Recommend April 2014 - (Page 32)

Romance Travel Forum WHERE: Paradisus Cancun, Mexico WHEN: May 12-15 Tap into romance with the inaugural Romance Travel Forum (romancetravelforum.com), an exclusive event created especially for travel professionals eager to grow proﬁtability through the lucrative romance niche. Recommend is offering a special invitation to 25 travel professionals to be our guests at the Romance Travel Forum. With this special invitation, the $150 registration fee will be waived and we'll offer you an additional $150 travel credit. To qualify, email Kristina Viera at kristina@worthit.com. what's new in mexico (with a splash of island adventure) continued from page 30 Hotel Escondido: This Grupo Habita property, a member of Design Hotels, opened its doors in December-here, it's all about a minimal style and natural design elements. With the Paciﬁc Ocean on one side and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range on the other, Hotel Escondido is located in the small port town of Puerto Escondido in the state of Oaxaca; Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM) is about 12 miles from the hotel. Here, guests will ﬁnd 16 traditional palapa-rooftop beach bungalows with king-size beds or two double-queen beds, as well as a private pool, wooden ﬂoors, stucco walls and concrete bathrooms; onsite dining venues serve guests brick oven pizzas, seafood and Oaxacan traditional cuisine made with local ingredients. There's also a spa with two massage rooms (in-room treatments also available), and outdoor activities include horseback riding on the beach and kayaking, as well as surﬁng, and motorcycle rides on the sand dunes. Room rates start at $255 a night. Iberostar Playa Mita: This is the ﬁrst property for the all-inclusive giant along the Paciﬁc coast-Iberostar Hotels & Resorts opened Iberostar Playa Mita in December. The resort features 452 guestrooms, including 120 oceanfront jr. suites with balcony or terrace views. Guests can spend the day on the beach or lounge by one of three onsite pools; indulge in a spa treatment; drop the kids off at  WHAT TRAVEL SPECIALISTS ARE SAYING... "My clients are starting to feel more comfortable traveling to Mexico, but I still get so many 'Is it really safe?' questions. I always say, 'I feel safe and numbers are back up to where they used to be, but you need to do your own research so that you are comfortable with it.' Once we get past that, they are usually surprised by the value offered and the nice resorts. "I have had bookings for Cozumel, and inquiries for Isla Mujeres. I think that travelers ﬁrst want to go to the 'majors' like Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit before they will consider an island. I am open to selling any new properties in Mexico, especially if they are all-inclusive and offer a good value. The new IBEROSTAR Playa Mita has my attention right now." -Staci Blunt, Owner & Travel Consultant, Vacation Visions 32 april 2014 30-33 MX WhatsNew.indd 32 the kids' club (ages 4-12); dine at one of four restaurants ranging from Japanese and Mexican to an American-style steakhouse- the resort also offers buffet dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner-or order in with 24-hour room service. For golf lovers, there's a Greg Norman-designed, 18-hole championship golf course. Playa Mita also added a new category to its room options, Spa Suites. These adults-only, oceanview rooms offer updated spa amenities, a $50 spa credit and access to a private area with a secluded verandah, special treatment areas, a whirlpool and more. Starting rates are $255 pp dbl. just offshore Cozumel Cozumel, located off the Yucatan Peninsula, is known as a top diving and snorkeling destination. The new Hyatt Zilara Cancun works with Best Day Travel to offer over 200 different tours for its guests. Cozumel tours include introductory and experienced scuba excursions, a dolphin encounter, and a Sea Turtle Snorkel tour ($110 pp) where guests swim in 8-ft. water next to loggerhead sea turtles. Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, offers a 6-hour Dive Cozumel tour ($126 pp) that leads experienced divers to various dive sites to see groupers, turtles, coral and other marine life. Espiritu Santo A UNESECO World Heritage site, Espiritu Santo is located in the Sea of Cortez off the coast of La Paz in Baja California Sur. At the northern tip of the island, lies a group of small islets that is home to a large sea lion colony where visitors can interact with the mammals. Island tours are offered by a variety of local tour operators (Ecobajatours, Sun Rider Tours, The Cortez Club) that provide transportation, a certiﬁed guide, snorkeling equipment, beverages, lunch and entrance fees. Tours normally start at 8 a.m. and last for eight hours. Isla Mujeres Shopping, swimming, ﬁshing, sailing, snorkeling-the list of what your clients can do while visiting this quaint old ﬁshing village goes on and on. When it comes to booking a tour for your clients, look into Funjet Vacations. The operator offers a 7-hour Isla Mujeres Trimaran Cruise ($114 adult, $35 child) that departs from Cancun to Isla Mujeres for a day of snorkeling, island touring, shopping and lunch at a local restaurant. Vacaciones Barcelo, the ofﬁcial agent for Barcelo Hotels & Resorts, does have a variety of excursions that can be booked with each stay. The Sea Passion excursion takes guests on a 75-ft. catamaran sailing of Cancun Bay to Isla Mujeres. Snorkeling equipment, a buffet lunch and drinks on the catamaran are included. Rates start at $67.50 for adults and $49.50 for kids. ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/ issue-archive): Island Hopping in Mexico: Cozumel, Isla Holbox & Isla Mujeres (April 2013) contact information Azul Ixtapa Grand: (877) 402-2770; azulixtapa.com Barcelo Hotels & Resorts: (800) 227-2356; barcelo.com or barcelopartnerclub.com Grand Residences Riviera Maya Cancun: (888) 387-4702; grandresidencesrivieracancun.com Hotel Escondido: designhotels.com/hotel_escondido or designhotels.com/travelpro; grupohabita.mx Iberostar Hotels & Resorts: iberostar.com or iberostar.com/en/travel-agents-hotels Mexico Tourism Board: visitmexico.com recommend.com 3/25/14 8:06 AM IB14_03 http://www.romancetravelforum.com http://www.recommend.com/magazine/ http://www.azulixtapa.com http://www.barcelo.com http://www.barcelopartnerclub.com http://www.grandresidencesrivieracancun.com http://www.designhotels.com/hotel_escondido http://www.designhotels.com/travelpro http://www.grupohabita.mx http://www.iberostar.com http://www.iberostar.com/en/travel-agents-hotels http://www.visitmexico.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend April 2014

The Islands of Tahiti Travel Planner
Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Commune Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Collette
What's New In Mexico
Fiji: Fantasy Islands
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
RCI’s Vision of the Seas
Florida Keys
Oahu, Aston-Style
3 Isles: The Azores, Canary Islands & Gotland, Sweden
Sun-Kissed Islands: Belize & Peru
Afloat on the Indian Ocean: Zanzibar & Madagascar

Recommend April 2014