Jetsettersblog

Following the large increase in consumer demand for outdoor UK breaks*, leading camping and caravanning website, Pitchup.com, has introduced online booking and availability calendars to help customers choose and book the perfect pitch.

Pitchup.com has seen an increase of 176% in searches** for family friendly parks during the course of the year, as more families opt to holiday at home. Niche markets have also seen strong growth with an increase in searches of 177% for parks where single-sex groups are welcome.

Daniel Yates, Managing Director of Pitchup.com says “As the recession crunched in 2009 many consumers opted for UK breaks. However, people were frustrated by the lack of online resources to find and book their holidays which they’re used to when travelling abroad.

“These new features mean customers no longer need to phone around large numbers of parks before making a booking. They will be able to see availability online, match it with the other search criteria, such as dogs allowed or near a surfing beach, and book direct.”

The mass return to the great outdoors ties in with the current trends for nostalgia tourism, with an increase of 168% in searches for sites which allow campfires.

And eco is certainly still on the agenda, with an increase of 160% in campers actively searching for sites which offer cycle hire.

Central England has proven one of the largest growth rates, with a 295% increase in search over the year following marketing pushes by destinations such as the Peak District, Derbyshire and the Midlands.

The North West and North East of England have also seen substantial growth (216% and 299% respectively) following marketing pushes in 2010 showing that these areas offer more than just nature.

Daniel Yates continues, “Camping and caravanning is predicted to remain high on the agenda this summer, with trips up a further 8% so far this year.

We expect that with improvements in the quality of sites available, as well as the ease of finding them, holidays in the great outdoors will stay popular for the foreseeable future.”

The online booking engine and availability calendars have been integrated into Pitchup.com’s search, meaning customers can now search for pitches that are available and/or bookable alongside other search criteria available on the site, such as campfires allowed and family friendly.

Further additions to Pitchup.com as part of the site’s update include Bing mapping so customers can see a satellite view of the site area, campsite videos and predictive search which suggests options based on the park name and regions being searched.

Zürich’s first covered market hall. Vendors offer fresh vegetables, meats and fish along 1,600-foot market aisles.

Thirty-six other viaduct arches house numerous shops, restaurants, studios and creative services.

The two viaducts were built in 1894 and are important monuments of historical railway-building technology and the industrial development of Zürich.

With the second stage finished, numerous shops have been open since July 2010, perfect for strolling and shopping.

On Sept. 4, the market hall is opening its doors in a unique ambience and is sure to find fame as a place where you can find top-quality, gourmet products with a large selection of items from local producers.

For more information, visit www.im-viadukt.ch

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Luau Kalamaku is now offering an enhanced “Plantation Owner’s Evening” dining menu for show guests.

The special pre-show dinner highlights cuisine from Lihue’s first locavore restaurant, 22° North, formerly known as Gaylord’s at Kilohana.

The menu features Kauai-grown meats, fish and produce, including fruits and vegetables from Kilohana Plantation’s 60-acre orchard and agricultural park.

For $135 per person, the “Plantation Owner’s Evening” includes fresh flower lei greeting with check-in at the historic Kilohana Plantation House, a champagne reception on arrival and the four-course dinner at 22° North.

Following dinner, guests can shop at the galleries and boutiques inside the plantation home, stop at Luau Kalamaku’s Mango Bar to pick up a Mai Tai or a glass of wine to enjoy with the luau show, and premium reserved seating at the luau.

Luau Kalamaku performs twice a week on Tuesday and Friday evenings on the Kilohana Plantation grounds in Lihue.

For more information, call 877-622-1780

or visit www.luaukalamaku.com

Carnival Cruise Lines is introducing Carnival Punchliner Comedy Clubs fleetwide on all 22 ships by the end of the year. Its first comedy club debuted on the new Carnival Dream last fall.

Located in the ship’s aft lounge, each Punchliner Comedy Club will offer five 35-minute shows on multiple nights during each voyage, with at least two comedians performing each night.

The two early-evening shows are geared toward families while the later performances will feature adult-oriented comedy. The clubs will feature performances by established comedians as well as rising stars, with approximately 10 shows per voyage on short itineraries and approximately 20 shows on longer voyages.

While comedy shows have always been part of Carnival’s entertainment lineup, the concept was taken to another level aboard the Carnival Dream.

Comedy clubs are currently also featured on Carnival Glory, Carnival Pride and Carnival Sensation, with the concept being incorporated into the remainder of the fleet over the next several months. When Carnival Magic enters service in May 2011, it will also have a Punchliner Comedy Club.

All of Carnival’s aft show lounges will be converted to comedy clubs with a special stage and branded glassware, menus, employee uniforms and other items featuring the Punchliner Comedy Club logo.

Guests can learn about the performer lineups and schedules in the ship’s Fun Times newsletter.

For more information, call 800-327-9501 or visit the Cruise banner above.

Outrigger Reef on the Beach and Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach unveiled a new catering option this week from local chef Chai Chaowasaree.

The menu features the best of Pacific Rim cuisine and brings local favorites from Chai’s Island Bistro and Singha Thai Cuisine to corporate meetings and social functions held at the hotel’s assorted event venues.

Chai’s dishes have earned him awards in Hawaii and nationally. Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Sunset, Bride and Travel+Leisure magazines have all praised Chai’s regional cuisine.

For more formal dining, event planners can choose from several five-course dinner menus.

Other highlights include a five-course dégustation menu, pairing international wines with Chai’s signature dishes.

For groups seeking lighter fare, the new catering menu also features two heavy pupu menus.

All dining packages at Outrigger Reef and Outrigger Waikiki include silverware, linen napkins, wait staff and service and on-site cooking by Chai for some of the items.
Tax and gratuity of 20 percent will be added at the time of service.

For more information and to view available menus, visit www.outrigger.com/chefchai

InterContinental Hotels Group announced the launch of the second phase of its mobile app strategy with the global launch of its Priority Club Rewards app for the Android.

This new app provides customers with the functionality to find and book hotel rooms, check rates and view or cancel reservations for all seven of IHG’s brands – InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG is the first major hotel company to offer an app for the Android.

The Priority Club Rewards app for the Android follows the successful release of the Priority Club Rewards iPhone app in late April that has been downloaded over 70,000 times globally and has generated nearly $3 million in revenue since it was launched.

Together with each of its enhanced mobile brand websites and the iPhone app, IHG hotels have eclipsed $2.5 million in monthly revenue from these channels only one year after the mobile platform was launched.

The Priority Club Rewards app for Android contains booking and reservation management features for Priority Club Rewards members.

The features for the new app for the Android release include find and book hotels; view photos and amenities for each hotel;

click-to-call front desk for each hotel;

use Priority Club Rewards account information to facilitate bookings;

view Priority Club Rewards member details (number, level, points balance);

manage account profile;

view and cancel upcoming reservations;

redeem points for Priority Club Reward Nights;

use corporate IDs to get corporate rates;

quick enrollment into Priority Club Rewards; and view special offers.

As part of the new Priority Club Rewards app for Android launch, IHG is offering 1,000 Priority Club Rewards bonus points to members for each qualifying stay up to Sept. 30, 2010, that is booked using the Android app.

The Priority Club Rewards app for Android is now available in English at the Android Market.

In addition, customers can visit the iPhone app store to download an enhanced version of the Priority Club Rewards iPhone app that is iOS 4 tested and includes two new features allowing customers to use corporate IDs to get corporate rates and to redeem Priority Club Reward Nights.

For more information, visit www.priorityclub.com

Marriott ExecuStay has released a new online video to help set expectations for guests who need furnished apartments for an extended stay.

Not your average corporate video, “Steve’s Experience No. 8″ tours viewers through one of the ExecuStay furnished apartments in Washington, D.C., giving viewers a peek into a day in the life of a guest.

The video is narrated by Baltimore-based actor Steve Blair, who lends his personable and comedic style as he moves into the apartment.

Blair helps communicate a subtle storyline with a surprise ending that keeps viewers engaged.

The video helps to set guest expectations for a brand whose name affiliation with Marriott may confuse those who are expecting more of a hotel-like experience.

With furnished apartments in more than 700 locations throughout the United States, ExecuStay handles all of the arrangements for a turnkey move-in experience.

The brand operates in the upper-moderate pricing tier, making it an affordable choice for those on extended stay due to relocation, corporate or government work assignments.

For more information or reservations, call 888-840-7829 or visit www.ExecuStay.com

View, download and share the Marriott ExecuStay video from www.ExecuStay.com/videotour

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver installed a colony of bees on its rooftop that will produce honey to be served during afternoon tea.

The 20,000 worker bees are expected to grow to 140,000 by the end of the summer.

Two hives will be maintained by beekeeper Matt Kentner of Kentner Farms, who sources bee hives to local farmers and ranchers to assist in the pollination of crops. In addition to use during the hotel’s afternoon tea, the hotel hopes to eventually use the honey in other recipes and spa treatments. The Brown Palace has created a web page that provides information about bees and the severity of colony collapse disease on its website.

For more information, call 800-321-2599 or visit www.brownpalace.com

Just weeks after launching a new Hoover Dam helicopter tour, flightseeing company Papillon Airways has incorporated ground tours into the experience.

Now starting at $154, the “Hoover Dam Helicopter Tour” includes a low-level air tour of the historic monument inside an EC-130 Eco-Star helicopter.

The tour flies over Lake Mead, the tributaries of the Colorado River and Black Canyon.

From there, guests will be taken by shuttle to walk around and go on an interior tour of Hoover Dam’s power plant and history.

Tours depart daily from Papillon’s Las Vegas and Boulder City terminals.

With nearly 100 drivers and 30 to 40 shuttles, tours include transfers to and from all major Las Vegas resorts.

Tour duration is approximately two hours without transfers or 4.5 hours with transfers.

For more information, call 888-635-7272 or visit www.papillon.com

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas now has a bowmouth guitarfish, better known as a shark ray. Shark Reef Aquarium acquired the female shark ray, one of fewer than 12 such animals in aquariums throughout the U.S., from the California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium after she outgrew that facility.

A member of a vulnerable species, the 3-year-old, five-foot, 90-pound shark ray now lives in a 1.3-million-gallon shipwreck exhibit.

The shark ray comes during Shark Reef Aquarium’s 10-year birthday celebration.

The aquarium is hosting birthday parties on Aug. 21, offering special prices and activities, including $10 general admission and $5 admission for children ages 5 to 12 (children ages 4 and under are admitted free); 10 percent off Shark Reef Store merchandise; a $10 meal deal at Burgers & Dogs; and complimentary birthday cookies, face painting, balloon animals, birthday “fin” crowns and special appearances by “Sharky” the Shark.

Shark Reef Aquarium is open daily at 10 a.m.

General admission is $16.95, and children ages 5 to 13 pay $10.95. Nevada residents with a valid ID pay $13.95 general and $8.95 for children.

For more information, visit www.sharkreef.com  

For hotel information, call 877-632-7800 or visit www.mandalaybay.com