Destination News - Hotel, Resort & Spa North America.

Feb 7, 2010

Goway Travel

For Goway TravelOs 40th anniversary year, it is giving away 40 trips for two to the destinations in which they specialize. The total value of these trips exceeds USD250,000. Prizes range from a seven-days Highlights of Jordan trip (valued at USD2,070) to a 22-day fully escorted, all-inclusive tour of Australia (valued at USD22,554). For golfers, there is an exclusive package to the PGA Presidents Cup in Melbourne. For romantics, there are several WorldOs Most Idyllic Islands escapes. For the active and adventurous, there are an African overland journey, Inca Trail treks and fun touring experiences in Europe and Australia. A visit to the Galapagos Islands, Papua New Guinea, Abu Dhabi and India, China, Israel, South Africa and Antarctica are also available. Travel agents are invited to participate in the competition. Those who do will receive a USD40 credit for their next booking with Goway and will be eligible for other initiatives that Goway will be bringing out over the year. For more information, call 800-387-8850 or visit www.goway.com. Feb 5, 2010

InterContinental Hotels

InterContinental Tampa, in Fla., is the official hotel sponsor of the fourth annual Gasparilla International Film Festival, which takes place March 18 to 21, 2010. The festival takes place in downtown Tampa and South Tampa. Each year, the festival features an average of 100 films from around the world at a variety of venues, with an additional focus on local productions. The InterContinental Tampa is offering rates for filmgoers as low as USD149 per night, based on double occupancy, including a complimentary breakfast buffet for two in ShulaOs Steak House for patrons attending the Gasparilla International Film Festival. To reserve the special Gasparilla International Film Festival rate at InterContinental Tampa, call 866-402-0758 and mention rate code OIPE10O or visit www.intercontampa.com. Feb 5, 2010

Market Metrix

Market Metrix, which provides feedback solutions for the hospitality industry, said that it has introduced ReviewMetrix Enterprise, a customer satisfaction dashboard that allows hotel companies to centrally monitor, manage and analyze TripAdvisor reviews for all of their properties and to compare themselves with the competition. Enterprise is an upgrade to ReviewMetrix that was launched in September. Hotel companies can now benchmark their online reviews against competitors, enforce corporate policies on responding to feedback, filter data to isolate recurring issues, as well as compare their brand to competitive brands and hotel groups, create unlimited custom groupings of properties, identify performance gaps by property, region and brand, analyze and compare trends and set goals and monitor progress. For more information, visit www.ReviewMetrix.com. Feb 3, 2010

Pan Pacific Whistler Village

Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre is offering special SuperSaver rates starting at CAD 289 for a one-bedroom suite and CAD 416 for a two-bedroom suite. Available through April 30, 2010, rates quoted are for double occupancy in Valley View Suites and are valid for bookings made by Feb. 28, 2010. This offer is based on availability and restrictions may apply. In addition to these SuperSaver rates, guests of Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre enjoy daily breakfast buffet in the Pacific Lounge; suites featuring full kitchens, fireplaces and balconies; complimentary wireless Internet and local calls; one of the best pool decks in Whistler with a heated outdoor salt water pool, two hot tubs and sauna; slopeside ski valet and storage at Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside; signing privileges at Dubh Linn Gate Pub and the Salomon Store in Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside; and access to the in-house full service Vital Spirit Spa. For more information, visit www.panpacific.com. Feb 5, 2010

Paris

Though Paris is rarely spotlighted during Black History Month, a tour with Black Paris ToursO founder Ricki Stevenson reveals that African Americans have influenced a significant part of the romantic and historic City of Light. On the full-day seven-hour walking/metro/bus tour (a two-thirds day option is also available), travelers begin their learning at the Arc de Triomphe where the 369th regiment OHarlem HellfightersO were due to receive a heroOs welcome following World War I. They next continue down the Champs-Elyses to the former U.S. Embassy where in 1787 Thomas Jefferson and the black and beautiful Sally Hemings began their 38-year relationship. Participants then visit the new monument honoring one of NapoleonOs greatest generals, Haitian-born Thomas Alexandre Dumas, and another memorializing his son Alexandre Dumas, one of the most proliferate writers in French history. The tour then visits the theater where Josephine Baker, Sidney Bechet and a cast of young African American performers exploded onto stage in 1925. Following lunch, the group heads north to Barbs-Rochechouart where they stroll through OLittle Africa,O an area that resembles Dakar or Abidjan. The day ends with mint tea and beignets in La Goutte d'Or and a climb to the highest point in Paris, Montmartre, known as the OHarlem of ParisO in the 1920s and 1930s given the expatriate African American community of jazz musicians that thrived in the district and helped turn the city into the major jazz capital it remains today. The full-day tour starts at USD95 euros per person, excluding lunch, and the two-thirds day tour starts at USD70 euros per person. Children under 13 are USD30 euros. Upon purchasing the OParis Black Tour,O travelers will receive their Air Tahiti Nui airfare promo code for the 10 percent discount. For more information on Air Tahiti Nui and to book the OParis Black TourO special, call 877-824-4846 or visit www.airtahitinui-usa.com/parisblacktour. Feb 4, 2010

Priceline.com

New Orleans is at the top of priceline.comOs Top 50 Destinations list for the upcoming long weekend. In addition to being more popular this year than Las Vegas, which was last year's winner, this was the highest ranking that New Orleans has received in a post-Katrina priceline.com Top 50 survey. To compile its Top 50 list, priceline.com looked at a sampling of more than 30,000 Name Your Own Price hotel room booking requests made by priceline.com customers for the long weekend. Since the priceline.com study is based on actual booking requests, and not on consumer preference polls or votes, priceline.com believes the study is one of the more accurate predictors of future travel trends. The top 10 destinations are New Orleans, downtown area; Las Vegas, Strip vicinity south; New York City, Chelsea area; New Orleans, French Quarter; New York City, Times Square/Theater District; Whistler, BC; Las Vegas, Strip vicinity north; Key West; New York City, Empire State Building area; and Orlando, Sea World/International Drive/Convention Center. For more information, visit www.priceline.com. Feb 5, 2010

Roosevelt Hotel

The Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan unveiled Vander Bar, set to open April 2010. Named by the winners of the OName Our BarO contest, Vander Bar is located on the street level of the historic Midtown Manhattan hideaway on the corner of Vanderbilt and 45th. In addition to a full bar, the hotelOs newest establishment presents a wide variety of beers on tap, as well as a menu offering light bites for happy-hour enthusiasts. Visitors can easily access the bar through a separate 45th Street entrance. The hotel launched a OName Our BarO contest in November 2009, encouraging guests and friends of the hotel to submit their suggestions for the new barOs name. After competing with more than 1,500 entries, the winners of the contest, Victor Anderson, Lucile Anthony, Christine Kepakis, Parker Lawrence and Michael Smith, will also receive special VIP treatment at the upcoming Grand Opening party where their names will honorably be inscribed on bar stools. The five people behind the winning name will each enjoy a two-night stay for two in a suite at The Roosevelt Hotel, delectable daily breakfast at The Roosevelt Grill and a pair of tickets to one of New YorkOs hottest Broadway shows. For more information or reservations, call 888-TEDDY-NY or visit www.theroosevelthotel.com. Feb 5, 2010

Smithsonian Journeys

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures, a brand created by the partnership of Collette Vacations, the oldest major tour operator in the U.S., and Smithsonian Journeys, released 12 value-priced educational programs for 2010 at the 24th annual Educational Travel Conference in Providence, R.I. The custom-crafted tours are created for adventurous travelers motivated by education and curiosity; flexibility and economical rates distinguish the vacation line. For 2010, unique destinations like Egypt, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, Iceland, and Yucatan diversify the brand, along with perennial favorites like Washington, D.C. and Newfoundland, Canada. And from now until April 30, 2010, travelers who book an air-inclusive Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures tour will receive from USD50 to USD250 off depending on the specific tour. Along with Otravel beyond the ordinaryO destinations, complimentary roundtrip home to airport sedan service, an advantage that no other major U.S. tour operator can offer, is a key personalized component that adds value to these tours. The Educational Travel Conference is going on now through Feb. 6, and is the annual meeting of The Educational Travel Community (ETC). ETC is a community of practice for organizations worldwide dedicated to advancing lifelong learning and the understanding of international relations through travel. For more information, visit www.collettevacations.com/agents. Feb 5, 2010

St Moritz

World On Skis is offering a five-night air/hotel ski package including air from New York to St. Moritz, Switzerland, with fuel surcharges, priced from USD1,393. Also included are roundtrip rail transfers and breakfast daily. A Washington, D.C. departure is available. Book by Feb. 28 and save 5 percent on the land portion of the trip. The offer includes roundtrip airfare from New York JFK to Zurich (via United or Lufthansa Airlines) including fuel surcharges; roundtrip rail transfers from Zurich to St. Moritz, and five nightsO hotel stay (Sunday through Friday), including hotel taxes and service charges and breakfast daily. Washington, D.C. departure, with nonstop flights from Dulles on United, is an additional USD214 per person. Hotel options include the three-star Hotel Laudinella for Feb. 27 to Apr 9 from USD1,393; four-star Hotel Monopol, March 14 to April 17, from USD1,709; and five-star Kempinski Grand Hotel Des Baines, March 14 to April 5, from USD2,448. For more information, call 866-678-5858 or visit www.WorldOnSkis.com. Feb 4, 2010

Taj Boston

Now through April 4, Taj Boston is offering special 2010 winter rates. Rates start at USD149 per night on weekends and USD175 per night during the week. Upgrade to the Taj Club level for an additional USD100 per night and enjoy accommodations and access to the private Taj Club, with panoramic city views, complimentary food and beverage presentations throughout the day and dedicated butler service. The Taj Boston 2010 Special Winter Rates offer is subject to availability, must be paid in full at the time of reservation, and is non-refundable. For reservations or more information, call 877-482-5267 or email [e-mail] or visit www.tajhotels.com/boston. Feb 5, 2010

Trafalgar Tours, Qantas Airways

Trafalgar Tours and Qantas Airways are joining together to launch a special offer on the May 5 departure of the Contrasts of Australia & New Zealand. Travelers booking by Feb. 28 can save USD1,200 per couple, as the combined land tour and air price has been reduced from USD5,824 per person to USD5,224. The 18-day itinerary juxtaposes modern Sydney and Melbourne with Maori culture, and contrasts the cooler Southern Alps and Franz Josef Glacier with tropical Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. The package includes round-trip international airfare from Los Angeles on Qantas; all intra-tour air flights; round-trip airport transfers; sightseeing, special features and scenic highlights as indicated in the itinerary; meals as indicated in the itinerary; first class travel amenities as highlighted below; airline fuel surcharges; and all hotel taxes. Sightseeing highlights in New Zealand include Auckland, Waitomo, Rotorua, Valley Springs, TranzAlpine, Franz Josef, Milford Sound, Mount Cook, Milford Sound, Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook. In Australia, sightseeing includes Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens and Queen Victoria; the Great Barrier Reef with a full-day cruise; and Sydney, with sightseeing that includes the Harbor Bridge, Opera House, Darling Harbor and a luncheon cruise on Sydney Harbor. In addition, Trafalgar offers their exclusive Be My Guest authentic local dining experience in both Christchurch and Sydney. In Christchurch, you will be invited in to the home of direct descendants of the first non-native New Zealanders who arrived in Christchurch by ship in 1850. You will be given a personal tour of the historic home and gardens before enjoying a home-cooked dinner and local wines. In Sydney, you will dine at the renowned Doyle family's Watsons Bay Hotel, a delightful Art Deco building on the beachfront with sweeping outdoor decks and panoramic views. For more information, call 866-544-4434 or visit www.trafalgartours.com. Feb 4, 2010

Traveloocity

Women staffers of TravelocityOs Window Seat Blog have named nine hotels they would recommend for ValentineOs Day or for other romantic getaways. The El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa, Farjardo, Puerto Rico, is a self-contained property on a cliff above the sea. A funicular takes you down the cliff to the waterOs edge, where a catamaran awaits to whisk you away to the resortOs private island replete with hammocks in the palms and cooling sorbets served up in coconuts. The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa Vermont, in Manchester Village, Vt., still has the elegant, 18th century ambiance that once lured leaders of the American Revolution to the mansion. Splurge on a view of Equinox Mountain or the seasonal gardens, and enjoy the quaint surroundings of Manchester Village. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler B.C. is nestled at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. After a day spent together on the slopes or in the spa, relax over a romantic dinner in The Wine room or better yet, book a room with a fireplace and snuggle up with a glass of vino by firelight. The all-suite Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, Hawaii, has gorgeous pools, romantic restaurants (try candlelit dining under the stars), and a beach where you just might see a sea turtle while you swim. You can opt for a villa and have your own private plunge pool and the utmost in Hawaiian hospitality. The Hotel Alyeska, in Girdwood, Alaska, is the only choice for high romance on the Last Frontier and is in a class all its own where Alaska hotels are concerned. Refined dcor and located within one of the top 25 ski resorts in North America, this spot offers the perfect blend of the great outdoors and creature comforts. The Hudson Hotel, in New York City, has small bedrooms, but larger-than-life style. The scene in The Library Bar downstairs is laid back and refined, perfect for lingering over drinks before a romantic evening out on the town. The Monterey Bay Inn, in Monterey, Calif., features fresh cookies in the lobby, complimentary breakfast delivered to your room, and truly the comfiest beds in existence. Rooms face out over the bay and have balconies perfect for evening sunset-gazing -- plus, your room comes with a free pair of binoculars for spotting the frolicking sea lions. The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, in Half Moon Bay, Calif., sits atop a bluff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is perhaps Northern CaliforniaOs most romantic setting. Roast SOmores and sip hot chocolate on the bluff at sunset, or meander along the coast with your Valentine. The St. Regis Punta MitaRiviera Nayarit, Mexico, offers beautifully appointed guest rooms, picture-perfect pools and a lovely stretch of sand should be all you need for a romantic retreat, but St. RegisO private butler service certainly doesnOt hurt. When you donOt have to lift a finger, itOs easy to forget the rest of the world and just enjoy each otherOs company, margarita in hand. For more information, visit www.travelocity.com. Feb 2, 2010

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor announced the top 10 sexiest hotels in America, based on TripAdvisor editors and travelers. From seductive city dwellings, to bewitching beach-side escapes, these properties offer serious va-va-voom for Valentine's vacationers seeking a sultry sanctuary a deux. TripAdvisor.com site data also reveals that Las Vegas, New York City and Miami boast the most sizzling hotels in the U.S., based on the "sexy index," calculating the number of times that travelers use the term "sexy" in their candid TripAdvisor reviews. The top five winning properties include New YorkOs Night Hotel, average nightly rate, USD251, a modern and monochrome boutique hotel with very little light, making this the perfect spot for a romantic rendezvous with a significant other. Travelers note the guest rooms are cozy, and come complete with a copy of the Kama Sutra in the nightstand. The Hotel Max, Seattle, Wash., average nightly rate, USD167, has crocodile-sculpted carpeting on the floors, faux fur throws on the beds and leopard-print robes in the closets, making it an ideal spot for romantics to say "grrrr, baby!" The Hotel Lucia, Portland, Ore., average nightly rate, USD156, is a downtown boutique hotel offering modern surroundings, not to mention a "Kiss This" guest-package, including champagne, massage oils and dusting powders. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, average nightly rate, USD197, offers all the trappings to bring out travelers' wild sides, including a room service menu featuring an array of lingerie and after-dark accessories. As one TripAdvisor traveler suggests, "Don't bring kids. The mood is sexy and friendly and the music makes it a party atmosphere at all times." For more information, visit www.tripadvisor.com. Feb 5, 2010

Virgin Vacations

Virgin Vacations is offering a Paris At Its Best package starting at USD639 per person for six nights from New York City. Go to www.Virgin-Vacations.com , pick your departure date and enter the promotional code OVVFR2O for stays from Feb. 3 until June 30. For those six nights you will enjoy complimentary breakfast every morning and stay in a tourist-class hotel with roundtrip flights being offered by an available carrier. Departures are available from key Virgin gateways with prices starting at USD847 from Boston, USD857 from Washington, D.C., USD1,015 from Los Angeles, USD1,015 from San Francisco, USD917 from Chicago, or USD937 from Miami. Summer Deals to Paris start at USD829 per person from April 1[ETH]May 23 and USD1,119 per person from May 24 to June 30. Booking deadline is Feb. 10. 866-674-6209 or www.virgin-vacations.com. Feb 5, 2010

Virgin Vacations

Virgin Vacations is offering London Escape starting at USD599 and the four-night Rome Escape starting at USD639. Also the new Virgin-Vacations.com makes it easy to customize your trip with new functions to add to your itinerary, upgrade your hotel, as well as add extra dates and locales. Booking deadline is Feb. 10. 866-674-6209 or www.virgin-vacations.com. Feb 5, 2010

Warner Center Marriott

Warner Center Marriott, located in West San Fernando Valley in Woodland Hills, Calif., has completed an impressive enhancement of its outdoor pool and terrace areas, and has expanded its fitness center, which also now features all-new equipment. These latest upgrades follow an extensive USD6 million renovation of the hotelOs 474 guest rooms and suites, and guest room corridors, which was completed in August 2008. Conveniently located near all of the offerings of the San Fernando Valley, the hotel features 25,000 square feet of recently enhanced meeting and event space. The outdoor pool/terrace area, now named the OUrban OasisO area, features foliage, Chinese elm trees, a new outdoor firepit, all-new pool furniture, all-new terrace furnishings, two new cabanas, and an enhanced bar area with plush new furniture. The 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool/terrace area is a great option for group receptions or social functions, as it can accommodate up to 400 guests. The hotel also completed the renovation and expansion of its fitness center, which now features floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a beautiful view overlooking both the indoor and outdoor pools. The all-new equipment at the fitness center includes a state-of-the-art Recumbent Bike equipped with a personal TV monitor, advanced low-impact treadmills with 12-inch personal TV monitors, a smooth and quiet Upright Bike with a personal monitor, additional innovative cardiovascular equipment, seven different strength machines, and free weights. Stereo headphones also are available for use with all of the machines equipped with personal TV monitors. For more information, call 818-887-4800 or visit www.WarnerCenterMarriott.com. Feb 5, 2010

ZZ AirGuide 100208

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