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Weekly UpdatesMay 31, 2009
With Memorial Day weekend behind us, the summer vacation season has officially begun. Families across America are looking for ways to enjoy much needed vacation time while making their dollars go further than ever before, which is one of the reasons that offers to buy timeshare resales or rent timeshare are up 56 percent for properties on the Sell My Timeshare NOW annual HOT 100 List. May 28, 2009
Alisal Guest Ranch
Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, together with the South Australian Tourism Commission and the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, are presenting Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone for a lavish wine dinner during the Outback at Alisal Weekend. Stone is the host of TLCOs OTake Home ChefO; has appeared on OOprah,O OThe Today Show,O OMartha Stewart,O OFox Morning Show,O OEllen DegeneresO and OEntertainment Tonight.O He released his fourth cookbook, ORelaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite MoodO in April. Outback at Alisal is a cowboy adventure weekend bringing the Australian Outback to the California Central Coast. Guests will horseback ride, sip Shiraz, dine at an Australian and American BBQ feast, and much more. Guests will also be eligible to win a trip for two to the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive in August 2010 (valued at USD 8,000). www.alisal.com. May 30, 2009
Best Western International
Best Western International has opened the Best Western Wylie Inn in Wylie, Texas. Owned by Nash Patel, the hotel offers 51 guestrooms. Hotel amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center and complimentary continental breakfast. Each room is equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a flat screen television and complimentary, high-speed Internet access. For business travelers, the hotel offers a business center and two meeting facilities that accommodate up to 75 people. Nightly room rates start at USD 79.99. For more information, call 800-937-8376 or visit www.bestwestern.com. May 30, 2009
Chateau on the Lake Resort
Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa, in Branson, Mo., is offering the OStay Two Nights, and Get the Third Night FreeO promotion for Sunday night through Thursday night stays through Oct. 1, 2009. In addition to accommodations in a traditional, deluxe or Chateau King room, the special offer includes complimentary use of paddleboats, sea canoes and kayaks at the resortOs Chateau Marina on Table Rock Lake; complimentary use of the resortOs 24-hour fitness center; nightly movies in the resortOs Sassafras Theatre; and children 5 and under eat free off of the Chateau Grille/Atrium Caf kidOs menu or breakfast buffet with a paying adult. Room rates at the resort start at USD 179 per night. The offer is based on space availability, does not apply to packages or discounted rates, and restricted blackout dates may apply. www.ChateauOnTheLake.com. May 30, 2009
Chicago
Chicago hotels are offering special packages with amenities such as complimentary meals and cocktails, free parking, public transportation passes, bicycle tours and admission to neighborhood attractions. The OKids Nature PackageO includes a stay at the Days Inn Chicago, complimentary family admission to the Peggy Notebaert Museum in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and free continental breakfast. Rates begin at USD 90.75 per night. The OSummer Eco-EscapeO package includes a stay at the Hotel Felix and welcome cocktails in the lobby. Guests arriving in a hybrid car receive complimentary valet parking. Rates begin at USD 139 per night. www.explorechicago.org May 29, 2009
Country Inns
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson announced a OSweet DealO promotion for summer that provides 15 percent off each night of a stay of two or more consecutive nights in a standard room and a valuable offer from T.G.I. FridayOs restaurants when staying at locations in the United States. The offer, which requires a three-day advance reservation, is available June 1 through Sept. 13, 2009, at participating hotels. Along with providing the Sweet Deal rate, Country Inns are focused on helping busy moms with the vacation planning process and will be launching special summer travel itineraries and OMomOs ChoiceO destinations. Visit www.countryinns.com/sweetdeal for complete details about the promotion. www.countryinns.com. May 30, 2009
Desires Hotels
Miami-based Desires Hotels, the boutique division of Tecton Hospitality, is launching Desires Hotels International (DHI), and appointing Gary L. Sims as executive vice president/partner of this new division. The launch of DHI emphasizes expansion into Mexico and South America with projects in Cozumel, and Medellin, Columbia. Across the Atlantic, a development on the Algarve in Portugal will be the first European outpost and the Cape Verde Islands will take DHI to the west coast of Africa to a former Portuguese colony. With the recent inclusion of two properties in Bermuda, DHI looks to expand this portfolio to an additional 15 managed properties by 2010. Many of the properties joining Desires Hotels International will join the Desires Hotels portfolio. www.desireshotels.com. May 30, 2009
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is offering the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass, available exclusively for residents of Southern California and Northern Baja. With this ticket, local residents can play at the Disneyland Resort for three days within a 45-day period for USD 99. Guests who live in ZIP codes 90000 through 93599 and 21000 through 22999 will be able to enter Disneyland and DisneyOs California Adventure. As an added value, the Summer Fun Pass can be upgraded to an Annual Passport. Guests who are considering a pass that lets them visit the park all year long will be able to apply the USD 99 as a credit toward the purchase of an Annual Passport. This must be done in person, either at the Annual Pass Processing Center or at any ticket booth, and must occur on or before the last day of use of the Summer Fun Pass. Resident ID is required for the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass, which is available at www.disneyland.com, Disney Stores and at the Disneyland Resort box office, as well as at local supermarket and retail chains including Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, GelsonOs, DeardenOs and Toys ORO Us. For more information, visit www.disneyland.com. May 30, 2009
Hyatt Hotels
Through a new collaboration with National Geographic Kids, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts re-launches its well-known, year-round Camp Hyatt program, providing more opportunities for children, ages 3 to 12, to experience fun and culturally authentic activities at participating Hyatt resorts in North America. The new kids program kicked off on May 29 with the debut of a Camp Hyatt-National Geographic Kids website, www.camphyatt.com. Also beginning this month, new Camp Hyatt program elements, including exclusive National Geographic Kids' activities adapted to each participating resort location, will be available. The new website and the reinvigorated Camp Hyatt program will be dedicated to teaching kids about animals, culture, recycling, and water in ways that are fun, interactive, and age-appropriate. While these themes will be the foundation for every Camp Hyatt experience, no two Camp Hyatt programs will be the same, since all will offer an authentic sense of place with experiences inspired by the cultural traditions and natural environment of each Hyatt resort location. www.hyatt.com, www.classicfamilyvacation.com, www.NationalGeographic.com. May 30, 2009
InterContinental Hotels
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has officially topped off the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel. Premiering in the summer of 2010, the Gensler-designed InterContinental New York Times Square will rise 35 stories above Eighth Avenue. The hotel will have over 600 rooms and suites that offer 360-degree panoramic views of Times Square and the Hudson River, with vistas stretching uptown to Central Park and downtown to the World Trade Center site. Keeping sustainability in mind, the Jeffrey Bears-designed interiors will feature recycled material including gouged and carved reclaimed wood. Additionally, 13-foot-tall lobby columns echo the texture of tree bark in metal. Natural stones and caramel millwork set a neutral backdrop for vibrant pops of color, introduced in wall coverings and textiles throughout the hotel. www.ihg.com. May 30, 2009
Kona Village Resort
This resort is how many people in their mind's eye imagine Hawaii: thatched hales (houses) by the beach, swaying palms, tiki torches, tropical drinks; you get the picture. While honeymoons at Kona Village Resort are hugely popular, it's also an excellent choice for a south seas destination wedding. There's something for everyone, regardless of age, in fact, with the hales spread so far apart, it's ideal for couples who want their families close by, but not TOO close. With an array of room catagories, with the "Royal" being the snazziest, there is also a price for every budget. Kona Village Resort offers customized weddings for two to two hundred people. These are folks that run a resort using a coconut on the porch as the do not disturb sign, so you know you will be able to create an original destination wedding with loads of creative touches. Tip: if you have older guests in the wedding party, be sure they are equipped with a cell phone as hales are phone free + often it's a long, long walk to reach the lobby in case of an emergency. www.KonaVillage.com May 26, 2009
Lorien Hotel & Spa
KimptonOs newly opened Lorien Hotel & Spa, in Alexandria, Va., is offering a summer-long weekend escape. Available now through Aug. 31, 2009, the Lorien Hotel & SpaOs OAlexandria Weekender PackageO includes use of the hotelOs retro-chic bikes, gourmet picnic lunches, biking maps, tickets to historic Mount Vernon and a picturesque Potomac River Cruise. The package starts at USD 398 per room for a two-night stay (only USD 199 per night), and is based on double occupancy. An upgraded package, with inclusions for a family of four, is available for an additional USD 60 (USD 30 per night). www.lorienhotelandspa.com and ask for rate code PFUN. May 30, 2009
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