Jetsettersblog

Montserrat’s Extreme Marine Scuba dive facility is offering travelers “Explore Montserrat,” a three-day adventure originating departing from Antigua and featuring unlimited diving, boat accommodations, meals and a boat tour to the former capital city of Plymouth.

The excursion offers unlimited diving at sites along Montserrat’s 13-mile coastline, which is filled with marine life since the eruption of the island’s Soufriere Hills Volcano in the mid-1990s.

Wildlife includes dolphins, pipefish, eagle rays, green turtles and nurse sharks.

Activities include a boat tour of Plymouth, provide travelers with an up-close look at the destroyed former capital, now submerged beneath ash and mud, and an island tour offering a glimpse of Montserrat’s famous still-active Soufriere Hills Volcano.

The Explore Montserrat special is $750 per person, based on a minimum of four and is valid through Dec. 31, 2010.

For more information, call 268-720-0398 or visit www.extrememarinescuba.com

Crystal Cruises in September will add new iMac workstations with 27-inch LED screens to its Computer University@Sea.

The new iMacs have the ability to use both Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 operating systems. In addition to the new hardware and a selection of almost two dozen complimentary CU@Sea classes, Crystal is adding five free new classes, taught on both Mac and Windows platforms, when applicable.

“We’re offering guests a choice to use the system with which they’re most familiar, or try something new with the assistance of our CU@Sea instructors,” said Bjorn Andersson, manager, shipboard network operations.

Along with existing Windows 7 classes, new introductory courses for Mac will be available, including “Introduction to Computers using iMac and OS X,” “Files, Folders, and the Finder using iMac and OS X,” “Word Processing using Word in Office: Mac 2008,” “Processing Photos with iPhoto” and “iMac Tips & Tricks using OS X.”

First introduced in 1996, Crystal’s Computer University@Sea offers dozens of complimentary courses tailored for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

In addition to the new workstations and 24-hour Internet access from CU@Sea labs and staterooms, laptops are available for rent and can be used anywhere onboard.

Michael Gaughan’s South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas opened a 55,000-square-foot casino on July 16.

The first phase will feature the addition of 400 slot, video poker and video keno machines, a redesigned race book, a new poker room and a multi-function entertainment area named the Grandview Lounge.

The second phase will feature a Steak ‘n’ Shake restaurant. A Japanese sushi-teppanyaki restaurant is also planned for the future.

For more information, call 866-796-7111 or visit www.southpointcasino.com

San Francisco’s Urban Suites Collection, which consists of five upscale apartment properties, has joined Marriott ExecuStay, a long-term-stay management company.

The Urban Suites Collection properties include Clay Park Tower, Corinthian Suites, Nob Hill Chateau, Nob Hill Suites and View Tower.

Built in the 1920s and 1930s, each of the properties offers guests early 20th century architecture with contemporary features.

Clay Park Towers in the Pacific Heights neighborhood features studio and one- and two-bedroom apartment homes with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Corinthian Suites features remodeled studio and one-bedroom apartment homes in a restored apartment building in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center.

Nob Hill Chateau, located in the Nob Hill neighborhood, has studio and one-bedroom suites.

Nob Hill Suites offers Beaux Arts style with studio and one-bedroom suites. And View Towers features studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites along with views of the city.

Managed by Laramar Properties, the Urban Suites Collection offers amenities like granite countertops, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, digital cable and free, high-speed, wireless Internet.

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

Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge
www.morrisonslodge.com

MERLIN, Ore. – Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge, Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge, is one of the few classic steelhead fisheries in the West, with reliable fall migrations that run from August until November.

With Morrison’s all inclusive packages and expert guides, guests can experience all types of fishing methods, including the newest trend in fly fishing, spey casting.

Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge offers all-inclusive guided fly fishing packages and Basic Fly Fishing Schools with a steelhead emphasis. This year they are also offering a Spey Casting & Steelhead Fishing Trip Oct. 3-5. During the trip, receive expert instruction on spey casting by Roseville Orvis Fly Fishing Manager Doug Duncan.

The first fishing day will focus on spey casting for switch rods and shorter spey rods. These casts should work for short Scandi heads and Skagit heads. T

he following days will also have instruction but will be spent primarily targeting the Rogue River Steelhead. Guides will have the flexibility to adjust to the needs and casting style of all anglers.

The packages include guided fishing and instruction; all meals and lodging (does not include gratuities, alcohol or one percent lodging tax).

Two-day three-night at double occupancy is $1,117 and three-day four-night at double occupancy is $1,550.

For fly fishing experiences outside of the Spey Casting & Steelhead Fishing Trip, Morrison’s fishing guides are the go-to experts for finding fish on the Rogue.

With more than 215 miles of fishable water, the Rogue is the best place for salmon and steelhead.

The fishing season begins with Chinook fishing in May and then again in September. Fall Chinook, also known as kings, average between 35 and 40 pounds. The record Chinook weighed in at 71.5 pounds.

Prime time for steelhead fishing is mid-September through November with the coho salmon run entering the system in late October.

The Rogue River is one of only three rivers in the country that is home to juvenile steelhead that have gone to the ocean and returned to the river before reaching adult size (called half-pounders).

The steelhead season is the “main attraction” in October. These ocean going rainbow trout are the beauties of the Rogue fishery and the most popular sport fish at Morrison’s.

Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge specializes in steelhead and can accommodate all skill levels and styles of fishing. All guided drift boat trips are customized to the angler’s style of fishing and every angler is assigned a guide to match individual’s expectations.

All equipment is provided and Oregon Fishing Licenses are available at the lodge.

It seems like just about every outfitter has put out a trip where guests make homemade pasta in Tuscany with an Italian chef – but it’s about time travelers put down the Chianti and delve a little deeper.

One of National Geographic’s Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth, Myths and Mountains, has dished up a truly unique experience for avid foodies.

On An Insider’s Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca: Homestays & Home Cooking travelers will get an authentic taste of a culture not many outsiders have the opportunity to experience. This 9-day sampling of Andean life, in the past and now, shows how ancient traditions handed down from generation to generation have been carefully preserved.

Guests are welcomed as honored guests in the homes of the Quechua Indians. They’ll shop for produce at a food market in Cusco and get hands-on during a cooking lesson with a local chef.

Most people associate potatoes with the Irish, but travelers will learn that the potato was first domesticated in Peru. Currently there are over three thousand varieties of spuds in the Andean region, most of which cannot grow outside of the Peruvian climate.

Adventurers can work off the calories from all of this noshing while wandering Incan ruins.

Land costs start at $3,450 per person with departure dates year round.

www.mythsandmountains.com

Alaska Airlines is now offering Aircell’s Gogo Inflight Internet service on more than half its aircraft, including all 55 of its Boeing 737-800s and 10 of its 737-900s.

The service will be available on the airline’s remaining two 737-900s by the end of July.

These aircraft fly throughout Alaska’s network, including all transcontinental routes.

The airline’s remaining 737-400s and 737-700s will be equipped with the Gogo service by the end of 2010.

To ensure the service is available to the airline’s namesake state, Aircell will expand its network by early 2011 to provide Gogo Inflight Internet service on key routes to, from and within the state of Alaska.

The Waldorf Astoria Collection,

Unveils New Delectable Burger Bar

Guests Can Enjoy Ultimate Beach Club Experience with New Burger Bar and Summer Getaways Two Free Nights Offer

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – El San Juan Hotel & Casino, The Waldorf Astoria Collection debuts the newest addition to the posh Encanto Beach Club – the Burger Bar. Offering guests a bevy of delicious cuisine, the new Burger Bar features specialty burgers, salads, appetizers and an array of authentic cocktails, including the Blue Lagoon, Caribbean Colada and the refreshing Goombay Smash.

Providing guests with more time to experience the Encanto Beach Club and new Burger Bar, El San Juan Hotel & Casino features a Two Free Nights Summer Getaways Offer.

With package rates starting at $209 per night, the offer includes two free nights (after three paid consecutive nights); 20 percent off spa treatments; and a $25 casino match bet coupon.

More than just the standard resort pool experience, the alluring Encanto Beach Club at El San Juan Hotel & Casino, The Waldorf Astoria Collection invites guests to spend their days under the warm sun and relax amid the rolling surf and white sand of Isla Verde Beach, and the calming waters of deep-blue swimming pools.

Enjoy the new Burger Bar and experience the unspoiled natural beauty of the beach, which provides the perfect location for seaside strolls, ocean dips or hours of sunbathing.

For guests who like to spend a posh day by the water, El San Juan Hotel & Casino’s Encanto Beach Club offers guests a one-of-a-kind poolside atmosphere offering an open air lounge of 24 canopied, double-sided daybeds along the shoreline; three private cabanas (pictured left); 25 versatile, retro-circular lounging pods; hammocks; swings; overstuffed chaise lounges; and cocoon chairs.

Furthermore, complimentary beach chairs and towels are available, in addition to umbrella rentals, so guests can stake out their own private beach-front spot.

The Encanto Beach Club offers guests an Olympic-sized swimming pool for early morning laps or a refreshing dip during the day. For a truly indulgent experience, the Fantasy swimming pool features two spas, a grotto waterfall, swim-up bar and a poolside concierge.

For the adventurous, Isla Verde Beach lets guests play in the warm, calm ocean waters, and amidst the soft Caribbean breezes with water sports including jet skiing, banana boat rides and parasailing. Nearby sports vendors provide a host of services and rental equipment that allows guests to experience all the exciting ways to enjoy the secluded waterfront location.

Located along a two-mile stretch of beach, El San Juan Hotel & Casino, The Waldorf Astoria Collection, is one of the Caribbean’s leading hotels offering guests an array of amenities that promise an exciting and entertaining vacation getaway. While at the hotel, guests can enjoy numerous dining and entertainment venues, including a 16,500 square-foot casino; La Galeria, an air-conditioned shopping arcade featuring designer jewelry and fashion boutiques; and the Edouard de Paris Day Spa, where guests can enjoy invigorating massages, facials and therapeutic body treatments.

For more information on the Two Free Nights Summer Getaways Offer or to make reservations, call 888-579-2635 or visit www.elsanjuanhotel.com

Disclaimer: The Summer Getaways Offer is available for booking now through August 31, 2010 for travel to October 30, 2010;

rates are per room per night. Offer is subject to availability. A minimum stay of five consecutive nights is required. Two free nights provided after three paid consecutive nights and must be consumed during stay in which it was earned. Limit two free nights throughout the duration of the promotion.

Free night includes room rate and corresponding room taxes for the same room type and in the same hotel as stay and does not include incidental charges or gratuities. Free nights are not transferable. Free night is void after check-out and cannot be used during future stays. Offer includes one $25 casino match bet coupon per room per stay. 20% off spa treatment per stay applies Edouard de Paris Day.

Golfers visiting Kent’s famous ‘Regal Golf Coast’ every year will shortly be able to stay in their very own ‘clubhouse by the sea’.
Thanks to a major renovation project, the former clubhouse at Prince’s Golf Club is being developed into a luxury Lodge and Dormy House that will be able to cater for 80 traveling golfers keen to sample the very best Kent golf has to offer.

The ‘Lodge’ is located adjacent to the beach by the 5th green at Prince’s and the 14th tee of Royal St George’s Golf Club, which is set to host golf’s Open Championship in 2011, and is a landmark building featuring prominently in television coverage of previous Opens at Sandwich.

The building had been gutted by fire and has been sitting derelict until planning permission was granted, allowing the multi-million pound development to go ahead.

Now, work is underway to develop12 apartments and 16 en-suite rooms. While part of the Lodge will be open in time for next year’s Open Championship – and the exterior will be in good order – a date for final completion has yet to be announced.
Michael Lovett, General Manager of Prince’s Golf Club, venue of the 1932 Open Championship, said:

“This is much more than just a place for visiting golfers to rest their heads after a day on the links. There will be a spike bar, dining facilities and we’ll also be able to cater for all manner of corporate events during Open week and all year round.”

In addition, The Lodge at Prince’s, which is expected to receive a high quality grading, will have a snooker room and gymnasium, not to mention glorious views over Pegwell Bay.

Sandra Matthews-Marsh, Chief Executive of Visit Kent said: “This is a wonderful addition that will help attract even more golfers to the county.

The fact that the Lodge will be able to house 80 golfers will be of significant benefit to golf courses on the coast and inland, and enhance the already excellent variety of quality graded hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in the region.”

Kent’s Regal Golf Coast, which features Royal St George’s and Prince’s, plus the equally highly-rated layouts at Royal Cinque Ports, Littlestone and North Foreland, is part of Kent’s world-class golf offering that also includes the championship courses at Chart Hills (ranked 82nd in Golf World magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland) and London Golf Club, a European Tour Destination.

For more information about golf in Kent and the chance to win a two-night golf break, visit www.visitkentgolf.co.uk

Press release issued on behalf of Visit Kent by Landmark Media, www.landmark-media.com

About Visit Kent

Visit Kent Limited is a public/private sector partnership supported by Kent County Council, Medway Council, the district and borough councils, Tourism South East and the leading sector tourism businesses in Kent.

Visit Kent champions Kent’s £2.5 billion tourism industry by targeting UK and overseas markets improving quality and skills and growing the tourism product.

Dubai– Layia Hospitality has announced the opening of Opal Living Courts, its latest property under the Living Courts brand.

The opening of Opal Living Courts, although during challenging times, reflects Layia Hospitality well studied and careful expansion plan to operate properties that are only equally beneficial to owners, clients and its stakeholders. This property is the 4th under the very popular Living Courts brand.

“We are thrilled with the opening of Opal Living Courts. In a year where some projects are put on hold or delayed in the city, we are proud to be able to showcase this beautiful product and offer it to the Dubai market in the dynamic and growing area of Al Barsha”, said Mohamed Awadalla, Area Vice President .

Opal Living Courts is situated in the Al Barsha area, near Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, and this exceptional destination offers a dynamic downtown address for overnight visits and long-term stays. The property is just minutes away from Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Knowledge Village and Dubai International Airport is only 25 minutes away which makes it an ideal destination for both short and long term stay.

Extending all the comfort and convenience of a private home along with Layia’s signature brand of hotel services, this modern Hotel Apartments comprises of 48 stylish and spacious one and two bedroom hotel apartments, featuring a host of thoughtful amenities designed for travellers and vacationers alike including a modern fitness centre called Powerzone Express Fitness Centre, Jacuzzi and a roof top swimming pool.

High-speed wireless internet is available throughout the property, 24 hour security, twice a week service and individual covered parking spaces for guest convenience is also available.

Living Courts “serviced apartments” provide furnished and equipped apartments down to the smallest detail, combining basic hotel services with a self-catering solution. It is ideal for those looking for a cost effective and “ready to move-in” option.

Layia Hospitality is a young company with a dynamic vision to transform the hospitality industry. It is our aim to manage a comprehensive portfolio of properties, to grow and blossom over the years.

Our current portfolio consists of 16 properties (5 in operation, one is expected to open in the coming months and 10 additional ones under various phases but all due to be operational by 2015)

.Three distinct brands are making up the Layia Hospitality portfolio: Layia Hotels, Living Courts and the new budget brand
Day & Night Hotels.