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All-Inclusive Resorts lose low-budget image with chic decor and deluxe spas

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Your retirement savings back home may be draining, but here you feel like a big shot guzzling rounds of complimentary piña coladas and premium-liquor drinks from an attentive server at the Paradisus Palma Real's swim-up bar. You can sip them in submerged concrete chaises built into in the vast serpentine pool while a Dominican band plays upbeat merengue tunes.

Elsewhere on the resort's groomed grounds, adorned with modern sculpture and white-columned walkways, flamingos strut, housekeepers strew flower petals on beds and concierges make bookings for a half-dozen eateries with South Beach-chic décor. All this — drinks, food, activities, shows, a room that's boutique-hotel heaven — is covered in the daily rate.

Lobster and steak are on the menu, and pig-out-till-you-can't is the rule. Room service runs 24 hours, and that 3 a.m. burger and fries are gratis, too.

Chicago-area honeymooners Erin and Gary Greiss are here enjoying Palma Real's no-extra-charge horseback rides on the beach, yoga and snorkeling. Their Royal Service suite (about $4,500 in a seven-night package with airfare) includes a butler and bottles of rum, vodka and Scotch. "It's like a cruise, but less structured," says Erin, 27. And unlike aboard most love boats, 24/7 cocktails are included.

This all-inclusive concept — popular with Europeans for years and catching on with a growing number of Americans — is more attractive than ever in a time of financial free-fall.

Once viewed as a bare-bones vacation option, the everything-covered industry is wooing guests with new, over-the-top Shangri-Las at prices as low as $100 a person daily. And they're courting resort sophisticates with Architectural Digest-style décor, non-buffet eateries, butlers, family freebies and velvet-rope VIP areas with their own pools and restaurants.

"There's an increasing demand," says Becky Veith, affiliated with Travel Experts of Raleigh, N.C. "It's not just Joe Six-pack pounding beers all day by the pool." All-inclusive chains —mainly Spanish, French, Jamaican and Mexican — are "growing aggressively, and the experience they offer is unbelievably consistent," she says.

"They have a very high rate of returning guests," says Scott Berman, head of PricewaterhouseCoopers' U.S. hospitality and leisure consulting group. "In other down cycles, they have performed very well."

Brands such as Sandals, Couples, Excellence, Iberostar, Occidental and Paradisus are building ever more luxurious getaways and targeting upscale clients who once would never book an all-inclusive vacation. At the same time, they're courting the budget-conscious with discounts, such as Sandals Resorts' up to 55% off rates for arrivals through Dec. 26, 2009.

"Luxury Included" now is a Sandals trademarked phrase. "We have moved beyond … the often-maligned all-inclusive connotation," proclaims Gordon "Butch" Stewart, chairman of the Jamaica-based chain.

To lure the value-conscious, upscale hotels added all-inclusive options. They include Ritz-Carlton's Rose Hall in Jamaica, Rosewood's Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda and Starwood's Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa in French Polynesia. All-inclusive pioneer Club Med has raised its bar with luxury rooms at some clubs.

"Even people with a lot of money like knowing what the bottom line will be," says travel veteran Arthur Mehmel. He says some "very rich" clients have spent Christmas at Occidental's Royal Hideaway Playacar on Mexico's Riviera Maya, one of only two all-inclusives anointed with the top five-diamond ranking from AAA. (The other is the Grand Velas All-Suites and Spa Resort near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.) They're both members of The Leading Hotels of the World consortium, as is the Punta Cana Paradisus Palma Real.

All-inclusives tend to be outside the USA because "the model is labor-intensive and only works in certain places" with cheap workers, Berman says. Lots are in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Jamaica's all-inclusive heaven, too, and the home base for Sandals and Couples.

In the Dominican Republic, workers from neighboring Haiti rapidly construct Vegas-style fantasies. About three dozen gated resort compounds line the 20-mile stretch of spectacular white-sand beach in the Punta Cana area.

Paradisus Palma Real is one of the best, Mehmel and Veith say.

It certainly looks the part of a deluxe resort, with scuttling bellmen and immaculate open-air marble lobby with sweeping views down to the blue Atlantic.

Even low-level accommodations are up to prestige-hotel standards, with cushy mattresses, bathrooms with jetted tubs and separate showers, flat-screen TVs, balconies or terraces, minibars stocked with complimentary water, soft drinks and beer. There's a sophisticated spa, where you do pay for services.

Service here — as elsewhere in Punta Cana — is notably friendly. That request for a glass of water may get a "con mucho gusto (with much pleasure)" response from a server.

Eats are plentiful. A Continental restaurant called Passion delivers some succulent fare, including a tender veal chop washed down with a selection of decent (and included) house red wines from Chile and Argentina and decadent desserts.

Palma Real gets good guest reviews but is always striving to improve, says Paradisus marketing vice president Tony Cortizas.

Guests at luxury all-inclusives toast the premium booze (all the Bombay Sapphire you can quaff). Tips are included, but many Americans leave extra and are beloved for that. Most staffers speak at least some English, but visitors who can muster basic Spanish have a communication edge.

Inside the gates of Paradisus, grinning barmen do shaker-tossing routines straight from the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail, casino dealers pay off high-fiving gamers, and tanned sunbathers congratulate themselves on the great vacation deal they've scored.

This is a reprint of an article in USA Today.

Posted by Geoff on November 14, 2008 | Permalink | Post a Comment

El Dorado Resorts Go Green

This is a reprint of an article in a Miami Newspaper. El Dorado Spa Resorts are a collection of up-scale all inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico. Contact us for more information concerning El Dorado Spa Resorts and their Sister Resorts The Azul Collection.

MIAMI—El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels, by Karisma, a premier collection of Gourmet Inclusive properties along the Riviera Maya, Mexico, announced the launch of Pasión por el Medio Ambiente (“Passion for the Environment”), a program derived from the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI), designed to encourage guest and staff participation in environmentally sustainable practices. With its commencement, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels sets the standard for environmentally-conscious tourism in Riviera Maya, encouraging other area resorts and hotels to do the same.

“As a destination priding itself on beautiful surroundings, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels is taking the necessary steps to ensure a balance between supporting the tourism industry and preserving the extraordinary natural environment of the Riviera Maya,” said Mandy Chomat, vice president of sales and marketing for Premier Worldwide Marketing, the exclusive worldwide representatives for El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels by Karisma. “With the implementation of Pasión por el Medio Ambiente, we are extending the Gourmet Inclusive philosophy to include environmental consciousness. We strive to foster togetherness between tourism and our ecosystem by encouraging our guests and staff to make environmentally sound decisions that support the initiatives set by MARTI.”

After learning of MARTI, hotel management took the initiative to create Pasión por el Medio Ambiente. Since its inception, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels has passed several noteworthy milestones including implementation of solar panels throughout its properties. Running completely on solar power, El Dorado Maroma is 100 percent invested, while El Dorado Seaside Suites operates at 70 percent and El Dorado Royale at 40 percent solar power efficiency—setting the bar for resorts throughout the Riviera Maya.

Emphasis on Green Cleaning Products

Additionally, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels has implemented quality controls over towels and sheets, restroom sensors and the use of green cleaning suppliers. At El Dorado Royale, landscaping efforts will utilize recycled water from chemical-free laundry services provided by the resort.

Among sustainable practices implemented, a major recycling initiative is also underway. El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels has taken extensive measures to ensure that all garbage is separated and recycled properly including dangerous waste, organic items, glass and paper. Employees are encouraged to bring in recycled goods from home once a week, which are processed on property. Within the properties, each guestroom contains an environmental tent card illustrating eco-efficient practices, encouraging preservation of water and electricity, in addition to recycling suitable materials.

El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels endeavors to ensure that tourism development is in harmony with the surrounding ecosystems. Employees have undergone an extensive training program outlining the MARTI initiatives and illustrating the benefits derived by its implementation. By employing sustainable hotel guidelines throughout its properties, environmental consideration will be incorporated into the daily practices of guests and local staff, encouraging them to educate friends and family on the value of sustainable practices including water and utility conservation, as well as the numerous benefits of recycling in Riviera Maya.

Posted by Geoff on October 24, 2008 | Permalink | Post a Comment

Why use a Travel Agent (repost)

In todays financial environment you need to achieve the best value for your money spent on your vacation. I am reposting a blog that I wrote a few months ago because it addresses one way to achieve this, using a knowledgeable and experienced travel agent that specializes in the type of vacation you are researching.

I read many reviews of vacations and resorts where the traveler gives their vacation or the resort a bad review and I can tell by reading the review that the traveler did not go to a bad resort but went to a resort that did not fit their vacation requirements. Resorts tend to advertise using the one size fits all concept. Nothing is further from the truth. In mid-range and up-scale resorts each resort is unique and fits a unique traveler. You can only determine this by past vacations you have taken to this resort or speaking with someone who has has extensive knowledge of the resort.

Here is a reposting of the blog I posted a few months ago.

Planning a vacation in today's travel world can be confusing, intimidating and time consuming at best. Using a good qualified Travel Agent can take the confusion out of planning that vacation and can save you money in the process.

In booking vacation packages, Travel Agents use well known travel suppliers such as Apple Vacations, GOGO Worldwide Vacations and others. Because of the volume of vacation packages, provided by these travel suppliers, prices will, in most cases, be less than you can purchase directly from the hotel or resort. Combine that with airfare and transfers and you will end up with a package price significantly less than trying to piece everything together yourself. Contrary to popular belief, a travel agent does not add an additional fee to the supplier's package price. In many cases the Agent will be able to take advantage of unpublished specials and discounted prices.

How many times have you tried to research resorts or hotels only to find that each resort or hotels website makes them all look like they are 5 star and that all of them claim to satisfy your every vacation desire?

I read resort and hotel reviews all the time and am constantly amazed at the number of bad reviews that show that the resort or hotel in question may not be a bad resort or hotel but that the traveler chose the wrong one based on their vacation requirements. This is another area where a good qualified Travel Agent can help. By asking a few questions, a Travel Agent can get a good idea what your vacation requirements are and using their firsthand knowledge of the resorts, hotels and destinations they specialize in, match those requirements to provide the perfect vacation.

This leads us to the next issue, each resort and hotel will specialize in a different type of clientele. Resorts and hotels are not something that fit into the "one size fits all" category. You also have to deal with the fact that all resort and hotel websites will make them look as if they were rated 5 stars and satisfy every vacation requirement. Think about it. If you owned a 2 star resort and developed a website for that resort, would you make it look like a 2 star resort or a 5 star resort?

The last, and one of the most important points is a good qualified Travel Agent can provide is customer service. How many times have we made our own travel plans , had a problem, and then had to deal directly with the airline or a hotel. Here is where the good qualified Travel Agent can step in for you, deal with the airline or the hotel, and using the industry contacts they have, make alternative arrangements, solve problems, day and night, when you are on vacation, and deal with issues when you return, all for no additional charge! To use the often used phrase "without a Travel Agent, you are truly on your own".

Lastly, how do you find a good qualified Travel Agent? When contacting a Travel Agent you should ask a few qualifying questions. How long have you been in the Travel Business? Do you specialize in a particular type of vacation, all inclusive resorts, Europe, Hawaii, etc.? Have you visited and spent time at the resorts or destinations you specialize in? One question you should ask, but is not often asked, is, how much time are you willing to spend with me to make sure I receive the vacation I am looking for? I say this because most of the large volume travel houses allow their reps to only spend a certain number of minutes with each client because to them quantity of business is more important than quality. Another good indicator is the vibe you get when speaking with the travel agent. Do I feel comfortable speaking and working with this person? Do they sound excited to be working with me? Do they appear to know what they are talking about? A good Travel Agent is not looking to make one sale but rather develop a relationship with a client that is ongoing.

Posted by Geoff on September 29, 2008 | Permalink | Post a Comment

FLEXIBILITY

I want to talk about how to get the best prices and schedules for your vacation. The more flexible you can be will help you get the best deals.

First let's look at when to travel for the best deals. The lowest priced time-frame is in the Fall, Sept - Dec 15th. This is when the air and the resort price will be at their lowest. The second lowest time-frame is the month of May. These are the lowest because they are the least traveled times of the year. You will see more specials and deals during these time-frames.

Also if you can be flexible on the days you can travel you will get a better deal. A great example of this is when you see special deals for Las Vegas. If you read the fine print you will see that those special deals are always for Monday - Thursday. If you stay in Las Vegas on Friday, Saturday & Sunday you will pay a premium price. The same applies to the Caribbean Mexico, and the airlines. Flights are always the least expensive if you can travel midweek. Sunday is the most traveled day so the prices will be highest at that time. A number of airlines have also reinstated the Saturday night stay rule for lower fares domestically.

The main point is that when asking for a quote, the more flexible in the time of year and the days of the week you can travel the more special deals will be available to you.

In closing the most expensive times to travel are, Christmas/New Years, Presidents week, Spring Break, and Thanksgiving week.

Posted by Geoff on June 24, 2008 | Permalink | Post a Comment

Mexico Sales Tax Rebate Program

Sales tax rebates will be paid to foreign visitors beginning in June to enhance the experience of traveling to Mexico and make the country a destination of choice for international tourists. The measure will go into effect once the Tax Administration Service (TAS), grants concessions to three companies to operate the program.

The Value Added Tax (VAT) will be returned to foreign tourists who can prove they have spent a minimum of 1,200 pesos (approximately $116.00 dollars) – on Mexican territory and who are returning home by sea or air.

Following the model established in other parts of the world, sales tax paid for the purchase of services, such as lodging and food, will not be refunded.

The refunds are applicable for purchases made with debit or credit cards, but only for cash transactions in which the cost of the item was less than 3,000 pesos. The purchases can be made in stores and establishments that are affiliated with a TAS -authorized service operator.

Tourists will have the right to receive up to 50 percent of the net rebate – an amount not to exceed 10,000 pesos – in the form of cash; the remaining 50 percent will be refunded via electronic funds transfer within a period of 40 days.

Travelers that visit our country should present proof that they received the merchandise from the store of purchase and submit a reimbursement request form, along with bank statement.

Foreigners visiting our country should present receipts for their purchases, a form soliciting the rebate and if necessary, a bank receipt. In each case, the rebate operator will install clearly identified service centers where the relevant documentation can be verified and the sales tax refunded.

The procedure will be implemented gradually across the country. The first phase will be launched this summer at air terminals in Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, all of which are cities with a sizable flow of international visitors.

Posted by Geoff on June 12, 2008 | Permalink | Post a Comment