Jetsettersblog

RTP, a leading provider of software and interactive services for the resort and recreation industries, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort have announced the launch of Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s new destination website.

The website, designed by RTP, offers a new online experience for the resort’s guests, and includes vacation planning, real estate information, and additional information about the resort and town. Crested Butte is making a concerted effort to appeal to destination visitors as part of a recent shift in the overall business model of the resort.

This new strategy required a website that could communicate the appeal of Crested Butte as the perfect vacation destination for those looking for a memorable experience, while still appealing to its local customer base. The new website uses rich, vivid photography to convey the resort’s beauty and small mountain town appeal and combines it with an intuitive user interface, making it easy for online guests to find information. Whether they are looking for weather and snow reports, lodging, lift tickets, real estate, or other things to do in the town, all the information is easily accessible to their online guests.

For more information, visit www.skicb.com

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is working to increase awareness of a new trusted traveler pilot program, Global Entry. The program allows expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk frequent international travelers (U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents) to the United States coming in through the following airports:

Dulles (Washington, D.C.), JFK (New York City), George Bush Intercontinental (Houston), LAX (Los Angeles), Hartsfield-Jackson (Atlanta), O’Hare (Chicago), and Miami International (Miami). Global Entry is a harmonized program that allows applicants to complete a single application and pay one fee. The Global Entry program is an important next step in building upon the foundation of CBP’s other trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS and SENTRI, and extending expedited processing to low-risk, international air travelers.

For more information, visit www.globalentry.gov

Spirit Airlines has launched customized onboard advertising. The company’s new Mile High Media allows advertisers to choose from a variety of customizable media options including seat backs, window shades, overhead bins, tray tables, drink carts and more.

Mile High Media is featuring ads aboard all Spirit Airlines flights starting this week with its first partner, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

The airline says that onboard advertising with Mile High Media delivers more than 300 times the viewing time compared to the average 30-second TV spot, and unlike TiVo, consumers cannot “skip the flight” and miss your ad. As part of the campaign, The Bahamas and Spirit Vacations are offering a limited time special offer, travelers who book a three-night Spirit Vacations getaway to The Bahamas will receive a $200 instant rebate, as well as a savings of up to 50 percent on hotel accommodations, kids-stay-free offers and other value-added offerings.

Steamboat Springs, Colo.’s first luxury, all-suite hotel, the Highmark Steamboat Springs, has opened. The new property, operated by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, features expansive suites and penthouses ranging in size from 1,600 to 2,400 square feet. The hotel’s two-, three- and four-bedroom suites feature gourmet chef’s kitchens and décor designed to evoke a mountain feeling.

The Bavarian-inspired hotel tower complements a classical European-style interior with hickory floors, heirloom-quality furniture and luxury bedding. Picture windows and private balconies in every suite offer views of the Steamboat ski area, the Continental Divide and the Yampa Valley.

Prior to arrival, Highmark guests receive a pre-planning call from the hotel’s 24/7 personal concierge to arrange amenities and services like ski rentals, private lessons, sleigh rides, restaurant reservations and in-suite chefs. Private Cadillac Escalades provide transportation to the hotel from the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, as well as to local attractions.

A personal ski valet service at the resort and on the mountain handles all ski-related delivery and maintenance. A personal butler is available to provide services like stocking the guest’s pantry with special foods and wines, packing and unpacking, turn-down service, nightly hot chocolate, same-day laundry and pressing, and in-suite massages. Other Highmark features include it’s location at base of Steamboat Resort gondola, a health and fitness club, on-call personal trainers, a heated indoor/outdoor pool and hot tub, valet parking, complimentary continental breakfast and high-speed Internet access.

For more information, call 877-879-6555

or visit www.highmarksteamboat.com

Vail Resorts is offering the Holidays on Us lodging deal, which features a free night’s stay at its properties in Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.

The Holidays on Us special is available for the 2008-2009 season and provides guests with a free night of lodging on the six holidays during the winter season — Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day and Easter Sunday — when they purchase four consecutive holiday nights of lodging.

The package is restricted Dec. 27 to 30, must be booked by Oct. 15, 2008, and the guest must stay five consecutive nights to receive the holiday night free. The Holidays on Us package is also valid at Vail Resorts’ managed condominiums, townhouses and other properties at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, as well as the company’s RockResort properties, including the Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Hotel Jerome in Aspen; La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in New Mexico; and the beachside resort of The Landings St. Lucia in the West Indies, among others.

For a complete listing of participating properties, visit www.rockresorts.com, www.keystoneresort.com, www.vbcrp.com or www.breckenridgehospitality.com
Prices start at $169 per person for a Thanksgiving Holidays on Us five-night package at Keystone’s Forest condominiums based on quad occupancy. Stay at Breckenridge Mountain Lodge for $218 per person; at The Pines Lodge, a RockResort, in Beaver Creek for $309 per person; or the Lodge at Vail, a RockResort, for $458 per person; all based on double occupancy for five nights. Other restrictions apply.

Call 800-239-9290 or visit www.HolidaysOnUs.com

Launched one year ago, Preferred Golf Club, created by Preferred Hotel Group in conjunction with American Express for its cardholders, celebrates its first anniversary with enhancements to the program, starting with the price.

For an annual membership fee of $295, the Preferred Golf Club affords members the opportunity to Golf Every Stay via a complimentary round of golf for every consecutive two-night stay at each of its participating resorts — a list that includes Ireland’s The K Club, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, The Broadmoor, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Ginn Reunion Resort, Sandy Lane,

The Grand Del Mar and many more. Program benefits and enhancements include annual membership fee of $295 with the option to Fill Your Foursome with up to three companion membership for $100 each.

The companion feature may be presented as an invitation or a gift from the initiating member; complimentary round of golf with every consecutive two-night stay at participating Preferred Golf Club resorts;

benefit may be used as often as desired, subject to resort and tee time availability; the lowest publicly available room rates at participating luxury golf resorts; resort room upgrades based on availability; use of the Preferred Golf Club Desk which assists in booking complimentary golf rounds and resort stays;

priority early resort check-in and late check-out; quarterly newsletters for members; offers from hotels and golf partners; and automatic enrollment in the I Prefer Guest Benefit Program, which offers the following perks at all hotels and resorts within four of Preferred’s brands, including Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Preferred Boutique, Summit Hotels & Resorts and Sterling Hotels; complimentary Internet access (at most locations; restrictions apply); customized local hotel benefits;

and exclusive offers promoted through the I Prefer newsletter and dedicated members-only website. American Express cardholders can enroll online at www.preferredgolf.com

For more information, call 888-893-6697 or visit www.preferredgolf.com

Continental Airlines announced a $15 service fee for the first checked bag for certain customers who purchase economy-class tickets. The service fee will not apply to EliteAccess customers, including those seated in First or BusinessFirst, OnePass Elite and SkyTeam Elite members, customers traveling on full-fare economy (Y) class tickets, or military personnel and their families traveling on official orders.

The policy will apply immediately for tickets purchased for destinations within the U.S., and between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada for travel commencing.

Continental also announced changes to its OnePass Elite mileage bonus program where members earn bonus miles based on Elite status in addition to actual flight miles on each flight. Effective for travel on or after March 1, 2009, Platinum Elite members will earn a 100 percent mileage bonus (instead of 125 percent) and Silver Elite members will earn 25 percent (instead of 50 percent) for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008. Bonus miles for Gold Elite members will remain unchanged at 100 percent.

In addition, for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009, Continental will discontinue awarding its OnePass members a minimum of 500 base miles and Elite qualifying miles on flights where the actual mileage between origin and destination is less than 500 miles.

Instead, customers will earn the actual flight miles for tickets purchased on or after Nov. 15, 2008, for travel on or after Jan. 1, 2009. Also effective for reward travel booked on or after Jan. 1, 2009, travel reward mileage requirements will increase for travel between North America and Tel Aviv (Series 10B) and Hawaii and Tel Aviv (Series 10C). SaverPass rewards will increase by 20,000 miles for economy and First/BusinessFirst tickets, and EasyPass rewards will increase by 50,000 miles for First/BusinessFirst tickets.

Continental Airlines has announced new nonstop seasonal service between its Houston hub and Rio de Janeiro.

The new service will operate three times weekly from Dec. 17, 2008, through Feb. 28, 2009. Flights will depart from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 9 p.m. and arrive at Rio’s Galena International Airport at 11:10 a.m. the following day.

The ultimate guide to making the most of your U.S. European Golf experience…

With golf’s most prestigious international competition taking place in Kentucky this September, Kentucky’s favourite premium bourbon Woodford Reserve has put together this handy guide to the home of thoroughbred horses, award-winning bourbon whiskey and the best fried chicken in the US!

10 Things to do in Kentucky…

1. Woodford Reserve Distillery – no trip to Kentucky would be complete without hitting the bourbon trail, starting with the region’s award winning small-batch Woodford Reserve. Book in advance for a tour with Master Distiller, Chris Morris, where you’ll see first hand how this hand-crafted bourbon is made.

Find out everything you need to know from fermenting, to maturation, right through to how the barrels are prepared to give Woodford Reserve its distinctive taste, aroma and colour. For those who have a spare £25k, take advantage of Personal Selection, a once in a lifetime chance to blend your own personalised batch of Woodford Reserve bourbon.

2. Thoroughbred Horse-Farm Tour – get a close-up look at some of the world’s premier Thoroughbred horse farms on this specialist tour. Book in advance with Scott Goodlett, operator of Tours of Tradition.

3. Muhammad Ali Museum – fittingly located in Ali’s hometown, the museum walks you through the life of an athlete from childhood to present day, capturing the boxer’s accomplishments both inside and outside the ring.

4. Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs – visit Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, by booking an exclusive tour with the official Kentucky Museum. Tours operate throughout the year, and a special ‘Backstretch Breakfast Tour’ is available for those visiting during September.

5. Oscar Getz Bourbon Museum – based in Bardstown, the Oscar Getz Bourbon Museum is located in a beautiful old brick building, built in 1826, and is home to a host of fascinating whiskey memorabilia from copper pot stills to whiskey bottles dating back to the early 1800’s.

6. Lexington – considered the horse capital of the world, Lexington has lots to offer the out of town visitor. Visit the site of the 2010 World Equestrian Games, or check out the many restaurants and shops. Also worth a stop is Bardstown.

7. Seelbach Hotel – visit this prestigious hotel and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time - The Old Seelbach Bar at the Seelbach Hotel on South Fourth Street in Louisville is Al Capone’s old drinking den! Also check out The Oakroom, Kentucky’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant (we recommend you book in advance).

8. 4th Street Live, Louisville – for a night out with the local Kentuckians, you’ll find everything you need on 4th Street Live. From bars and restaurants to Bowling Lanes and free concerts out doors, 4th Street Live is the best hot spot in downtown Louisville.

9. 21C Museum Hotel – check out Kentucky’s newest and most stylish boutique hotel, with cutting edge artworks by 21st Century living artists, many of which are part of the owner’s private collection and were specially commissioned for the hotel.

10. Proof on Main – opened in 2006, this contemporary restaurant is located within 21C, and was recently voted ‘Best New Restaurant’ by American Esquire. Chef Michael Paley’s food is rooted in Italian tradition with modern American influences, and ingredients are sourced locally where possible.

Gold Passport members can enjoy unlimited free nights worldwide, plus additional bonus points with MasterCard® -

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is making it easy to turn business travel into “free time” during its Faster Free Nights promotion. Hyatt Gold Passport members earn a free night after every two eligible stays at any one of more than 365 Hyatt hotels worldwide between now and December 30, 2008.

There is no limit to the number of free nights members earn by participating in Faster Free Nights, and the free nights can be redeemed at Hyatt hotels in 45 countries. “Faster Free Nights is one of the most rewarding programs of its kind, and we are pleased to make it easy for members to get away for a romantic weekend or a family vacation at great Hyatt properties in outstanding destinations,” said Jeff Zidell, Vice President of Hyatt Gold Passport. As an added bonus, members paying with a MasterCard® also earn 2,000 bonus points after every two eligible stays.

“Hyatt is committed to providing the best value to Gold Passport members, and Faster Free Nights has always been very popular, because it provides opportunities for members to experience Hyatt worldwide.” said Zidell. “We are also pleased to further our partnership with MasterCard® by rewarding customers with Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points, in addition to free nights, creating more ways for members to enjoy their travel.”

“MasterCard is once again offering a great value to its traveling cardholders through the support of the Hyatt Gold Passport Faster Free Nights promotion,” said Xavier James, Senior Business Leader, U.S. Commerce Development, MasterCard Worldwide.

“Whether traveling for business or pleasure, MasterCard cardholders can quickly accumulate free nights and Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points that can be redeemed to spend time with the people in their lives that matter most.”

To register for Faster Free Nights visit goldpassport.com. New members who join Hyatt Gold Passport during the promotion will automatically become registered.

All free night awards must be redeemed between September 15 and February 28, 2009 by visiting goldpassport.com or by calling Hyatt reservations at 1 (888) 591-1234 and mentioning offer code FFN08. Participating Hyatt brands include Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites.

A qualifying stay means one or more consecutive nights at a participating hotel or resort when paying an eligible rate;

award stays do not qualify. Promotion is subject to full terms and conditions of Faster Free Nights and Gold Passport, available

at www.goldpassport.com.

Global Hyatt Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world’s premier hotel companies. The hotels owned, operated, managed or franchised by its subsidiaries provide authentic hospitality to guests in 45 countries through a passionate commitment to personalized service, cultural relevance, and the environment. Global Hyatt subsidiaries own, operate, manage or franchise more than 365 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Resorts, Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites and Andaz brands with additional properties under development on five continents. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc., operator of Hyatt Vacation Club. The success of Global Hyatt is driven by the commitment and energy of the approximately 90,000 men and women around the world who provide exceptional service to hotel guests.