Recommend October 2014 - (Page 10)

e ditor's notes DESERAE DEL CAMPO (2) Top: The Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. Bottom: Fish fry on Taino Beach on Grand Bahama Island. According to Terry Denton, president of Travel Leaders/Main Street Travel, who was interviewed for this issue's "Five High-End Stays in Mexico" feature, "Luxury clients are now looking for personal enrichment. It's not just about indulgence anymore. They want their horizons expanded and knowledge broadened-that's what they are looking for, to relive, over and over, a truly wonderful vacation experience." That notion that a luxury vacation is "not just about indulgence anymore" is also maintained by tour operator principals who were interviewed for this issue's Tour Talk column (page 14), in which managing editor Deserae del Campo, posed the question, "Who is Today's Luxury Client?" Jerre Fuqua, president & chief experience ofﬁcer, Travcoa, points out that, "For many decades, the focus of most upscale travelers was lavish hotels and gourmet dining. While those expectations remain, the new luxury traveler Me at the Mob Museum today is equally concerned with the authenticity and uniqueness of their tour. in Downtown Vegas. Witnessing once-in-a-lifetime moments has become an expectation...." So with that in mind, in this, our biannual Luxury & Spa issue, we feature our cover story, Morocco (page 62), one of the world's most luxurious destinations that certainly delivers on "once-in-a-lifetime moments." As you make your way to page 62, notice all the high-end and spainfused hotel products we've included this month. For example, in the aforementioned Mexico story (page 56), Deserae chose ﬁve properties in Mexico that not only offer opulent accommodations and attentive service, but that ultimate pampering element-a rejuvenating spa treatment. She also made it a point to include a hotel in charming San Miguel de Allende, because this colonial town offers a truly Mexican ambiance where your clients can get that "wonderful vacation experience" Denton mentions. And while reading through Caribbean editor Ed Wetschler's "I'll Have a Brunello After My Facial" feature on page 25, notice how he thoughtfully chose "ﬁve resorts whose spa services are equaled by their wine service." Spa escapes (and a little bit of wine) were also top of mind for Latin America editor Carla Hunt when she wrote the "Ah the Spas, Latin-America Style" feature (page 64), speciﬁcally the Argentina bit: "Head farther south to Argentina's wine region of Mendoza for a luxury spa featuring vino-therapy treatments direct from the fruit of the vine." If you do have clients who love some good wine-and who doesn't?-but would rather stay close to home, turn over to page 16, to the "New Upscale Hotel Offerings in the U.S." feature, in which I give a shout out to ﬁve NEW hotels across the U.S., including SENZA in Napa Valley (those vineyard settings go on for miles). Two of Recommend's contributing editors were able to complement ﬁne wine with views of the endless blue sea with ﬁrst-hand experiences on board Crystal Serenity and Silver Spirit. Starting on page 48, you can read their accounts of the European voyages they took on board these high-end vessels. We'd love to hear from you, so blow up my inbox (paloma@recommend.com) by sending me your favorite spots for a luxury vacation. ì guadeloupe islands travel planner check out recommend.com recommend.com provides information you can use. It features travel offers, FAMs, agent incentives, and hotel and destination info, not to mention our special Eye on the World slideshows that showcase the various destinations our editors have recently visited. Go to the top bar under "departments" and click on "eye on the world," where you'll ﬁnd the most recent slideshows on Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Grand Bahama Island. 10 october 2014 10-11 Editors.indd 10 In this issue, you'll ﬁnd the Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner (page 27), an introduction to the more comprehensive Guadeloupe Islands Specialist Program, available online at edu.recommend.com/ guadeloupe. Once you've read through the program and answered the 20-question exam, you'll be a Guadeloupe Islands Specialist and be eligible to win $1,000. And during the month of October, Guadeloupe Islands is awarding a $50 AMEX gift card to EVERY agent who makes a minimum 4-night booking to the Guadeloupe Islands and records this NEW booking in the Agent Transaction Monitor (ATM). The bookings must be made by Oct. 31, but travel is through Dec. 31, 2014. 18th annual readers' choice awards It's that time again, for you-our readers-to tell us who the best cruise lines, destinations, tour operators, and resorts are for our annual Readers' Choice Awards. Visit recommend.com/rca and select your favorite destinations and suppliers from the drop-down menu, or add your own favorites if they're not on the list. Vote by Oct. 15 to be entered in the rafﬂe for a chance to win a $50 Restaurant.com gift card. -Paloma Villaverde de Rico E-mail me at paloma@recommend.com let's get social Hang out with us @Recommendmag and facebook.com/recommendmag. And if you want to see what our editors are up to away from the ofﬁce, follow them @Paloma_RecMag, @EdWetschler & @AreanWanderlust. recommend.com 9/24/14 11:49 AM http://edu.recommend.com/ http://www.recommend.com http://www.recommend.com http://www.recommend.com/rca http://www.Restaurant.com http://www.facebook.com/recommendmag http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend October 2014

Editor’s Notes
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Who is Today’s Luxury Client?
New Upscale Hotel Offerings in the U.S.
Tahiti: Blue Lagoons, White Beaches & Black Pearls
I’ll Have a Brunello After My Facial
Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner
Silver Spirit
Crystal Serenity
Five High-End Stays
Morocco: Gem-Filled Destination
Ah the Spas, Latin America-Style

Recommend October 2014