Jetsettersblog

The French Riviera will get a new addition, the Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez, in mid-July.

Situated just outside Saint-Tropez and a short walk from the beach, Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez is a contemporary version of a Provençal village with a collection of single-story buildings. The resort has 37 guestrooms surrounded by a lush wooded park, and a swimming pool at its centre. Entire walls of glass and oversized windows are used throughout the resort to create an airy atmosphere.

For more information, visit

www.designhotels.com/hotel_sezz_st_tropez

The Red and White Fleet is now offering private cruises around San Francisco Bay for groups of up to 120 people aboard the USS Potomac, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 165-foot “floating White House.”

The USS Potomac is a National Historic Landmark, which served FDR from 1936 until 1945.

Private events aboard the USS Potomac will depart from Pier 43½ in the heart of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, in addition to other Bay Area locations.

Catering will be provided by three Bay Area caterers — Kincaid’s Bay House, Miraglia Catering and Events, and Barbara Llewellyn Catering.

In addition, the USS Potomac will provide educational docents onboard each private cruise to offer ship tours.

When not hosting private groups, the vessel is berthed at Jack London Square in Oakland, Calif., where it offers daily tours and history cruises and maintains a small FDR and USS Potomac Museum.

For more information, call 415-901-5260

or visit www.redandwhite.com

Crystal Cruises is now offering sustainable seafood in its ship’s dining rooms.

In its new commitment, the line offers a variety of sea fare raised in a sustainable manner, protecting the species for future generations.

With guidance from governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations and fisheries, the line favors suppliers that share the same ideals and boast documented reputations for methods that minimize the impact on local wildlife and ecosystems.

Effective immediately, the initiative is the latest in Crystal’s history of responsible seafood purchasing and sourcing.

The line was the first cruise line to discontinue the use of endangered caviar from the Caspian Sea and introduced farmed caviar from the U.S., France and Uruguay. Additionally, Crystal discontinued offering endangered species of fish more than a decade ago.

The first section of the new 80-mile Sea of Galilee Mountain Bike Trail opened last month in the Upper Galilee region in Israel.

Stretching from Capernaum to the Arik Bridge, the first leg features several rest and picnic areas, easily navigable trails and unrestricted access to the sea’s beaches and nature reserves.

Travelers may also rent mountain bicycles and helmets and receive guidance by the trail’s professional bikers.

When completed, the trail will bring cyclists through Tiberias, the Golan Heights, Ein Poriya, the Kineret, the Yardenit baptismal site on the River Jordan, Almagor, the Church of the Beatitudes, Mount Arbel and Kfar Hittim, and past Israel’s first hydroelectric plant at the southernmost tip of the Sea of Galilee.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism recently announced a $30 million plan to create more than 3,100 miles of bicycle paths, primarily in the Galilee and the Negev, in Israel over the next five years.

For more information, visit www.goisrael.com

Tahéima Wellness Resort & Spa is now open in Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

Tahéima provides 135 suites on the edge of the famous El Tigre Golf Course, surrounded by tropical lagoons and gardens, just a short stroll from or shuttle ride from its private beach club with endless miles of pristine sandy beaches.

Just 10 minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, the resort is easily accessible from cities across North America.

A special, all-inclusive offer is available through Dec. 31, features Tahéima’s luxury spa and wellness learning activities as well as suite accommodations and fine dining for all meals, starting at $162 per person, per night.

Guests have a wide selection of gourmet dining options with menus specially designed by the president of l’Académie Culinaire de France, Master Chef Gerárd Dupont, and prepared by Tahéima’s Chef Laurent Delorme.

From meals served at Silhouette Restaurant and traditional Mexican fare at Café Maria to Pan-Asian menus at the pool and Courtyards, Tahéima’s spa cuisine features fresh fish, fruits and vegetables from the region combined with recipes from around the world.

The resort also offers special low calorie, heart healthy, diabetic, anti-cancer and vegan menus.

Guests can enjoy unlimited fresh fruit juices throughout the day and alcoholic beverages, which become available after 5 p.m.

With over 25 scheduled activities a week for adults and children, the opportunities for personal transformation are endless.

Guests enjoy the resort’s ozone-treated infinity pools and whirlpools, as well as 24-hour access to the workout facility and dance studio featuring classes such as yoga, zumba, hip hop, stretching, Pilates and Labyrinth Meditation, Tai Chi, Chi Gong and the indigenous Temazcal, or sweat lodge.

Guests also have full access to the Learning Center at Tahéima, which offers guests the opportunity to experience intellectual enrichment with programs and activities designed to educate, challenge and inspire.

Classes and workshops include an Interactive Cooking Program presented by Chef Laurent Delorme.

The Center also features a Brain Gym to teach the brain how to access deeper states of health and recuperation; art enrichment classes in pottery and painting, a variety of dance classes and workshops on a variety of intellectually stimulating topics.

Tahéima also has a unique partnership with the UC Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), which offers special one-week programs at the resort four times a year that will feature leading authorities on topics from Latin American relations to integrative medicine.

The interim Spa at Tahéima allows guests to select one 60-minute massage per day from a menu of therapies.

The Spa carries the Natura Bissé skin-care line of products and Olavie Therapies.

The 22,000-square-foot rooftop Spa will be completed by early 2011. The resort also provides 10 meeting rooms, break-out rooms and board rooms accommodating 30 to 160 people, and a Grand Ballroom for up to 600 people.

For reservations or more information, call 866-978-7140 or visit www.Taheima.com

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of Meet and Be Green, a new program that encourages guests and planners to make green choices for their meetings.

In order to Meet and Be Green at Hyatt, planners and meeting attendees will pledge to take these 10 steps to “go green” during their meeting: recycle during the meeting; use products with 100 percent recycled content; print materials locally; minimize shipping; rather than setting materials at every seat, place meeting materials, such as handouts, notepads, pens, etc., in a central location so attendees can take as needed; maintain room temperatures at an appropriate level; eliminate disposable water bottles; minimize use of other disposable products such as plates, cups, napkins, and utensils; select locally grown seasonal foods when planning the menu; and plan ahead for the meeting to make it easier and more economical to keep the meeting green.

Dedicated Hyatt meeting planners will help source products with 100 percent recycled content where possible, find local suppliers, and maximize efforts to reduce waste to create a meeting experience that exceeds expectations and helps the environment at the same time.

To discuss Meet and Be Green options, meeting planners should contact a Hyatt sales representative.

For new meetings booked by Dec. 30, 2010, and held by March 31, 2011 at full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada, groups participating in the Meet and Be Green program will be eligible for a 3 percent rebate on qualifying charges on the master bill. Meet and Be Green is one of the latest additions to Great Happens, Hyatt’s ongoing campaign to emphasize the power and importance of in-person meetings.

For more information about Hyatt meetings, visit www.hyattmeetings.com

The Greenbrier celebrated the opening of its Casino Club with a red carpet event.

The opening of the 100,000-square-foot Casino Club at the historic Greenbrier marks the beginning of the month of milestones which will culminate July 26 with the inaugural Greenbrier Classic, a PGA Tour, FedEx Cup tournament.

The opening of the Casino Club and inaugural Greenbrier Classic are just two of the major changes Jim Justice has brought to the resort since purchasing The Greenbrier in May 2009.

Last month marked the debut of year-round, daily nonstop flights to Greenbrier Valley Airport from New York-LaGuardia and Atlanta Hartsfield airports on Delta Air Lines. Concerts and The Greenbrier Classic are open to the public and accessible with a weekly badge.

Several badge options are available and may be purchased via Ticketmaster, Live Nation and at www.greenbrierclassic.com  

A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales will benefit local and regional charities.

For more information or reservations, call 800-624-6070 or visit www.thegreenbrier.com

Wyndham Rewards and Barclaycard US, the payments business of Barclays in the United States, introduced the new Wyndham Rewards Visa card, which offers cardholders accelerated reward-earning power and a suite of new benefits.

The card comes in two versions, offering program members their choice of either no annual fee with generous rewards or a low annual fee card with even greater earning potential.

The no-fee card offers cardholders the opportunity to earn three points for every $1 spent on stays at Wyndham Rewards participating hotels and two points for every $1 spent everywhere else. Cardholders will receive 12,000 bonus points upon first usage — enough for up to two free nights at select participating hotels.

The premium card offers cardholders five points for every $1 spent on stays at Wyndham Rewards participating hotels and two points for every $1 spent everywhere else. Cardholders will receive 18,000 bonus points upon first usage — enough for up to three free nights at select participating hotels.

This card program carries a $39 annual fee.

Both versions of the Wyndham Rewards Visa Card allow members to redeem their points at over 6,500 hotels around the world. Points may also be used for tickets for airlines, sports events, concerts and theme parks as well as for gift cards for major department and discount stores.

Both cards offer Visa Signature benefits to qualified members. Visa Signature cardholders enjoy access to complimentary concierge services and a warranty manager service as well as special savings for travel, wine and food, sports and entertainment events.

Perks range from everyday values such as special offers on movie tickets and discounts at select retailers, to VIP tickets for premier concerts, Broadway shows, epicurean events and once-in-a-lifetime packages for occasions such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup.

Cardholders also enjoy Emergency Card Replacement and Emergency Cash Disbursement, No Pre-Set Spending Limit, Purchase Security and Year-end Summary Statements and Travel and Emergency Assistance Services.

For more information about Visa Signature, visit www.visa.com/signature

New “Starwood Hotels Plus” Site Packages Hotel Rooms with Flights, Car Rentals and Trip Activities at More than 1,000 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Around the World

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and ezRez Software, Inc. have launched Starwood Hotels Plus (www.SPGHotelsPlus.com ), a one-stop travel site where guests can book Starwood hotel rooms packaged with flights, car rentals and trip activities, through one single transaction provided by ezRez.

While the site is open to all travelers, upon each booking, members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program will receive 500 points for each room night. Leveraging a real-time pricing system, ezRez offers guests the best rate available on all travel elements of their trip.

Travelers can visit spghotelsplus.com to book a complete trip at more than 1,000 Starwood properties all over the world, including its renowned brands St. Regis, W, Le Méridien, Luxury Collection, Westin and Sheraton, as well as the recently launched Aloft and Element hotel brands.

“Starwood Hotels Plus provides guests with the convenience of booking all their travel needs via a single transaction on a trusted Starwood site,” said David Godsman, Vice President, Global Web at Starwood.

“We chose to partner with ezRez to provide flights, car rentals and trip activities because their system uses real-time pricing, which means our guests will always be offered the best available price on every portion of their travel package.”

“The Starwood brand is known throughout the world for its luxury hotels and resorts,” said John Swanciger, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at ezRez.

“Starwood Hotels Plus provides yet another opportunity for the company to engage loyal guests who recognize and trust the Starwood corporate name.”

Created in 1999, Starwood Preferred Guest is an industry leader among hospitality loyalty programs. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/stayconnected, SPG.com/flights and thelobby.com, and now Starwood Hotels Plus, SPG has the most knowledgeable and passionate membership base in the hotel loyalty space.

By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at 940 participating properties, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, and once in a lifetime experiences through SPG Moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world’s most frequent travelers and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood.

Starwood and ezRez partnered in 2008 to introduce SPG Flights (www.spg.com/flights), the first hotel loyalty program to offer members flight redemption on more than 350 airlines with no blackouts. Starwood also uses ezRez to distribute hotel rooms to ezRez’s airline partners, which include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.

About Starwood Preferred Guest

The SPG® program’s breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world’s most sought after collection of hotels, reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999.

By creating a program centered on its members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as www.SPG.com, www.SPG.com/stayconnected, www.SPG.com/flights, www.thelobby.com and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry.

By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at 940 participating properties, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, and once in a lifetime experiences available through SPG Moments at www.spg.com/moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world’s most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood.

For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit www.SPG.com or call (877) – STARWOOD.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.

For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com

IWalked Audio Tours has introduced a new brand of live audio walking tours to the Boston area. With audio walking tours, travelers can now see the city at 1/3 the cost of a guided tour and at their own convenience.

IWalked, LLC has launched a new brand of “live” audio tours. By giving listeners a personal tour guide, IWalked has created an opportunity for travelers to experience a city at their convenience and not at the mercy of a tour schedule.

Each tour is packed with history, architecture, quirky trivia, popular culture and crime/scandals. The current library of 3 Boston tours (Beacon Hill, North End and Boston Common/Public Garden) provides insight to such intriguing mysteries as:

1. What riled Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so as to take out an ad in a Boston newspaper declaring, “JB Rhine is an ass!”?

2. Why is it so peculiar that Robin Williams and Matt Damon would be sitting in the Public Garden and chatting?

Audio tours have become increasingly popular amongst travelers in recent years as a budget travel option.

At approximately 1/3 the cost of a guided tour, audio tours are affordable and offer listeners the ability to experience a city at their convenience.

IWalked, LLC is an audio tour production company based in Boston, MA. Tours are available for download at www.iwalkedaudiotours.com  for the low price of $7 each.

IWalked plans to have approximately 20 Boston area tours by the end of year, thereby making it the largest audio tour alternative in the area. Free tour advice is also offered by the company via Facebook with the “Help I’m Traveling to Boston and Don’t Know Where to Go” series.

Contact Info:
Website: www.iwalkedaudiotours.com