Jetsettersblog

Wimco’s new villas in Punta Mita are located in a recently developed gated community.

These homes feature three to six bedrooms, and are staffed by a local team of maids, cooks and other staff. Families can relax on several white sand beaches taking advantage of an array of water sports.

The more intrepid can book whale watching or rainforest canopy tours, jungle ATV or jeep safaris, golf and tennis, and excursions to explore the handcrafts of local Hurichol Indian villages.

Guests will also enjoy sport fishing, sea kayaking and surfing. The picturesque harbor city of Puerto Vallarta is only 45 minutes east, and there are numerous fishing villages and beaches nearby for those who want to explore the area.

The villas, ensconced in a coastal enclave, share an expansive, private peninsula with the Four Seasons and St. Regis hotels and two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses. Spa services are available through the hotels and guests can also take advantage of Wimco’s full concierge program to arrange in-villa spa treatments, private chefs and yoga sessions.

Wimco announces the following introductory offer for bookings made by Sept. 1, 2009 (exclusive of holiday period):

Guests booking seven nights get two nights free, and those booking five nights get one night free.

Additionally, select villas are offering a seven-night minimum over the holidays.

For more information, call 866-683-6135 or visit www.wimco.com

Sunset Resorts, the trio of all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, is partnering with www.JamaicaForaDay.com to offer cruise passengers resort day passes to Sunset Beach Resort & Spa in Montego Bay and Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios.

Day pass guests will enjoy white sand beaches, sparkling pools, waterslides, dining and other activities, games and non-motorized water sports.

Day passes can be purchased with or without ground transfers starting at $60 for an adult pass and $40 for a child pass.

Groups of 16 or more receive a 5 percent discount. Travel agents are encouraged to register at www.JamaicaForaDay.com to start earning commission.

The recently renovated Sunset Beach Resort & Spa in Montego Bay includes new lobby furnishings and décor, larger venues and a host of new all-inclusive dining options at the resort’s five restaurants and six bars, new swim-up bar and spacious deck overlooking the sea, completely new Caribbean Fusion and Italian restaurants.

The Pirate’s Paradise Water Park features rides and slides for all ages. Blackbeard’s Lazy River takes guests on a slow trip around the park.

The resort features five pools with waterfalls, plunge pools, a meandering river, hot tubs, swim-up bars and a swaying rope bridge.

The new Lighthouse Waterslide is architecturally designed like a traditional lighthouse, and features two separate, water slides 330 and 340 feet in length.

For more information, visit www.JamaicaForaDay.com  or www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com

The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe is slated to open Dec. 9, 2009, in time for the upcoming ski season in Northstar-at-Tahoe.

The property is the first newbuild resort development in the Lake Tahoe area in decades. Guest services will include a mountain concierge with ski-in, ski-out access in winter, as well as easy access to mountain biking and hiking in the spring, summer and fall. An inter-mountain gondola will connect guests between the nearby Village-at-Northstar and the Ritz-Carlton Highlands.

Perched slopeside within a 15-minute drive of Lake Tahoe and the historic town of Truckee, the year-round resort includes 170 guestrooms, 23 private Ritz-Carlton Residences and 25 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club fractional ownership residences.

Manzanita, the resort’s restaurant, created by renowned San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins will also open on Dec. 9.

The menu at Manzanita will feature Des Jardins’ French-inspired California cuisine with a regional mountain resort influence, sourcing organic, sustainable and locally grown meat and produce when possible.

The hotel’s spa, measuring 17,000 square feet, will include a fitness center and will offer treatments and therapies themed around water and the woods.

Separate relaxation areas for men and women feature the rain experience, steam, sauna and Jacuzzis. Yoga and spin studios have floor-to-ceiling windows.

Opening in early December 2009, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is located at the entrance of urban resort destination, CityCenter. The 47-story, non-gaming hotel will be the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s first in Las Vegas.

Designed by the architectural firm Kohn Pederson Fox, with contemporary interior design by Adam D. Tihany, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas offers 392 rooms and suites and 227 residences.

The hotel’s “Sky Lobby” is located on the 23rd Floor, providing views over the Las Vegas skyline.

Every guestroom will have technological enhancements, including keyless door locks and automated control panels that allow guests to manage the lighting, room temperature and entertainment systems at the touch of a button. Three presidential suites are featured on the hotel’s top floors, each measuring over 3,200 square feet.

Dining and cocktail venues will be offered at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, including a signature restaurant and an all-day dining establishment, MOzen Bistro, which will feature authentic Asian dishes and multi-national fare.

Located on the 23rd floor, The Mandarin Bar will offer a boutique atmosphere with views setting the backdrop for a night on the town. The Tea Lounge will be positioned adjacent to the Sky Lobby to provide guests a scenic meeting place for a refreshing beverage. For those on the go, Amore Patisserie, located directly on Las Vegas Boulevard, will serve a variety of gourmet foods, pastries, coffees and teas.

The two-level, 27,000-square-foot Spa will be a prominent feature of the hotel, with 17 treatment rooms, multiple relaxation and water experiences, an expansive Fitness Center and dedicated yoga studio. Guests of the hotel and residence owners will also enjoy a pool facility with 20 cabanas and a Pool Café, serving seasonal, light fare.

With more than 12,000 square feet of function space, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas can accommodate gatherings of as many as 600 guests.

Situated on the hotel’s third level and flooded in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows, the 7,650-square-foot Oriental Ballroom and the hotel’s three smaller function rooms are all equipped with state-of-the-art technology systems, and pre-function areas.

Cunard achieved record bookings when its 2011 World Voyage program for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth went on sale July 1. Sales were up by more than 150 percent compared with the first day on sale of the 2010 World Voyage program last year. Queen Elizabeth, whose keel was laid in Trieste on July 2, will make its maiden World Voyage in 2011.

Cunard’s two ships will visit 57 destinations in 34 countries. Queen Mary 2 will again sail the east-west passage from New York to Southampton via the Caribbean, South America, South Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Southern Europe before completing the 103-day circumnavigation. Prices for a full World Voyage start at $19,995 per person.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest — an event which also marks the launch of the brand’s first prototype hotel and the company’s 450th hotel in the United States. The six-story hotel showcases the Four Points by Sheraton brand’s rejuvenated, contemporary look, complemented by classic and comfortable interior design elements refreshed for today’s self-sufficient traveler.

Owned by Galo Properties and managed by DePalma Hotels, Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest offers 130 guest rooms with extras such as free high-speed Internet and bottled water, and an engaging, social atmosphere.

Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest is the first of three prototype hotels to open in North America this year as part of the brand’s comprehensive, global rejuvenation campaign. In the past five years, Starwood and its partners have invested more than $1 billion to reinvent Four Points by Sheraton resulting in a 70 percent turnover of the portfolio driven by major property renovations, conversions and new-build hotels.

Highlights of the first Four Points by Sheraton prototype hotel include bright design, clean architectural lines and contemporary furnishings. Facilities include a fitness center, heated outdoor swimming pool, 1,400 square feet of flexible meeting space, and premium food and beverage facilities, including a full breakfast and Seattle’s Best Coffee.

At the end of the day, the hotel’s family room is the perfect spot to stay connected at Internet terminals and wind down with a local craft brew, courtesy of the popular Four Points by Sheraton Best Brews program.

The hotel’s guest rooms feature a work area, 32-inch flat-screen television, free bottled water and complimentary high-speed Internet. Guests will also get a good night’s sleep in the signature Four Points by Sheraton Four Comfort Bed.

Located across from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest will anchor Promenade Place, a 12-acre, urban lifestyle center with offices, shops, coffee bars and restaurants. The hotel is less than five minutes from championship golf and the Shops at La Cantera, a recently opened, upscale shopping and dining destination.

Ocean Spa and Fitness, the recently opened, eco-conscious spa at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, has introduced four Spa Teaser breaks for meetings.

Each treatment is designed to utilize the healing benefits of massage to improve alertness and creative thinking and ultimately keep minds focused on the meeting. Spa Teasers include: Focus, a 20-minute yoga break featuring breathing techniques and simple exercises to increase energy and alertness (for groups of any size at $150 per group);

Refresh, a 30-minute break featuring two chair massage stations (for small groups at $200 per group);

Recharge, a 30-minute break featuring two chair massage stations and two hand massage stations (for groups of 20 or less at $400 per group);

and Stress Buster, a 30-minute break featuring three chair massage stations and two hand massage stations (for groups of 25 or less at $500 per group).

In addition, Ocean Spa offers a variety of 25-minute services for on-the-go attendees. Customized spa and salon experiences are also available.

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel - Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel > LAX > 1700 Ocean Ave > Santa Monica > CA > 90401>4>From Los Angeles International Airport: Approximate distance to the hotel is 6.3 miles. Take Sepulveda Boulevard north. Turn left on Lincoln Boulevard. Turn left on Pico Boulevard. Turn right on Ocean Avenue. The hotel is

As part of the continuing Signature of Excellence enhancement program, Holland America Line will add 22 staterooms to Prinsendam in early 2010.

The dry-dock will occur in Freeport, Bahamas, Jan. 4 to 13. “Prinsendam continues to be a ship with one of our most loyal followings,” said Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president-marketing, sales and guest programs. “The new staterooms will mostly be verandah cabins.

“This will also allow us to create some other very special additions.” With the addition of staterooms aft, the pool deck will expand with more space and more deck chairs, and a new sea-view bar will be created.
Sixteen of the new staterooms will be deluxe verandahs and two will be slightly smaller verandahs. Four will be standard inside staterooms.

“Appointments will feature elegant bathrooms and recently redesigned closet space. Amenities feature Mariner Dream Beds, 250-count linens, Elemis spa bathroom amenities, large vanity mirror, stainless-steel fruit basket, flat-panel television and DVD player, quality shower head, and more. Guest capacity of the Elegant Explorer will increase from 793 to 837.

New staterooms will be fully finished while under way and ready to book for the 54-day “Quest of the Argonauts” voyage, sailing March 24 roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale to the Mediterranean and Black seas.

The ship will call at ports in more than 10 countries, including Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Russia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey. The cruise includes overnight stays in Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Istanbul, Turkey; Prinsendam will visit Bermuda and New York City before returning to Fort Lauderdale. Other standard maintenance and technical service will take place along with upgrading laundry and galley equipment.

Capella Pedregal makes its debut on the Cabo San Lucas beachfront.

It is a joint venture of developer ResortVentures International, LLC, an Atlanta-based resort development firm led by Richard Holland, and Grupo Riveras, a Cabo real estate company led by Juan Diaz Rivera.

The management contract was awarded to West Paces Hotel Group, the hotel and resort management and parent company of Capella Hotels and Resorts, founded by former Ritz-Carlton President and COO Horst Schulze. Capella Pedregal occupies 24 beachfront acres at the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

The development encompasses Capella Resort and Spa (which features a 66-room boutique hotel of unprecedented luxury and a signature Auriga spa), 31 shared- and full-ownership Capella Residences, 19 shared- and full-ownership Capella Casonas, and one impressive, six-bedroom Capella Estate Villa.

Capella Pedregal is 35 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport, which is serviced by direct flights from numerous major cities in North America.

To book a stay, or for more information, call 877-247-6688 or visit www.capellapedregal.com

NYC & Company, New York City’s marketing, tourism and partnership organization, is kicking off the second summer season of its “Go Local” campaign.

In response to the current recessionary times, the eight-week initiative encourages New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs to rediscover their hometown and take advantage of all of the low-cost seasonal activities and events taking place throughout the city this summer.

Designed to encourage New York City residents to explore their own backyard, the program is also geared towards supporting local businesses and providing a vital boost to the city’s economy.

According to NYC & Company estimates, for every 1,000 New Yorkers — including children — who “go local”, the city could see an additional $1.4 million in spending.

Throughout the rest of the summer months, NYC & Company will provide weekly highlights, tips and suggestions via Twitter feeds and on the city’s official tourism website,

www.nycgo.com