A unique retreat at the Lost Iguana Resort in Costa Rica

by Tom Johansmeyer on


So, what are you doing in May? If your plans are open, check out the “Volcanic Yoga & Spa Retreat” at the Lost Iguana Resort in Costa Rica. You’ll save almost 40 percent off the price of the six-night getaway with a price tag of only $800 while enjoying the “eco-chic” property and (more important), giving yourself the break you deserve.

From May 14 – 20, 2010, the Lost Iguana is hosting this unique retreat, which includes airport transportation, breakfast and dinner every day (you’re on your own for alcohol, though) and a $300 Golden Gecko spa credit along with your accommodations. And, there are daily yoga and water fitness classes to keep your body moving – when you’re not out on a guided nature hike.

Now, let’s get to the spa – nothing beats an amazing spa treatment. With your $300 spa credit, you can take advantage of a wide range of treatments in private open-air thatched bungalows. Volcanic clay and stone facials are on the menu, not to mention exotic body polishes to help you push out the toxins and stimulate your circulation. I’m particularly interested in the cocoon stream therapy treatment, which purifies and softens your skin.

If you have an open week in May and an itch to get on the road, this is the only way to scratch it. Sit in a spa, and let someone else do all the work of stretching your muscles for you.

South Florida hotels offer Passover packages

by Melanie Nayer on

What’s a Jewish family to do when Passover falls during Spring Break and all the flights to Florida are packed with college kids eating carbs?

While the debacherous enjoy their binge, some South Florida hotels are offering Passover packages to help families celebrate the ancient Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, while on vacation.

Our friends at the Miami Herald scoured South Beach (and beyond) and found hotels offering “Passover without the hassle” packages. For the thousands of religious families who make their own trek from New York to Miami every year, these hotel offerings are a great way to combine faith and festivity.

The Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach is serving kosher cocktails, gourmet sushi lunches and elaborate dinners perfect for a Passover feast while keeping in the tradition of no leavened bread or grains. Other hotels offering Passover packages include the Biltmore in Coral Gables, which the Herald reports is completely booked for 600 Passover guests; the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure in Weston, which will host 1,000 Passover vacationers; the Doral Golf Resort and Spa; and the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura.

Sipping kosher wine never tasted so good.

Bring an ethernet cable – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

If packing your laptop, be sure to include an ethernet cable. A section five to ten feet long should be plenty, as most hotels are nice enough to put the ethernet port close to the bed and the desk (but not so nice that they provide the cable).

Keep in mind that no internet connection is 100% secure, but a direct connection is more secure than a wireless one.

Travel to U.S. off 5 percent in 2009

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The numbers are finally in: international visitation to the United States reached 54.9 million last year, down 5 percent from 2008. The top markets, as usual, were Canada and Mexico, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, both of which posted year-over-year declines. South America, Oceana and Asia, meanwhile, put up the strongest growth in travel to the United States in the fourth quarter, buoyed largely by action from China and Brazil.

In December alone, 4.1 million people visited came here, a 5 percent increase from December 2008. This marked the third consecutive month of increased travel to the United States, though the entire fourth quarter of the year before was marred by the effects of the global financial crisis. For the fourth quarter of 2009, travel to the United States was up 2 percent, with 15 of the top 20 arrival markets showing growth. Travel from Canada was up 3 percent, with Mexico up 1 percent. Visitation from overseas markets gained 1 percent.For the entire year, only seven of the top 20 arrival markets showed year-over-year increases, with Brazil and Argentina hitting double-digit rates. The United Kingdom and Japan were among the markets with declines. Overall, the top 20 were responsible for 89 percent of all international arrivals to the United States, and the entire cohort was off 6 percent.

Spending, unfortunately, didn’t fare as well as traffic. Last year, visitors from outside the country dropped $121.1 billion, representing a decline of 15 percent year over year. In December, they spent $10.3 billion, off 8 percent from the prior December but at least showing that the trend is headed in the right direction (as the rate of decline was only half that for the year as a whole). December was the fourteenth consecutive month in which travel exports fell year over year.

The decline in tourist spending was likely influenced by several factors, from deals on airfare and hotels to general economic pressures that kept people from spending as much as they’d normally like.

White Collar Travel: Accelerate your trip to the hotel club-level lounge

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Access to a hotel‘s club-level lounge is a small perk. It doesn’t equate to an ostentatious suite, but does rank higher than bathrobes. The amenities are nice, usually consisting of a mix of free food and liquor, but they won’t change your life. For me, at least, the lure of the lounge involved having a place to go that wasn’t my room. I could hit the lounge with a book and relax while sipping a drink. It beat the lobby, which usually had too much traffic for my taste. If I needed to get some work done, the change of scenery was a plus, and the environment afforded a bit more privacy than the public areas of the hotel.

Unless you pay a few extra bucks for club-level access, though, you can only gain admittance through your status with the hotel’s rewards program. This takes time, unfortunately, as the hotel uses the lounge as a way to thank you for your loyalty (translation: spending). There’s a third way to get into the lounge that many business travelers don’t think to try – negotiation. It will only take a few minutes of your time, and it could buy you several months of comfort ahead of schedule.If you’re on a long-term engagement, you will be a frequent guest at the same hotel (unless, for some reason, you choose to bounce around). As early as possible in the project, contact the hotel’s management and let them know your plans. Explain that you’ll be staying with them for a while and that you’d like to be comfortable while you do. Tell the manager that you’d be willing to make your reservations far in advance and would appreciate early access to the club-level lounge. You may not be able to get a room on the club floor, but that isn’t as important as lounge access.

Before you make your case to the hotel’s management, put your case together. If you aren’t on a solo project, ask the other people traveling with you if they want to get in on the action (they probably will, even if they have no plans to use the lounge). Note how long you’ll be staying at the property and calculate how much you’re going to wind up spending there in room expenses alone. Don’t lead with this number, but have it in your back pocket. In all honestly, it probably won’t get that far: when you tell the manager how long you’ll be a guest, he’ll already be doing the math in his head. When you multiply that number by everyone who is on your project, the result is an incredible amount of spending power. It will be noticed, and it will have an impact.

The beauty of the hospitality business (unlike the airlines) is that it really does tend to be focused on the guest. If a hotel’s management sees a promising business opportunity, it has the flexibility to accept it. As a result, guest loyalty increases, and word spreads. And, it’s not just a matter of dollars and cents. Most hotel professionals are simply committed to ensuring their guests have positive experiences. If they can do something to help you, they will. Giving you early access to the club level in exchange for a commitment from you for a long-term stay doesn’t cost the hotel any real cash, but it sure brings plenty in.

Asking for early access to the club-level lounge could be the best 10 minutes you invest.