Jetsettersblog

Great Freedom Adventures is offering three-day/two-night biking getaways in addition to longer programs to one of New England’s Block Island.

Per person, double occupancy prices and dates are $1,295 for July 10 to 12 and Aug. 14 to 16 departures, and $1,225 for Sept. 11 to 13, 2011.

A single supplement is $350. In celebration of National Bike Month, each individual reservation receives a $100 gas/transportation rebate for reservations secured in May for any 2011 Great Freedom Adventures bike tour.

“In our busy lives, it can be tough to get away for several days at a time. Block Island is an easy ferry ride away yet once there, it feels like you’re worlds away.

For this reason, and because the picturesque island is so compact, it’s an ideal destination for a shorter tour.

The island’s stunning beauty and Great Freedom Adventure’s dedicated service remain the same on this quick getaway,” said Jeanne Rummel, founder.

“Block Island is a highly popular island destination, but it can be trickier here than it is on other islands to put all of the logistical pieces of a vacation together. We are the only fully guided and supported bike tour company offering multi-day, multi-sport programs on the island that we know so well. We take our guests to hidden beaches, trails and sites they would be unlikely to find on their own.”

Overnight accommodations have been selected as an enhancement to the stories and histories of Block Island where guests lodge at the 20-acre Rose Farm Inn that provides, in addition to breakfast and tea, fresh beach towels daily. Cyclists travel eight to 15 miles a day on average. This program begins and ends at the Ferry Terminal in Point Judith, R.I.

Daily ferry service to Block Island leaves from either Point Judith or Newport, R.I.; Montauk, N.Y.; and New London, Conn. The program includes two dinners and all breakfasts. Guests are on their own for lunches enabling everyone the chance to explore local eateries.

Lodging, guides, support van, entrance fees where required and other region-specific costs are included in the tour rate, with the exception of alcoholic beverages and guide gratuities.

Rummel, who has been arranging and running bike and other active tours for 13 years, is passionate about engaging her guests in green destinations and at a pace of low-impact travel mandated by bicycles that allows the spirits of the riders to connect with the green around them.

Other 2011 U.S. bike tours are six-day/five-night programs through New York’s Hudson River Valley, Vermont’s Green Mountains and Boston’s North Shore.

Great Freedom Adventures offers road bike tours with hiking and kayaking in New England and New York’s Hudson Valley in regions distinguished by diverse natural and cultural offerings. The tours are four to six days in length and are guided and supported.

For more information, visit www.greatfreedomadventures.com

The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the first Radisson Blu Hotel in Nigeria — the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos VI with 170 guest rooms.

“Nigeria is one of our key focus markets on the African continent.

The country offers a great potential for the development of our core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson, and we are delighted to open our first property in the capital city of Lagos today,” said Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of Rezidor.

The Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos VI is nestled along the Lagos Lagoon waterfront area of Victoria Island, ideally placed in the heart of the business district and close to the Mega Plaza shopping center, consulates and the banking district. Bar Beach, the National Museum, the Eko Expo Centre and the Lekki Conservation Centre are also all within easy reach. Murtala Muhammed International Airport is less than 40 kilometers away.

The hotel was designed by the Swedish hospitality designer Christian Lundwall, who decorated the 170 guest rooms in two unique styles.

All rooms offer views of Lagos Lagoon or the city, have both bathtub and walk-in shower, and guests benefit from Radisson Blu signature services such as free high-speed Internet access.

The all-day-dining Voyage Restaurant with its own terrace serves an international buffet with a choice of Nigerian and continental dishes, in addition to an à la carte menu with dishes from the region and Europe.

The Surface Bar & Grill on the terrace offers al fresco dining and views over the lagoon, with jetty access for dining cruises. And the View bar lounge promises a stunning lagoon panorama, light snacks and drinks.

With a top-floor Business Lounge, four spacious meeting rooms and two boardrooms, the hotel has some of the finest meeting facilities in Lagos. Three of the conference rooms are located on the ground floor and provide access to the veranda, which overlooks the lagoon and can be reserved for special events. For relaxation after a day of sightseeing or meetings, the new property includes a fitness and wellness area with gym, massage rooms, outdoor infinity swimming pool and children’s pool.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has a portfolio of more than 400 hotels in operation and under development with 88,800 rooms in over 60 countries. Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the Club Carlson loyalty program for frequent hotel guests.

For more information, visit www.radissonblu.com  or www.rezidor.com

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has taken one more step in its commitment to the sporting world by renewing the collaboration agreement with Rafal Nadal’s tennis coach Toni Nadal.

First announced in 2009, the agreement has brought great recognition for the brand on and off the tennis courts, leading Iberostar Hotels & Resorts to extend its contract with Toni Nadal through December 2014.

This renewal of the collaboration agreement with Toni Nadal is part of the brand’s strategic plan to increase awareness among sporting platforms.

For more information, visit www.iberostar.com

Wyndham Rewards is launching a “Why I Deserve a Summer Vacation” contest, which gives consumers throughout the U.S. and Canada the chance to win the vacation of their dreams.

From May 19 through June 19, vacation-deprived consumers who submit a photo and describe why they need a vacation will be entered to win the grand prize of enough Wyndham Rewards points for a seven-night getaway at one of over 7,000 hotels and resorts, a seven-night (eight-day) Alamo car rental certificate and a $7,000 American Express gift card for spending money.

Survey respondents who cited the craziest things they’d do to win an all-expenses paid vacation, including watching C-SPAN for eight straight hours (39 percent), shaving their heads (27 percent) and giving up air conditioning all summer (31 percent), will be relieved to know that they don’t have to do any of the three for a shot at the prize.

Grand prize hopefuls have three ways to enter the contest: online at www.wyndhamrewards.com/deserve , email via mobile device to deserve@wyndhamrewards.com , and via Facebook at www.facebook.com/wyndhamrewards.

In addition to entering, consumers can also choose to rate, comment on and share their favorite “Why I Deserve a Summer Vacation” submissions with family and friends through popular social media sites including Facebook and Twitter.

Once the entry period ends, a panel of seven travel journalists will narrow the field of responses to the top seven entries. The public will then be the final decision maker on who most deserves the grand prize.

Public voting will take place June 23 through June 29 and is available, along with full contest terms and conditions, at www.wyndhamrewards.com/deserve .

The Aston Maui Ka’anapali Villas has added function space as part of its recent $1.6 million renovation project. The new, 1,380-square-foot Honu Room resembles the great room of a private estate with a garden view. It opens up to the 768-square-foot Honu Lanai, which opens onto the resort’s 11 acres of tropical gardens.

or more information, call 866-774-2924 or visit www.astonhotels.com

The Peaks Resort & Spa in Telluride, Colo., is offering a summer package and a slew of events. Guests staying midweek get a third night free. Arrival must be on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Mention 3free when booking.

For more information, call 800-789-2220 or visit www.thepeaksresort.com

The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland has launched a “Save on Seven” promotion providing travelers with seven nights for the price of five.

The “Save on Seven” package includes a seven-night stay for the price of five nights, full Scottish breakfast daily per person, and use of The Club leisure facilities — two swimming pools, outdoor heated pool, tennis courts, gymnasium, mountain bikes, and walking/running tracks and all taxes. The package is priced from £1,575 ($2,550) per room, based on two people sharing accommodations, and valid for bookings and travel now through Sept. 30.

For more information, call 866-463-8734, email resort.sales@gleneagles.com  or visit www.gleneagles.com

Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi has won the award of The Best New Hotel in Central Asia and Turkey presented by the CATHIC (Central Asia and Turkey Hotel Investment Conference).

A jury of hotel and tourism experts selected it from among all recently opened hotels in the Caucasus and Central Asian region. The award has been officially presented during the CATHIC 2011 event, which took place in Istanbul from Feb. 7 to 9.

The Rezidor Hotel group opened its Georgian flagship hotel, the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, in September 2009. The hotel was the first to open an international brand SPA center in Georgia.

The wellness and fitness center spread over the 18th and 19th floors of the hotel is represented by the French SPA brand “Anne Semonin.”

For more information, call 011 32-2-702-9331 or visit www.radissonblu.com

The Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque has won the 2011 Earth-Minded Award in the project category by Hospitality Design Magazine and ASID. The historic hotel, which opened as a Hilton in 1939, recently underwent a $30 million renovation. Today, it is LEED Gold certified, one of only two historic hotels in the country with this certification.

The Earth-Minded award was based on a number of green design and construction features. For instance, the hotel saves energy by using solar-heated water, high-performance windows, fluorescent and LED lighting, and an energy management system. The hotel also has reduced its water usage over 45 percent.

In addition, it has a comprehensive recycling program that recycles cardboard, paper, plastic and metal; and all food waste is composted.

For more information, call 877-987-9090 or visit www.hotelandaluz.com

The Peninsula Chicago is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Chicago with offers for guests. The “Celebrate 10 Years” guest room promotion lets guests reserve a guestroom for one night and get the second night for $10. The package is valid through Dec. 31 with room rates starting at $750 for a Grand Deluxe guestroom.

To reserve the “Celebrate 10 Years” promotion and to see other offers in the spa and restaurant, call 866-288-8889 or visit www.peninsula.com/chicago