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
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