Blue Diamond Resorts is mapping its entire portfolio with immersive 3D scenarios that take each resort into the metaverse and make it easy for travellers and travel professionals to experience 360° virtual tours of all on-property details through an easy-to-use interface.

Touting itself as a “trailblazer,” the company says it is the first brand to do so, with all of its resorts set to be available for virtual touring before the end of April.

With the introduction of the cutting-edge functionality, Blue Diamond says it is opening a virtual door for travellers of all types, not least MICE professionals.

Moreover, travel advisors will be able to show on-property features in precise detail, enabling clients to pick and choose the resort product that meets their individual desires or the needs of companies or clientele.

The timing of the portfolio-wide innovation couldn’t be better, says Blue Diamond, dovetailing with the growth of the all-inclusive market – “including a new generation of travellers that is only now discovering what an all-inclusive resort experience can be.”

It adds, “For such travellers, standard imagery of guest rooms is no longer enough – particularly for a property as involving as a Blue Diamond Resort.”

“We’ve witnessed the growing significance of all-inclusive hospitality for global travellers, and at Blue Diamond Resorts, we firmly believe that the guest experience should commence even before the booking stage. By placing all our resorts in the virtual realm and showcasing every detail, we aim to extend our robust all-inclusive offerings to our valued guests and travel partners.” said Blue Diamond Resorts Sr. VP Jurgen Stutz.

“The challenge is not just about conveying the concept of all-inclusive to those unfamiliar; it’s about navigating the unique attributes of each of our brands, catering to distinct customer preferences. Our presence in the virtual reality universe isn’t arbitrary; it’s a testament to our deep understanding of our diverse customer base.”

To design the project, Blue Diamond says it engaged a team of 30, including eight photographers and a dozen marketing and branding professionals working together to map each individual Blue Diamond property.

The metaverse experience is just one of several tech-forward hospitality innovations that Blue Diamond has offered guests of late, including first-person-view drone tours of individual properties, known as “Above and Beyond”; radio frequency identification technology bracelets for guests to wear onsite to enter their guest rooms; and various AI-driven tools that are enhancing the company’s booking engines, website and email functionality, smoothing the path from reservations to visit.

In the meantime, Blue Diamond Resorts says it has seen the 3D renderings prove quite attractive to users. When initially introduced for two resorts in fall 2023, visitors spent an average of 30 minutes experiencing on-property details virtually. Now, the visits can last anywhere from 15 minutes to more than an hour for a MICE professional sizing up a meeting space for a client.

The all-inclusive detailed metaverse experience is now accessible complimentary at www.royaltonresorts.com.

Blue Diamond Resorts encompasses over 60 properties across nine hotel brands and exceeding 18,000 rooms in eight Caribbean countries.