Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 - (Page 37)

A guest room at La Concha one. The new facility will have 16 treatment rooms, including some for couples, and a fitness center. Construction is scheduled to begin in January, and the spa—to be built over the hotel’s casino—is expected to be completed for next winter season. The present spa and fitness center will continue to operate until the new facility is ready. Several ideas are being considered to convert the building housing the existing spa, but none have been finalized. Less than a year ago, French chef Laurent Tourondel opened his first BLT restaurant (BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel) in the Caribbean, BLT Steak at the Ritz-Carlton. Open for dinner only, it replaced the Prime restaurant. It has a raw bar and a selection of seafood entrees, but the specialty is steak, particularly Kobe beef and Wagyu skirt (the American version). There is also a selection of 15 scrumptious desserts and a small children’s menu. Over the last several years, all of the RitzCarlton’s guest rooms and suites have been refurbished with contemporary decor, Internet access, flat-screen TVs and Bulgari toiletries. Also, a new, almost revolutionary (for RitzCarlton) amenity—a coffeemaker—has been added. But in true Ritz-Carlton style, it’s no ordinary coffeepot. Rather, a state-of-the-art coffeemaker and a sleek pot for brewing tea are encased in a fine mahogany box, reminiscent of a colonial campaign chest. It has compartments for china cups and stirrers, as well as coffee pods (regular and decaf), a selection of teas, small containers of real cream and packets of sugar. Like the balconies, this new in-room amenity is the result of guest suggestions. For inquiries and reservations at the RitzCarlton, San Juan (www.ritzcarlton.com), call 787-253-1700 or 800-241-3000. Condado Stages Comeback Midway between Old San Juan and Isla Verde is Condado, San Juan’s prime resort area. After almost a decade of decline, it is making a comeback thanks to major hotel renovations, the addition of high-end boutiques—Ferragamo, Chanel, Gucci, among others—and most importantly, the rebirth of La Concha after a 10-year closure. The resort was set to reopen December 8, marking 49 years to the day of the hotel’s original opening, when it was hailed as a masterpiece of the “Tropical Modernism” architectural movement in the Caribbean. La Concha (www.marriott.com/hotels/ travel/sjubr-la-concha-a-renaissance-resort), which will the first property in Puerto Rico to be marketed under Marriott’s Renaissance brand, is only the first phase of a huge project that will see the addition of a condo-hotel tower on La Concha’s east flank and the restoration of the Vanderbilt mansion as the centerpiece of another hotel and condo-hotel complex to the east, opening in 2009. The entire project is headed by Hugh Andrews, president of International Hospitality Enterprises, who was responsible for the rebirth of El San Juan Hotel, and thus the Isla Verde district, as well as for El Conquistador, which sparked development of the Fajardo area. The interior designer for these hotels, Jorge Rossello, has put his genius to work in the makeover of La Concha, turning it into an oasis of cool. Sure to become the epitome of urban seaside chic for hotel guests, day visitors and Condado residents, La Concha’s elegant open-air plaza has cascading waters, fountains and pools to one side of the expansive, open lobby. The 248 spacious, ultramodern guest rooms, all with spectacular ocean views, have iPod/MP3-playercompatible alarm clocks, flat-screen LCD TVs, digital on-demand entertainment and highspeed Internet access, to name a few of the upscale amenities. The resort’s five restaurants include Perla, the signature seafood restaurant of well-known chef Dayne Smith, resting under La Concha’s trademark beachside shell dome; another with Pacific Rim cuisine and prime meat; a pool grill by day and tapas bar by night; a deli; and a coffee shop. The seaside Casino del Mar will open in summer 2008. Agents with VIP clients should contact José M. Suárez, vice president and managing director (jsuarez@laconcharesort.com, 787721-7500), or Luis A. Méndez, director of sales and marketing (lmendez@laconcharesort.com). For information and reservations, call 877524-7778 or 787-721-8500. The sales phone number for La Concha is 787-721-7500. —KAY SHOWKER CONNECTING YOU For tips on shopping and dining in San Juan, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/puertorico December 24, 2007 TravelAgent | 37 http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjubr-la-concha-a-renaissance-resort http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjubr-la-concha-a-renaissance-resort http://www.travelagentcentral.com/puertorico

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor Letters to the Editor Contributors Europe: Lyon, the Center of France Two Iconic London Hotels Jazz Up their Top Suites Europe Briefs Mexico: Puerto Morelos on the Riviera Maya Mexico News & Notes Pacific/Asia: Large-Scale Developments Strengthen Singapore’s Appeal to Families, Meetings and Other Travelers Caribbean: Old San Juan’s New Hotel The Cervantes Ritz-Carlton Upgrades, La Concha Reopens in San Juan Peter Island Resort Hawaii: Maui Enhances its Allure for Active and Luxury Clients Las Vegas: Hoteliers and Wholesalers Go Beyond Gaming Las Vegas Briefs Tours: Pacific Northwest Briefs Hotels: News and Packages from All-Inclusives in Mexico and the Caribbean Cruises: Luxury Lines’ Shore Excursions Cover Story: Gerry Cahill Agent Profile: Nancy Nicol, Hawaii Specialist and Hyatt Award Winner Technology: Mailpound’s Customized Marketing Transportation: Boeing’s Anticipated Next Arrival: the 747-8 Intercontinental New York: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Vegas Travel Week Sofitel’s Two New Brands Travelport Rolls Out Leisure Product Expedia CruiseShipCenters Debuts U.S. Tourism to Israel In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch Special Supplememt: 2008 Portugal Travel Guide

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

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