Kensington Tours announces dream trips for sports fans

Kensington Tours, a travel company that specializes in private-guided adventure travel, has announced a series of tours that are guaranteed to be a hit with sports fans. These trips include VIP treatment for travelers, offering up luxury accommodations, access to glamorous events, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and of course, excellent seats at some of the most well known and legendary events in all of sports.

This Championship Series of tours includes options to attend events on three different continents, including jaunts to Europe for Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup, and the F1 Grand Prix in Monaco. In North America the events include a chance to attend the Masters golf or the U.S. Open tennis tournaments, as well as the Kentucky Derby, or the Super Bowl, while travelers to South America can opt to experience the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix in Rio.

Attending these amazing sporting events is just the beginning however, as Kensington has taken great strides to offer travel packages that ensure an unforgettable experience. For instance, some of the luxuries include helicopter transfers, police escorts, and guided tours of the host cities, as well as a chance to play a round of golf on some of the top courses in the world and get the opportunity to take a drive in a Ferrari. Upgrade options include private luxury boxes, limos, a private jet, and VIP access to behind the scenes activities as well.

While most of these sporting events are still months off, the Championship Series tours are already filling up fast. There is a reason why these events are so exclusive, and if you’re looking for the ultimate way to experience any of them, Kensington is here to provide that experience. For sports fans, these tours really are a dream come true.

Miami Doubletree (temporarily) changes name to ‘Bud Light Hotel’

The Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel Miami-South Beach has changed its name… for the moment…

The hotel will now be known as the Bud Light Hotel South Beach (through Monday) – a creative way to give football fans a different kind of experience at the sold-out hotel during the Super Bowl. In preparation for the Super Bowl, the hotel will put new logos on everything including hotel staff uniforms and name tags, guestroom telephones, laundry bags, do not disturb signs, breakfast menus, note pads and pens, bathroom toiletries, hand towels, pool towels, coffee mugs and more.

This isn’t the hotel’s first foray into the branding spotlight. The Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel Miami-South Beach has been the backdrop for numerous productions and events in South Beach including the transformation of the hotel into Hotel MTV in 2005 for the MTV Music Awards.

Bud Light has planned a full lineup of exclusive events, star-studded live concert performances and sports exhibitions during the Super Bowl weekend.

“Pro football’s culminating event is one of the biggest events on the American sports calendar,” said Mike Sundet, senior director of Bud Light brands. “As the beer of good times, Bud Light saw an unique opportunity to work with the Doubletree Hotel Surfcomber Miami-South Beach to create and offer adult football fans everywhere a VIP experience to the celebration, social scene and special events leading up to kickoff.”

A+ for innovative branding, Doubletree! Now we’ll just have to wait and see who wins the coveted Budweiser Super Bowl challenge…

Super Bowl XLIV – Your guide to Fort Lauderdale

Super Bowl XLIV (number 44) is upon us. The grand Saints vs. Colts event will be taking place at Miami’s (well, Opa Locka’s) Sun Life Stadium on February 7, 2010, with kickoff at 6:30 pm ET. As this is the 10th time Miami has hosted, you surely know by now that attempting to stay in Miami is like trying to get a ride for two on Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Surrounding areas, such as Fort Lauderdale (just 25 minutes away on a clear day), are the way to go.

Despite what the internet would have you believe, Fort Lauderdale is not just full of randy old people. There’s some pretty cool stuff to do there, and if you happen to be visiting one of their 33,000+ accommodations for the big game, you can find out what’s shakin’ in their free e-guide, The Essential Guide to the Big Game, available in PDF here.

The listings include Best Sports Bars, Best Clubs/Lounges, Spas, Gametime Food and other dining options, Golfing, Gambling, Nature, Best Places for Kids and more.

“We are looking forward to welcoming football fans from across the country and hope that they will get to experience as much of the destination as possible during their visit,” says Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Conventions & Visitors Bureau. “There’s so much fun here they may never want to leave and the ‘Essential Guide’ will help them take advantage of the best that we have to offer.”

Don’t forget they have 23 miles of beach. Fort Lauderdale is lookin’ pretty good. Still need Super Bowl tickets? Visit Ticketmaster today to pay $1,450 to $237,300 per seat. Holy jockstraps, Batman!

Ski deals on Super Bowl Sunday: lift tickets from $19

If cheering for the New Orleans Saints or Indianapolis Colts on Super Bowl Sunday just doesn’t do it for you, how do $19 lift tickets sound?

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the best days to score ski deals, according to Liftopia.com. The online ski discounter has rounded up 44 deals for Super Bowl XLIV, including the $19 special from Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia. Considering a full-day pass on a Sunday normally costs at least $49 for adults, that’s more than 60 percent off at this resort.

With most of the nation huddled in front of a TV on Feb. 7, you’ll also encounter shorter lines at resorts such as Lake Tahoe’s Bear Valley ($35, or 41 percent off), Colorado’s Crested Butte ($44, or 49 percent off), Utah’s Snowbird ($57, or 21 percent off), or Idaho’s Sun Valley ($55, or 33 percent off).

This year, the game doesn’t kick off until 6 p.m. EST, so it’s possible to ski or snowboard first and then catch the game. With these discounts, Super Bowl Sunday is shaping up to be more than an excuse for chips and chicken wings (though I’m going to guess that those will taste even better after wiping out on the slopes).How it Works: Weekend ski passes tend to be more expensive than weekday rates, but these Liftopia rates were created especially for Super Bowl Sunday. Tickets must be purchased in advance (the cutoff is 11:59 p.m. Saturday Feb. 6). Resorts can limit the quantities, and the deals may sell out. In order to get the lowest prices from participating resorts, Liftopia doesn’t allow changes, refunds, cancellations, or exchanges. “This is much like buying a discount airline ticket,” Liftopia co-founder Evan Reece tells me via e-mail. “You get a better price by agreeing to not be able to cancel or change your flight. As with a Priceline or Hotwire, customers get a deal by trading flexibility for savings.”

Bargain hunters are taking note: last year, Liftopia had 186 percent more ticket redemptions on Super Bowl Sunday than the Sunday before the big game, according to Reece.

Miami hotels feeling Who Dat? fever

The Saints are marching into Florida and blanketing Miami in black and gold. According to Miami hotel owners, more rooms are being sold to New Orleans Saints fans for Super Bowl XLIV, outshining the Colts fans in what some could say is an early upset for Indianapolis.

The Miami Herald reports that most callers seeking local rooms were of the Cajun persuasion. “The callers we’re getting all have Cajun accents,” said Robert Finvarb, who owns four Marriott hotels in Broward and Miami-Dade. “Indianapolis is a dog for Super Bowl.”

While there are still plenty of rooms for the taking, some hotels have dropped their prices in an effort to fill space for the notoriously sold out sports weekend.

According to reports, The W Fort Lauderdale has rented 90 percent of its 466 rooms available for Super Bowl. Prices for the swanky digs start at $699. Usually less-expensive hotels like the Hampton Inn and Courtyard Marriott hotels in Florida are offering nights starting at $329. The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale only has suites left, and they are going for $2,500 a night. I combed through some hotel sites and the best price I could find for the weekend of Feb. 7 was courtesy of the Best Western in North Miami (about 5 miles from the stadium) — the published rate of $260 is available to seniors or AAA members, then jumps to $290 for everyone else.

Of course, you can always sleep in the car, or call your friend’s third cousin who goes to college in Miami. Or, you can make friends with one the losers from Sunday’s game (they’ll be dressed in blue and white) and share space for the night.