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HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS –LATE DECEMBER 2023

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DAYTONA LAGOON DONATES NEARLY $800,000 OF IN-KIND SERVICES TO VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Daytona Lagoon donates nearly $800,000 of in-kind tickets to area schools.

Year-round family entertainment destination and seasonal waterpark Daytona Lagoon (Daytona Beach, FL) made more than a splash when it donated 39,480 vouchers to Volusia County Schools to distribute to each student in grades third through eighth to enjoy over Winter Break.  No purchase was necessary to get the voucher valued at $20 worth of arcade games and attractions. Students just bring the voucher to Daytona Lagoon before January 3, 2024, to the front ticket counter to be exchanged for a $20

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HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – OCTOBER 2017

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HOSPITALITY GROUPS STEP UP THEIR CHARITABLE GIVING AFTER NUMEROUS NATURAL DISASTERS

Journey Mexico is “dying” to take your group on a Day of the Dead cultural tour.


Here’s a unique way of aiding victims of the devastating earthquakes in Mexico while also enriching your personal knowledge of the country’s rich cultural history. Book the last two places available on Journey Mexico’s Escorted Group Day of the Dead Tour in Oaxaca and the travel company will donate 50% of the $4,377 trip fee (per person) to relief efforts in the Isthmus. The 14-member tour group trip is set for October 28 to November 4.
www.journeymexico.com
LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is donating 18,000 theme park tickets to the UNICEF Kid Power Schools program and 2,000 tickets to Citrus Center Boys & Girls Clubs in Winter Haven, Haines City and Lake Wales.  “As a resort built for kids, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – OCTOBER 2017

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HOSPITALITY GROUPS STEP UP THEIR CHARITABLE GIVING AFTER NUMEROUS NATURAL DISASTERS

Journey Mexico is “dying” to take your group on a Day of the Dead cultural tour.

Here’s a unique way of aiding victims of the devastating earthquakes in Mexico while also enriching your personal knowledge of the country’s rich cultural history. Book the last two places available on Journey Mexico’s Escorted Group Day of the Dead Tour in Oaxaca and the travel company will donate 50% of the $4,377 trip fee (per person) to relief efforts in the Isthmus. The 14-member tour group trip is set for October 28 to November 4.

www.journeymexico.com

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is donating 18,000 theme park tickets to the UNICEF Kid Power Schools program and 2,000 tickets to Citrus Center Boys & Girls Clubs in Winter Haven, Haines City and Lake Wales.  “As a resort built for kids, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – MAY, 2015

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Relax in the new Serenity by the sea Spa atThe Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in South Walton, FL

Relax in the new Serenity by the sea Spa atThe Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in South Walton, FL

In this issue: Hot deals across the globe; Two cities party through the summer

HOT DEALS

Seventy-two percent of American business travelers extend their executive trips with a leisure component, which is why the AAA Four Diamond Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, FL has created “Benefits of Bleisure*” for meeting travelers during select dates, beginning April 27 through September 10. The Shores Resort took the survey responses conducted by BridgeStreet Global Hospitality to heart, which also indicates that six out of 10 are more likely to take bleisure trips today than they did five years ago. With the Shores Resort program, rates will start at $109 and extend over weekend days for leisure stays. Bleisure benefits will include ocean view rooms, a $5.00 rebate per paid and consumed guest room, complimentary parking, waived resort fee, three upgrades to the property’s all-new Cabana Suites, one upgrade to a Presidential Suite, as well as complimentary use of the Ocean Terrace or Atlantic Room for meal functions.  The Bleisure Benefits are available for new groups with a minimum of 50 room nights. Contracts must be received by May 31. The beachside resort has more than 20,000 sf of indoor and outdoor function space, 212 guestrooms and suites offering water views of the Atlantic Ocean or Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway. It recently completed a property-wide renovation.

sales@shoresresort.com; www.ShoresResort.com; (386) 322-7262

Book three nights at Elbow Beach Bermuda and receive the fourth night free. Stay required by September 5. Use promotion code QUEST when booking.

www.elbowbeachbermuda.com; (800) 223-7435

Summer hasn’t officially landed in North America and already there are fall promotions for fall, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – MARCH, 2014

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Salmon with merlot omniSpring is within striking distance, contrary to vicious storms still harassing the U.S and abroad. Here in Florida, where I am based, blue skies, light breezes and temperate weather in the 80s draw crowds to art shows, the beach, sports fields, and barbeques. Just like the colourful flowers and vegetables bursting from awakened shoots, people are eager to break from indoor venues and unwelcome routines to greet Spring with renewed vigor. Corporate clients and leisure travellers are ready to be enticed by exciting offers, and boy, are destinations, resorts and venues ready to deliver. Here’s just a sampling of what’s coming.
Omni Hotels Wine & Resorts Wine about their new partnership and property
Omni Hotels & Resorts just gave me another reason not to care if it’s 5 pm somewhere in the world as an excuse for imbibing in a hearty glass of fruit of the grapevine.
Their culinary series, “Flavors of the World” turns its Spring spotlight on the wines of Washington State, thanks to a new partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission. The promotion, running through May 31, pairs 10 Washington State wines (in 6 and 9-oz pours) with specialties of the state, such as artisan Washington Cheeses served with fig jam, honey and olives, Dungeness crab fritters, Dungeness crab and snap pea soup, apple and fennel salad, roasted salmon served with wild Mushrooms, and apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. Omni food and beverage professionals sacrificed their time and taste buds in February to crisscross Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – EARLY MAY, 2013

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NEWS UPDATE FROM Orlando that has me so excited I just had to share immediately. Rumors have been flying as steadily as quiddich broomsticks that an expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter would occur inside the Universal Studios Florida theme park. Now it’s official. Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment are building Diagon Alley, set to open in 2014. It will earmark the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience. If you’re a fan of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series (as I am) and have been to the park (love, love, love it!), then you know the extreme detail and immersive authenticity that has been created. Diagon Alley will be no different. And just like in the movies and books, guests will be able to travel between ‘London’ and Hogsmeade aboard the Hogwarts Express. Now where did I put my cloak and wand?

The magic of Diagon Alley appears at Universal Orlando Florida theme park in 2014.

The magic of Diagon Alley appears at Universal Orlando Florida theme park in 2014.

Summer’s coming to North America and Europe and with its imminent arrival comes the soft season discounts. I’m all for saving some of my stash on the upfront hotel costs so that I feel free to splurge on activities I may not find elsewhere. I’ve heard about some incredible deals, such as book two nights and get one free or book 5 nights and get two nights extra. At least 29 European countries are offering these savings. Here are just a few of the choices I found enticing.25Hours Hotel at MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Austria: 219 rooms & suites. Located in the 7th District, a progressive artsy area, the décor embodies a fantastical world of circus, spectacle and extravagance, with just a touch of madness. Hang out in the rooftop lounge or dine in the terraced restaurant that faces Wedhuberpark. There are meeting and convention facilities.

Hospes Palacio de los Patos in Granada, Spain: 32 double rooms, 10 suites including one Presidential Suite. The interfusion of Arabic influence and native Iberian tradition are apparent. Situated almost adjacent to the Puerta Real, Hospes Palacio de los Patos is an urban oasis housed in a reconstructed 19th-Century town palace. Designers retained the architectural beauty of original elements such as the grand staircase.

Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil stands out from the rest of the city
Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil stands out from the rest of the city

Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil stands out from the rest of the city

Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil: 85 rooms & 10 suites. Unique’s green copper façade alone makes this hotel stand out even in the upscale residential area of Jardins. Just meters from Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo’s largest green area, the building is dark glass and a desert garden of mini, sand-toned cubes of rock, palms and agaves. The lobby is illuminated with beige marble walls embellished by dramatic geometric themes in the décor, sleek white furnishings and transparent glass tables and fittings. City views from the rooftop terrace fascinate, but ooooh… that crimson red swimming pool is an eye-popper. www.designhotels.com/summerspecials

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beach-front resort on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, is offering a VIP Passport Package for meeting planners organizing conferences, conventions or tradeshows. Bookings must be actualized August 1 through February 28, 2014. Room nights booked determines bonuses but check out some of the incentives.

* Three (3) percent rebate to the master account for guest rooms posted to the master account; Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – APRIL, 2013

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Hearst Castle pool looks down the valley to the ocean.

Hearst Castle pool looks down the valley to the ocean.

Today is one of those sticky humid days for which Florida is famous… or is that infamous? I’ve recently returned from a glorious vacation to the Central Coast region of California, where we imbibed in the riches of cuisine, wine and destinations for which that area is known. It was our first for many experiences in the Central Coast area as we usually roam the grape-vined hills of Sonoma and Napa. As I wanted to be in the moment, I chose to play tourist and not overburden myself with notebooks and scratched hasty words of reporter prose.

Nonetheless, when I do write about the experiences from a fond after-glow, you will hear about the Starlight Coastal train ride from Oakland to Santa Barbara (don’t wait… do it! Ask me about the roomette advantages), Cielito Restaurant in Santa Barbara and Novo Restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Hearst Castle, Sextant and Cypher Wineries (the latter was so amazing we actually became club members), and The Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – MARCH, 2013

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House Hotel Galatasaray is a 19th-century boutique hotel in Instanbul

House Hotel Galatasaray is a 19th-century boutique hotel in Instanbul


When I was a child, my family travelled on a pretty regular basis. We moved on a fairly regular basis from one end of the country to the other, or from one country to another, depending on the whims of the Air Force, to which my dad belonged. I knew even then that our worldly adventures, geographical awareness, and exposure to many cultures was something to be relished like a fine wine paired with the right piece of cheese. My love for travel continues today, even when I find the vagaries of airline restrictions often inconvenient. I feel blessed to share travel opportunities with you. May you find the opportunity to pack your bags for an exciting learning and fun experience in the near future.
HOTELS & RESORTS
If you left your heart in San Francisco and are yearning to go back for it, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis would like to check out their $90 million redo of the lobby, meeting space, fitness center, Bin 55 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Mission Grill, Starbucks Cafe, second floor atrium, and all 1,499 rooms and suites. The 39-story Marquis lies next to the Moscone Convention Center and just steps away from Yerba Buena Gardens, renowned museums and cultural attractions, world-class shopping in Union Square, and AT&T Park — home of the San Francisco Giants. 415-896-1600 or www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sfodt-san-francisco-marriott-marquis
If I can’t get to San Francisco (one of my favorite cities), then will someone please book me passage to Istanbul so I can stay at The House Hotel Galatasaray. This place looks stunning. Tucked away among the antique stores of Read more