Jetsettersblog

U.S. News & World Report (www.usnews.com) has ranked the Langham Huntington, Pasadena as the No. 1 hotel in Los Angeles (www.discoverlosangeles.com). Out of 58 luxury hotels, 20 made the U.S. News list of the Best Hotels in Los Angeles. Three factors determined the rankings — recommendations and accolades from reputable travel publications; the hotels’ expert ratings, which are assigned by other travel media; and guest comments in online user reviews.

For more information, call 800-588-9141 or visit http://pasadena.langhamhotels.com

Riu Plaza Guadalajara opened last week in Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco, as the Spain-based company’s first city hotel in Mexico.

The property is also the second hotel in the urban Riu Plaza brand, which was announced in 2009 and made its debut in September 2010 with the opening of the Riu Plaza Panama City.

The Riu Plaza Guadalajara is a 42-story building located in the heart of the city.

The hotel offers more than 48,000 square feet of event space, and its 16 conference rooms have the latest equipment and an ideal environment for hosting corporate meetings and all types of celebrations for up to 1,700 people. The hotel offers 557 guestrooms designed with a sophisticated décor in an avant-garde style.

Rooms are divided into categories including Deluxe, Executive, Junior Suites, Senior Suites, Presidential Suites, and a Penthouse that occupies the top two floors to feature city views. Among other amenities, all guestrooms offer free wireless Internet and complimentary initial contents of the mini bar.

On-property dining options include haute cuisine restaurant Chardonnay, Dreams lobby bar, Blue Moon lounge in the pool area, and the international restaurant Decapolis, where guests can find a full breakfast buffet as well as Sunday brunch.

Riu Class Executive Lounge is a relaxing area free for guests staying in executive rooms and suites and for Gold and Diamond cardholders in the chain’s loyalty program Riu Class.

Show Your Sweetheart How Much You Care

Looking for the perfect way to say ‘I Love You’? You can never tell someone too often that you love them, but sometimes you want to go a step further and prove your love – especially when your partner least expects it.

Isn’t it time to take your partner away for a surprise lovers’ break and a night of pure, uninterrupted romance? At The Chesterfield, Palm Beach you’ll be torn between exploring the romantic after-dark coastline and locking yourselves away in a suite that’s so big and so seductive, you won’t want to leave.

The Sweethearts’ Package will put you in the mood for love from the moment you arrive:

Welcome gift from The Chesterfield

Two days and one steamy night in a fabulous room or suite

Continental breakfast served in your suite

Our coveted list of the “12 Most Romantic Places to Kiss in Palm Beach”

A Romantic Interlude Dinner for two

Champagne, fruit, and chocolate-covered strawberries at turndown

Prices start from $279 per night based on two adults sharing a Superior Queen; taxes and gratuities not included.

This package is available until December 15, 2011.

For details and reservations, please contact The Chesterfield Hotel at (800) 243-7871 or email: bookchpb@rchmail.com

Visit us online at www.chesterfieldpb.com

The Chesterfield Palm Beach

The four-star Chesterfield Palm Beach Hotel is a sumptuously elegant boutique hotel, ‘a little bit of England in Florida’.

Encapsulating all that is most luxurious and relaxing, this historic landmark building on the exclusive resort island offers stunning European style and world-class standards of service.

By day the hotel is an oasis of calm where guests gather around the pool; in the evening live entertainment, dancing and gourmet dining at the highly acclaimed Leopard Lounge and Restaurant make it one of the liveliest spots in the area.

A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the hotel is ideally located just two blocks from the exclusive shops of Worth Avenue and within easy reach of the West Palm Beach business district, City Place shopping and dining, and Palm Beach Airport. The Chesterfield Palm Beach is part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection of luxury family run properties.

2007: AA Hospitality named Red Carnation Hotels ‘Small Hotel Group of the Year’

Registered Historical Landmark with the Palm Beach Preservation Foundation

Member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World

American Way Magazine: “The epitome of civilized behavior”

Member of Small Luxury Hotels

Trafalgar has just released its 2012 USA & Canada brochure, offering a host of new guided vacations, unique insider experiences, and an opportunity to delve deeper into the country’s most iconic destinations.

The 2012 North America program, which also encompasses Mexico and Costa Rica, is filled with even more hidden treasures and authentic local experiences that would be difficult to discover on your own.

And now you can save up to $600 per couple on 2012 North America vacations. Book by August 31, 2011, and save $600 per couple ($300 per person) on vacations 10 days or more, or $400 per couple ($200 per person) on vacations 9 days or less.*

Thanks to the intimate local knowledge and expertise of your Tour Director, you can take the road less traveled and see places, meet people and create memories that will stay with you for a lifetime. Uncover some of North America’s best kept secrets on a wide array of experiential vacation itineraries. Spend an afternoon learning the art of blending wine at Ravenswood Winery in the Sonoma Valley as part of San Francisco & Wine Country Delights, travel through Amish country by horse-and-buggy and learn the art of chocolate making on the Trails of Liberty, or be treated to a close encounter with sea turtles on the Hawaiian Explorer.

At the heart of Trafalgar’s insider experiences are the exclusive Be My Guest dining inclusions, which welcome guests into family homes and other private venues to be personally treated to authentic local cuisine and hospitality.

Taste the spirit of the Wild West with a visit to a private ranch in Wyoming and sample a high-end cowboy feast and some Old West entertainment. Or join Mexico’s renowned Chef David Sterling for a cooking demonstration and dinner at his colonial mansion in Merida.

For the first time in 2012, Trafalgar’s innovative At Leisure program, following the overwhelming success of the 2011 launch in Europe, is coming to the United States and Canada.

The new USA & Canada At Leisure program has been carefully crafted to give independent-minded travelers the option of a relaxed pace vacation, combining exceptional included experiences with more free time for personal exploration. Four new itineraries, each offering later starts and longer stays in each location include the seven-day Canada’s Rockies, which starts in Calgary and visits Jasper National park and the picturesque alpine town of Banff, eight-day San Francisco & Wine Country Delights, eight-day Golden West Contrasts and the eight-day Great East Coast Cities, which takes in the sites of Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and New York.

For 2012, all itineraries feature enhanced hotel and dining options. Upgraded hotels in both city and regional destinations offer travelers more centrally located accommodation on their next North American adventure. Newly featured hotels such as the Marriott New York Eastside, the Renaissance Harbourside in Vancouver, the Waikiki Marriot and the Paris Hotel and Tropicana on the strip in Las Vegas, provide the perfect launch pad for each day’s activities.

New exciting additions to the First Class program for 2012 include the nine-day Colorful Trails of the Southwest which starts in the resort town of Scottsdale and takes in the breathtaking sites of Oak Creek Canyon, Monument Valley and Mesa Verde National Park as well as the history and culture of Taos and Santa Fe.

Dining highlights include a cowboy barbeque with wine in Moab, Utah. Priced from $2199 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

The new eight-day National Parks Wonders begins in Utah’s capital Salt Lake City and travels through scenic Jackson, takes in the snow-capped mountains of Grand Teton National Park, explores the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park and includes a visit to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Priced from $1850 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

The addition of a new Family Experiences itinerary for 2012 provides even greater choice for families wanting to get the most out of their next vacation.

There are now eight value-packed options for families, including the new ten-day Dude Ranchin’, Yellowstone & Glacier Roundup, which is filled with adventure-packed experiences in America’s Wild West.

Prices from $2499 per person land only, based on double occupancy.

About Trafalgar Tours

Trafalgar was established in 1947 and provides exceptional worldwide guided vacations to Europe, Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South America and China. Trafalgar’s vacations include First Class hotel accommodations, luxury transportation by motor coach, rail or cruise ship, outstanding cuisine, daily included sightseeing and optional excursions, both with expert Local Guides, and the personal concierge services of Trafalgar’s Tour Directors, who share their insider’s view and reveal hidden places not mentioned in guidebooks.

For more information and reservations, see your Travel Agent or call (866) 544-4434 or visit www.trafalgar.com Brochures can be ordered online at www.trafalgar.com.

2007 to 2010: Winner, Best International Tour Operator, Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards

2010, 2011: Winner, Best Tour Operator, Europe, TravelAge West WAVE Awards

2010: Winner, Travel Weekly Gold Magellan Award for “The Experience” DVD

Brendan Vacations is proud to announce that we have been awarded “Best Tour Operator, Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific” in TravelAge West’s annual WAVE Awards, presented June 2 during a glittering black-tie gala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The awards give travel agents in the Western U.S. the opportunity to recognize the outstanding qualities and services of their travel supplier partners.

Brendan Vacations has operated in the South Pacific for over 30 years, and we are very honored to be recognized by the travel agent community for exceptional offerings to that destination.

“We are delighted to have been chosen by our industry peers as the top operator in the South Pacific,” said Nico Zenner, President of Brendan Vacations. “Brendan Vacations’ escorted and customized vacations to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti provide our travelers with unparalleled, personalized and top quality travel experiences and travel agents agree.”

Travel agent professionals throughout the 14 Western states and readers of TravelAge West voted on the “best-of-the-best” from a list of Editor’s Pick award recipients that were chosen after careful review by TravelAge West’s Editor-in-Chief and editorial team. Criteria for inclusion in this exclusive list were based on in-depth product analysis, on-site visits and a survey of a select group of travel agents.

Brendan Vacations has been providing quality travel experiences to Tahiti, Fiji Asia and South and Central America for over 30 years. Today, we offer quality Escorted Vacations in Australia and New Zealand, and the Latin American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Peru by contracting directly with ground operators and suppliers, and tapping into our vast resources as a proud member of its international parent company, The Travel Corporation.

For independent travelers, mid-to-luxury range resorts, hotels and unique accommodations -such as overwater bungalows and jungle lodges – abound in Tahiti and Central America for example, with emerging destinations such as Panama and Colombia recently announced as new additions to Brendan Vacations’ Customized Vacations program.

To book, call 800 421 8446 or www.brendanvacations.com/exotics for a full a full listing of specials on Customized Vacations and Escorted Vacation itineraries to qualifying destinations.

About Brendan Vacations

Brendan Vacations is a leading US tour operator offering a wide selection of Escorted, Independent, Locally Hosted and Group travel options. Established in 1969, and true to its Irish roots and traditions, the company’s portfolio now includes over 800 packages and 10,000 hotels in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Egypt, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Mexico, South and Central America. With high quality products, friendly service and competitive pricing, Brendan Vacations offers memorable experiences for every client. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Brendan Vacations is a respected brand of The Travel Corporation and employs over 100 travel professionals. A satellite office in Ireland contracts product and manages inbound traffic for cruise lines, incentive houses, meeting planners and tour operators. Brendan Vacations is a founding member of USTOA and other professional affiliations include ASTA, PATA, OSSN and NTA. CST#2084503-20

Air France is celebrating its 65th anniversary on the New York-Paris-Charles de Gaulle route with a special coupon code on its Facebook page.

The first 65 Air France passengers to purchase a Voyageur/Economy Class ticket between New York-JFK and Air France’s served European destinations on www.airfrance.us by using this special coupon code will benefit from a $65 discount on their ticket.

The coupon is valid for Air France marketed flights, valid for new purchases and will not apply to existing bookings. Coupon is redeemable for tickets issued on the banner below  For more information, visit www.facebook.com/AirFranceUSA

The Mustique Company will launch nonstop 25-minute flights between St. Lucia’s Hewanorra Airport and Mustique beginning July 14. The new flights are expected to improve access to Mustique from key U.S. gateways. The 18-passenger flights will depart daily on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and complement existing flights between Barbados and Mustique, which operate twice daily, seven days a week.

For more information, call 784-488-8000 or visit www.mustique-island.com/travel/mustique_connections.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Digital Kitchen (www.d-kitchen.com/digital-experience) have won two top prizes at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (www.canneslions.com ), the world’s largest and most prestigious international annual awards for advertising and communications.

The hotel received a Grand Prix, the festival’s top honor in the Design Lion category of Hospitality/Leisure, and a Gold Lion in the Design Lion category of Offline Digital Design. The hotel’s 500 digital displays, which it co-created with Digital Kitchen, blend architecture, contemporary art and digital technology. Those displays appear in various areas, including the marquee, the casino and the elevators.

For more information, call 877-551-7778 or visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

The all-inclusive Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Spa in Jamacia is offering a “Wellness & Zumba Week” from Aug. 14 to 21.

The event will feature Linda A. Robinson, a New York-based Aerobics and Fitness Association of America instructor, who will lead daily Zumba and Pilates classes for guests of all activity levels.

Each session will be followed a healthy eating break featuring an assortment of exotic fruits and nutritious snacks.

Travel, food and spa editor and author Babbie De Derian will also share highlights of her new book, “Outsmart Mother Nature.”

Each morning, Robinson will teach a beachfront Pilates class. At 11 a.m., De Derian will share anti-aging, beauty, health and nutrition secrets, tips and philosophies she has gathered from ancient cultures and 450 spas around the world.

Robinson will lead high-energy, aerobic classes “parties,” highlighted by the calorie-burning Zumba program of upbeat music and choreography incorporating hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts and some Bollywood and belly dance moves every afternoon at 4 p.m.

Rates start at $175 per person, per night based on double occupancy with a three-night minimum stay.

Travelers who book by Aug. 3 will receive a $260 air credit on four- and five-night stays, or a $420 air credit on six- and seven-night stays. A second Breezes “Wellness & Zumba Week” is planned for Dec. 4 to 11, 2011. For more information, call 877-BREEZES or visit www.breezes.com

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) launched www.SavorBelize.com, an interactive website designed to provide travelers with a comprehensive guide to Belize’s restaurants and cuisine.

The site explores Belize’s diverse culinary styles, including Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian and Maya, and features restaurant listings; reviews by international culinary critics and images. Travelers will also be invited to post photos, videos and reviews of their culinary adventures online. An interactive map, to be added in late 2011, will allow travelers to research restaurants and map their culinary routes in advance of travel.

SavorBelize is also accessible through Belize’s official travel website, www.TravelBelize.org

For more information, visit www.SavorBelize.com