Recommend August 2016 - 10

To u rTa l k " " HotelDesk I am confident Scott Wiseman will be a strong leader for Travel Impressions. Peter Bowler, President of Distribution, Apple Leisure Group Paloma Villaverde de rico Michelle Marie Arean We've got a bevy of hotel openings and renovations across the globe. Opened just last month in Florida are the 129-guestroom ME Miami in Downtown Miami and the 1,000-guestroom Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando. In California, the recently renovated Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz is now part of Marriott's Autograph Collection; and on the U.S. east coast, the Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue will debut two 1,900-sq.-ft. Roche Bobois Suites this September. In 2017, Oregon will see the opening of a Canopy by Hilton. Additionally, MGM Resorts International and the Sydell Group have partnered to re-brand the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas; the approximately $450 million transformation will include two distinct hotel experiences-a Las Vegas version of Sydell's NoMad Hotel and the launch of a new luxury hotel, Park MGM. For clients headed to the Caribbean or Mexico, there are a couple of new properties to recommend such as the all-suite French Coco hotel in Tartane, Martinique, and Starwood's 186-guestroom Four Points Havana, the first U.S.-based hospitality company to enter Cuba in 60 years. In Mexico, the Montage Los Cabos is slated for a late 2017 opening. Across the pond, London's Athenaeum Hotel has a new name- The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences-and a new look, while in Algarve, Portugal, the Pine Cliffs Hotel, part of Starwood's Luxury Collection Resort portfolio, just re-opened after a $57 million renovation that included the addition of new contemporary Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites. ■ Buckle up because we're headed around the world on a rollercoaster ride of new tour operator offerings. First stop China, where June saw the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, leading to a reimagined Adventures by Disney China itinerary in 2017 that will include a visit to the newest Disney theme park with VIP tour guides. More options in Asia include Abercrombie & Kent's new 2017 Family Journeys in Japan; and a Yangtze River Voyage by Private Car that is a result of Victoria Cruises partnering with Asian Vistas. Over in Europe, Insight Vacations is offering a single-departure European Affair with The Chelsea Flower Show next May 26 that includes tickets to this famed show and takes in Amsterdam, Bruges and Paris, among other delights. BellaVista Tours, too, is adding more product in Europe, specifically Italy with its new Sicily Escapade escorted tour, and for those interested in visiting Germany in 2017, Globus will be offering an 11-day European Reformation tour through the country in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. GerMAn nAtionAl tourist BoArd/WArtBurG-stiftunG eisenAch Meanwhile, Trafalgar's 2016-17 Autumn, Winter and Spring brochure features up to 40 percent savings for clients who don't mind traveling off-peak months; for example, clients can save more than $200 pp on the 8-day Rome Explorer itinerary when they travel in January or February 2017 versus November or December of this year. In Latin America, DuVine is kicking off a new Peru tour this October for bike aficionados, while G Adventures adds to its train tours through Europe and North Africa, including a new Spain + Morocco by Rail tour. MIR Corporation heads to Russia for its Tour of Russian Space Program that includes witnessing a manned launch of a spacecraft, and Clockwise from top left: yes, that quote we've got up at the top ME Miami debuts in the city's downtown means Scott Wiseman is leaving Cox neighborhood; a visit to and Kings USA this month for the Wartburg Castle in Germany top job at Travel Impressions. ■ is included in Globus' Reformation itinerary; and French Coco hotel in Martinique. 10 august 2016 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2016