Five steps to a better Valentine’s Day from Fairmont

by Tom Johansmeyer on

After the toll that 2009 took on your spirit and your body, it’s time for you to commit to a relaxed and steady 2010. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in on board with this and is kicking in some amazing deals through its Willow Stream spa brand, which is available around the world. So, if you’re planning to hit Monte Carlo, Miami or the Mayan Riviera, you’ll have a top-shelf treatment ready and waiting for you. Check out the “Follow Your Heart” spa experiences on tap at 11 Fairmont hotels this Valentine’s Day.

One Heart: This is a Red Ribbon Lips facial upgrade and includes a complimentary Jane Iredale Organic Sugar Lip Scrub treatment that will soften and soothe your lips. Worried about dry, cracked lip kissing? That won’t be a problem after this treatment.

Two Heart: Willow Stream’s Sending You Kisses offer includes a Willow Stream Lip Kit and Lip Definer pencil, which will make softened lips eye-catching — translation: you’ll more likely have the chance to use them.

Three Heart: Enjoy a Heartfelt 90-minute spa experience, an hour of which is side-by-side for couples, with a 30-minute dip in the spa’s oversized whirlpool tubs … complete with champagne.

Four Heart: The Love Me package makes you the center of attention. The solo day at the spa includes a 90-minute experience before noon and a Willow Stream spa bento box lunch.

Five Heart: Willow stream will Love You Forever. On the first day of the month, guests will enjoy enjoy either a 60-minute or 90-minute spa treatment … for an entire year!

Participating resorts include: Fairmont Turnberry Isle (Miami), Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Scottsdale, Fairmont Le Montreux Place (Switzerland), Fairmont Mayakoba (Mexico), Fairmont Acapulco Princess, Fairmont Banff Springs (Alberta), Fairmont Dubai, Fairmont Southampton (Bermuda), Fairmont Monte Carlo, Fairmont Empress (Victoria, British Columbia).

Fourth night free at Cambridge Beaches, just in time for the holidays

by Tom Johansmeyer on

In Bermuda, Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa is offering a fourth night free if you pay for three by the end of the year. Experience some serious luxury at this AAA Four-Diamond resort, where you can wander the 30-acre peninsula on the island’s west coast, soak in the sun on private beaches and get rubbed down at an award-winning European-style spa. Meals and afternoon tea are intricate affairs designed to impress, and duffers can lose themselves on the Port Royal Golf Course, a public course that’s only five minutes from the resort.

To score the fourth night free, you’ll need to book by the end of the year for a stay between November 1, 2009 and April 15, 2010. So, you can disappear for the coldest months of the year, or hide during that strange period in March that isn’t really cold but is just incredibly raw.

But, the real draw for this deal is in December. Holiday stress can be a real nightmare. Yeah, it’s only October right now, but you know what’s coming. Thanksgiving will having you running a mile a minute, and that’s nothing compared to the December death march. Instead of trying to extract yourself from the dizzying schedule with a short weekend away requiring little more than a drive, plan now for the break you’ll so desperately need. If I were able to get out of town for a bit in December, I’d do it in a heartbeat … and I purposefully keep my holiday commitments to a minimum.

Daily travel deal – 7 day Bermuda cruise from New York for $540

by Scott Carmichael on

What better way to kick off Spring than a 7 day round trip cruise from New York to Bermuda? You’ll sail on board the Norwegian Dawn, and get to enjoy all the amenities on this ship.

Spend your time in one of the three pools, or enjoy a bite to eat in one of the 12 different restaurants or nine bars

Or how about losing some of that buffet weight in the fitness center? At night, you can be entertained in the Broadway theater or trying your luck in the casino.

This 7 day cruise starts at just $539, depending on the room level you select. To make the deal even better, you are even eligible for a shipboard credit ($25 for in inside room, up to $250 for the largest rooms). And if that isn’t enough, if you are an AFL/CIO union member, you may even be eligible for an even lower rate!

Remember, these cruises include all your meals, so for just over $75 you get a room and all your meals and entertainment, and because the cruise leaves from New York, residents of that area won’t have to invest anything extra in flying to a port.

The ship spends 3 days in Bermuda, which should leave you with plenty of time to enjoy the island, and because your “hotel” is parked in the port, you only have to unpack and pack once.

The price quoted is a “from” price, and depends on your date of departure, availability and room category. Quoted prices do not include taxes or additional fees.

Cruising not your cup of tea? Check out our other top travel deals!

International Value Destinations

by Kraig Becker on

USAToday has put together an interesting list of 10 great international places to go for a value on your vacation. These places were specifically picked to allow us to get more bang for our buck when traveling abroad this year, something that seems to be on every traveler’s mind at the moment.

The list of locations really does span the globe, and there is something for everyone on the list. Want to head to the beach on your break? Then Bermuda is the recommended spot. Want something a bit more adventurous? Give LIma, Peru a go. And for a destination that is still a bit off the beaten path, they recommend Vietnam, where you can stretch your dollar a long way, without skimping on the amenities.

The list offers up some great ideas for international travel in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Each of the destinations has a link to a local tourism website where you can find more information about where to stay and what to do, and with a little creative planning it seems that you won’t have to skip that international vacation this year after all.

More on Caribbean travel

by Jamie Rhein on

This Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch travel section is devoted to Caribbean travel. With this morning’s post on Caribbean vacations, written before the Sunday paper arrived on my front porch, I’m wondering if I’m getting a message.

One article, “Caribbean offers comfort for less cash” by David Swanson points out an option not mentioned in today’s earlier post–Tobago. After reading about all of Tobago’s high points, I’m hesitant to let the word out because, frankly, I want the bargains to be there when I show up.

Here’s why Tobago sounds fantastic:

  • the oldest forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere
  • more than 200 species of birds for birdwatching (tour suggestions are given)
  • plentiful water sports
  • beaches tucked back in coves
  • several less expensive lodging options than some other Caribbean destinations.
  • great food at affordable prices

In the same article, Swanson outlines other Caribbean deals, including Mexico.

  • Playa del Carmen, Mexico is offered up as a lively, urban option that includes a beach.
  • Negril, Jamaica is a place to head for rock cliffs and plentiful lodging options (but avoid spring break).
  • Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic has whale watching from mid-January to mid-March.
  • Bermuda, although technically not in the Caribbean, this island becomes cheaper in the winter starting this month. Although, the temperatures are cooler, the beauty is the same and activities like golfing cost substantially less money than during high season.

At the moment, the link to that article is not available but another feature article in the travel section touts the wonders of St. John.

According to Steve Stephens, even though St. John has undergone a boom in tourism development, ecological preservation has been a top priority. Virgin Islands Nationa Park makes up “two-thirds of the island.”