Hotels
Hands Up, Put Your Hands Up
Alright everyone, put your hands up and say happy birthday to Club Med as it celebrates 65 years of innovation that dates back to April of 1950 when, to all intents and purposes, the all-inclusive holiday concept was born. The story began with a pioneer, Gerard Blitz. In April 1950, he founded an association named Club Mediterranee, offering a new kind of vacation to “develop interest in outdoor living and sports.” The first Club Med resort opened in Alcudia in Spain. The amenities of this new leisure centre were simple, with tents as accommodations, but the clients loved the...
Hot Summer Deals From Velas
Velas Resorts has released details of its summer rates and resort inclusions featured at all four of its resorts. Velas Vallarta offers families a two-for-one special for kids ages five to 16, a city tour and cultural tour, a $30 spa credit per adult per night, and early check-in or a late check-out. Casa Velas, the all-inclusive adults-only boutique hotel and ocean club, has a summer package that includes unlimited golf, a $30 spa credit per adult per night, 10% discount at the resort boutique, and a city & shopping or cultural & tequila tour. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit is...
Sheraton Centre Teams Up With A Legend
Toronto's Sheraton Centre enlisted Toronto Maple Leaf legend Darryl Sittler -- and the Stanley Cup itself -- to help show off the hotel's new renovation. Including all 1,377 guests rooms and meeting spaces, the refit will be finished in the fall, with the endeavour costing $101 million and comprising “everything – from floor to ceiling, right back to the studs.” After a tour of a suite, guests got to meet Sittler, who later entertained with hockey stories from his storied career, and posed for photos and signed autographs. Here the ex-Leaf captain poses with David Connor, Area...
Sandals Launches Interactive Wedding Guide
The innovations continue as Sandals Resorts has unveiled more ways to make planning a WeddingMoon or ReTie the Knot celebration an inspirational and fun journey for travel agents and their clients. The new, 62-page, interactive Sandals Wedding Planning Guide is user-friendly and contains every detail a guest would want to know about the Sandals WeddingMoon program, including pricing, inclusions, design themes, wedding planning services and more. The interactive nature of the document acts similarly to a digital brochure with easy navigation functions. The planning guide includes a...
Mobile Bookings Gain Traction With Canucks
According to Hotels.com's most recent Hotel Price Index (HPI), booking travel “on the go” is a rapidly-growing trend in Canada, as well as around the world. It's reported that 1 in 4 global transactions are being booked on a mobile device across the Expedia, Inc brands. Here in Canada, Hotels.com's HPI reported more than 80% growth in mobile bookings during 2014. The majority of Canadians booking on mobile devices, more than four-fifths, made reservations at two- or three-star hotels. The data also showed that Canadian travellers are using their devices for all types of bookings,...
Happy Birthday SLH
This year sees Small Luxury Hotels of the World celebrating its 25th anniversary, with spokeswoman Erin Woodward saying it has used the past quarter of a century to truly build a global presence. Woodward said at a gathering in Toronto last week that Small Luxury Hotels of the World now has some 520 four- and five-star properties in 80 countries, creating a “very international” presence. “We are small in the number of rooms [per property],” she continued. “Across the portfolio, the average is about 50 rooms.” Woodward added smallish sizes of Small Luxury Hotels of the...
Sunquest, Barcelo Raise The Bar
Between now and April 29, 2015, Sunquest is offering a “Free Upgrade Event” at select Barcelo Hotels and Resorts. The value-added offer applies to the Barcelo Puerto Vallarta and the Barcelo Punta Cana and allows travellers to go their own way as it is applicable on any length of stay and from any gateway offered by Sunquest. As an added bonus, Sunquest is also offering additional savings at all Barcelo Hotels and Resorts during this event. The offer is valid on all new bookings made between April 23 to April 29, 2015. Sunquest's senior director of sales, Canada, Dawn Rzepka said:...
Luxury Vacation Could Be Yours
Agents still have time to win an all-inclusive trip for two to the five-star Bahia Principe Akumal Don Pablo Collection in Mexico. A new class of luxury resorts established in 2007, the Don Pablo Collection boasts impeccable amenities and superior, personalized service aimed at pampering even the most discerning guests. Located in Mexico's Riviera Maya, Akumal offers a more rustic Mexican feel and enjoys a lower profile than popular spots like Cancun or Playa del Carmen and its perfectly situated so vacationers can spend time visiting Mayan ruins Coba or Tulum and learn about the...