Jetsettersblog

American Airlines said it will launch service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and V. C. Bird International Airport in Antigua (ANU), four times a week beginning Nov. 17. The new service will be operated by a Boeing 737 aircraft with 148 seats. Flights are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Light Group, which owns and operates 15 restaurants and nightlife destinations on the Las Vegas Strip, has partnered with New York City’s The Butter Group to develop 1Oak nightclub at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The nightclub will open on New Year’s Eve 2011. The venue will replace Jet Nightclub, which will close on Sept. 6. Call 800-374-9000 or visit www.mirage.com

Three Outrigger Condominium Collection properties on the Big Island are offering golf deals that include discounts at the Big Island Country Club with a minimum two-night stay through Dec. 21.

Guests playing through their stays will receive a 50 percent discount on club rentals and free balls on the practice range. Package rates range from nightly rates of $154 to $204, depending on the property. Additional players pay $45 per person.

Call 800-688-4444 or visit www.outrigger.com/bigislandgolf

Blue Harbor Resort & Spa in Sheboygan, Wis., is offering family accommodations from $189 per night over the Labor Day weekend.

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan one hour north of Milwaukee, the 182 all-suite resort is offering the great deal to coincide with the Annual Dairyland Surfing Classic at Deland Park Beach.

For more information, call 866-701-2583 or visit www.BlueHarborResort.com

Jamaica’s all-inclusive Breezes Grand Negril Resort & Spa is partnering with VP Records and Warner Music Nashville to host an August 30 album release party for “Reggae’s Gone Country,” which is a compilation of classic country hits covered by top Jamaican musicians.

The event will be open exclusively to resort guests, and feature live performances by Larry Gatlin, Romain Virgo, Busy Signal, Tarrus Riley, Duane Stephenson, Dean Fraser and others from the album. Guests can currently receive 20 percent off published rates, with accommodations starting at $184 per person, per night, double occupancy for accommodations including August 30.

For more information, visit 877-BREEZES or call www.breezes.com

Anguilla’s CuisinArt Resort & Spa is featuring a “Cuisine Complete” package featuring five nights in luxury beachfront accommodations, three daily meals at CuisinArt’s signature restaurants, including the AAA Four-Diamond al fresco eatery, Santorini; airport transfers; unlimited Internet access; unlimited fitness classes (including yoga, Pilates, body sculpting); use of the resort’s tennis and bocce courts and non-motorized watersports.

The packages are valid for travel through Nov. 22, 2011.

CuisinArt Resort features what is described as the world’s first resort-based hydroponic farm, which sources 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and herbs utilized in its culinary program. CuisinArt Resort & Spa also offers specialized cooking lessons, pastry classes, beginner and advanced wine-tastings, and intimate “chef’s table” dining experiences. Package rates start at $3,700, double occupancy, and apply to new bookings only.

For more information, call 800-943-3210 or visit www.cuisinartresort.com

California Gov. Jerry Brown has proclaimed September 2011 as California Wine Month, the seventh consecutive year the state has recognized the contributions of the state’s growers and vintners by proclamation. To celebrate, many of the Golden State’s wineries, winegrape growers and regional associations are hosting consumer wine events, such as special tastings, harvest tours, wine education classes, and wine and food festivals.

Among the festivities: On Labor Day weekend, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend (www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com ) will feature more than 170 wineries and 60 chefs at Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch(www.macmurrayranch.com ), as well as a wine auction, seminars, cooking demonstrations, vineyard tours and parties at other wineries.

Also that weekend is Livermore’s 30th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration, where complimentary shuttle buses take guests to more than 40 Livermore Valley wineries for wine, local music, art and food. Crush: Temecula Valley 2nd Annual Wine and Culinary Showcase (www.temeculawines.org ) is a multi-winery harvest festival with wine, food and live music on Sept. 10, as well as the availability of passport savings to five wineries anytime during the month.

On Sept. 16, Madera Vintners Association’s (www.maderawinetrail.com ) California Wine Month Reception and Wine Tasting will feature area wineries offering wine and food at Birdstone Winery (www.birdstonewinery.com ) in Madera.

On Sept. 17, more than 20 Santa Barbara (www.santabarbaraca.com )-area wineries will hold a Cabernet Franc wine tasting with live music, appetizers and a seminar at FrancFest (http://francfest.com ) at Buttonwood Farm Winery (http://buttonwoodwinery.com ) in Solvang (www.solvangusa.com ).

Also on Sept. 17, California Wine Rush, a walk-around tasting featuring wines from more than a dozen California wine regions throughout the state, will take place in San Francisco in the Grand Hall of the historic Ferry Building during the Saturday farmer’s market. Savor the Central Coast 2011 (www.savorcentralcoast.com ), presented by Sunset Magazine and the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau, will feature a grand tasting with 200-plus wineries, wine seminars, winemaker dinners and other culinary adventures during this four-day experience, Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

In addition, several California wine organizations are launching wine country smart phone apps and other digital tools. Among them are Santa Barbara, Monterey (www.seemonterey.com ), Santa Clara (www.santaclara.org ) and the Santa Cruz Mountains (www.scmwa.com ).

And Ridge Vineyards (www.ridgewine.com ), which operates several winery estates in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma (www.sonomacounty.com) wine country, has introduced digital wine tasting. Through the use of a free aerial simulation in the tasting room, guests are taken on an interactive journey through all of Ridge’s vineyards.

Several California wine country hotels and tour operators also are offering packages. Among them: Safari West (www.safariwest.com ) in Sonoma County is offering a 10 percent discount on wine tasting safaris, tours, lodging, massages and meals. Safari West offers three unique wine tasting safaris. Judd Hill Winery’s (www.juddshill.com ) Bottle Blending Camp in the Napa Valley (www.legendarynapavalley.com ) allows visitors to work with a winemaker to create their own Bordeaux style cuvee, starting at $225. And Calaveras Concierge (www.calaverasconcierge.com ) in Gold Country (www.calgold.org) is offering discounts on customizable packages, such as a $100 savings on the Calaveras Zip and Sip Adventure. Call 415-512-0151 or visit www.discovercaliforniawine.com/learn/september-winery-events  or www.visitcalifornia.com/winemonth

BEACHBOOKER.COM CARIBBEAN wide

LOT Polish Airlines is offering 10 percent off to customers who purchase tickets on LOT.com through Sept. 10. Registered customers must purchase their LOT tickets via the lot.com website for a LOT flight between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15. Customers can book as many times as they’d like during this period and they can book up to eight passengers at a time.

The discount is available to customers who already have an account or will register for a new account (login) at the Polish carrier’s website. The benefit of having an account is not only to be informed of the latest information and current promotions, but also allows for a faster online booking process. For more information, visit www.lot.com

Thailand will present the Royal Kathin Barge Procession on the Chao Phraya-the River of Kings on Oct. 22 to commemorate the King of Thailand’s 84th birthday. Officially known as the Praratcha Phithi Phra Yuha Yatra Cholamak (Royal Waterway Procession), this water-borne procession is reserved only for the most significant cultural and religious events. It has only been held only 16 times during His Majesty’s reign.

The procession will be organized by the Royal Thai Navy and will mark the visit of members of the royal family to present offerings of saffron kathin robes, food and other necessities to the monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) to mark the end of the three-month Buddhist rains’ retreat in October. Barges will carry the Buddha image and the royal family to present the robes.

During the rainy season, Buddhist monks traditionally return to their temples for what is often called Buddhist lent. The monk’s annual pilgrimage, which usually takes place during the full moon in October and November, is known as Tawt Kathin Luang or the Royal Kathin Ceremony. The religious ceremony is performed in accordance with ancient sacred rituals. In preparation for the Oct. 2 procession, the Royal Thai Navy will conduct eight rehearsals Aug. 26–Oct. 7.

Two full dress rehearsals are scheduled for Oct. 13 and 18. The Royal Kathin barge Procession on Oct. 22 will consist of a fleet of 52 traditional-style barges arranged in five columns, based on a battle formation from ancient times. It will include four major royal barges, as well as 10 additional barges with animal figureheads and 38 smaller vessels. The five-column fleet stretches 4,200 feet in length and 360 feet in width. A total of 2,200 sailors from various units within the Royal Thai Navy will serve as oarsmen. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will preside over the Royal Barge Procession and Royal Kathin ceremony at Wat Arun on behalf of His Majesty the King. The Crown Prince will board the royal barge Suphannahongse at Vasukri Pier at 3.30 pm. For more information on the Royal Barge Procession, visit www.tourismthailand.org/us

Hilton Hotels & Resorts opened its 10th hotel in China, the Hilton Xian. Located in the heart of midtown Xian and just minutes away from the Ming City Wall and city landmark Bell Tower, it is Hilton Worldwide’s first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Northwest China and the company’s 20th hotel in the country. The 311-room Hilton Xian has 19 suites, ranging from an 80-square-meter executive suite to the 248-square meter presidential suite.

The hotel also incorporates Hilton Executive guestrooms and lounge. The property also features an open-air courtyard, located on the third floor and spanning over 2,000 square meters. The 1,200-square meter grand ballroom (the largest pillar-less ballroom within the ancient city wall) can be divided into three and has a capacity of up to 1,100 people. Additionally, there are four private function rooms and a dedicated VIP room. Hilton Xi’an also features a comprehensive range of recreational facilities including a heated indoor swimming pool and a gymnasium equipped with exercise studios and the latest cardio-fitness machines.

Managed by iSPA, the 1,000-square meter spa will offer nine private treatment rooms as well as a foot massage center. The hotel’s dining includes China Club Chinese restaurant, which offers Cantonese, Hunanese and Shaanxi cuisines; and Red provides a superb Chinese culinary experience served in all private dining rooms. Café Xian features live food action stations showcasing both Western and Asian cuisines. The T-Lounge offers desserts and pastries, an extensive tea selection, gourmet coffees and light snacks. For more information about Hilton, visit www.hiltonworldwide.com