Jetsettersblog

Spend a day discovering the magical reefs off Mackay with Odyssey H2O Snorkel and Dive.

Departing Mackay Marina daily (weather permitting), Odyssey H2O’s new full day tours offer the choice of snorkelling or diving the fringing reefs of the Whitsundays and turquoise waters of the Coral Sea.

 Introductory and certified dives are available. Tours are operated by qualified and experienced dive instructors, and all equipment, morning and afternoon tea, plus buffet lunch is included. Odyssey H2O departs 8.30am, returning to the marina by 4.30pm. Call 1300 722 979 or visit www.odysseyh20.com

Residencia Historica, a boutique, hacienda-style hotel with 22 rooms offering tours to nearby vineyards, beaches and other adventures, has opened in Chile’s Colchagua Valley after a major, four-year historic renovation project. European owners Silvio Castelli and Vivien Jones, who is the Chilean honorary consul in Turin, Italy, spent four years renovating the abandoned hacienda, preserving its Chilean style while adding a European flair.

Since opening its doors, Residencia Historica has been rated in the top 10 boutique hotels in Chile by the country’s largest national newspaper, El Mercurio.

Two hours from the Santiago airport and 45 minutes from the Pacific coast, Residencia Historica is located in the Colchagua Valley, Chile’s most well-known wine valley and home of the Chilean cowboy huaso culture.

The hotel can arrange transfers from the Santiago International Airport or visitors can rent a car and explore the Chilean countryside on their way to the hotel.

The Colchagua Valley is also home to Wine Spectator Magazine’s No. 1 wine of 2008 — the Clos Apalta of the Casa Lapostolle winery, just 20 miles from the hotel. The Clos Apalta, a Bordeaux style blend relying mostly on Chile’s emblematic Carmenere grape, ranked first among their ratings of the world’s top 100 wines.

The hotel offers programs that include visits to Clos Apalta. The valley was also rated the world’s top wine valley in 2005 by Wine Advocate. In addition to being in Chile’s famed wine country, the hotel is in an ideal location to explore the Pacific coast of Chile, just 45 minutes away. Largely undeveloped, the rocky coastline is dotted with small towns with secluded beaches where the locals serve up in heaping doses their delicious seafood and local hospitality.

For the more adventuresome, Pichilemu is a world renowned surfing destination.

The hotel has partnered with Santiago Adventures — Chile’s top wine travel company — to develop special programs such as wine tastings and visits to the vineyards in the area, adventure tours such as trekking and biking, discovering the Chilean Huaso with rodeos and horseback riding, trips to Pichilemu Beach and other local towns; watching the stars in the southern hemisphere and visits to museums of Colchagua and El Huique. Santiago Adventures is owned and operated by Brian Pearson and his wife, Sira Berte, U.S. citizens who currently live in Santiago, Chile.

For guests more inclined to relax, the hotel has an outdoor pool, spa services such as massages and facial treatments and is surrounded by beautiful and peaceful gardens.

The inn also offers wireless Internet and its gourmet restaurant, La Buca de Bacco, serves three meals a day, featuring Italian cuisine using local ingredients. Chile’s tourist season runs from October — their spring — to April — their fall and the time of the grape harvest, however, the Mediterranean climate of Chile’s central region makes any time of year is good for visiting the Colchagua Valley.

Rates range from $185 per night for a double, and include breakfast.

The spacious rooms feature king size beds with luxurious bathrooms.

Residencia Histórica de Marchihue also offers meeting rooms and outside patios for executive retreats, weddings, cocktail receptions, birthday parties, family reunions and of course, the traditional Chilean barbeque.

To learn more about tours, visit Santiago Adventures online at www.santiagoadventures.com

For additional information or reservations, call 802-904-6798 or visit www.residenciahistorica.com

The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that the Park Inn Murmansk has joined the company’s portfolio on Dec. 31, 2008.

“This marks a new milestone for Rezidor in Russia and CIS, where we now have close to 10,000 rooms in operation and under development,” said Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of Rezidor. The 266-room Park Inn Poliarne Zori Murmansk is located in the center of Murmansk, the largest city on the Kola Peninsula in the northernmost part of Russia, close to the borders of Finland and Norway. The hotel was built in 1973 and has recently been renovated.

Besides 266 rooms it offers a restaurant, two bars and a fully-equipped gym and sauna.

The property also hosts a 250-seat nightclub. From the hotel guests have easy access to attractions like the Regional History Museum, the Alyosha Statue and the cathedral.

The commercial areas of Murmansk are also nearby.

Special Hotels of the World member Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa near Dublin, Ireland, has announced that it will extend the range of services on offer in its Seoid Spa.

In addition to the full menu of spa, massage and hydrotherapy treatments, visitors to the luxurious Seoid Spa will be able to benefit from teeth-whitening services, colonic hydrotherapy and personal fitness assessments. Seoid, meaning “jewel” or “gem” in Gaelic, is one of Ireland’s best spa facilities.

Designed with modern demands in mind, the spa pays particular attention to each material of the interior with classic stones, crystals and woods combined with lavish fabrics and serene colors in a low-lit atmosphere.

During January, Special Hotels of the World are giving away a luxury spa break for two at Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa. One lucky winner will enjoy a four-night stay fully inclusive of luxurious accommodation, breakfast and lunch daily, access to the Seoid Spa and four sumptuous spa treatments per person. The closing date is Jan. 31, 2009.

For more information, visit www.ghotw.com/prizedraw or www.ghorg.com

Destination-specific content is now available via Continental’s online and printed boarding passes for all 134 domestic destinations.

The content, provided by Sojern’s proprietary technology allows Continental passengers checking in at www.continental.com to receive a wide range of benefits — weather reports, restaurant options, activities, special discounts and other destination-specific information — on both their online and printed boarding passes. Sojern’s boarding pass offers relevant information for passengers at no additional cost, provides a valuable opportunity for the advertising industry to reach the coveted traveler demographic.

Launched in July 2008, Sojern brings together the leading airlines with local and national advertisers to provide customized, destination-specific information on the online and printed boarding passes, leveraging the popularity of online check-in and print-at-home functionality.

For more information, visit www.sojern.com

or www.continental.com

Couples can enjoy the winter months in the Dominican Republic at the brand new Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro in Punta Cana, on the beaches of Bavaro. The hotel is the newest addition to the Iberostar Bavaro Golf & Spa Resort, which includes the Iberostar Bavaro Hotel, Iberostar Punta Cana and Iberostar Dominicana.

Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro is the newest addition to Iberostar’s luxury adults-only line, the Grand Collection. “Iberostar was ahead of schedule completing construction this year in the Caribbean with the October opening of Rose Hall Suites in Jamaica” said John Long, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts. “We are looking forward to an exciting new year with the opening of Grand Hotel Rose Hall in January.”

Located just 35 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport, Grand Hotel Bavaro features 260 suites, 13 oceanfront grand suites and one presidential suite.

All suites feature an intimate whirlpool overlooking the balcony for a view of the ocean or gardens. The resort also boasts a two-story ocean front spa, offering couples-oriented treatments in a relaxed atmosphere decorated with mosaics made by local Dominican artists. Guests may enjoy unlimited fine dining at the buffet restaurant and four á la carte restaurants: Japanese Teppanyaki, Classic American Steakhouse, International Gourmet and Italian Cuisine.

Additionally, guests enjoy dine around privileges throughout the entire Iberostar Bavaro Golf & Spa Resort (reservations required). The resort features one lake pool with swim-up bar and one activity pool.

The Padi Dive Center located at the complex offers catamarans, kayaks, windsurfing, snorkeling and diving lessons in the pool.

Guest can also enjoy a variety of outdoor activities and a schedule of nightly entertainment hosted by the Star Friends team. Guests also have access to the Iberostar Bavaro Golf Club, which features an 18-hole, par 72 championship golf-course designed by renowned golf architect PB Dye. Dye has designed courses at the new Iberostar Bahía (Brazil), Iberostar Playa Paraíso (Mexico) and the Iberostar resort in Marrakesh.

For more information, call 888-923-2722 or visit www.iberostar.com

Downtown Hershey becomes a little sweeter with the opening of its newest attraction,

The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue. On Jan. 9, the new museum, which celebrates the life and legacy of chocolate magnate and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey, will welcome its first visitors.

The Museum Experience places visitors inside the imagination of Milton Hershey.

Visitors of all ages can create their own exhibit experience with three audio listening stations, advanced mini-theaters and 11 interactive touch screens. Hear never-before-shared stories of Milton Hershey’s innovation and determination.

Discover how he revolutionized the production of milk chocolate. Visitors can explore Hershey like never before and discover intricate details with a hands-on digital map and a theater-in-the-round.

The Hershey Story features a Chocolate Lab. Inspired by Milton Hershey’s own candy-making apprenticeship and his flair for experimentation, the lab explores the unique qualities of chocolate through playful, hands-on experiences.

Participatory classes include grinding cocoa beans by hand, tempering, molding and dipping. School children can use chocolate’s raw ingredients and various tools to learn about geography, history, economics and science. Visitors can explore unique merchandise at the Museum Shop, as well as enjoy light fare at Cafe Zooka, which is named for an early Milton Hershey chocolate novelty.

While in the cafe, guests can experience warm drinking chocolate from around the world in the Countries of Origin Chocolate Tasting area. The building’s first floor will pay tribute to Milton Hershey’s character, values and vision through an awe-inspiring, two-story painting to be completed in spring 2009.

The $23.5 million museum is located on Chocolate Avenue, adjacent to the Hershey Press Building, making it a centerpiece of a revitalized downtown Hershey. It is the first landmark building to be built on Chocolate Avenue in the last 75 years.

The Hershey Story was built thanks to the generosity of numerous individual and corporate donors, including the Hershey entities, along with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit www.hersheystory.org

Group tickets sales for Disney’s first-ever Las Vegas theatrical production of “The Lion King” have begun at Mandalay Bay.

Currently in its 12th smash year on Broadway and seen by more than 45 million people in 11 countries, “The Lion King” will begin preview performances in Las Vegas on April 20 and open on May 2, 2009.

Housed inside the Mandalay Bay Theatre, the production will be staged with all of the spectacular music, sets and costumes that have established it as a worldwide phenomenon.

The performance schedule is as follows for April 22 to May 7, 2009: Monday-Sunday at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 25 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m.; dark April 29 and Friday, May 8.

Beginning May 9, performances will be Monday-Thursday at 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; dark on Fridays.

Reservations for groups of 15 or more are available by contacting Suzi Schnell at 877-632-7505 or emailing LionKingSales@mandalaybay.com

Tickets can be purchased for $53, $86 and $113.50. VIP packages, which include premium seating, a complimentary souvenir program, and a complimentary VIP show merchandise item, are available for $168.50.

Tax and service fees are inclusive.

For more information and reservations at Mandalay Bay, call 877-632-7000 or visit www.mandalaybay.com

Mexico-based sales and marketing company Mexico Alive, in conjunction with Condo Hotel GBP and hotel operator Grand Bahia Principe, plans to develop the Sian Ka’an Golf Resort & Spa in the Mayan Riviera.

The new luxury development will follow the condo-hotel model that has been gaining in popularity in Mexico tourism regions and will soon be selling with pre-construction pricing.

 Sian Ka’an Golf Resort & Spa will feature 25 three-level buildings, each housing 12 units.

The low profile of buildings and design of the development have been created to blend with the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

The highlight of the Sian Ka’an project will be a stunning Robert Trent Jones II 27-hole championship golf course as well as a 9-hole par 3 course.

 Other amenities of the development include an on-site commercial center, medical center and dining options.

Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to a private beach club, spa, tennis courts and gym.

For more information, visit www.MexicoAlive.com

Fairmont Battery Wharf, a newly opened hotel located on Boston’s waterfront, makes its debut with an introductory offer.

The Only One Way Winter Package offers two nights at Boston’s premier harbor side destination and get the second night free. Rates for this package start at $299 per night through April 15, 2009.

For more information, call 800-441-1414

or visit www.fairmont.com/batterywharf