Incentive - March 2008 - (Page 67)

TRAVEL News The Bahamas Building Boom Baha Mar to raise the bar in the Caribbean By Jeanie Casison new arrivals Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora has begun accepting reservations for its exotic over-water bungalows and beachfront villas with private pools. Guests will be able to snorkel in the crystal-blue lagoon or enjoy evening fire dances under the expansive, starry skies • The Beatles-themed Hard Days Night Hotel opened in Liverpool last month. With the stated aim of being classy, not kitsch, the hotel includes both a Lennon Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Spa in Puerto Vallarta and a McCartney suite, a basement bar dedicated to The Beatles’ Maharishi-following days, and offers Magical Mystery bus tours • Puerto Vallarta-based Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Spa recently announced the completion of a $9-million renovation to its property, offering a fresh new look, with 216 deluxe rooms, 14 honeymoon suites and four junior suites. All rooms include contemporary Mexican décor, balconies with ocean views, flat-screen televisions and 24-hour room service. I magine the ultimate convenience of having a Caesars Resort Hotel Casino together with Sheraton, St. Regis, W, Westin and Wyndham hotels all in one place, on one property. This will come to fruition with the anticipated 2012 debut of Baha Mar, a $2 billionplus mega-development being built in Nassau in The Bahamas. “Baha Mar will be a great new option on the world stage for people to consider, especially those who have an interest in the Caribbean,” says Don Robinson, president of Baha Mar Resorts Ltd. Planned luxuries for Baha Mar include Starwood’s Bliss and Remede branded spas, as well as a yet-to-be named third spa facility; an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course; a 20acre beach and pool experience; celebrity chef restaurants, retail shops and several entertainment venues. The joint venture between Baha Mar Resorts, Harrah’s Entertainment and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide began with the official grand opening of the all-new Sheraton Cable Beach Resort this past January. Groups that check into the Sheraton have access to an array of amenities shared with those of the neighboring Wyndham Nassau Resort and Crystal Palace Casino. Among the options ideal for any incentive itinerary are 15 restaurants and lounges, a tennis facility, a golf course, outdoor heated pools and a wide range of water sports, from snorkeling to sailing. There are also plenty of off-site dining and entertainment options. As for a future forecast, it looks like sunny days are ahead for incentive travel groups in The Bahamas. on the horizon The Rocco Forte Collection announced plans to take over management of T h e B r i d g e w a y in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., expanding its brand into the Middle East. The 12-floor hotel includes a swimming pool, a children’s pool, and a variety of bars and restaurants, including a bar suspended on the fifth floor of a 10story atrium • Centara Hotels & Resorts, T h a i l a n d has announced it is opening an additional property, Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas Trat. It will sit directly over a stunThe current Clubhouse at Celebration ning beach and include a beachside restaurant and bar, swimming pool, meditation hall for yoga, and a Centara signature Spa Cenvaree • Celebration Golf Club announced that it will begin constructing a 2,500-square-foot golf academy clubhouse in the spring in Celebration, Fla. It will include two putting greens and additional practice holes as well as two 1,000-square-foot golf studios and a putting studio. incentivemag.com | March 2008 | Incentive | 67 http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - March 2008

Incentive - March 2008 Contents Editor’s Note: Delivering on Diversity In The News Cover Story: Leveraging Diversity in the Workplace Incentive Interview: Paul Levesque on Why Awards Fail Case Study: AEIS’ Max!-imum Incentive Program Mine Employees’ Creativity with Innovation Incentives Incentive Must-Reads The Third Annual Gift Card Roundtable My Turn: Motivation or Bribery? Everybody Get Together In Her Shoes: Why Bosses Should Be Flexible Incentive Primer: Passport Problem-Solving potentials Here and Now Is CES Electronics Heaven? China and Crystal: More Than a Pretty Face Travel News Florida: What’s New on the Beach? Smooth Sailing for Incentive Cruising Come To Hawaii And Take It Fast Last Word: But Enough About You

Incentive - March 2008

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