Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008 - (Page 35)

Mexico FOR THE AGENT EXPLORING THE YUCATAN The capital city of Mérida is a good launching point for Mexico’s beautiful historic region Hotels The best hotels in the Yucatan are just outside of Mérida. Here are a few we recommend pitching to your clients. Hacienda Petac (www.haciendapetac. com) is a private luxury resort rental that houses a maximum of 12 people. By November, it will be equipped with a new spa and fitness center. Hacienda Petac is about a 30-minute drive from the Mérida International Airport. All rooms here are suites. The property offers agents commissions of 10 to 15 percent, depending on volume. The travel agent liaison at the property is Casey Leonard (800-225-4255, info@ haciendapetac.com). Another great pitch, which rests in the heart of Mérida, is the Hacienda Mérida (www.hotelhaciendamerida. com). It offers exclusive service and only eight rooms. For a hotel in a vibrant city, it is actually known most for its tranquility. The hotel has a bar lounge, a pool and a spa with a professional masseuse on the property every night. Each room offers natural honey product for the body and a king-size bed with 600-thread Egyptian cotton sheets. Home-Based Travel Agent was told that rooms 1 and 3 are the best picks in the house. They both come with dark wood floors and private terraces with hammocks overlooking the property’s pool. Hacienda Mérida offers a 10 percent commission. Home-based agents can call the owner, Alexandre Deglute (011-52-999-924-4363, alex@ hotelhaciendamerida.com). Hacienda Xcanatún (www. xcanatun.com), a former sisal hacienda converted into a small luxury hotel, is another great recommendation. It has 18 suites, two pools, an awardwinning gourmet restaurant and a spa. It is about 20 minutes from Mérida’s historic downtown and 20 minutes from Yucatan’s gulf coast beaches. All rooms are different, but we suggest Master Suites 103 and 104, which have and will be geared toward business travelers. It will be near the Convention Center, where the 90-room Holiday Inn Express (www.hiexpress.com) began construction in late May. Other brands investing are Ibis from the Accor (www. accor.com) hotel chain, which will also A Deluxe Suite bedroom at Hacienda Xcanatún hand-carved, coral stone tubs for two. Also, Deluxe Suite 316 has a hydrotherapy tub on a second-story private terrace with a hammock overlooking the gardens. The property offers a 10 percent commission. Home-based agents can call Reservations Manager Araceli Ramirez (011-52-999-941-0213, hacienda@xcanatun.com). Hilton will begin construction of its new Mérida hotel at the end of this year. In its first stage, it will have 120 rooms be geared toward business tourism. Construction has begun and the inauguration is planned for the third quarter of this year. Marriott (www.marriott. com) is also expected to start construction in Mérida this year with no specific date announced. It will have 250 to 300 rooms and such services as a sports bar, lobby bar, spa, gym, pool and restaurants. Besides these constructions, small boutique hotels, bed-and-breakfasts Continued on page 36 JULY/AUGUST 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 35 http://www.hiexpress.com http://www.haciendapetac.com http://www.haciendapetac.com http://www.accor.com http://www.accor.com http://www.hotelhaciendamerida.com http://www.hotelhaciendamerida.com http://www.marriott.com http://www.marriott.com http://www.xcanatun.com http://www.xcanatun.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008

Home Based Travel Agent - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Tips for a Smooth Trip Agent Symposium Hotels For the Traveler - Destinations - Mexico For the Agent - Destinations - Mexico For the Traveler - Destinations - Dubai For the Agent - Destinations - Dubai Thailand For the Traveler - Cruise For the Agent - Cruise For the Traveler - Tours For the Agent - Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008

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