Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 - (Page 36)

Latin America FOR THE AGENT ECUADOR’S TIME TO SHINE As tourism grows, accommodations improve in the capital city For younger couples and singles, our favorite hotel was nü house (www. nuhousehotels.com). The property can accommodate families as well, but it is located right smack in the middle of Quito’s most lively area—La Mariscal, which is filled with discos, bars and restaurants. By midnight, its sidewalks and streets are filled with many locals and tourists looking to dance the night away. Fortunately, each room has soundproof windows with two thick panes of glass. Our guide, Sales and Marketing Manager Ricardo del la Cadena, opened a window for us in room #108 A suite at Le Parc in Quito, Ecuador and we could hear every sound of the city. He shut it and we could hear absohere: It is not overdone and is incredibly quiet. There are three room categories, the 01, 02 and 03 suites named after the last two digits of the room number. The first room we saw was an 03 suite, room #503. It had a king-size bed and flatscreen TV. All the suites are basically the same as far as layout, but all offer different views and a bath located either inside or outside of the room. Room #702 was one of our favorites for this reason. There is a tub located outside of the bathroom—literally right in front of the window overlooking Quito. Your clients can have a relaxing bath while enjoying a beautiful view and won’t have to worry about anyone seeing in, because the rooms are so high up. The property welcomes families, but we felt this was the perfect place for a quiet retreat with your loved one, so recommend booking for couples, young and old. Agents should contact Sandra Ximena Rodriguez, director of sales, at 011-593-09-964-7914 or srodriguez@ leparc.com.ec. lutely nothing. We could even hear the suction as the window shut, smothering the outside noise. Our favorite room was #502, one of five Jacuzzi Suites. It comes with a small balcony, a queen-size bed and a mix of classy colors. These range from the dark blue of the velvet headboard to the dark red pillows in the bedroom to some subtle browns and oranges in the living area. The Jacuzzi, like the standalone tubs at Le Parc, offers great views of Quito. This was the secondmost-expensive room, ranging from about $200 to $250 per night plus tax. The only features we didn’t like were the elevators, which were incredibly small, barely fitting two people comfortably. Although you should certainly note this detail to clients, we don’t think this should turn off most of them. This property is ideal for 25- to 35-year-old singles and couples who don’t mind an extra-cozy elevator ride for a few seconds. The nü house hotel is about a year PHOTOS BY JOE PIKE The biggest news from TravelMart Latin America’s opening ceremony in Quito came from a speech delivered by the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa Delgado. Delgado told attendees that Ecuador more than tripled its tourism budget from $7 million in 2007 to $23 million in 2008. He projects a whopping $37 million budget in 2009. Ecuador last hosted the event in 2003 and may host every five years from here on out, TravelMart Latin America creator William H. Coleman told us, adding that the host country must wait five years before hosting another one. Coleman said he is looking into naming Ecuador the host in 2013. Quito Hotels There are some great properties in the country’s capital. Le Parc (www.leparc. com.ec) is a 13-story, 30-room, all-suite luxury boutique that was among our favorites. The hotel is very simple, has no pool and only one treatment room in its spa. But less is certainly more 36 Home-BasedTravelAgent NOV EMBE R 2008 http://www.nuhousehotels.com http://www.nuhousehotels.com http://www.leparc.com.ec http://www.leparc.com.ec

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Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Publisher’s Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Cultural Tourism Luxury Hotels For the Traveler: Luxury For the Agent: Luxury For the Traveler: Latin America For the Agent: Latin America Hawaii For the Traveler: Provence For the Agent: Provence For the Traveler: Florida For the Agent: Florida Home-Based Agent Expo New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008

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