neil Brereton
General Manager |
