Jetsettersblog

The 31 tour operators that are members of the Brazil Tour Operators Association (BTOA) are promoting themselves in the American market with the BTOA Brazil Now Visa Pass, a coupon book with discounts and special offers at restaurants, hotels, spas, jewelry stores, antique shops, entertainment venues and other retailers and service providers in Brazil worth substantially more than the $140 visa fee.

The discounts being offered by 36 establishments include Copacabana Palace Hotel, 20 percent discount on spa treatments for two; Ipanema Plaza Hotel, 20 percent off restaurant and a free welcome drink; Porto Bay Rio International, L’Hotel Porto Bay Sao Paulo and Porto Bay Glenzhaus, 10 percent off food and beverages; Pestana Hotels, complimentary late check-out and free welcome drink at eight properties; Lapa 40 Graus Sinuca & Gafieira Samba Club, 20 percent off entrance fee; Azul Marinho, Brazileirinho and Casa da Feijoada Restaurants, 20 percent off dining; Cais do Oriente and Castro Aviles Restaurant at the Mar Palace Hotel, 15 percent off dining; Arena Copacabana Hotel, 10 percent off dining at the Fennel Restaurant; Rio Surf n Stay, 10 percent off surfing lessons, accommodations or packages; Felice Cafe, Fellini, La Fiducia and Via Sete Restaurants, free caipirinhas or ice teas; and Hard Rock Café, free dessert with purchase of two entrees.

Brazil is showing up in travel surveys as one of the hot destinations for 2011. Since the announcements that the country will be hosting the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016, the destination has become more visible to more Americans.

But to many Americans, Brazil is still unknown territory. It’s a huge country — the fifth largest in the world — spanning some 3.2 million square miles.

Its 4,655-mile coastline boasts thousands of secluded beaches and luxurious or laid-back resorts. How can Americans figure out where to go?

“Because Brazil is such a vast country it’s important that first-time visitors work with a professional travel counselor,” said Adam Carter, president of BTOA.

“Our members are all seasoned travel professionals — many accredited by IATA — and all are recognized experts about the country.” First-time visitors want to see Rio de Janeiro. Next on the list are two of the world’s natural wonders — Iguassu Falls and the Amazon.

Other points of interest include Bahia, Brasilia, São Paulo or the charming state of Minas Gerais.

This winter, BTOA members are offering a number of price-focused packages to Brazil. All BTOA members pay commission to travel agents. BTOA’s 30 active members are AAT (American Adventure Tours), Abreu Tours, Air Projects, Avanti Destinations, Borello Travel & Tours, Brazil Nuts Tours, BVC (Brazilian Vacation Center), Brendan Vacations, BROL (Brazil Online Travel), Chanteclair Travel, Cox and Kings USA, Discover Brazil Tours, Dumonde Travel, Fredson Travel, Globo Travel & Tours, Globus Family of Brands, Latour, HOTUR/Just Brazil, Marnella Tours, Only Latin America, PanAmerican Travel Service, Skyline Travel, SITA World Tour, Tauck World Discovery, Travel 2 Brazil, Travel Impressions, Tourlite International, Vip Tour Group, Visit Brazil Tours and Yampu Tours.

Americans traveling to Brazil do need visas, and agents can learn more from the Brazil Tour Operators Association.

For more information on BTOA, email

admin@braziltouroperators.org

or go to www.braziltouroperators.org
.

The Beverly Hills Hotel has opened the Fireside Lounge at Bar Nineteen12.

The outdoor lounge occupies a corner of the outdoor patio of the bar that previously was used for semi-private dinners.

The new décor features modern, chocolate-brown rattan sectional sofas with grey cushions and colorful throw pillows.

There is also a single day bed for head-to-toe lounging and a pair of “fire tables” lit with atmospheric flames.

Overhead heaters are turned on during winter months and on chilly evenings.

The lounge seats 40 and features sangria and margaritas by the pitcher, as well as a new cocktail menu and small plates selections.

For more information, call 800-283-8885 or visit www.beverlyhillshotel.com

After three years, the Whythebest Hotels group reopened the Grand Hotel Villa Cora in Florence on Dec. 26.

Three years of restorations integrated new generation comforts — such as a spa, gym, swimming pool and two restaurants — all surrounded by a park on the hills in the center of Florence. Ready now for bookings, rooms start at $330 for a classic room. The Grand Hotel is made up of three structures — the Main Villa, Villino Eugenia and La Follie.

In the Main Villa, 30 suites and rooms are divided into four floors, each with its own style. The decorations are inspired by famous guests who have stayed there through the years, such as the Japanese emperor Hirohito, to whom the imperial suite is dedicated to.

The styling of the 14 rooms of Villino Eugenia draws inspiration from different artistic and cultural traditions of the past.

Lastly, La Follie is a small guesthouse with only two rooms situated at the park border creating total privacy for its guests.

Located within the Grand Hotel is a spa with a tepidarium, hydro massage, sauna, hammam, small gym, and a beauty and wellness center.

The products used in the wellness center are the result of collaboration with the cosmetic pharmaceutical company MacPharma, resulting in an exclusive product line.

Another gem of the Grand Hotel is the heated outdoor swimming pool that overlooks the Boboli Gardens.

The hotel is home to two restaurants. The first of the two is found in a garden (open May to October) while the second restaurant is located in the Villa’s ancient cellars.

The décor in the cellar is inspired by the oriental influence left by Pasha Isma’il, who lived in the villa between the 19th and 20th centuries.

The dishes offered at the restaurants are revisions of Tuscan cuisine as well as a menu for the health-conscious based on the programs at the wellness center.

Adjacent to the restaurant, guests will find a well-stocked cigar room.

The common areas are located in the rooms on the ground floor of the main Villa and have been restored utilizing original items such as the decorations of the Cards Room and the Moresque Room that are designed for meetings and dinners, the original decorations of the bar in the Ceramics Room, and the baroque luxury of the Mirror Room.

For more information, call 011 39 055 22 87 90 or visit

www.whythebesthotels.com

Shangri-La Hotel, Paris opened its doors on Dec. 17 on the French capital’s Avenue d’Iéna, located across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. Featuring 81 rooms including 27 suites, with views over the city’s landmarks, Shangri-La Hotel, Paris is the group’s first property in Europe, a flagship of smaller scale and historical significance.

Unique in Paris, 40 percent of the rooms and 60 percent of the suites feature unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine below. Nearly half of all rooms offer balconies and terraces that allow guests to take in the sights and sounds of the “City of Lights.”

At the heart of the hotel lies La Bauhinia, a restaurant named after the flower that adorns the Hong Kong flag.

Overseen by Executive Chef Philippe Labbé and open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (for breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner), this venue features primarily French cuisine, punctuated by authentic South-East Asian dishes.

Le Bar is conceived in a French “retour de campagne” décor, while Head Barman Christophe Leger’s menu features exotic Asian flavors.

The “Beijing Express” and the “Pink Lady” are the “must-have” cocktails at this unique site, which will be open daily from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The hotel also offers 9,150 square feet of reception halls, where guests can celebrate landmark moments in a grand and sophisticated setting. In February 2011, a French gastronomic restaurant L’Abeille will open; in the spring, a gastronomic Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace, will follow, as well as a spa and a 16-meter swimming pool.

Built in 1896 as the private home of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s grand-nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte, the restored landmark is the most intimate of all Shangri-La hotels worldwide.

The hotel’s interiors were crafted by interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, retaining a residential ambience while providing all modern day comforts.

Situated in the 16th arrondissement on the right bank of the River Seine, the hotel is within a short walking distance from the capital’s main attractions, shopping areas and parks. Shangri-La Hotel, Paris is the 70th hotel opened by Shangri-La Hotels.

Japan will extend its bullet train system north and south. To the north, the Tohoku line, which was first implemented in 2002, is going to be extended to Honshu Island, the main island of the Japanese archipelago. On Dec. 4, the line opened to Shin-Aomori, a new train hub in Aomori prefecture, the home of Fuji apple. The new shinkansen takes travelers to the northern country from Tokyo in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Aomori is also a place for the largest summer festival in Japan — Nebuta Festival, celebrating short summer, draws 3 million people between Aug. 2 and 7 every year. Traditional magnificent lantern floats are over 16 feet tall, and they parade through energetic chants of participants.

In addition to the northern region, the bullet train will be available on the southern island of Kyushu from March 12.

This new line connects Hakata, the very end of the original bullet train from Tokyo, and the existing service in southern half of the island.

The complete line will be 159.7 mile long between Hakata and the southern most city Kagoshima. The new extension of the line enables travelers to experience southwestern Japan with its rich history, potteries and culinary culture.

From Shin-Osaka to the final stop of Kagoshima-Chuo, the traveling time will be 3 hours and 45 minutes, 77 minutes shorter than the current service.

The new connecting line makes Kyushu’s historic landmarks and nature within an easier reach. Kumamoto Castle, built in the 15th century has very unique ninja-proof walls. Kagoshima, at the end of the line, is the gateway to Japan’s traditional sand bath in Ibusuki.

For more information, visit www.jnto.go.jp or www.japantravelinfo.com

A three-dimensional tribute to America and its commanders-in-chief is one step closer to being a reality for the Washington, D.C. area, as Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. announced that its new $2 million-plus U.S. Presidents Gallery — which will house wax figures of all 44 U.S. presidents — will open its doors to the public on Feb. 17, in time for Presidents Day.

The launch of the gallery will make Madame Tussauds D.C. the only place in the world where people can see and interact with all 44 U.S. presidents. Since the gallery was announced in February, Madame Tussauds studio artists have been working to create entirely new wax figures of 28 U.S. presidents.

In anticipation of the opening of the Presidents Gallery, figures of presidents have been popping up across the country. Throughout the year, figure sightings have included President Gerald Ford at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for the 97th anniversary of his birthday; founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia over the July 4th holiday; and most recently, Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, which took a road trip to Mount Rushmore in honor of the 69th anniversary of the monument’s completion.

A lighthearted video of the trip can be viewed at Madame Tussauds Washington D.C.’s Facebook and YouTube pages; and a photo of the figures at the monument with their stone visages in the background can be viewed and downloaded at newscast.

The U.S. Presidents Gallery will serve as a rich educational resource and include a curriculum focused on the history of the U.S. presidents. The new curriculum will fully complement the attraction’s existing and free comprehensive Educational Curriculum Guide, which was developed in accordance with the U.S. Department of National Social Studies Standards and National Council for the Social Civil Rights Movement Studies Standards. The guide was designed to empower educators with the tools they need to deliver exciting lessons in areas such as history, political science, social studies and media — before and after visiting the attraction.

For more information, call 888-WAX-IN-DC or visit www.madametussaudsdc.com

Cabo Adventures, an adventure-based tour company in Cabo, is launching the Outback & Camel Safari tour — an exploration of the Baja desert just outside of Cabo.

The product builds on an earlier program offered by the company, the 4×4 Desert Safari. According to Mark Watson, sales director for Cabo Adventures, “We are always looking for ways to improve our tours and make the experience unforgettable for our guests. So, by revising the tour and adding camel rides on a beautiful beach overlooking the Pacific, we are confident that this tour will be a highlight of their entire trip.”

The tour includes a ride out to the desert in a 4×4 Mercedes Benz Unimog vehicle and a guided nature walk through the desert on which guests learn about flora and fauna and life in the desert, then visit a sea turtle sanctuary and take a camel ride on the beach.

After that is an educational tequila tasting and traditional Mexican meal, where guests can make their own tortillas while overlooking a pristine beach and the majestic Pacific.

In the winter, you can look for humpback whales as they swim past.

The company will launch the tour Jan. 1, 2011, at an introductory price of $95 per person.

Cabo Adventrues and sister company Vallarta Adventures provide safe, exciting and informative adventure-based tours in Cabo and Vallarta.

Both companies offer a complete line of tour experiences and dolphin encounter programs at their dolphin centers — Cabo Dolphins and Dolphin Adventure.

Other tours include zip-lining and rappelling, beach tours, cultural tours, America’s Cup sailing races, luxury sailing, whale watching, outback tours, scuba diving, evening dinner performance and more.

For more information, call 888-526-2238 or visit www.cabo-adventures.com  or www.vallarta-adventure.com

Pleasant Holidays is now selling Hawaii luxury yacht cruises aboard American Safari Cruises’ 36-guest Safari Explorer cruising between Lahaina, Maui and Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island visiting Molokai and Lanai.

The Safari Explorer departs weekly on seven- or 10-night itineraries beginning Oct. 26, 2011, and continuing through mid-May 2012. Pleasant Holidays offers Hawaii yacht cruise-only vacations starting at $4,995 per person double occupancy on the Hawaiian Seascapes eight-day/seven-night cruise.

“These all-inclusive Hawaii yacht vacations are perfect for families and couples looking for a unique Hawaii vacation experience,” said Jack E. Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays. American Safari Cruises are the first unstructured inter-island cruises structured with flexibility that allows the Safari Explorer to cruise the Hawaiian Islands without having to be at a specific port at a specific time.

Guests will see and experience the beauty and culture of Hawaii from a unique perspective visiting hidden coves, secluded beaches and quaint villages.

The 145-foot Safari Explorer is the largest in the American Safari Cruises yacht fleet and is exquisitely appointed with new design features including a wine library, spa area, hot tub, fitness equipment and complimentary massage.

All staterooms have view windows, flat-screen TV/DVD, iPod docking stations, and private bath with Jacuzzi tub or shower.

The cruise includes all onboard meals with premium wine, beer and spirits, as well as sports equipment for kayaking, snorkeling and more.

Full yacht charters are available.

Pleasant also offers pre- and post-stay hotel options on any island, including Hertz car rentals and Hawaiian Islands activities.

Pleasant Holidays is one of the leading travel companies to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Costa Rica, the South Pacific and the continental United States, serving more than 10 million travelers since 1959.

The company provides vacation packages through its portfolio of four brands — Pleasant Holidays, Hawaii World/Distinguished Resorts, Pleasant Activities, and Air By Pleasant.

For more information, call 800-448-3333

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has launched a free Concierge Insider Guides app designed specifically for the Apple iPad.

The Concierge Insider Guides app allows current and future guests to tap into the collective knowledge and experiences of InterContinental Concierge Teams in more than 120 destinations, and allows consumers to explore the exciting cities and exotic destinations where InterContinental Hotels & Resorts are located by providing access to destination-specific concierge videos packed with useful insider information not normally found in travel guide books; interactive maps with Google Maps technology of recommended shops, restaurants and local attractions;

recommendations and suggested itineraries for a concierge’s perfect day (morning, afternoon and evening) for each location; and insider tips around the local culture, what to pack and interesting facts. To download InterContinental’s Concierge iPad app, visit www.intercontinental.com/insiderguides

Grace Hotels will launch a new property, the Grace Panama, in partnership with the real estate developer F&F Properties.

The hotel will occupy the ground floor and five upper floors of F&F’s Twist Tower office and hotel development, currently under construction in the Obarrio residential and commercial district.
The luxury boutique hotel will offer 60 bedrooms including two VIP Suites, a fine-dining restaurant and bar, and a business center with three boardrooms plus a bistro and health club, with an outdoor pool offering views of the city.

For more information, go to

www.gracehotels.com