Owner Mike Freed was recommended to Karen Taylor as the person to turnaround the Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, “sister” property at the time to Post Ranch Inn on Big Sur California.
The resort had already failed once, due to poor financial outcomes and was failing to deliver the standards expected of the very discerning Post Ranch Inn guests.
Karen Taylor set about improvements to the landscape to provide great privacy between bures, and reviewing operational delivery to improve the guest experiences. Re-designing Kids Club to improve the offer to the guests both physically and from a guest service perspective was a key to the quick turn around at Jean Michel Cousteau and pivotal to the long term success it has since enjoyed.
The review of all guest service and touch points was undertaken concurrently to the re-design of the public areas and a full soft refurbishment of all villas including the design and project management of Villa 25 winner of the luxury villa category in the World Travel Awards.
For the first time, Luxury and Family were listed as an award category in the Luxury Travel Magazine with Jean Michel Cousteau rated the first ever best Luxury Family Resort voted by the readership. Jean Michel Cousteau became the first property to claim luxury with family by delivering unique facilities and operations supporting this overlooked niche market.
Subsequently the resort has been recipient of many international awards for excellence for diving, spa, ecological, family, luxury, boutique, food and service. Offering a unique sense of place, and unparalleled services supported by a great concept there has never been a massive investment to deliver these goals but rather small projects delivered over time largely funded from available cash flow.
