Travel Agent - January 7, 2008 - (Page 52)

DESTINATIONS CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA Selling Getting There SANTIAGO, CHILE sanctuaries, for a day of heli-hiking in summer and heli-skiing in winter. Contact general manager James Hughes (james.hughes@ritzcarlton. com, 56-2-470-8510). The Grand Hyatt Santiago (www.santiago. hyatt.com) is an urban resort in a park-like setting. It underwent a $10 million renovation in 2005. Contact Ximena Diaz Crovetto, director of sales and marketing (ximena.diaz@hyattintl. com, 56-2-950-3280). LAN Chile (www.lan.com) flies nonstop to Santiago from New York’s JFK, as well as from Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami, with overnight departures that arrive in the morning. Business class is spacious, with full-flat sleepers and generous pourings of top Chilean wines. The country’s seasons are the opposite of North America’s. Spring begins in September; cruises to Antarctica sail from October to April. Ski season is mid-June to early October. Time: The entire country is on a single time zone, which is the same as Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.—9 a.m. in Chile is also 9 a.m. in New York and Miami. Dining In Santiago Patio Bellavista (Pio Nono 73, Constitución 40-50, Providencia, Santiago, 56-2-777-45-82 or 56-2-777-47-66) is a complex of restaurants, coffee bars and pubs around an open plaza ringed by more than 50 art galleries and handicrafts and jewelry shops, several of which feature Chile’s native, deep blue lapis lazuli. Aqui Está Coco (La Concepción 236, 56-2235-8649) has been serving a long list of seafood favorites for more than three decades, and is equally popular with locals. Housed in a turnof-last-century villa, the main floor dining room Hotels The Ritz-Carlton, Santiago (www.ritzcarlton. com) has a great rooftop pool and bar area that is crowned by a curved glass dome that showcases the skyline on one side and snow-capped Andes peaks on the other. Here, management can provide helicopter excursions to Lodge Andino, one of the country’s premier nature gets loud and crowded; make reservations for your clients in the more private wine cellar. The Ritz-Carlton, Santiago features two restaurants, the formal Addra and the more contemporary Wine 365. As the latter’s name implies, your clients can dine there every day for a year and try a different vintage Chilean wine each time. Anakena at the Grand Hyatt is a market-style Thai restaurant: Guests choose their fresh and uncooked fish, meat, seafood and vegetables and how they want it all prepared. Hotel Portillo (Renato Sanchez 4270, Las Condes, 800-829-5325) is a 90-minute drive from Santiago, part way on a highway, the rest on a two-lane mountain road with multiple switchbacks, up to the legendary ski resort high in the Andes. Accommodations are available only during ski season, but the restaurant is open yearround. Opt for the terrace, overlooking a glacial lake guarded by 17,000-foot peaks, and stay for the sunset. I Elegant historical buildings line the streets of downtown Santiago, Chile’s capital city CONNECTING YOU For tips on what to do while in Chile, visit www. travelagentcentral.com/chile 52 | TravelAgent January 7, 2008 http://www.lan.com http://www.santiago.hyatt.com http://www.santiago.hyatt.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/chile http://www.travelagentcentral.com/chile

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - January 7, 2008

Travel Agent - January 7, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: Top Hotels in the Czech Capital, Prague Europe News & Notes Pacific/Asia: India's Tourism Boom Hawaii Spas: Send Your Spa-Loving Client to these Havens of Relaxation in the Islands Hawaii Briefs Las Vegas: Restaurants are Taking Center Stage as Vegas Becomes a Destination for Foodies California: San Diego, La Jolla and Coronado Offer a World of Options Close Together Ski/Snowboard: Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada New Orleans: Hotels for All Types of Travelers and Can’t-Miss Events to Consider Central & South America: Selling Santiago, Chile Caribbean & Bahamas: The Reef Atlantis, Cape Eleuthera Debut in the Bahamas in Time for the New Year Caribbean News & Notes Cruises: Onboard Enrichment Programs Grow as Cruisers Seek to Work on More than their Tans Cruise Lines Expand the Variety in their Shore Excursions with Special Activities and Adventures Cover Story: A New Era for Classic Luxury Travel Expo & Home Based Travel Agent Expo: Photos and a Recap of the Events Rail: Company Books Private Train Trips Agent Profile: Dave and Christa Krick, Advantage Cruise & Travel in Northern California Technology: XML Enhances Sabre and Amadeus Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Onsite Reports from Queen Victoria Christening and Marriott Headquarters Funjet Vacations NCL’s New Ship, Norwegian Gem The African Country of Djibouti In the Spotlight Editorial Index Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - January 7, 2008

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