Jetsettersblog

GIVING GUESTS A FUN-FILLED BOATING EXPERIENCE WHILE STAYING AT THE UPSCALE BOUTIQUE PROPERTY

Spend four nights at the Cayman Islands’ only luxury boutique cottage hotel and enjoy a day of boating on the Caribbean Sea

Grand Cayman – What better way to spend your vacation than exploring the ocean on a luxury yacht? Guests of the Cayman Islands’ Cotton Tree, an upscale, seaside cottage hotel, can now enjoy a unique charter experience on board a luxurious 42-foot Sea Ray Sport Motor Yacht with Cayman Luxury Charters. The charter includes:

• Captain and crew.
• Space for up to 14 passengers.
• Professional photographer (additional cost for photo package).
• Ideal pick-up and drop-off location at Calypso Grill (with transportation to Calypso Grill provided by Cotton Tree).
• Fresh fruit and light snacks.
• Water and soft drinks.
• Ice.
• Bait and tackle for reef fishing.
• Snorkeling gear including fins, mask and snorkel.
• Snorkel vests.
• All safety equipment for your personal safety.
• Waverunner
• Wakeboarding, skiing and tubing

Rates at Cotton Tree inclusive of Government tax start at $2,392 for a couple and at $3,640 for a two-bedroom cottage.

Rates for the Cayman Luxury Charter tours are $375 per hour with a minimum of three hours and $25 fee for each picnic lunch should you wish to order them.

Cotton Tree’s upscale accommodations, which are both romantic for couples and spacious enough for families and girlfriend getaways, include pastel-colored, plantation-style two-bedroom beach cottages, each featuring 1,600 square feet of comfortable, beautifully-decorated living spaces. Cottage amenities include:

• Spa bathrooms.
• Fully equipped kitchens.
• Plasma TVs.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi, local calls, and housekeeping services every day excluding Sunday.
• A pre-stocked selection of regular and decaffeinated coffee, bottled water, tea, milk, sugar, orange juice and assorted cereals).

• Concierge services are also available to guests seeking to customize a personalized vacation, as are sommelier services and a personal chef who is also available to make gourmet meals in the privacy of a cottage. All meals can be accompanied by wines selected by Cotton Tree’s sommelier.

Call 345-943-0700 for reservations or visit Cotton Tree’s website at http://www.caymancottontree.com.

About Cotton Tree:

The Cayman Islands’ new luxury hideaway, Cotton Tree offers four pastel-hued, plantation-style beachfront cottages in a lush garden setting of tropical flowers and avocado, guava, mango and cotton trees for which the hotel was named. Owner Heather Lockington, a global traveler who was born in the Cayman Islands, built her dream property in West Bay, the northernmost point on Grand Cayman.

Four 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom cottages resemble fully equipped houses featuring “Caribbean chic” décor, classic contemporary furnishings, French doors overlooking the sea, plasma TVs, state-of-the-art Kitchen Aid appliances, and more. Additional amenities include a freshwater swimming pool, fitness center and yoga and spa pavilions nestled among seagrape trees, perfect for a sunset massage.

A personal chef can whip up gourmet meals accompanied by wines chosen by a sommelier, or Cotton Tree is a quick drive to Grand Cayman’s best restaurants. Hotel services such as a reception/concierge, bellhop, housekeeping and turndown on request are also featured. Cotton Tree is recommended by Conde Nast Johansens and was recently accepted into Small Luxury Hotels of the World, an exclusive group of more than 500 of the finest small independent hotels in more than 70 countries.

MLT Vacations launched a Caribbean sale offering up to 10,000 bonus miles per person and reduced rates or additional amenities at select resorts throughout the Caribbean through the Delta Vacations and United Vacations brands. The sale is open for bookings through Feb. 18, for travel April 1 to Sept. 30.

MLT is promoting its Caribbean product in an effort to build on an impressive year in the Caribbean in 2011, when the company grew business in the Caribbean by 46 percent over the previous year.

MLT Vacations offers a variety of hotels, rental cars and activities in the Caribbean. MLT Vacations manages multiple vacation brands, including Delta Vacations, in partnership with Air France Holidays and Alitalia Vacations, United Vacations, and Worry-Free Vacations.

For more information, call 800-727-1111.

Come for Warm Island Hospitality on Grand Cayman, Stay for Inaugural Foodie Event

GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – To promote Cayman Culinary Month, a celebration and exploration of local cuisine, in January and February 2012, Cotton Tree is pleased to offer 15% off the first three nights of any stay at Cotton Tree during the period from January 3, thru February 15, 2012.

Cotton Tree, the Cayman Islands’ first cottage resort to boast authentic Caymanian character, bungalow charm and luxurious modern conveniences envelops guests in the warm comforts of traditional Caribbean hospitality, while offering them ideal proximity to the best of a world-class port-of-call.

New to the menu this year is Slow Food Day. Launching February 4, 2012, this inaugural event—a joint sponsorship between Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Slow Food South Sound, and Cayman Islands Agricultural Society among others—is dedicated to raising awareness for Grand Cayman’s own food producers and for the island’s notable leap up the food chain as an elite destination for jet-setting gourmands.

Slow Food Day will culminate with a farm-to-table dinner hosted at Michael Genuine’s Food & Drink, featuring guest chef Jonathan Waxman.

Indulgences extend at Cotton Tree, where plantation-era elegancy defines the resort’s scattering of exquisitely appointed, pastel-hued beachfront cottages fashioned to reflect authentic Grand Cayman. Surrounded by lush gardens and fruit trees, and located just steps from the island’s celebrated white-sand shorelines, the breezy boutique property proffers a private, secluded hideaway.

Resort amenities include upscale accommodation in a Caymanian-inspired beach cottage, each featuring comfortable living spaces, spa bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens, plasma TVs, and complimentary Wi-Fi, local calls, and housekeeping services every day excluding Sunday; a pre-stocked selection of regular and decaffeinated coffee, bottled water, tea, milk, sugar, orange juice, and assorted cereals;

 access to and the use of a swimming pool; fitness center, a media library of books, music and DVDs; recreational activities including water sports, hiking, biking, and bird-watching; cultural diversions, on-site art and culinary classes; and

 one-way airport transfers. Concierge services are also available to guests seeking to customize a personalized vacation, as are sommelier services.

Discounted rates, valid January and February 2012, require a three-night stay and start US $715 excluding government tax of 10%.

Get the latest updates on Slow Food Day, and its chefs and farmers, by following Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink on Facebook and Twitter @MGFD_GCM with hash tag #SFD12.
www.caymancottontree.com

About Cotton Tree:

The Cayman Islands’ new luxury hideaway, Cotton Tree, on the northernmost point of Grand Cayman (just 10 minutes from the famed Seven Mile Beach), beautifully evokes the spirit of the Cayman Islands with its pastel-hued, plantation-style cottages just steps from the Caribbean Sea and lush garden setting of tropical flowers and avocado, guava, mango and cotton trees for which the hotel was named. Owner Heather Lockington, a global traveler who was born in the Cayman Islands, built her dream property in West Bay, creating an authentic haven where guests could embrace Caymanian heritage.

Four 1,600 square foot two-bedroom beachfront cottages resemble fully equipped houses featuring “Caribbean chic” décor, classic contemporary furnishings, French doors overlooking the sea, plasma TVs, state-of-the-art Kitchen Aid appliances, and more. Additional amenities include a freshwater swimming pool, fitness center and spa pavilions nestled among seagrape trees, perfect for a sunset massage. A personal chef can whip up gourmet meals accompanied by wines chosen by a sommelier, or Cotton Tree is a quick drive to Grand Cayman’s best restaurants. Hotel services such as a reception/concierge, bellhop, housekeeping and turndown on request are also featured.

Grand Cayman’s Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa is offering two new winter vacation packages.

The “White Spa-tacular” package focuses on the resort’s Hibiscus Spa and offers deluxe accommodations; breakfast for two daily and a $200 credit that can be used for the resort’s signature treatments and services including massages, facials, body scrubs and wraps, manicures and pedicures, waxing and tinting services.

The “Extreme White Out” package features a choice of two from a selection of activities offered by Red Sail Sports including a Sting Ray City lunch sail, a Sting Ray City Rum Point Sail, or a Sunset Sail. In addition, the package includes two 30-minute Seabob water sled rentals, along with deluxe accommodations and breakfast for two daily and a $50 resort credit. For more information, call 800-937-8461.

Caribbean shore-tour and excursion provider Island Routes has expanded to the Cayman Islands, with a variety of packages that showcase the Caymans’ distinctive and diverse tourism activities. Activities include excursions to the Cayman’s Stingrays City, where gentle stingrays swim with visitors to their sand bar; up-close dolphin encounters; kayaking through the mangroves filled with upside-down jellyfish and iguanas; and amphibious bus rides that delve into Cayman’s reefs.

Also available are ocean-side horseback rides and swimming or snorkeling among Cayman’s beautiful coral gardens, featuring turtles weighing from six ounces to 600 pounds. Excursion packages to Seven Mile Beach, George Town and Fort George and the town of Hell, which features unusual rock formations, are also available.

For more information, call 877-768-8370 or visit www.islandroutestours.com

The 343-room Westin Casurina Resort & Spa in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, is offering special rates for its 2012 Value Dates Meeting package during the Caribbean’s high season.

The package features rate savings along with complimentary amenities, upgrades and Starwood Preferred Planner Points.

Available dates for the winter season meeting package include Jan. 2 to 30, Feb. 4 to 10 and 12 to 17, March 9 to 21 and 25 to 31, and April 1 to 17 and 22 to 30, 2012.

The package also offers 50 percent discounted resort charge; one complimentary room for each 40 rooms booked; one upgrade to a suite at the group rate based on 40 rooms; complimentary in-room Wi-Fi; complimentary office, hospitality desk and beach cabana during the group’s peak nights; double Starwood Preferred Planner Points for the client and the planner; all food and beverage and banquet services tax free; and an additional 2 percent reduction on the master account for bookings made by Nov. 30, 2011.

The resort features more than 9,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 60,000 square feet of outdoor space.

For meeting information and rates, email david.krech@westin-cayman.com
 
Forgeneral information, visit www.westingrandcayman.com

Restaurant Winner of AAA Four Diamond & Wine Spectator Awards

To Feature Wines of Latin America, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal in Special Dinner Series

GRAND CAYMAN — Casa Havana, the award-winning signature restaurant at The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa along Seven Mile Beach on the largest of the three Cayman Islands, will celebrate the wines and food of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, France and Italy in a series of 2012 Wine Dinners presented January – June.

“We are delighted to continue this Wine Dinner series that has been a popular resort feature since 2003,” said John Wagner, Area Managing Director and General Manager, Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa.

“Each year, our talented international team of chefs creates unique wine and food pairings so that our guests and Cayman residents may explore singular finds among our extensive wine collection of more than 225 selections accompanied by the ideal cuisine to highlight the wines. We are honored that many returning guests schedule their vacations to coincide with these remarkable wine dinners,” said Chef Yves Lafond, Executive Chef, Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa.

The 2012 Wine Dinners at Casa Havana, an intimate fine dining space noted for its contemporary island cuisine and hand-selected wine collection, include:
• January 20: Alfresco dining with wines from Chile and Argentina as well as Zacapa rum from Guatemala

• February 24: An Italian event with menu and wine from the Piedmont region

• March 23: “Tapas and More” will feature food and wine from Spain and Portugal

• April 20: The “Clash of the Titans” showcases the wines of Tuscany and Veneto

• May 25: A “Tour de France” brings French flavor and flair to the beach

• June 22: “Tre Bicchieri” presents the best of Italy in a glass and on a plate

• The 6-course prix fixe dinners are CI$99.00 (approximately US$121) per person; advance reservations are highly recommended, please visit www.westingrandcayman.com  or call (345)945 3800 x 6007

The 343-room resort has been awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award for lodging and dining since 1999. In 2011, this makes Casa Havana one of just two restaurants in the Cayman Islands and one of 26 restaurants in the entire Caribbean to win the coveted AAA Four Diamond rating. In 2011, Casa Havana also received the prestigious Wine Spectator Award for Excellence.

About The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa

Stretching across eight acres along prestigious Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island, the award-winning Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa is a hospitality leader in its destination, offering every vacation and corporate meeting amenity. Two-thirds of the 343 rooms and suites offer ocean views. The AAA Four Diamond resort features the island’s largest fresh water swimming pool with a swim-up bar, a full-service Hibiscus Spa, a supervised kids’ club, a full range of water sports, and more than 9,000-square-feet of indoor and 60,000 square feet of outdoor event space for corporate incentive programs, weddings and other important events. Dining venues include the intimate Casa Havana, a AAA Four Diamond restaurant celebrated for its contemporary island cuisine with Cuban, South American and Caribbean influences; Ferdinand’s Caribbean Café for traditional and inventive Caribbean dishes; Tortugas for lighter fare poolside; Cafe Soleil with tempting coffees, ice cream and snacks; and 24-hour in-room dining. Shopping and local attractions are steps away. For more information visit www.westingrandcayman.com

Renowned Caribbean chef Elizabeth Campbell Cooks Up Concierge Culinary Experiences for Epicurean Travelers With an Appetite for Authentic Regional Cuisine Grand Cayman (October 17, 2011) ˆ Taste the privilege of private-island hospitality at breezy Cotton Tree˜the Cayman Islands‚ first boutique cottage hotel boasting authentic Caymanian character, bungalow charm and luxurious modern conveniences˜where white tablecloth service meets barefoot elegance, courtesy of in-house personal chef services from award-winning toque, Elizabeth Campbell. Known for her organic Caribbean fare and artful presentation, Chef Liz, who received formal culinary training in Jamaica, comes to Cotton Tree with numerous accolades after successful stints at Silver Sands Estate, a collection of upscale villas, and Jamaica‚s premier private resort, The Tryall Club, where she was recognized as one of its top chefs.

It was here that Cotton Tree owner and Caribbean native Heather Lockington, who has a passion for gourmet gastronomy, first sampled the chef‚s cuisine˜and hired her on the spot to oversee the culinary concept at her plantation-era oasis. Also certified in waitering and formally educated in the art of food and beverage, Chef Liz approaches hospitality at Cotton Tree with the same concierge-based culinary philosophy she used to great acclaim in the prestigious kitchens of the aforementioned locales as well as those for both local and international clients.

At Cotton Tree, Chef Liz‚s dining experiences featuring specially tailored menus that can be customized for any occasion, from a poolside lunch or breakfast in bed to an interactive cooking demo or Caymanian Caboose Cook-out˜an authentic Caribbean fish fry or barbecue. Meals are prepared in the privacy of guests‚ own cottages and served indoors or outdoors. (Rates for personal chef services start at US $160; gratuities not included and 24-hour notice is required.)

Guests can also order savory local edibles off three different In-Dining menus, all featuring regional staples such as Pan-Seared Cayman Style Snapper with fresh roasted local veggies, Salt Fish Fritters on Toasted Coconut Bread Squares, and Baked Pork Chops with a Root Ginger Sauce and Saffron Seasoned Rice.

A special vegetarian menu is also available. (Rates for In-Dining start at US $35 per person.) Rates for all culinary services are in addition to the standard cost of accommodation at Cotton Tree, a scattering of exquisitely-appointed, pastel-hued beachfront cottages fashioned to reflect authentic Grand Cayman. Surrounded by lush gardens and fruit trees, and located just steps from Cayman‚s celebrated white-sand shorelines, Cotton Tree is a private hideaway in proximity to the best of its home island, but world‚s removed from its high-traffic areas.

Each amenity-rich cottage is bestowed with chic living spaces, gourmet kitchens, spa bathrooms, plasma TVs, and Wi-Fi.

Cotton Tree also boasts personalized concierge service, its own sommelier and chef; proximity to fine dining, shopping, and site-seeing attractions; a media library of books, music and DVDs; the choice of pre-stocked breakfast food items (a selection of coffees and teas, juices, eggs, cereal, milk) or a continental breakfast delivered daily; fresh fruit; bicycles, and roundtrip airport transfers.

For rates and information, visit www.caymancottontree.com

About Cotton Tree:The Cayman Islands‚ new luxury hideaway, Cotton Tree, on the northernmost point of Grand Cayman (just 10 minutes from the famed Seven Mile Beach), beautifully evokes the spirit of the Cayman Islands with its pastel-hued, plantation-style cottages just steps from the Caribbean Sea and lush garden setting of tropical flowers and avocado, guava, mango and cotton trees for which the hotel was named.

Owner Heather Lockington, a global traveler who was born in the Cayman Islands, built her dream property in West Bay, creating an authentic haven where guests could embrace Caymanian heritage.

Four 1,600 square foot two-bedroom beachfront cottages resemble fully equipped houses featuring „Caribbean chic‰ décor, classic contemporary furnishings, French doors overlooking the sea, plasma TVs, state-of-the-art Kitchen Aid appliances, and more. Additional amenities include a freshwater swimming pool, fitness center and yoga and spa pavilions nestled among seagrape trees, perfect for a sunset massage. A personal chef can whip up gourmet meals accompanied by wines chosen by a sommelier, or Cotton Tree is a quick drive to Grand Cayman‚s best restaurants. Hotel services such as a reception/concierge, bellhop, housekeeping and turndown on request are also featured.

Seven-Day Sailings From $1,599 Per Person

Seattle- Windstar Cruises, which operates a fleet of three luxury sailing yachts that explore hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world’s most treasured destinations, launches “Caribbean On Sail,” offering exceptional savings on seven-day Caribbean voyages with fares starting from $1,599 per person, based on double occupancy, when booked by November 15, 2011.

Three itineraries are available on “Caribbean On Sail” and each one features intimate and exclusive island-hopping experiences in the tropics all while sailing on a luxurious sailing yacht.

Windstar’s Flavors of the Caribbean Voyage presents a unique collection of islands and highlights diverse countries, styles, landscapes and cultures of the Caribbean. Seven-day sailings on Wind Surf roundtrip from Philipsburg, St. Maarten visit Le Marin, Martinique; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Roseau, Dominica; Falmouth Harbour, Antigua; and Gustavia, St. Barthelemy.

Flavors of the Caribbean Departures:

• December 17, 2011 with fares from $1,599 per person, double occupancy

• December 31, 2011 with fares from $2,399 per person, double occupancy

• January 14; and February 11, 2012 with fares from $2,099 per person, double occupancy

• January 28; February 25; and March 10, 2012 with fares from $1,999 per person, double occupancy

Experience the glitter and glam of the Caribbean’s yachting scene with overnights in Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda on Windstar’s Yachtsman’s Caribbean Voyage.

Seven-day sailings on Wind Surf roundtrip from Philipsburg, St. Maarten visit Soper’s Hole, Tortola; Jost van Dyke, B.V.I. (overnight); Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. (overnight); Basseterre, St. Kitts; Les Saintes, Guadeloupe; and Gustavia, St. Barthelemy.

Yachtsman’s Caribbean Departures:

• January 7; February 18; and March 3, 2012 with fares from $1,999 per person, double occupancy
• February 4, 2012 with fares from $2,099 per person, double occupancy

Visit the unspoiled islands of the southern Grenadines, overnight in the beautiful Tobago Keys and discover the rugged natural beauty of St. Lucia and beyond on Windstar’s Jewels of the Windward Islands Voyage.

Seven-day sailings on Wind Spirit roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados visit Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Bequia, St. Vincent, Grenadines; Tobago Keys, St. Vincent, Grenadines (overnight); Mayreau, St. Vincent, Grenadines; and St. George’s, Grenada.

Jewels of the Windward Islands Departures:

• December 17, 2011 with fares from $1,599 per person, double occupancy

• December 24 and 31, 2011 with fares from $2,399 per person, double occupancy

• January 7, 14, 21, 28; February 25; March 10, and 17, 2012 with fares from $1,999 per person, double occupancy

• February 4, 2012 with fares from 2,099 per person, double occupancy

Fares listed are per person, based on double occupancy, for Category B stateroom. Fares are in US dollars, cruise only, and include non-discountable amounts. Taxes are additional. Offer is not combinable with any other promotional offers. New bookings only. Offer is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn or modified at Windstar’s discretion at any time. Certain restrictions apply. Offer expires November 15, 2011.

About Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises operates three sailing yachts known for their pampering without pretense and their ability to visit the hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world’s most treasured destinations. Carrying just 148 to 312 guests, the luxurious yachts of Windstar cruise to nearly 50 nations, calling at 100 ports throughout Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas. For more information including rates and itineraries contact a professional travel agent or call Windstar at 1-800-258-7245. Visit Windstar Cruises online at WindstarCruises.com. Windstar Cruises can also be followed on Windstar’s Facebook and Twitter fan pages.

Royal Caribbean International is bringing Independence of the Seas back to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for the winter 2012-13 season.

The ship will depart on its trans-Atlantic voyage from Southampton, U.K., on Nov. 22, 2012, and homeport at Port Everglades from December 2012 through March 2013. The ship will sail a three-night Bahamas cruise, before alternating eight-night Eastern Caribbean and six-night Western Caribbean itineraries.

The Eastern Caribbean itinerary visits San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination on the northern coast of Haiti.

In the Western Caribbean, Independence of the Seas will call at Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Labadee.

Additionally, a six-night Western Caribbean itinerary, calling at Grand Cayman, and Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, will sail on Jan. 13, 2013.

Independence of the Seas will then return to the U.K. in April 2013 to offer Mediterranean and Europe cruises throughout the summer.