Recommend December 2013 - (Page 62)

Weller hit the nail on the head. Visiting Cabo San Lucas this year was a highlight for me. Our days were filled with nonstop outdoor activities: snorkeling, boating, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, and swimming with the dolphins, too. Grand Solmar at Land's End Resort & Spa (grandsolmarresort.com) hosted us during our stay, and in the July 2013 issue in the onsite review of that property, I wrote, "Grand Solmar's effortless blend of luxury, fine dining and top-notch accommodations made it the ideal refuge for winding down the night once the thrill of the day's outdoor activities in Cabo came to an end." Zipping over to Mexico's eastern shoreline, Cancun and the Riviera Maya definitely won the superlative for "Most Likely To Entice Tourists." From January to August, Cancun had an 81.1 percent hotel occupancy rate and 2.2 million international passengers touched down at Cancun International Airport, while Riviera Maya saw close to one million U.S. travelers. "Riviera Maya, Los Cabos and Cancun are our top three, bestselling destinations in Mexico for 2013 for a variety of reasons," says Jack Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays. "These beach destinations offer the essentials for dream vacations: amazing natural beauty, incredible value for the travel dollar, convenient flight schedules and a wide selection of resorts, including all-inclusive, adults-only and family-friendly options." Who can first remember when the phrase "multigenerational travel" became (and still is) all the rage? While visiting Palace Resorts' all-inclusive Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort (moon palacecancun.com), I saw mom, dad, the kiddies and grandma and grandpa enjoying this 2,400-guestroom property. In the September 2013 issue, in an onsite review of the property, I gave you the latest on the resort's $55 million facelift that included guestroom refurbishments; a new lounge area for teens; and a 37,000-sq.-ft. outdoor natural saltwater aquarium home to dolphins. I was also impressed with the Azul Sensatori Hotel by Karisma (karismahotels.com), which is why I included it as one of my five top family resorts in the September issue. Mom and dad can appreciate the resort's Pack & Play program taking care of necessary baby supplies and essentials that are waiting for them upon check-in; stroller, Gerber baby food, and baby robes also included. But the spotlight shines brightest on Merida, our pick as a hot destination for 2014. In Merida: Gateway to the Yucatan Experience (November 2013 issue), Angelica Espinosa, sales director for Catherwood Travels, said, "Near Merida you have archaeological sites, colonial cities, convents, cenotes, ecological reserves, haciendas and Maya villages. It's a trip into history and culture. Mayan culture is alive here and there are even villages where only the Maya language is spoken." all-inclusive & boutique stays "The most popular Mexico destinations in 2013 for my clients were Cancun and the Riviera Maya, particularly the adults-only, all-inclusive upscale resorts," says Marilyn Ross with Journeys Unlimited. "THE Royal Cancun [realresorts.com/the-royal-cancun], the Excellence Playa Mujeres [excellence-resorts.com] and Karisma's El Dorado Royale, a Spa Resort and El Dorado Casitas Royale [karisma.com] all provide excellent customer service, luxury accommodations and many options for gourmet cuisine, including 24-hour room service. My clients have been well pleased with the value for money spent at these resorts." Adds Pleasant Holidays' Richards, "All-inclusive resort sales are stronger than ever, with new players, including Hyatt, entering the market. The boutique hotel experience is more popular with Pleasant Holidays' luxury brand, Journese, whose travelers prefer the more intimate accommodations and concierge service these properties can provide." A new addition to Riviera Maya is NIZUC Resort & Spa (nizuc. com), a 274-suite and private villa resort with five pools, six restaurants and a NIZUC Spa. Big hitters like Iberostar (iberostar. com) introduced another all-inclusive to the Riviera Nayarit market, Playa Mita, and AMResorts (amresorts.com) introduced its Secrets Marquis Los Cabos. This year Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of its first two all-inclusive products: Hyatt Zilara Cancun (cancun.zilara.hyatt.com) and Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos (loscabos.ziva.hyatt.com), featuring 619 suites, eight restaurants, six bars and lounges, a kids' camp, pools galore, and golf and spa services. On the more boutiquey side of accommodations, Mexico City saw the opening of Le Meridien Mexico City (starwoodhotels. com), the brand's seventh hotel in the capital located at Paseo de la Reforma, featuring 160 rooms, a fitness center, pool and C'est la Vie, the onsite restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overlooking the Sea of Cortez is the new Hotel El Ganzo (elganzo.com), a 72-room beachfront hotel offering a rooftop bar and lounge; a full-service spa; onsite restaurants and, for art and music lovers, live artist installations and an in-house recording studio. keep 'em coming In 2013, Sunwing Airlines added two new flights to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo from three Canadian gateways, and this month travelers can fly direct to Mazatlan from Minneapolis on Sun Country Airlines-the airline is planning to resume its weekly nonstop flights to Mazatlan on Saturdays-and in January 2014, the airline is offering two weekly flights on Saturdays and Tuesdays. In June, AirTran Airlines added a direct flight from Denver to Los Cabos; Spirit Airlines has been providing flights between Dallas and San Jose del Cabo; and in January 2014, Aeromexico will be launching two direct flights to Los Cabos from New York (JFK). ● Visiting Mexico's haciendas 62 december 2013 should be on your client's must-do list. recommend.com CATHERWOOD TRAVELS http://www.grandsolmarresort.com http://www.realresorts.com/the-royal-cancun http://www.excellence-resorts.com http://www.karisma.com http://www.moonpalacecancun.com http://www.amresorts.com http://www.karismahotels.com http://cancun.zilara.hyatt.com http://loscabos.ziva.hyatt.com http://www.elganzo.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Canyon Ranch
Tour Talk: Insight Vacations
17th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2013
Discovering North America
Caribbean Trends
Anguilla Travel Agent Specialist Program
Asia & The South Pacific in the Rearview Mirror
Mexico 2013
Latin America in 2013 and Beyond
Africa + The Middle East Continue to Make Stides
Nostalgic for Europe

Recommend December 2013

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2016deltaeuropemiddleeastandafricatravelguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/deltacaribbeanguide2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/delateurope2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/colombia2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/theislandsoftahiti
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/greatbritain
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/ClubMed2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommend/december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/anguilla
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stlucia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/guadeloupeisland
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/hamburg2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2013DeltaTravelGuide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/VisitFlorida2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/panama2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/india2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/asia_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Delta_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/aruba_dec_11
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Thailand_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stockholm
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Flanders
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/mex_may_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/prevue_fl_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/caribbean_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011guidetolatinamerica
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RECOMMEND_JAN_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Asia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Taiwan
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Israel
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/CA
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RivieraNayarit
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/BRAZIL
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/MEXICO
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/India
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com