Travel Agent - August 18, 2008 - (Page 48)

DESTINATIONS MEXICO RIVIERA NAYARIT Big hotel plans in the works for this up-and-coming locale BY JOE PIKE A guest room with a view at the St. Regis Punta Mita IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO when Travel Agent first brought you word of a new Mexico resort destination dubbed Riviera Nayarit (www.rivieranayarit.com), which stretches across 100 miles of Pacific coast and is surrounded by mountains to the north of Puerto Vallarta. The region features luxury resorts and ecotourism boutique hotels, golf courses, rare native wildlife, mountain and island adventures and miles of beaches. We recently attended the one-year anniversary celebration for the destination and came back from that event with enough property updates to bring you up to speed on this increasingly popular Mexican destination. October is slated to be a huge month for the destination, with St. Regis leading the pack. 48 | TravelAgent August 18, 2008 The St. Regis Punta Mita (www.starwood hotels.com) is scheduled to open this fall and will feature 120 guest rooms and suites, which include 89 Casita rooms with beach views, 70 with king beds and 19 with two queen beds; 10 Junior Suites; 16 Deluxe Suites; three Deluxe One-Bedroom Suites; one Luxury TwoBedroom Suite; and one Presidential Suite. The resort will also feature a 10,000-square-foot Remede spa and 3,200 square feet of meeting and function space. Golf enthusiasts will appreciate the resort’s Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course—Punta Mita’s second. Agents can call Melanie Schneider, director of sales and marketing (011-52-322-226-1147). Riu Palace Pacifico (www.riu.com) is also scheduled to open in October. This will be Riu Resorts’ third hotel in Riviera Nayarit and will include 445 Junior Suites and Jacuzzi Suites. Also on the list of amenities are a spa and fitness center, special activities for adults and children and a variety of restaurants. The Riu Palace Pacifico’s prime location is on Flamingos Beach, just nine miles from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. Of the Jacuzzi Suites, the best are the 28 Sea View Suites, which come with a hydromassage bathtub, independent shower, living room and bedroom, as well as the seaview terrace and an outdoor Jacuzzi. The best rooms among these are the ones with an extra terrace on the top, which your clients can access by a staircase from the first-level balcony. These rooms have CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 http://www.starwoodhotels.com http://www.starwoodhotels.com http://www.rivieranayarit.com http://www.riu.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

Travel Agent - April 18, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Pacific/Asia: Visitors to Ubud will Discover the Essence of Balinese Art and Culture Special Supplement: Malaysia Travel Planner New Zealand: There is Plenty to See and Do Throughout the West Coast of the Southern Alps Europe: Beauty, History and Culture Combine in Valencia, Spain Caribbean: Scrub Island is the BVI’s First Development in 15 years The Wyndham Rio Mar’s $40 Million Makeover is Well Underway in Puerto Rico The Latest on Grenada, a Caribbean Up-and-Comer Mexico: Big Hotel Plans are in the Works for the Riviera Nayarit Florida: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel turns Orlando into Italy Las Vegas: Dinner at these Restaurants Can Get your Clients into Vegas’ Hottest Nightclubs Cover Story: Medical Tourism Special Supplement: Destination Weddings Specialist 3.0 Hotels: Everything Old is New Again at New York’s Algonquin Cruise: Short Cruises Keep your Clients on the Move for Less Group Travel: Disney makes Exotic Locales Friendly for Family Travel Car Rentals: How Much Insurance Does your Client Need for a Rental Car? Agency Profile: Corporate Travel Sales are Rising at MTravel.com, a Division of Montrose Luxury Travel Expo Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Hyatt comes to Curaçao New Hotels and Resorts in Asia CLIA Tightens Qualifications for ID Tripology Links Agents to Clients In the Spotlight Agent Access Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

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