Club Culture

Club Med has been redefining the holiday experience for three-quarters of a century: this is how

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He might not have known it at the time, but in 1950, former Olympic water polo player Gérard Blitz was about to disrupt the world of luxury hospitality as people knew it. He did so by launching Club Med, a brand that has shaken up everything about the world of travel, pioneering the idea of the all-inclusive holiday and creating uniquely stylish environments for travellers to relax, explore and be the best versions of themselves.

Blitz founded Club Med as an escape from the years of austerity following the Second World War. He created a utopia of canvas tents on the beautiful sands of Alcudia in Majorca, Spain, attracting 2,400 people to enjoy the sun, sea, sand, a range of activities from waterskiing to diving, as well as communal meals eaten using army surplus tableware amid an atmosphere of fun, informality and self-discovery.

That first Club Med camp was very different from the luxury resorts of today. But over the brand's 75 years, while its evolution has been a profound one, upgrading everything about its offer and changing up the nature of travel, it has been sure to retain the same spirit that fired Blitz back in 1950: one of leaving behind the cares of everyday life, meeting like-minded people and enjoying some of the world's most spectacular locations, relaxing in the knowledge that everything from accommodation to meals to activities to entertainment is included in the price.