Hotels & Resorts
RIU adds second hotel in Costa Rica
RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened its second hotel in Costa Rica and the first in the Riu Palace luxury range: the Riu Palace Costa Rica. The resort is in the region of Guanacaste, and adjacent to the Riu Guanacaste hotel, which opened in 2009. The Riu Palace Costa Rica offers 538 rooms with free Wi-Fi Internet and 24-hour room service. There are five restaurants: Arenal, which offers a buffet of international cuisine with dishes cooked to order, and four a la carte restaurants: Japanese Tokio, Italian L'Anfora, Papagayo grill-steakhouse and the modern Krystal. Guests can also choose from five...
Two new hotel spas open in Victoria
Two new spa experiences are awaiting visitors to Victoria. Those looking for a spa with an Asian influence should visit SORA at the Hotel Grand Pacific. It re-opened this October after a complete renovation, and specializes in traditional Thai massages. Also, the Boathouse Spa & Baths at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel opens today (Nov. 15) after a complete rebuild. It features a series of cascading seaside hot therapeutic mineral pools overlooking the oceanfront, and a signature Swedish massage. (http://www.hotelgrandpacific.com ;...
Delta rolls out Travel Agent Express
Delta Hotels and Resorts has introduced Travel Agent Express program offering agents deeply discounted rates for stays between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28, 2013. The winter promotion is designed to help agents familiarize themselves with the brand's growing Canadian portfolio of properties from coast to coast. The promotion will also allow agents to experience the chain's new ModeRoomä guestrooms that are modern, innovative and thoughtfully designed. Qualifying agents will enjoy the special rate of $65 for the first room, that can be applied to popular winter and ski getaway destinations such as...
Special offer for new ‘green’ lux rooms at Napili Kai
Napili Kai Beach Resort, a resort situated on a large beach frontage on Maui's beautiful Napili Bay, has completed a comprehensive $5 million renovation of its oceanfront Puna Point building. A similar renovation to the adjacent oceanfront Puna 2 building was completed in December 2009 and received the Building Industry of Hawaii's Renaissance Award of Merit in 2010. The Puna Point and Puna 2 buildings are made up of oceanfront studios and one-bedroom suites with kitchens and private lanais, overlooking the sea with panoramic views and bordered by lawns and tropical gardens. The project...
Fairmont lets agents give back
The holiday season is almost here, and this year Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is offering members of the Famous Agents education and rewards program the chance to give back by helping small entrepreneurs around the world grow their businesses and lift their families out of poverty. Working with Kiva, a non-profit organization that provides micro-loans to local business people, agents who redeem 25 of their Famous Agents points for a Kiva gift card from Nov. 12 to Jan. 6, 2013 will have their contribution matched by the Famous Agents program, increasing their Kiva gift card value to US$50. After...
Winter Escapes special at Aston Kaanapali Shores
For a limited time, the Aston Kaanapali Shores on Maui is offering Aston's Winter Escapes, with nightly rates from $209, based on a one-night stay for a standard hotel room. Bookings can be made through March 31, for stays Jan. 3 to March 31, 2013. The offer includes free in-room high-speed Internet access and WIFI service in public areas; free tennis and a free toy for kids at check-in. The family-friendly resort has home-away-from-home amenities like more living space and separate bedrooms for extra privacy. Suites have full kitchens and all the cookware needed to make breakfast, lunch or...
New Paradisus resort set to open
Meliá Hotels International has transformed the Gran Meliá Cancun property into a luxury all-inclusive Paradisus resort that's scheduled to open its doors Dec. 1. The new Paradisus Cancun is 15 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes from downtown Cancun. The resort will include adults-only Royal Service program, Family Concierge program and Kid's Club, four pools with swim-up bars, six restaurants and five bars, a YHI Spa and Health Club, meeting and convention space and a nine-hole golf course. The multi-pyramid architecture of Gran Meliá Cancun will remain, while a series of...
Sandals buys LaSource
Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has finalized its purchase of LaSource in Grenada. SRI's acquisition of the property was a hot topic at the luxury-included resort operator's recent "More Quality Inclusions" event in Toronto. The deal closed following the successful completion of the ongoing discussions that SRI had been having with the Grenada government. LaSource was purchased by SRI for an "undisclosed sum." Sandals Resorts chairman, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart commented: "After looking to expand here for more than a decade, we are delighted to confirm the acquisition of our first ever...