Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco

Looking for something a little different on your next trip to San Francisco? Sick of cookie cutter hotels without personality? Well, the Phoenix Hotel might be just what you are looking for!

The funky island-inspired Phoenix Hotel is the perfect urban hide-away. The rooms are not that great, but the hotel features over 250 original works of art on the grounds including paintings, photographs, and sculptures from local artists. You will receive free tattoos upon check-in and don't forget to check out the Phoenix Fun Book, a coloring book inspired by the eclectic history of the hotel.

Each spacious '50s style bungalow room is decorated with handmade bamboo furnishings, tropical plants. All guestrooms have views of the courtyard and pool.

Bambuddha Lounge, the restaurant, draws on South-East Asian cuisine influences to offer a dinner menu at reasonable prices.

The Phoenix Hotel is located in the Tenderloin District near the historic Civic Center, home of the San Francisco Ballet, Opera, Symphony and Government offices. The hotel is in close proximity to some of the city's hottest music venues, including the Great American Music Hall, Slims, The Warfield, The Fillmore, Bimbo's, and the San Francisco Symphony. Downtown and Union Square are a short drive or walk away.

We'd be happy to book this hotel for you or introduce you to some other equally interesting hotel options. As always, you can book this hotel online at our website www.travelmyway.ca

NCL Pearl - Review

Karron McGoey from our Travel My Way office just returned from the inaugural cruise of the new NCL Pearl. Here's her report:

Well as you all know, I have just returned from the inaugural cruise aboard the NCL Pearl. What a fabulous ship! It even has it's own bowling alley with 4 lanes!

There are over 500 cabins with balconies ranging from basic ocean view with balcony up to Deluxe Owners suites. They have a category called Courtyard Villas where there are 10 villas and they have access to a separate pool, hot tub, steam room etc. These suites are amazing, and naturally they have concierge service. Clients need never mingle with other guests if that is their pleasure. But why wouldn't they? They would miss way too much of the great amenities aboard this new ship.

I cannot even begin to tell you about the 12 restaurants, 13 different bars including a champagne bar and the Maltings Beer and Whiskey bar, the casino, the rock climbing wall, the bowling alley (Blizz Ultra Lounge). This really is an incredible ship and anyone who thinks NCL is the same old NCL is going to be very surprised.

There was a guest on the Pearl who had worked for over 20 years with Holland America and decided to retire and just do groups. For whatever reason, he was invited on the Pearl...he was blown away. He could not believe how great it was. NCL has undergone an unbelievable change in the last few years and you can put your clients on this ship and know that they will be impressed. This definitely rivals Holland America and Princess. In fact, with their freestyle dining - why would anyone want to cruise on anything else.

NCL is without a doubt my favourite cruise line so far out of all of the cruise lines I've been on, with the exception of Celebrity. There is just so much going for them. The food is great and it is as good in the dining room as it is in the specialty restaurants. Consider the NCL line. By the end of 2010, they will have the youngest fleet on the seas. They have another ship NCL Gem coming out next year and the year after they are planning on launching F3's. They won't tell us anything about them yet - they just say "watch for them."

Free style dining isn't for everyone. Some clients like the regiment of going for dinner at 6:30pm or 8:30pm and dressing to the "nines". This cruise line isn't for them, but how many times have we had clients tell us the main reason they won't cruise is because they wear a suit to work and will not wear one on vacation. On these ships, they don't have to. Resort casual is the dressiest they need be and then they don't have to even go that far if they don't want to. There were guests dressed to the hilt and other ones in slacks and golf shirts.

"Simply Irresistible" was the theme of their inaugural voyage and it really was!!!

Azul Blue - A New Concept in All-Inclusive!

Karisma Hotels & Resorts has gone the high-tech route to ensure guests won’t find any unwelcome surprises at its Azul Blue Hotel + Spa.

The 96-unit Riviera Maya property, which will be fully open Dec. 15, is inviting guests to share their preferences with hotel staff through Karisma’s www.karismahotels.com web site, with an Azul Blue section enabling upcoming vacationers to specify what type of pillows, linen, aromatherapy, food and other items they wish to have on their vacation.

In fact, says Lubo Krstajic, Karisma’s VP of sales and marketing, couples recalling a song that has particular significance for them can notify Azul Blue staff of it through the web site and then hear it upon entering their suite. If the hotel doesn’t have it already, those planning to stay there are invited to e-mail it.

“We will make sure that song is playing in the suite,” vows Krstajic, who adds that having guests communicate personal preferences before their arrival is all part of the hotel’s “stress-free” philosophy.

“Everything is arranged beforehand as the client likes. The concept is completely different than any other hotel in the Riviera Maya.”

Krstajic also notes that Karisma properties don’t have buffet restaurants, opting for the a la carte route instead, which he says is a classier form of dining. The “gourmet-inclusive” approach means there are no cash transactions, and guests don’t sign for their meals.

Azul Blue guests can also expect to find plenty of choices of each type of alcohol, Krstajic continues.

Krstajic acknowledges that the trend in the Riviera Maya has been to all-inclusives, but not all vacation-ers want that type of experience, he says, and so Karisma decided to open the Azul Blue, which it labels as boutique property.

AMENITIES



Azul Blue suites feature king or queen beds, wide-screen plasma TVs, marble hydro-jet tubs, Mexican décor, iPods, mini-bars, wireless Internet, drinks, and aromatherapy according to guest preferences and butler service provided by butlers trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers.

The hotel spa has 10 treatment rooms and a temazcal, a purifying steambath ritual that began with the Maya.

Other hotel amenities include three restaurants, including Yuzu, which serves Asian dishes; three bars, one of them a piano bar; a fitness club that offers the likes of yoga, tai chi and an equipment room; four outdoor whirlpools; DVD library; cooking, tequila and Spanish lessons; nightly entertainment and live music; meeting rooms; and a gift shop. Nanny service is available; The hotel has meeting rooms, and there is an on-site weddings co-ordinator.

Krstajic reports that those staying at the resort, near the Maya ruins of Tulum, won’t find many other vacationers when they walk along the shore by the property. “On those beaches, you feel like Robinson Crusoe.”

Among tour operators that are offering Azul Blue are Air Canada Vacations and Conquest Vacations. You can book this resort online at our website http://www.travelmyway.ca

Club Med Cancun - REVIEW

I'm back and ready to tell all!

Okay, how was it you ask? In a word, FANTASTIC! Quite honestly, the whole experience far exceeded my expectations.

This is a top notch facility in every possibly way. The facilities are beautiful and well-designed. The service is personalized, warm and friendly. Club Med resorts are not the least expensive option out there - but I would gladly pay more for the value and experience you get. Club Med is not like the others.

First - CLUB MED

Club Med has figured out how to provide service in a completely different way. They staff over half of their resort with "GO'S" or Gracious Organizers (something like 250 GO staff in Cancun I think I was told). These are for the most part well-educated, professional twenty-somethings either taking a break from their careers or are specialized in the hospitality field. They are interesting, friendly, service-focused and committed. They give the resort an International cosmopolitan flavour and it is impossible to not become friends with many of them.

They will normally have a particular job (bartender, reception staff, kids mini club, etc) but they are also responsible for greeting guests at the airport, showing new arrivals to their rooms, serving cocktails and drinks, and even helping to put your luggage on the bus when you leave. They live at the resort, they eat in the same restaurants, they go dancing at the bar and they watch the nightly shows. They are participating as well as serving.

In the end, the whole experience feels more like you are being hosted. It is a very warm, gracious and friendly atmosphere where you feel pampered and appreciated. It is hard to completely explain how they do it, but its this genuine enthusiasm on the staff's part that takes this from being a great experience to a fantastic one. It is completely addictive and now I understand now why so many people are repeat visitors once they go. I'll be going back. It redefines the whole resort experience.

Next - the resort itself.

They invested 24 million dollars into the resort and the result was beautiful. They renovated every room, every public space, stocked the resort with new equipment. The result - a very sophisticated and cool space. The rooms are smaller than what you might be used to in Mexico, but if you have been to Europe lately its on par with what you might find there. Club Med is a French owned company and this European influence is seen with modern bathroom fittings, European pillows and bedding, and well-designed space saving features in the rooms.

If you want to indulge - try one of the new suites. They are gorgeous with ocean views, a spa bathroom to die for, room service, an espresso machine and other nice amenities like morning newspapers, private car transfers from the airport and more.

One of the biggest changes was to the pool area. They have created an outdoor lounge area with stylish sectionals and covered divan sun beds. The pool area has teak loungers with large sun umbrellas. The overall effect feels like you were in some exclusive spa resort in Europe rather than Mexico. And poolside drink service is pure decadence!



FOOD

The food at Club Med was impressive. Fresh, imaginative, beautifully displayed. I loved that you could find Mexican food as well as other cusines at all times. I love Mexican food and hate that you have to wait for a theme night to enjoy it. In fact, Club Med has a separate restaurant that specializes in Mexican cuisine along with a new Tapas style restaurant. The buffet restaurant was well designed and it featured chefs preparing fresh and hot specialties right before your eyes. Always plenty of fresh fish, seafood, fruit and salads along with desserts that are both gorgeous to look at as well as eat. Honestly, I think alone is one of the reasons why I stay away from all-inclusives, but with Club Med I was consistently surprised by the quality and creativity.

Commitment to the area.

Local staff are treated well, given training and language lessons. The resort is tastefully decorated with Mexican furniture and artwork showcasing the areas' rich history. Every guest will have the opportunity to visit a set of Mayan ruins as a means to learn more about the destination you are visiting. They support UNESCO's guidance around responsible tourism and they organize their excursions with this in mind, supporting local tour operators so that profits stay in the region as well as designing a number of eco-tourism options. In a nutshell - they are a complete anomaly to almost every resort you will find in Cancun or the Mayan Riviera. If nothing else, this should be enough to want to support them.

Location and Sports

They have the best location in Cancun bar none. Compared to the row of highrise resorts down the beach, Club Med's buildings are no taller than three stories. The resort is tucked between the beach and the lagoon. Every room either looks to the ocean or towards the lagoon which is more like a private lake at this end of Cancun. In fact, Club Med uses the lagoon for free waterskiing and wakeboarding.

In addition, the resort also fronts a reef which is the best location in Cancun for snorkeling. While visitors at other resorts have to sign up and pay to snorkel, you simply walk down to the snorkel centre and grab yourself a mask and fins and you are in snorkeling heaven - all day, every day if you want!

Club Med prides itself on its sports programs and I can see why. All the equipment and instructors are top notch. The resort offers tennis, sailing, snorkeling, waterskiing, circus trapez and can coordinate golf and scuba diving. You will not find a disinterested water sports employee here - all are highly qualified instructors offering free lessons and tips for your enjoyment. For example, one of the sailing instructors was invited to train with the New Zealand America's Cup Team, but decided to work for Club Med instead. I felt more than safe when she took me out on the Hobie Cat for a sail! The point is that the GO's are there to teach, to encourage, and to play along with you if you need a partner or assistance. I didn't know how to sail, but that didn't stop the GO from taking me out so that I could experience it. That's part of the Club Med difference.

Evening entertainment.

I don't know about you, but evenings can get pretty grim at most all-inclusive resorts. Not so at Club Med. Every night they bring in professional entertainment from around the world. While I was there we had acrobats, a terrific Cuban salsa band, a flamenco guitar quartet, and a Mayan traditional dance troop. I felt like I was on a cruise ship. I looked forward to heading to the outdoor lounge for pre-dinner cocktails by candlelight to listen to the live band. Then it was on to a lingering multicourse dinner, followed by a show in the theatre or straight to the bar for more drinks and dancing. Every night had a buzz about it like you were going out on the town.

Children's Programs

I should point out that Club Med offers all children's programs now at this resort. It used to be more a singles party place, but now it is a grown up sophisticated resort. I love that Club Med takes children's programming very seriously and uses qualified child development GO's to staff the facilities - yet at the same time, the space doesn't feel like Disneyland. I think they have figured out the right balance of how to have a resort that specializes in both child and adult facilities. Baby Welcome kits with all the equipment (bottle warmers, highchairs, cribs, etc.), baby sitting service for children up to 4 years. Then supervised MiniClub activities and specialized teen programs.

CONCLUSION

All in all - it was a one-of-a-kind all-inclusive resort experience. For the money, you are getting unbelievable value. More over, if you want to feel pampered and special, this is the place for your vacation. I mean, when you arrive at the airport, the GO's are waiting with cool towels and cold water before you get on your transfer. Its just little thoughtful things like that - but they happen all the time.

Clothing-Optional, Desire Guaranteed!

I don't know about you, but I could use a little something to spice up my Thursday afternoon.

I came across this brand of resorts today that I thought I would pass on to you. They are called "Desire Resorts" and they cater to "liberated couples seeking sun, sand and sensual encounters."

They have two resorts in Mexico, one near Cancun and a new property opening this winter in Los Cabos. They provide a clothing-optional, couples-only resort experience. The new Los Cabos property looks stunning with beach side palapa sunning beds, a gorgeous pool and clothing optional rooftop Jacuzzi and "see and be seen" translucent open air shower.

The new property features a spa with reasonably priced spa services, and a selection of "themed parties" for every night of the week. I am not making this stuff up - this is direct from their marketing materials:

"Dance the night away, make new friends and even dress in your wildest theme-party costume. This is the pulsating heart of Desire, a place of throbbing beats, heated bodies and exciting music; couples arrive as strangers and leave as friends. And in the privacy of the guest couples–only Play Room, Passion rules the night! "

Is it getting hot in here? Intrigued...Air Canada Vacations, Sunwing and Nolitours offer their resorts in their line up of products. As always, give us a call if you would like more info or go to our website to book online.