Sandals Resorts International will retire its Royal Plantation brand, effective Sept. 1. Properties operating under the Royal Plantation flag will be folded into Sandals Resorts or operated independently, according to Chairman Butch Stewart.

The 74-suite Royal Plantation Ocho Rios will become Sandals Royal Plantation and will no longer offer a European Plan or accept singles.

The resort will remain open during the transition and guest services will not be interrupted, Stewart said.

SANDALS MONTEGO BAY

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Josef Zellner       

                                                Hotel Manager                   Arnold Nugent

                                                Sales Manager                   Gavene Gordon

 

                •              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

                •              The Skydome was given a new, contemporary look.  The improvements include new chairs, the

                                banquets seats being re-wrapped and the ceiling of the area upholstered

 

•              New teak beach chairs were placed on the main pool deck and on the swim-up pool deck

 

•              The pool tables were refurbished – bases refinished and inlays reupholstered

 

•              Awnings were installed over the windows of rooms on the Oleander block

 

•              A new Surround Sound system has been installed at the Main Bar, Beach Bar, Lobby, Port Cochere,

Stew Fish Restaurant, Oleander Room, Cucina Romana, Bayside Restaurant and the Pool Table

area

•              Cottage 5 (Bay Roc Villas Presidential Beachfront One Bedroom Suites) was refurbished – the cottage

                was re-roofed, painted and soft furnishings changed

 

•              The saunas, the small pool and the whirlpool by the gym have been renovated

 

 

SANDALS CARLYLE

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Cheryl Brown

                                                Hotel Manager                   Lisa Gardner

 

 

SANDALS ROYAL CARIBBEAN RESORT & PRIVATE ISLAND

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Louis Grant
                                                Hotel Manager                   Justin deBeer

                                                Sales Manager                   Stayciann Smith

 

                •              The Roehampton Lawn now boasts a new life-size chess court and a shuffle board court

•              The main stage on Sandals Cay was relocated (a new one was put up), thereby giving the cabana

                area more beach

 

•              Twelve of the fourteen Royal Beachfront Suites (RS) by the Balmoral Block (2nd floor) were refurbished. Work done includes: repainted walls, new drapes and plasma televisions installed

 

•              All sixteen Royal Grande Luxe Beachfront Rooms (GB) in the Sandringham building were refurbished.  Work done includes repainted walls, new drapes, new AC units, the doors now use swipe keys instead of the normal keys and plasma televisions were also put in the rooms

 

 

SANDALS GRANDE OCHO RIOS BEACH & VILLA GOLF RESORT

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager                              Brian Roper

                                                Hotel Manager                                   Clive Miller & Sergio Albergo

                                                Sales Manager                                   Shellie-Ann Norton

               

•              All rooms were enhanced by the addition of new luxurious soft furnishings (duvets, bolster pillows, shams and throw cushions)

 

•              New elevators were installed on the Bamboo Grove and on the Riviera Building (1 each).

 

•              The Manor Restaurant has an updated look now that the tables and chairs have been repainted

 

•              The Manor Patio has been re-tiled

               

•              Four Honeymoon Luxury Cottages (GL) were completely refurbished (painted, retiled, new glass panel sliding doors, wooden molding installed, ceramic tile counter top in bathrooms, automatic controlled air conditioning units installed, mahogany furniture, new landscaping and the roof changed

 

•              Villa 49 (4 Oceanview Grand Luxe Plantation Villa One Bedroom Suites with Pool and Butler Service) was refurbished – pool area resurfaced, stairs varnished, split ac units installed, I-pod docking station put in, interior and exterior repainted and the grounds landscaped

 

•              All rooms and suites now receive turndown service in the evenings

 

SANDALS NEGRIL BEACH RESORT & SPA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Carl Beviere

                                                Hotel Manager                   Jens Havlicek

                                                Sales Manager                   Jeffrey Burke

 

•              Five new Beach huts have been placed on the beach

 

•              Beds in all guest rooms now have duvets

 

•              The Main Bar has received an upgrade to the décor; the Piano Bar pool deck received new wooden

                lounge chairs

 

•              The late night chocolate buffet is now done on Friday nights instead of on Wednesday nights; the

                beach party is now themed “Buccaneer Beach Bash” and takes place on Mondays

 

•              New drapes were placed in all the Honeymoon Beachfront Suites (HS)

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

 

SANDALS WHITEHOUSE EUROPEAN VILLAGE & SPA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Koen De Rijcke

Hotel Manager                   Patrick Drake

                                                Sales Manager                   Glendon Lowe

 

•              The resort now boasts an Island Routes desk from which we offer our guests the opportunity to

                experience off-resort excursions

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

•              The pool deck at the French Village has new pool chairs, improving the ambiance and providing

more areas for our guests to relax

 

•              All rooms received new bedding (white duvets and white pillow shams)

 

 

SANDALS HALCYON BEACH ST. LUCIA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Lennox Dupal

Hotel Manager                   Meir Bitton

                                                Sales Manager                   Nadia Augustin

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

 

SANDALS REGENCY LA TOC GOLF RESORT & SPA IN ST. LUCIA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Michael James

                                                Hotel Manager                   Christopher Elliot

                                               

•              Set overlooking the beach, with no walls to muffle the crescendo of the crashing waves, Neptune’s

(formerly OK Corral) offers classic Mediterranean cuisine.  Diners will delight in Neptune’s casual European elegance, served a la carte.  Restaurant is open for lunch (11am to 5pm) and for dinner from 6:30 to 9:30pm

 

•              The Sunset Royal Oceanfront One Bedroom Two Story Villa Suite with Pool (BP) has been upgraded with new soft furnishings, chic new décor, plasma televisions in the upstairs area and new furniture

 

•              The Honeymoon Oceanview One Bedroom Suites (BO) and the Luxury Rooms (LX) have been upgraded

                with new decor, furniture and soft furnishings as well as completely renovated bathrooms

 

•              The Sunset Honeymoon Oceanfront One Bedroom Villa Suite with Pool (BS) category has been

                upgraded  

SANDALS GRANDE ST. LUCIAN SPA & BEACH RESORT

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Winston Anderson

Hotel Manager                   Paul Simoes

                                                Sales Manager                   Daly Mariatte

 

•              Toscanini Restaurant now requires reservations.  The restaurant opens for the first seating at 6pm with subsequent seatings every half hour.  The last seating is at 8:30 pm

 

•              The Grande Street Party is now an officially scheduled event at the resort, taking place every Thursday in the main car park.  The car park is transformed to resemble a real “island street party” with stalls offering various local and Caribbean-inspired cuisine. The party goes from 6:30 to 10:30pm

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

 

SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA RESORT & SPA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Gerald Christ

                                                Hotel Manager                   Cletus Pancham & Matthew Cornall

                                                Sales Manager                   Ezra Knowles

 

•              The furniture in the Caribbean Grove Lobby and the Crystal Lounge have all been reupholstered and refinished. Both areas have been repainted and now boast sophisticated color schemes. A new chandelier has been placed inside the lobby area

 

•              All Honeymoon Oceanview Suites (HS) have been fully refurbished (marble counter tops, elevated

                Marble face bowls, soft décor, whirlpool tubs, flat screen television, marble top television unit,

                marble counter top bar unit)

 

•              The Sundowner Bar has been re-tiled

 

•              Barefoot by the Sea Restaurant now offers new menu options for lunch and The O.K. Corral now                 boasts new dinner menu options

 

•              The Courtyard Bistro offers salads, wraps and other light fare.

 

 

SANDALS ROYAL BAHAMIAN SPA RESORT & OFFSHORE ISLAND

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Jeremy Mutton

                                                Hotel Manager                   Ken Flockhart & Kressville Ritchie

                                                Sales Manager                   Cheddi Brown

 

•              The fitness center has been repainted, mirrors were replaced, new tile was installed in the entrance and stairs as well as new EverLast sports flooring installed in the gym itself. Brand new Life Fitness equipment and free weights have been installed. The teak furniture on the gym patio has been refinished. The television has been removed from the fitness center, instead clients will need to take along their earphones and plug it into the equipment some of which have built in screens.

 

•           Six new Balinese-style gazebos have been added at Sandals Cay.  They have wooden flooring, built-in double chaise lounges and thatch roofing and will provide additional lounging areas for our guests.

 

 

SANDALS EMERALD BAY, GREAT EXUMA, BAHAMAS

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              John Keating

                                                Hotel Manager                   Cinzia Saccani & Kevin Clarke

                                                Sales Manager                   Suelin Simpson

 

 

•              Barefoot Restaurant now serves a “beach grill’ menu featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, jerk chicken,

conch salads, etc.  Guests dining by the Pool and the Beach order from this menu as well.

 

•              Bahama Bay Restaurant now serves a full buffet breakfast and lunch menu.  The Restaurant also

offers the following dinner dining options:

o        an a la carte menu on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

o        a buffet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 

o        closed on Saturdays.

 

 

BEACHES TURKS & CAICOS RESORT VILLAGES & SPA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Donald Dagenais

Hotel Manager                   Adrian Whitehead

Sales Manager                   Tanya Pratt Swann

                                               

•              In the Parrot Cay Honeymoon One Bedroom Suite (H1) category, all double pull out sofa beds have

                been replaced with trundle beds.  These suites are located on the 1st and 2nd floor of the Parrot

                Cay Villas, in the Caribbean Village

 

•              All the furniture at the Main Stage was re-painted and a standard bar is being set-up at the main

            stage every night while the show is going on

 

•              The waterslides at Bobby Dees were repainted

 

•              Bellinis Gazebo and Kelly’s Lobby Bar (both in the Italian Village) received new cushions/cushion

                covers

 

 

BEACHES BOSCOBEL RESORT & GOLF CLUB

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Howard Spittle

Hotel Manager                   Caroline Cousins

                                                Sales Manager                   Ruth Garnett

 

 

BEACHES NEGRIL RESORT & SPA

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Rainer Auckenthaler

Hotel Manager                   Catherine Massey

                                                Sales Manager                   Iesha Samuels

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort

 

•              Kimonos Restaurant is no longer open for lunch

 

•              Café Carnival no longer offers dinner service

 

•              The Seville Restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine with white-gloved service for families four nights per week. Families with children 6-years-old and younger dine from 5:00pm-6:30pm while families with children 12 yrs and older dine from 6:30pm onwards. No reservations required and the restaurant is open 6 nights per week.   The other 2 nights are “adult only nights”.

 

 

BEACHES SANDY BAY

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Brian Sang

Hotel Manager                   O’Brian Heron

                                                Sales Manager                   Nicholas Watson

 

•              As a reminder, water skiing is available at this resort     

 

 

GRAND PINEAPPLE BEACH NEGIL
•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Junior Gordon  

Hotel Manager                   Sheldon James

                                               

•              The dining room has been enhanced with the recent refinishing of the rattan chairs with new

                cushions

 

                •              A spa tent has been erected on the beach giving guests the opportunity of having some services

                                done beachside

 

                •              New molding strips have been installed in the Garden Manor rooms and the furniture has been

refinished

 

                •              All balcony chairs on the Beachside Manor block have been re-upholstered

 

•              The Front Desk has been updated with a mahogany stain finish

 

GRAND PINEAPPLE BEACH ANTIGUA            

•              Management Review:

                                                General Manager              Courtney Miller

Hotel Manager                   Gerald McKitty

                                                Sales Manager                   Sanjay Ambrose

 

                •              12 Beachfront Rooms have been upgraded;   These upgrades include:

                                                - repainting (interior and exterior) and re-tiling

                                                - mahogany entrance doors and sliding doors on the beachfront side

                                                - local artwork and espresso-brown rattan furnishings

                                                - new bathroom hardware

                                                - soft furnishing upgrades (bedding, drapes)

                                                - mini refrigerators

                                                - CD alarm clocks and eco-friendly air conditioning units

 

Coining itself as a new concept, “seriously all-inclusive resort,” the Marival Residences and World Spa combines luxury accommodations and services, over-the-top included activities and unsurpassed value to deliver a fresh twist and pleasantly surprising vacation experience. Located in Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, the resort is a comfortable 10 minute transfer from the PVR airport, where it is situated in a “world of its own”.   Accommodations are not rooms or suites, but actual spacious, modern 1,400 sq.-ft.1- to 4-bedroom residences—that’s the smallest! Ground floor residences open to winding secluded pools, special penthouses feature private rooftop plunge pools and sun decks, and there are seven incredible 3,900 sq.-ft. private villas, for those who want a total “world of their own” within this special “world”. Stylish bedrooms with fine linens, pillow menus and marbled bathrooms provide the perfect resting places. Multi-bedroom residences feature bathrooms in every bedroom, providing cheers from many parents and grandparents who are attracted to this perfect cross generational set up. Comfortable living rooms with full entertainment centers are great for watching the big games or having the nanny—who is also included—watch the kids while parents enjoy a night out. The fully-equipped kitchen and dining rooms are perfect when staying “home,” indulging in the extensive 24/7 room service menu, or arranging for the chef to come and prepare dinner.  Dining at the three restaurants, indoors, outdoors or at the rooftop tapas sky lounge, are all special “experiences”…as is the Brunello lobby wine bar and the private beach club with its full-service restaurant.  The World Spa is an absolutely unique experience featuring special therapy treatment rooms from nine different countries around the globe.  And then, Marival Residences gets “seriously all inclusive.” They include unlimited rounds of golf at signature Nicklaus and Weiskopf courses, dolphin and sea lion encounters, canopy zip lining, catamaran snorkel trips and romantic sunset sails. Guests fortunate enough to have experienced the “concept” in its first seven months of operation (opened Christmas 2009) sing its praises loudly, as do travel professionals who are pleased to have extremely satisfied clients, bonus commissions and free stays from booking the new Marival Residences and World Spa.  Seems there’s substance to their claim to be, “a world apart, in a class by itself”.

CALL PENNY TODAY FOR A DISCOUNTED RATES (888) 336-8133

Charges for U.S. passports will increase on July 13. The cost of a new passport for an adult will jump from $100 to $135. Those under 16 will pay $105, up from $85.

Renewing a passport will cost $110, up from $75. Travelers will pay a new charge of $82 to add more pages to an existing passport if less than four pages remain blank. Formerly, this was a free service.

Passport cards, which can be used by Americans traveling by land or sea on trips to the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico, will cost $55 for adults, up from $45. For minors, passport cards will be $40, up from $35.

All costs include a $25 execution fee.

 

 

We regret to inform you that due to circumstances beyond our control we will no longer be able to offer guests complimentary golf at Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya affecting Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya, Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun, Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun, Dreams Puerto Aventuras Resort & Spa and Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa. The golf course is no longer honoring any reservations that had been previously confirmed.

In order to continue to offer our mutual guests complimentary greens fees during their stays, we are pleased to announce a new deal that has been finalized with Playa Paraiso golf course. Spanning over 6,800 yards, this 18-hole course was designed by P.B. Dye and offers a lighted and covered driving range, pro shop, club and shoe rental services, restaurant and snack bar.

Details on the new offer are as follows:

*Tee times scheduled before 1:00PM are surcharged at $35 per person, plus the cost of the cart.

*Guests will have access to the complimentary on-course food and beverage service provided by Playa Paraiso.

*Guests must arrange their tee time in advance with the resort concierge and provide a credit card when doing so. If guests wish to cancel or reschedule their tee time, they must do so at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a $100 no-show penalty per person which will be charged to the credit card they have provided.

Please note the only real change is the golf course and the Playa Paraiso course is excellent!!

 

 

SuperClubs has opened a brand NEW Breezes resort in Panama!  It’s great for singles, couples and families! One of our top airline partners to Panama is Copa Airlines!  They currently have a great Non-Stop flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Panama City (PTY).  But they are going to be adding a SECOND great Non-Stop flight out of LAX to Panama July 1^st, 2010!  So you will now have two Non-Stop flights to Panama out of the Los Angeles area to choose from! 

 

Copa’s Current Non-Stop flight:

 Los Angeles to Panama City

 Flight: # 303

·     Departs LAX – 1:54 am

·     Arrives PTY – 10:24 am

 Panama to Los Angeles

 Flight:  # 302

·     Departs PTY – 7:04 pm

·     Arrives LAX – 11:59 pm

  

Copa’s “NEW” Non-Stop flight starting July 1^st, 2010

 

Los Angeles to Panama City

 Flight: # 473

·     Departs LAX – 9:28 am

·     Arrives PTY – 5:58 pm

 Panama to Los Angeles

 Flight:  # 472

·     Departs PTY – 12:20 pm

·     Arrives LAX – 5:10 pm

 With two Non-Stop flights to Panama City on Copa Airlines, and a beautiful new Breezes resort in Panama, your guests can enjoy fast service with a great airline, and deluxe accommodations at our Super-Inclusive Breezes resort!

 

 

 

Now Resorts & Spas, the new all-inclusive brand by AMResorts, opened its second property since launching in January: the 496-room Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun, which made its debut May 1.

The resort is near Puerto Morelos, about a 15-minute drive from Cancun Airport. Its oceanfront setting features a collection of pools, Bali beds and palapas.

The Now Sapphire offers six a la carte restaurants and seven bars where no reservations or wristbands are required. Now also features a spa, and its Explorers’ Club caters to guests ages 3 to 12 with dedicated facilities and fully supervised activities.

The first Now Resort & Spa, the Now Jade Riviera Cancun (formerly Now Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa), opened in January. Each Now resort will showcase its own identity by using the names of gemstones, according to the company.

The brand concept includes oversize guest rooms and suites with ocean views and private terraces; WiFi; flat-screen TVs with surround-sound systems; minibars; 24-hour room service and concierge service; multiple gourmet dining offerings; and full-service spa and fitness facilities.

The Now Resorts & Spas brand is the newest in the AMResorts family, which also include Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas and Dreams Resorts & Spas.

Life-size sculptures are being submerged in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters off the coast of Cancun to create an underwater museum for snorkelers and divers.

The Cancun Underwater Museum’s sculptures rest on the sea floor of Mexico’s Marine National Park, located on the west coast of Isla Mujeres. The island is about a 20-minute ferry ride from Cancun.

Marine park authorities conceived the museum as a way of protecting the region’s natural coral reef habitats, by offering some of the 750,000 annual visitors who snorkel and dive in the area another underwater point of interest.

The $350,000 project started in November with three sculptures by British artist Jason de Caires Taylor.

Among those initial pieces was “Dream Collector,” which contains bottles that hold messages of hope from around the world. One of the messages, penned by Roberto Diaz, president of the Cancun Underwater Museum, reads: “May our hearts never become as hard as our heads.”

The second artwork, “Man on Fire,” features 75 holes planted with fire coral, and the third, “The Gardener of Hope,” depicts a young girl lying on a garden patio.
All were constructed with PH-neutral concrete that will allow algae and small invertebrates to flourish. The sculptures are designed to change appearance over time as coral and marine life grow around them.

Eventually, artificial reefs will also grow around them, in a boost to the local ecosystem, according to the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Dozens more sculptures, all submerged from 9 to 20 feet, are planned for installation in the coming weeks, according to the bureau. There should be 250 in place by the end of April.

Each work of art will be mounted on a base of four square meters and installed in themed galleries, most devoted to ecological conservation.

Taylor, who is supervising the artwork, also created an underwater sculpture park in Grenada, West Indies, in 2006.

The Cancun project is expected to be far larger than that museum, with 400 sculptures when complete.