Jetsettersblog

The Super 8 hotel brand announced dual sponsorships of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). A long-time supporter of professional rodeo events in Canada, the sponsorships are the first of their kind for the Super 8 brand in the United States.

As a result of the sponsorships, the Super 8 brand will have a major presence on www.prorodeo.com and provide the “Super 8 second clock” during the PRCA’s Xtreme Bulls GAC TV coverage.

In addition, the Super 8 brand will have a significant presence at Justin Boots Championships and the WPRA World Finals Rodeo.

Breckenridge has announced plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.

Opening day is Nov. 11 for the Colorado resort, which first opened to the public on Dec. 16, 1961. This date will fall in the midst of one of the resort’s signature annual events, the Winter Dew Tour, which is set to take place that same weekend with competitions on the mountain and celebrations throughout town.

Over the last 50 years, Breck has cemented its place as one of the world’s most popular ski destinations, and has managed to host millions of guests from around the world without ever compromising their trademark attitude and laid-back welcoming character, for which it has become famous. To help build excitement leading up to the start of their 50th season, Breck is launching “50 Days of Giveaways.”

Starting today on the official Breck Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Breckenridge , the resort will give away a free prize every day of the 50 days leading up to Opening Day.

Prizes will increase in value the closer the countdown gets to 11/11/11. Fans just have to like the Breck Facebook page to be eligible to receive prizes.

In addition, Breck also announced plans to celebrate their anniversary season with guests all year long with the implementation of the Breck “50 Wishes” campaign.

Throughout the course of the season, guests will be able to submit any wish they’d like to see fulfilled at the resort.

Breck staff will compile 50 of these wishes and make them come true during the year.

For more information, visit www.breckenridge.com

AMResorts, provider of sales, marketing and brand management services for Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, and Secrets, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resorts & Spas, will officially debut the adults-only Secrets Marquis Los Cabos in Mexico this fall.

The company will begin property operations on Oct. 9, when it will begin to make the necessary adjustments to bring the property up the brand’s Unlimited-Luxury standards. A full rebranding will take effect on Nov. 1.

The introduction of Secrets Marquis Los Cabos represents the brand’s entry into the popular vacation destination of Los Cabos, Mexico.

Guests of Secrets Marquis Los Cabos, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, will now enjoy the benefits of Secrets Resorts & Spas’ signature Unlimited-Luxury vacation concept which offers limitless access to gourmet a la carte dining and premium beverage brands, 24-hour room and concierge services, countless daytime activities, live evening entertainment, fitness facilities and more.

Located 25 minutes from the Los Cabos International Airport, the resort will provide 235 rooms, ranging from luxurious private poolside villas to ocean front suites, designed with contemporary Mexican furnishings and distinctive oil-paintings, and dressed in rich imported linens.

Guests also have close access to golf at Cabo del Sol, San Jose del Cabo, and Cabo landmarks like El Arco, Land’s End and Lover’s Beach.

The resort features five distinctive restaurants, a signature Coco Cafe and three bars offering a variety of experiences.

Additionally, guests have access to a range of activities including land and water sports, daily special events such as movies on the beach, dance classes, nightly shows, evening entertainment and more.

The resort’s 15,000-square-feet spa offers a fully-equipped fitness center, steam room and hot tubs overlooking the breaking waves of the Sea of Cortes.

Certified as a Leading Spa, the facility features a variety of hydrotherapy rooms and soothing signature treatments. The spa also features a full service beauty salon offering hair treatments, waxing, and manicure and pedicure services.

The resort’s variety of meeting spaces, including the 6,500-square-foot Mar de Cortés Ballroom, is perfect for group meetings and incentive travelers.

To celebrate the opening, AMResorts is offering a limited time introductory rate of $249 per person per night based on double occupancy for travel between November 2011 and June 22, 2012. The booking window is now through Oct. 15, 2011, and a special holiday rate of $379 per person, per night applies for travel between Dec. 24 and 31, 2011.

For more information, visit www.secretsresorts.com

Aston Hotels & Resorts has launched two new promotions to give guests a gift that offers instant gratification.

Book a stay for either the Ocean Promotion or the Suite Promotion and be rewarded with a $50 or $100 American Express Gift Card, based on the selected room category.

The gift cards can be used anywhere American Express is accepted and are perfect for dining, attractions and adventures, or simply a great day of island shopping.

With a minimum five-night stay in an ocean view or oceanfront room at a participating Aston hotel or resort on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii, guests receive a $50 American Express Gift Card for an ocean view or oceanfront hotel room, studio or one-bedroom suite; or a $100 American Express Gift Card for an ocean view or oceanfront two-bedroom suite.

Participating properties include: Oahu — Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel; Maui — Aston Kaanapali Shores, Aston Mahana at Kaanapali, Aston Maui Hill, Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas, Aston Maui Lu and Aston at Papakea Resort; Kauai — Aston Aloha Beach Hotel, Aston Islander on the Beach, Aston at Poipu Kai and Aston Waimea Plantation Cottages; and Hawaii — Aston Kona by the Sea

Guests are rewarded with a $100 American Express Gift Card for a minimum five-night stay in suite accommodations at the Aston Waikiki Joy Hotel on Oahu or the Aston Shores at Waikoloa or the Aston Waikoloa Colony Villas on Hawaii Island; on Oahu, at the Aston Waikiki Joy Hotel, in a club suite, junior suite or one-bedroom suite; and on Hawaii, at the Aston Shores at Waikoloa, two-bedroom deluxe suite, or Aston Waikoloa Colony Villas, two-bedroom golf villa. The offer is valid for new bookings made through Dec. 21, 2011, for travel through Dec. 21, 2011.

A minimum five-night stay is required and there is a limit of one gift card per room per stay. Offer is subject to program availability and may change without prior notice. Some restrictions and black-out dates may apply.

In addition, guests of Aston Hotels & Resorts who use a qualified American Express card to pay for a minimum five-night stay and spend a minimum of $1,000 at any Aston Hotels & Resorts property earn four American Express Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent.

The Aston 4x American Express Member Rewards offer continues through Dec. 21, 2011.

Guests must be American Express Membership Rewards members to qualify. All points monitoring and bonus points awards and calculations will be handled by American Express. Individual terms and conditions, as well as annual program fees, apply for certain American Express Card products. For more information, visit www.astonhotels.com  or www.astonhotels.com/amex

Nisbet Plantation in Nevis is offering travelers who book five nights or more from Oct. 8 Dec. 19, 2011, a fifth night free and a $100 resort credit. The package also includes cottage-style accommodations, daily breakfast served poolside, daily afternoon tea, nightly dinner and roundtrip airport transfers from neighboring St. Kitts or Nevis. Daily rates begin at $383 per couple for a superior room. For more information, call 800-742-6008 or visit www.NisbetPlantation.com

AirTran Airways has lowered fares to South Florida through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26. Fares are good for travel Oct. 3 through Dec. 15 (black-out dates apply) and a 10-day advance purchase is required. Lowest sale fares are valid for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with additional sale fares available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. For more information, call 800-AIR-TRAN or visit www.airtran.com

Nisbet Plantation, located on the Caribbean island of Nevis, is offering travelers who book five nights or more from Oct. 8 to Dec. 19, 2011 a fifth night free and a $100 resort credit. The package also includes cottage-style accommodations, daily breakfast served poolside, daily afternoon tea, nightly dinner and roundtrip airport transfers from neighboring St. Kitts or Nevis. Daily rates begin at $383 per couple for a superior room. For more information, call 800-742-6008 or visit www.NisbetPlantation.com

St. Lucia’s Bay Gardens Resort, a three-property resort complex in St. Lucia’s Rodney Bay Village, is offering romance travel programs this fall, including “Fall in Love Again” and “Mini Moon” packages.

Fall in Love Again packages feature four nights’ accommodations, a welcome cocktail upon arrival, a romantic dinner for two, a couples’ massage at La Mer spa, a picnic with sparkling wine on Pigeon Island, and a champagne breakfast in bed on one morning.

The package is available for $699, double occupancy at the Bay Gardens Inn & Bay Gardens Hotel, and for $999 at the Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa.

The package is available for travel through Dec. 19, 2011.

Bay Gardens’ Mini Moon packages feature three nights’ accommodations, welcome cocktail, a romantic dinner for two, a couples’ massage at La Mer spa, a choice of activity (including sunset cruise and zip-lining), daily breakfast and a complimentary one-way airport transfer.

Rates are $899 at the Bay Gardens Inn & Bay Gardens Hotel and $1,299 at the Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa.

Travelers must book by Feb. 15, 2012, for travel between Jan. 6 and March 31.

For more information, call 877-620-3200 or visit www.baygardensresorts.com

Carlson said the first Radisson Blu upper-upscale brand, called the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, will open in Chicago on Nov. 1, 2011. The property is located on the first 18 floors of the new 81-story Aqua Tower. The hotel has 334 guest rooms and suites; an Italian bistro called Filini; more than 28,000 square feet of meeting and event space; an 8,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness facility; an indoor basketball court; a movie screening room; an indoor lap pool; a full-service business center; and an 80,000-square-foot green roof and recreation deck complete with gardens and gazebos, fire pits, two outdoor pools, hot tub with cabanas, and a 1/5-mile running track.

Carlson selected the Aqua Tower, a new landmark on the Chicago skyline designed by architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang, as the home for its flagship Radisson Blu hotel for the U.S. The hotel itself is designed by U.K.-based designer Jim Hamilton of Graven Images. For the interiors, Hamilton pays homage to the city of Chicago with such elements as a lobby wall that features backlit glass bricks symbolic of the Chicago skyline witnessed from a distance.

In keeping with Carlson’s commitment to responsible business practices and environmental stewardship, the hotel will also be pursuing LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council once it opens its doors this fall.

Accommodations include 334 guest rooms, 15 king suites, two “Lakeshore” and “Millennium Park” suites, as well as the two-bedroom Aqua Presidential Suite. Developed by the renowned Swedish designer Christian Lundwall, rooms are available in two distinct styles, including “Mansion House” and “Naturally Cool.” As with all Radisson hotels around the world, guests who are Club Carlson members receive free high-speed wireless Internet access in the comfort of their rooms and suites. The hotel also has more than 28,000 square feet of total meeting space, including the 12,041-square-foot Atlantic Ballroom, which features 20-foot-high windows presenting views of Lake Michigan and the six-acre Park at Lakeshore East. Special opening promotional rates start at $160 per night for a king-city view room to $344 per night for a Park Suite. For more information, call 312-565-5258.

Mandarin Oriental, Paris celebrated its official opening last week. Located on rue Saint-Honoré, the hotel boasts 138 rooms and suites, an inner courtyard with outdoor dining, including a choice of restaurants and bars under Executive Chef and Culinary Director Thierry Marx. The property also offers the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Paris, featuring an indoor pool and a fully-equipped fitness center.

Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 26 countries, with 18 hotels in Asia, 12 in the Americas and 11 in Europe and the Middle East. In addition, the group operates, or has under development, 12 Residences at Mandarin Oriental connected to its properties. For more information, visit www.mandarinoriental.com