First look at Club Med's Canadian debut

Club Med is coming to Canada. When it opens in Dec. 2021, the Québec Charlevoix resort will not only be the brand’s first in the country but also will be its first mountain resort to remain open year-round.

During his visit to Québec City, Club Med's president, Henri Giscard d’Estaing, unveiled new images of the interior of the future Club Med Québec Charlevoix, emphasizing local culture in the design. The resort's dining concepts, developed with architecture and design firm Lemay Michaud, are meant to tell a story about the Charlevoix region. In the main restaurant, the buffet is presented like a large local market. The different dining rooms will evoke the region’s natural, maritime and agricultural heritage, conveying a range of environments from the amber colors of wheat fields before the harvest to shades of blue that recall the locally constructed schooner L’Accalmie.

The specialties restaurant, meanwhile, is meant to feel like a private chalet with views over the Saint Lawrence River. Beneath exposed wooden beams, the space has a large central bar topped with huge branches.

“From the beginning of the project, our teams and partners have been working on preparing an unmatched mountain vacation experience that showcases the character of Quebec and the Charlevoix region as much as possible," said d’Estaing as he presented the first renderings. "For over 60 years, Club Med has successfully operated its mountain resorts using a unique vacation model. As our first four-seasons resort, Club Med Québec Charlevoix will mark a new stage in our expertise. What is more, the future resort will be harmoniously integrated into the region, in addition to driving economic development in Charlevoix.” 

Club Med's Strategy

With the opening of one new mountain destination per year, Club Med is continuing its four-seasons mountain strategy. Club Med Québec Charlevoix marks the official beginning of a mountain experience that shifts as the seasons change. 
 

The resort will be positioned at the center of major tourism trends, especially with respect to family-oriented vacations. Family travel is projected to increase 25 percent by 2022, and millennials are set to account for a large portion of this growth, according to statistics from GlobalData.

Club Med and its partner Groupe Le Massif expect the resort to attract an average of 50,000 guests each year, half of whom likely will be Canadian. In the context of this sustainable increase in tourism, Club Med is working with local partners to offer expanded experiences beyond the resort and into the broader Charlevoix region.
 
In a bid to promote its sustainable efforts, the company is also looking to secure Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method certification for the resort. The building’s bioclimatic design and small footprint are designed to make this certification easier to accomplish. The resort also will seek Green Globe certification.

_{Photo credit: Club Med}