Solmar Resorts: Tweet to win free travel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Ready to try your luck with a little Twitter trivia? Solmar Hotels & Resorts is going to give you a shot at free travel starting on June 7, 2010. Follow Solmar (@SolmarResorts) to see the questions as they pop up in the Twitter stream – two will be tweeted every day. One will go up in the morning, and the other will be posted in the afternoon. The first three followers to answer each question correctly will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize.

Is it worth playing? Well, the winner will pick up three nights in a Junior Suite at Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa in Cabo San Lucas, with breakfast for two every day, roundtrip airport transportation and 25 percent off on additional nights – not a bad deal for answering a few questions correctly and having your name picked.

You’ll need to get to know the ins and outs of the Solmar properties, of course, as that’s what the questions will cover. To be entered to win, you’ll need to follow @SolmarResorts and use the “@ reply” feature with the right answer. The contest will run for a month, with the winners announced on July 6, 2010.

While you’re on Twitter, why not follow @Gadling?

%Gallery-93723%

Win a free trip to NYC in 30 seconds

by Annie Scott on


Love New York City? Me, too. Consequently, I am delighted to inform you of a killer, free luxury trip giveaway that takes about 30 seconds to enter.

The AT&T Interactive Voice It. Share It. Win It. contest, which is promoting the latest mobile local search (YPmobile) app, has the unbearably fabulous prize of:

  • A paid transportation to NYC
  • A 3-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton
  • Dinner at Nobu
  • Field-level Yankees tickets
  • Tickets to a Broadway show

Holy Rockefeller Skating Rink! Even locals should jump at that prize package.

Here’s all you have to do to enter. Two options:

1. With an iPhone, download and install the new voice-activated YPMobile app, then:

  • Tap Businesses, then tap Find and search by voice or by typing Nobu New York City near New York City.
  • Tap on Nobu on Hudson Ave. or Nobu on 57th Ave.
  • Scroll to the bottom of Nobu’s info page and tap Share with my Friends to email your results to win@yp.com.

2. No iPhone? No problem. Just email win@yp.com with the words “ENTER ME” in the subject line. Include your name, phone number and email address within the body of the email.

Do it right now, because the first 2,500 participants will receive a $10 iTunes gift card. Awesome! Entries will be accepted through June 21 and travel must be booked for a trip taking place by September 26.

Good luck!

Meet the love of your life – on a New York Gray Line tour!

by Scott Carmichael on

For tourists visiting New York City, the iconic Gray Line tour buses have always been a quick way to see as much of the Big Apple as you can fit into a day. But the folks behind this bus line now also offer a fun way for New York single guys and girls to meet up (though tourists are obviously still welcome!).

For $59 ($30 off their normal price), Gray Line will fill a bus with singles, and take them on a tour of the city – with some pretty romantic stops.

Included in the price is a stop at the Top of the Rock Observation deck, a guided tour of the High Lines, dinner, and – get this – a 90 minute Champagne skyline cruise.

On the bus, singles will get to know each other through a speed dating version of musical chairs.

The “Singles Night On The Town” bus tour departs daily at 5:30PM from 777 8th Avenue. For the entire itinerary, or to reserve a spot on this tour, check out the full details at the Gray Line site.

Holiday World ‘auctions’ staff members for charity

by Leigh Caldwell on

You can learn what it takes to maintain a roller coaster or make perfect cotton candy if you place the winning bid in one of 15 auctions to benefit flood relief efforts in Nashville. Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari theme park in Southern Indiana has launched the auction packages, with bids open through Monday, May 17.

Each of the packages gets you four (and in some cases, more) tickets to the Southern Indiana theme park, $20 in “Holibucks” to spend in the park and two hours with a park executive, along with activities related to the executive’s job. The auctions include:

  • Two hours with Director of Entertainment Sandi Fortune, who promises audition coaching for aspiring performers, including feedback over Skype from producers in Nashville and New York City.
  • Two hours with Director of Training and Development Samantha Ramsey, who is offering a behind-the-scenes look at the coaster maintenance routines at the theme park.
  • Two hours with Director of Values Pat Koch, the matriarch of the family-owned park, who promises lunch and a personal tour.
  • Two hours with Director of Food and Beverage Jason Martin, who is offering a behind-the-scenes tour and a cotton-candy making lesson.

You can bid on the auctions online now through May 17. Holiday World says all of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross for Nashville flood relief.

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari will be open daily for the season starting May 14.

National Geographic Traveler’s Tours of a Lifetime 2010

by Kraig Becker on

With the economy starting to show signs of life, people are starting to plan to travel again soon. In fact, the outlook for 2010 is much more promising for travel companies and tour operators around the globe than it has been for some time. With that in mind, National Geographic Traveler magazine has released its 5th annual Tours of a Lifetime list, offering up suggestions for every kind of traveler looking to escape to a new destination this year.

The list, as usual, contains 50 “tours of a lifetime”, with a focus this year on “innovation and cross-cultural tours”. Those tours span the globe from the wilds of Africa to the remote regions of Asia, to the well worn paths of Europe, and beyond. We’re even invited to rediscover North America, with a host of adventures located relatively close to home. Whether you’re an adventurous traveler or prefer something a bit more relaxed, there is sure to be something on the list for you.

Traveler also has great suggestions for families planning a trip this year as well, offering tips for finding the right outfitter, planning your itinerary, and getting the kids involved in the process as well. Similarly, they also offer up their picks for the best deals in travel for the year ahead, with companies offering a variety of discounts and other special savings.

The latest issue of Traveler hit newsstands last week, and is available now to help plan your travels for 2010. I’m sure it’ll serve as a great resource, both now, and for future journeys, as this issue always has a knack for expanding that “life list” in new, and unusual ways.