Jetsettersblog

Prestige Holidays Launches Winter Programme With New Hotels In Tenerife, Morocco And Madeira

Luxury independent tour operator, Prestige Holidays (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk 01425 480400) has launched its winter brochure featuring new hotels in Tenerife, Morocco and Madeira. Winter prices lead in at just £399 per person for seven nights at Hacienda Sao Jorge in La Palma on room only.

The package is based on a December departure and comprises: Thomson direct flights from London Gatwick, seven nights in a one bedroom apartment, (based on 2 people sharing), private taxi transfers on island and the services of Prestige’s local representative. The price also includes an early booking offer, saving £31 per person if booked by 31 October 2009.

New in Tenerife is the Gran Melia Resort Palacio De Isora, a large hotel on the edge of the sea in Alcala offering a wide selection of accommodation including an adults only section. The property offers a choice of dining options, swimming pools, tennis court, a health and fitness centre and spa. A week’s stay leads in at £989 per person including: return flights from Gatwick, private taxi transfers, the services of Prestige’s local representative and BB accommodation.

The Quinta Da Casa Branca is the latest addition to Prestige’s extensive Madeira programme. Located in lush mature gardens away from the busier parts of Funchal, this stylish property features bold modern architecture. It offers just 29 rooms, a heated pool, gym, Hammam and beauty centre. A week’s stay leads in at just £692 per person including return flights from Gatwick, private taxi transfers and BB accommodation.

In Morocco Prestige has added the Kasbah Tamadot, a stunning rural hotel near Asni in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains – just an hour’s drive from Marrakech.

A three night stay leads in at just £639 per person for winter.

The operator is also featuring the Murano Resort just outside of Marrakech in the Palmeraie, a very stylish property offering just junior suite and suite accommodation.

Prices here start from £509 for a three night break.

Prestige is also delighted to be selling La Mamounia, following its reopening.

Prestige Holidays’ winter brochure also features tailored holidays in Lanzarote, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Mallorca and Southern Spain and the operator’s Prestige Plus programme.

This programme offers a range of extras for clients including: free travel guides and added value offers at a wide selection of the properties such as free nights, complimentary meals, free green fees, free car hire, complimentary spa packages, room upgrades or no single supplements for certain periods.

The Isle of Mull is Scotland’s wildlife haven. With wide sandy beaches for whatever the weather, it is also home to golden eagles, otters, white tailed eagles and fascinating rocks, fossils and geology.

Home to many luxury food producers such as Isle of Mull Weavers and Sgriob-ruadh Isle of Mull cheddar as well as the famous Isle of Mull Bakery in Tobermory, there is something for everyone.

There are many different outdoor activities on offer from sailing and sea kayaking to wildlife tours and whale watching. Luxury accommodation includes a perfect hideaway at Tiroran House, a new spa and the island’s only swimming pool at the Isle of Mull Hotel, and the Mishnish, a great little pub with live music on the multicoloured seafront in Tobermory. Mull is the perfect escape for families seeking a remote ‘staycation’ or for couples looking to get away from it all and walk for miles, never meeting anyone.

Mull also offers visitors the chance to taste some of Scotland’s best produce: the Argyll Hotel on neighbouring Iona grows its own organic produce in an ancient and historic garden; the newly opened Ninth Wave restaurant in Fionnphort serves seafood fresh from the catch; and more fresh seafood can be found at the bustling Café Fish in Tobermory. Add to that numerous tea rooms and pubs dotted around the island which make Mull a food trail all of its own.

Which ITV presenter likes to sleep under the stars at Jack’s Camp in Botswana? The new and improved version of www.nowfly.co.uk finds out.

1. ‘This has to be the best airport service ever. The plane literally pulls up next to your accommodation. It’s a long way from the norm.’ (Olympic Gold Medallist James Cracknell).

2. ‘Arrive by seaplane (which is very exciting) and be prepared for the bear briefing before you set out. Take those snacks out of your backpack or pockets or you may have an encounter that you weren’t planning on.’ (Helen, Berkshire – nowfly user).

3. ‘I found this place by accident after my family and I got food poisoning whilst staying in a rented cottage (I cooked, so my fault).’ (ITV’s Craig Doyle).

4. ‘Deep snow, warming vodka and crossing the border is something straight out of a Bond film.’ (Marcus Waring, travel journalist and nowfly.co.uk editor).

5. ‘If I so much as thought about being thirsty they brought a drink, if my sunglasses suddenly looked a bit dirty they were being cleaned….it was like the ultimate in telepathy.’ (BBC presenter Gabby Logan).

July 2009 – today nowfly.co.uk unveils the latest version of its successful travel search engine. It’s now even easier to use, with a new look and feel, but still generates fantastically quick results. nowfly.co.uk successfully launched at the end of 2008 and was rated by Times Online as one of the top ten travel websites for 2009.

Since then the site has significantly evolved, improving both the design and performance. It has joined forces with travel journalist Marcus Waring (Evening Standard, the Independent, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, www.thehotelguru.com) to launch ‘zip it’, nowfly’s travel column. This includes unique and snappy travel tips and news by Marcus and nowfly users thanks to a new blog and Twitter. nowfly.co.uk has also picked up several great tips from well-known faces. So if you want to hear where Scott Maslen, Gabby Logan, Craig Doyle and James Cracknell like to relax, look no further. They also have some great travel advice to boot.

Using cutting-edge technology, nowfly.co.uk searches over 340 airline websites, including those of 90 low-cost carriers as well as scheduled and charter airlines, to find the very lowest fares available at any moment. But www.nowfly.co.uk  is not just about flights. The new site, the first to use the power of TravelFUSION travel search technology to its full potential, is also the place to find hotels, hire cars and other travel extras so that users can build their own bespoke holiday.

About www.nowfly.co.uk

nowfly.co.uk was established in January 2008. The site uses search engine technology to find as many prices as possible for flight, hotel or car rental queries. The site searches hundreds of leading, reliable and reputable airline, hotel and travel websites and aims to present this information as quickly as possible and in an easy and logical way.

Lufthansa is offering more amenities to passengers with Senator status at Munich Airport with a further Senator Lounge with around 700 square meters of floor space is open in Terminal 2.

It enhance the Senator Cafe and Senator Lounge in the EU Departures area. Lufthansa will experience the new and exclusive lounge design on its debut in Munich.

Warm earthy tones combined with puristic elements dominate the interior design. At center stage is the bar with a wide choice of freshly brewed coffee, liqueurs and non-alcoholic drinks.

The new Senator Lounge offers an array of amenities for passengers to continue working or simply unwind and relax.

In the comfort zone, deep leather chairs are an inviting prospect to take it easy.

For the more industrious, the new lounge includes 10 workstations, some with an integrated computer.

Passengers seated anywhere in the lounge can comfortably surf the net with their laptop or access their email accounts.

In the bistro area, passengers can choose from a variety of hot and cold meals or drinks. Lufthansa offers passengers a total of seven lounges with around 4,500 square meters in Terminal 2.

The new Senator lounge is sited opposite Gate area B.

Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel introduced a “Beach. Board. Bliss.” package that includes lessons for two at the Hans Hedemann Surf School.

Also included in the package are deluxe oceanfront accommodations, the choice of a private, two-hour stand-up paddle board or surf lesson, a $50 dining certificate at Tiki’s Grill & Bar, and breakfast on the beach daily.

Aston provides each guest with a free Aloha Book, which contains offers worth up to $2,000 in savings on dining, shopping and activities.

The book also serves as a guide to some of the culture, history, cuisine and attractions on the island.

Room rate is $199 per night with a minimum four-night stay required. Package rates are valid for travel through Dec. 21 and may not be combined with other programs, specials or discounts.

Prices do not include tax and are subject to change without notice.

Black-out dates and some restrictions may apply.

For more information, call 866-774-2924

or visit www.AstonHotels.com

Aston Kona by the Sea has added a new oceanfront meeting and event space for gatherings of up to 52 guests.
Named The Beach Club, the site can accommodate a corporate retreat or a setting for a twilight wedding ceremony and reception.

The venue offers two rooms — one is 624 square feet and the other is 403 square feet.

The large room can be configured to seat 28 people classroom style and up to 52 people in a theater setup.

The small room can seat 13 people conference style to 32 people in a theater setup.

The rooms also include a food-service area as well as Internet, phone and video connectivity. The Beach Club’s glass walls provide an unobstructed view of the volcanic coastline and the Pacific Ocean and opens out onto the manicured lawn, extending the amount of available gathering space.

Aston Kona by the Sea is an oceanfront condominium resort with amenities such as outdoor barbecues, a swimming pool and an in-room washer and dryer.

Located just south of Kailua-Kona town, the resort is near attractions, restaurants and unique shops.

For more information, call 866-774-2924

or visit www.AstonHotels.com

Disney Cruise Line in 2010 is offering a wide selection of add-on options to complement their cruise, including resort stays and theme park tickets that can all be booked under one reservation.

For all cruise itineraries originating from Port Canaveral, including seven-night cruises on the Disney Magic, guests can purchase pre- or post-cruise stays at 18 Walt Disney World Resort hotels, for any length of stay. They also can add on a one- to five-day “Magic Your Way Ticket” with “Park Hopper Option,” with a one-night minimum Walt Disney World resort stay. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel prior to their cruise can check in for their cruise at select hotels, with a two-night minimum resort stay.

Cox & Kings launches expanded programme in the Middle East for 2010, including Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates.

The world’s longest established travel company, Cox & Kings, has launched its new Middle East brochure for 2010, featuring a comprehensive programme of escorted group tours and private tailor-made travel to the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Gulf. New for 2010 are a group tour to Lebanon, travel in the United Arab Emirates, and tailor-made travel ideas for Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Central Asia, Oman, Morocco and the UAE.

Cox & Kings has announced record figures to the Middle East for the second year running, with a 35% increase in passengers to the region in the last twelve months; last year’s figure was already up 38% on the previous year. Most noticeably, tailor-made travel to the Middle East is becoming increasingly popular, and the new brochure has significantly increased its coverage of the flexibility provided by tailor-made travel. “Cox & Kings offers one of the most comprehensive programmes in the Middle East” explains Mark Stacey, Cox & Kings’ Middle East Product Manager. “We have the experience and the expertise to offer complete flexibility in the region and there’s actually very little we can’t arrange”.

Bookings to Syria in the last twelve months were up 53% on the previous year, with nearly a quarter of all passengers travelling on tailor-made tours. A new Tailor-Made Syria section (page 53) outlines the possibilities of tailor-made travel to the country.

The suggested nine-night Euphrates & The Desert itinerary begins in Aleppo with visits to nearby St Simeons and Serjilla, before travelling east towards the Euphrates to Deir ez-Zour and on to Palmyra before ending in Damascus. From £3,695 per person including flights, accommodation, and all transfers and excursions on a private basis.

Lebanon has re-entered the brochure for 2010 after being designated ‘off limits’ by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for almost three years. Lebanon: Land of the Phoenicians (page 54) is a new six-night group tour that takes in the country’s highlights, visiting the Phoenician ports of Byblos and Sidon, the bustling cosmopolitan capital of Beirut and the spectacular Roman remains of Baalbek. From £1,045 per person including flights with bmi, accommodation with breakfast and one additional meal, transfers and all excursions. The tour can also be taken on a private basis from £1,495 per person.

“We are very excited to be offering travel to the United Arab Emirates for 2010, for the first time” says Stacey. “There is so much to see beyond the glitzy hotels and casinos of Dubai, and our new private journey, Emirates Explorer, and tailor-made travel suggestions focus on the history and culture of the country. Visitors benefit from first-class hotels and facilities while also seeing some magnificent cultural sites.”

NEW: Emirates Explorer (Page 78): This eight-night private journey explores the historic and cultural sites of the United Arab Emirates that exist beyond the luxurious hotels and malls.

Starting in Abu Dhabi, the capital, with a visit to the Grand Mosque, the second largest mosque in the Middle East, the itinerary continues to the other Emirates by private chauffeur-driven car. Highlights include the Hafeet and Hajar mountains and the oasis of Al Ain. From £1,595 per person including flights with British Airways, accommodation with breakfast, transfers and all excursions.

NEW: Tailor-Made Central Asia (Page 76): Following increased passenger numbers throughout Central Asia in the last 12 months, Cox & Kings has introduced a selection of travel ideas for visitors to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkistan. Kazakhstan Explorer is a suggested six-night itinerary that begins in Almaty, with day trips to Big Almaty Lake and Charyn Canyon. The trip continues to Shymkent and visits Turkistan before returning to Almaty. From £1,725 per person including flights, accommodation and all transfers and excursions on a private basis.

NEW: Tailor-Made Oman (Pages 70-71): Amongst the new tailor-made content in the brochure is a double page spread on Oman, a country that lends itself well to independent exploration. A suggested itinerary, Muscat, Salalah and Musandam, travels from the mosques and souqs of the capital city to the isolated Musandam Peninsula, separated from the rest of the country by the UAE, and Salalah in the southern Dhofar province, where desert gives way to lush green landscapes and cooler temperatures. An eight-night tailor-made trip costs from £1,595 per person including flights, accommodation and all transfers and excursions on a private basis.

NEW: Dahabeyas on the Nile (Pages 22-23): Cox & Kings’ extensive travel programme in Egypt has been further expanded for 2010 to include Nile cruises aboard a traditional Dahabeya. With just six air-conditioned cabins and two suites, the Sonesta dahabeya offers an intimate cruise experience. Combine four nights in Cairo with a seven-night cruise that includes visits to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, the Temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu, the Aswan High Dam and the Temple of Philae. From £2,295 per person including flights with BA / Egypt Air, seven nights’ all inclusive on the cruise and four nights’ luxury accommodation in Cairo, with all excursions.

Tailor-Made Egypt (Pages 30-33) now has four pages in the brochure, including long weekends in Cairo and traditional Nile and Lake Nasser itineraries as well as Alexandria and El Alamein, Sinai and the Red Sea, and the Western Desert. The suggested 10 night Western Desert itinerary travels into the desert from Luxor, spending a night at each of the oasis towns of El Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Bahariya. After three nights in Siwa, it follows the coastal road back up to Cairo. From £1,895 per person.

Please see www.coxandkings.co.uk  for the full Middle East programme.

The Olympic Games have the power to generate some extraordinary stories. Just think of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards at Calgary, AB, at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, AB, or the Canadian men’s hockey team striking gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong—an African skier who lives in the UK and is known as the “Snow leopard of Ghana”—hopes to add his tale to that list at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, BC, next year.

Nkrumah-Acheampong and his family—in this case his wife, son, daughter and niece—are the second group to fly to Canada this summer as part of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s (CTC) “Connecting with Canadians” program. The CTC and its national tourism partners are organizing authentic Canadian experiences for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their families leading up to the 2010 Winter Games. In this instance, CTC-UK helped coordinate the visit.

Nkrumah-Acheampong first got the ski bug in a most unlikely location: the southern commuter town of Milton Keynes, UK. After a childhood travelling from one country to another—Ghana, Scotland, Zambia, Nigeria and Benin—a job at the Milton Keynes indoor ski dome set him on the path to the Games. He and his family also winter each year in Pampeago–Val di Fiemme, Italy.

Nkrumah-Acheampong’s clan will start on July 22 with a five-day stay in Whistler, BC, organized in conjunction with Tourism Whistler and Tourism British Columbia. (It should be somewhat warmer than when he returns to compete in February 2010.) Then, it’s off to eastern Canada, in partnership with Tourism Quebec, to take in Montréal, Québec City and Mont Tremblant, QC. A local TV crew will be on hand to film the Nkrumah-Acheampongs’ adventures.

The trip is all part of CTC’s 2010 Winter Games tourism strategy: to boost awareness of Canada’s tourism brand—“Canada. Keep exploring”—and enhance Canada’s image as a premier tourism destination.

Nkrumah-Acheampong remains humbled by the whole experience, saying he only set his sights on the 2010 Winter Games against his better judgment.

“I worked as hard as I could, coupled with being a husband, dad, manager, racer, technical man and PR manager for myself,” he says. “I can only thank God for this gift of being an Olympian he has granted me.”

Despite a slowing of the gaming industry due to the worldwide recession, interest in Atlantic City remains high as evidenced by positive figures cited by some of the area’s top non-gaming attractions and restaurants.

The summer season continues to bring a strong flow of visitors, resulting in a significant increase in visitation versus last July.

Room nights booked through the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority’s website, www.atlanticcitynj.com have also increased, shattering records from one year prior in the city that’s “Always Turned On.”

“We are pleased to report that the number of room bookings through the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority website, visitor center and call center in the month of July reflects an increase of 26 percent compared to last July,” said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. “Quite simply, we offer something our competition does not — proximity, diverse offerings and a seaside location unmatched by any other entertainment destination.”

Some of Atlantic City’s attractions which reported a strong July include Absecon Lighthouse, which saw a 20 percent increase in visitation over last July and 4.5 percent increase overall.

The Atlantic City Aquarium reported a 30 percent increase in attendance for July 2009 compared to July 2008. Last month’s numbers for Lucy, Margate’s most famous elephant, were also impressive. The historic structure, first built to attract business for the South Jersey real estate market, has since become a National Landmark and one of the most iconic attractions on the shore. Sales in July were up 10.5 percent over last year with thousands of visitors coming to enjoy the park and gift shop.

A total of 10,000 people toured Lucy for the month, resulting in a 15 percent increase over July 2008. Meanwhile, Atlantic City’s newest attraction and first, over-water independent event venue, One Atlantic, has more than 20 events already booked for 2010 without having even opened its doors. One Atlantic will celebrate its grand opening this winter.

Atlantic City’s hotels also reported increases in occupancy. The Chelsea, the destination’s first boutique property, has operated with more than 90 percent occupancy on weekends throughout July and into August with an additional 300 rooms in supply this year.

The Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel experienced 73.9 percent room occupancy last month, reflecting a 2.6 percent increase over the same period last year. Trump Plaza and Trump Marina were also up with more than 90 percent occupancy in July.

The introduction of new restaurants and celebrity chefs have bolstered Atlantic City’s culinary reputation and brought new events such as an annual Restaurant Week to the calendar. The inaugural TD Bank Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, held July 30 to Aug. 2, was a resounding success with more than 20,000 attendees. Individual restaurants also reported strong business in July, including Carmine’s which has hosted an abundance of corporate business and the Melting Pot which consistently ranks in the top three of the nationwide chain.

For more information on Atlantic City, call 888-AC-VISIT or visit www.atlanticcitynj.com