Meeting News - November 10, 2008 - (Page 32)

Mexico Incentives By Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com Long-Awaited Mundo Imperial Complex Debuts in Acapulco Convention center, featuring state-of-the-art technology, is now open; Yanni is set to open Forum arena with concert The $300 million Mundo Imperial resort and entertainment complex, set in Acapulco’s Punta Diamante district, opened the 730,000-sf, SMGmanaged Il Duomo Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Center at the beginning of this month. The center comprises 236,000 sf of column-free exhibition space, 50 divisible meeting rooms, over 2,300 parking spots, and the ability to accommodate groups of up to 10,000 people. Also, there are 36 loading docks, more than 1,000 hanging points in its exhibit halls, wireless Internet access, cable, and videoconferencing capability in all meeting rooms. “Il Duomo will revolutionize the convention industry throughout the world,” said Margarito Barreras, the facility’s general manager.“We have outfitted Il Duomo with state-of-the-art technology and equipment, making it one of the most progressive exhibition centers to date. Combined with its ideal location less than two miles from Acapulco International Airport, this will be the ultimate location for business meetings and conventions.” The complex also will feature a relaxation center offering visitors 15-minute massages between meetings and throughout the workday, as well as boutique shops and three on-site restaurants. Also part of the Mundo Imperial complex, the 190,000-sf, 4,000-seat Forum at Mundo Imperial will open this week, with “Yanni Voices and Special Guests” set to debut Nov. 13.“The Mexican people have taken me in for many, many years,” said Yanni. “I’ve performed there many, many times. Now the best part of my life has just begun, and the best music I have ever written is about to come out.” The $45-million Forum is expected to host more than 40 major theatrical events each year. Its seating plan consists of three levels: the main level, which holds 1,992 seats; the club level, which holds 1,011 seats; and the upper level, which holds 1,050 seats. Il Duomo is described as state of the art. Bevy of New Spas Are Hitting Mexican Resort Destinations Temazcals, folk healers, and European polish are all available to winners Spa Aqua, the destination spa that opened in the new 371-room Aqua Cancun resort in February, takes an international attitude regarding treatments, employing relaxation techniques from Sweden, Morocco, Southeast Asia, Australia, and India, as well as those gleaned from the indigenous Mayan culture. Among the more unusual spa samplings are the Maya temazcal (sweat lodge) and the Gold Bath treatment—a combination of gold flowers and cosmetics. However, according to spa manager Jaime Martinez Austria, the most popular treatments are the 80-minute Mayan Secret, which combines stone massage with indigenous essential oils; the 50-minute Rice Wrap, “used by geishas in their beauty rituals”; and the 60-minute Le Sieste (Dream State), a “sensory machine” that combines a variety of devices and stimulations to arouse sense and energy. Meanwhile, the European-based signature spa 32 MeetingNews November 10, 2008 and wellness center Auriga will accompany the new Capella properties, which are expected to open in Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapap, and the Riviera Maya within the next few months. Each Auriga will be themed on the indigenous landscape; for example, the one at the 66-room Capella Pedregal (set to open March) will offer Bajan curanderismo, or traditional Mexican folk healing, in various settings, from the spa itself to a curandera’s mountaintop cottage to a seaside palapa. The cliffside Auriga at the 59-room Capella Ixtapa (to open in December) will feature 6,000 sf of interior space, complemented by outdoor environments that make the most of the inspirational views. For the 83-villa Capella Bahia Maroma (opening in the Riviera Maya in the spring), the Auriga will feature a spa cafe staffed by certified nutritionists, who will customize diets. Also in the Riviera Maya, the 90-room Ceiba del Mar combines Mayan treatment with Euro- Spa Aqua lets the pampering flow. pean holistic therapy. Its “topnikte” (Mayan for cocoon) treatment begins with a massage for 50 minutes, followed by a cocoon-like body wrap, soaked in an infusion of aromatic herbs. Groups can then become one amidst the mangroves down on the property’s high platform meditation palapa, gathering at the temazcal for traditional healing. H www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - November 10, 2008

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