HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JULY 2018

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT FOR SUMMER ROAD TRIPS ACROSS THE U.S.

WalletHub, a company that surveys and analyses how people live, travel and spend, knows that across the U.S, summer is a time for road trips. But, all road trips are not equal. According to WalletHub’s latest survey, California has the highest number of scenic byways, 66, which is 22 times higher than in Delaware, the state with the lowest at three. Wyoming has the lowest daily price for camping, $32, which is 2.1 times lower than in Connecticut, the state with the highest at $68. Arizona has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $64, which is 3.4 times lower than in Hawaii, the state with the highest at $218. Also, Vermont has the lowest number of car thefts per 1,000 residents, 0.45, which is 12.5 times lower than in New Mexico, the state with the highest at 5.64. Now, if you would like to know their top 10 for best or the 10 worst states to road trip in, here they are, beginning with the top choice. Best: Wyoming, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Washington, New York, Utah and Colorado. In the number 1 spot for worst states to travel in is Alabama, followed by Kansas, Alaska, Kentucky, Indiana, New Mexico, Hawaii, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. For full details or to discover which gas cards may benefit you the most during your road trip, go to

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-for-summer-road-trips/4648/

HOT DEALS!

Book a minimum of 25 guest rooms on a peak night by November 15 with stays by December 31 at the new Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort and receive a choice of one-hour welcome wine tasting with appetizers, one-hour team building adventure with an ocean view, triple Hilton Honors points, or one-hour onsite spa visit for the event planner. The Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort has 338 guest rooms, 22 luxurious suites, and three onsite dining options: The Roundhouse, The Set and Rodney’s American Grill. The hotel has 45,000 sf of indoor/outdoor function space and complimentary shuttle service to Santa Barbara Airport and Amtrak Station. Mention Promo code I-Meet.

Water Fantaseas’ Solstice, a private yacht charter

Summer Savings! Looking for a way to entertain a select group of at least 50 while visiting the Miami, FL area? Receive $1,500 off the price of a four-hour charter for a minimum of 50 guests aboard Miami Party Yacht Charters’ Midnight Sun. Get $1,000 off the 80′ Solstice yacht for a minimum of 25 guests. Bookings must occur by July 31.

www.waterfantaseas.com; (305) 531-1480
www3.hilton.com/Official_Site/Santa_Barbara; (805) 564-4333, xt 2

Conrad Cartagena

Conrad Cartagena in Columbia has the only 18-hole TPC golf course in South America designed by Jack Nicklaus, and if your group books meeting stays by July 31 with stays by December 20 at this hotel with more than 24,000 sf of indoor space and outdoor space with an 8,000 sf ballroom and exquisite garden, you will receive multiple benefits. You will get a welcome or farewell cocktail reception, 20% off AV, 20% off F&B, one complimentary room per 20 confirmed rooms, and one room upgrade per 20 confirmed rooms. The 237-room Conrad Cartagena is 25 minutes from the Walled City, a World Heritage Site and 20 minutes from the Cartagena International Airport. The resort seven restaurants and bars. Rooms have private balconies.
www.conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/colombia/conrad-cartagena

Book Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes, FL by September 30 and receive a $119 room rate with a $60 pp complete meeting package. The package includes breakfast, lunch, AM & PM breaks and to receive a $100 Spa credit or Tee Times for two on the 18-hole Championship Senator Course at Shula’s Golf Club. The deal is for a minimum of 15 rooms per night with a two0night stay and minimum 15-person F&B.
Maria Pellitero, Group Sales Manager; Maria.Pellitero@GrahamHospitality.com; 305.820.8053

CAESAR’S ENTERTAINMENT EMPOWERS WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HIRING

I don’t write about job promotions or which companies have won awards, but in the case of Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation being recognized for the third time as the leader in the consumer discretionary industry by Civic 50, I think the cause is worthy to be noted. Here’s why. The Civic 5 is a Points of Light initiative that provides a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the communities in which they do business. People Planet Play, a strategic alignment of Caesars Entertainment’s corporate citizenship initiatives, is working to achieve gender equity in leadership roles by 2025, a goal they set in 2017. This equity goal also involves Caesars commitment to including 50% minorities or women in manager level roles by 2030. Caesars is one of 400+ global organizations committed to business leadership and policy alignment on climate through the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), and one of just over 100 companies to have their targets approved. That commitment includes educing absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions 30% by 2025, and 95% by 2050 from a 2011 base-year and also have 60% of suppliers by spend institute science-based GHG reduction targets for their operations by 2023. Last, but certainly not least, Caesars Foundation donated its 61^st meal delivery vehicle to Meals on Wheels America (MOWA). From 2003-2017, Caesars has donated 3.3 million to MOWA which has garnered more than 4 million meals for seniors around the country.

www.caesars.com; www.Civic50.org

ATTRACTIONS

Pensacola, FL’s newest attraction has debuted two ferries, Pelican Perch and Turtle Runner, which will connect the downtown area to the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and the Gulf Island National Seashore. “The ferries bring a whole new adventure to the Pensacola experience and tell a story of our cities history by sea. As America’s first settlement, this just made sense,” said President of Visit Pensacola Steve Hayes. The 45-minute ferry rides for up to 149 passengers runs from 8:30 am to 10 pm. The ferries feature a climate-controlled enclosed main deck and a shaded upper deck for observation, an onboard snack bar for F&B services, restrooms, passenger storage, flat screen TVs and a sound system for onboard history and landscape narratives by both National Park Service rangers and Gulf Coast Maritime Services. The all-day hop on, hop off ferry tickets cost $20 for adults and includes admission to the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which usually costs between $10 and $20 itself. Children’s tickets are $13, with discounted tickets for active duty military and seniors offered for $18.50. Children under two ride free. There will be three-day discounted passes and a 10-trip frequent rider pass.

www.visitpensacola.com

Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries.  She is an active member of ILEA and MPI and is now serving on the 2017 – 2018 MPI Global Advisory Board for The Meeting Professional Magazine for the second consecutive year. Karen writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, she has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. karenkuzsel@earthlink.net; www.ThePsychicLady.com; @karenkuzsel; @thepsychiclady.