Resorts
RIU Acquires a Second Hotel in Zanzibar
RIU Hotels & Resorts has acquired its second hotel in Tanzania. The new property will be marketed as part of the sophisticated Riu Palace brand, as Riu Palace Zanzibar already is. The new hotel is located in the Nungwi Beach area and sits on a white-sand beach with crystalline waters at the far north of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago, a little over an hour by car from the airport and the capital city. Its 149 rooms are five-star rated. Amenities include 24-hour all-inclusive service, free WiFi and a restaurant over the sea where guests can enjoy local...
Four Points by Sheraton Opens In Windsor
Marriott International, Inc. has opened the Four Points by Sheraton Windsor Downtown in Windsor, Ont. The Four Points by Sheraton Windsor Downtown, previously under the names Sunbridge Hotel and Holiday Inn, offers 147 guest rooms, over 1,900 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, a 24-hour fitness centre, indoor pool and sun deck, guest laundry, lobby pantry, business centre and fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Guests will enjoy full-service dining at the lobby level Fionn MacCool's restaurant pub and the brand's iconic Best Brews and BBQ program, which serves guests curated...
Canadian Agents Flock To Melia Events
Eight Melia sales executives from the sunny south recently visited Canada to meet with agents and help them learn of the many advantages of selling Melia properties. In all, some 275 agents attended events in Oakville and Thornhill, Ont, and in Laval, PQ, and Quebec City between June 17 and 21, marking the sixth year that Melia has hosted such shows. “The agents clearly appreciate that we make the effort to bring such a big team to meet with them,” observed Nathalie Carpentier, director of sales for Melia Hotels International in Eastern Canada, who initiated these annual events...
Bahamas Bound
With a record increase in Canadian arrivals, a revitalized room inventory and an uptick in air capacity, travel to Nassau and Paradise Island is booming, reports assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this month's issue of Travel Courier Digital (www.travelcourier.ca). Fred Lounsberry, Chief Executive Officer for the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, notes that Canadian visits to the destination sky-rocketed by 88% over 2017. "The Bahamas is a hot place to visit," he says. "We have added a bit over 1,000 average seats a day since 2016 and most importantly to our airline...
Discovering The Solares De Portugal
It's not often that a Count comes to invite you to stay at his home … or for that matter, the home of many of his friends, but that's essentially what Count Francisco de Calheiros e Menezes, president of Solares de Portugal did last night (June 25) at an intimate gathering of top agents and operators at the Consul General of Portugal's offices in Toronto. Admitting to his audience that while this time around he was only making a short visit, his first visit to Canada was more than enough to convince to return and explore all of this country's wonders. And Count de Calheiros also...
Club Med Picks Lacoste For Charlevoix
Following the official laying of the first stone of Club Med`s first four-season resort in Canada last week, it has announced the appointment of General Manager (presented as Chief of Village): Francis Lacoste. Lacoste will manage the new resort in the Charlevoix region, which will open its doors on Dec. 5, 2020. He has been a member of the Club Med family for over 10 years and quickly became one of the company's most-valued Chiefs of Village. With the desire to gain international experience, this ski buff started his Club Med journey as a Gracious Organiser (G.O.) at Club Med...
School’s Out With Sunwing
School's out this week and Sunwing is helping families celebrate the end of the school year with its School's Out for Summer Sale. From now until June 28, 2019, when one parent books, the other parent travels for half the price with select vacation packages to resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Families can ditch their staycation plans and book the ultimate summer vacation at an all inclusive resort instead, with amenities and activities that vacationers of all ages will love. Parents can focus on enjoying their time together as a family instead of worrying...
Above & Beyond
Where were you when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship? Well, for close to 400 of the Canadian travel industry's finest, the answer to that question is they were at the second annual Agents' Choice Awards Gala at the Arcadian Court in Toronto. It was a night of celebration and anticipation as Baxter Media unveiled the results of the 20th Anniversary edition of the Agents' Choice Awards Readership Survey, and – with all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's Oscars – presented awards to the 2019 favourite suppliers as selected by the 6,512 travel agents from across Canada...