Hotels and Resorts

Key Largo, The Florida Keys - November in the Florida Keys is highlighted by exciting events focusing on boating, aviation, and great food. To celebrate, KeysCaribbean Luxury Resort Villas & Marinas is featuring a November Special Savings Offer: 25 percent off at select KeysCaribbean luxury resorts through Nov. 30.

First up Nov. 2-9 is the Key West World Championship high speed powerboat race, often called the Indianapolis 500 of powerboat racing. Race enthusiasts can enjoy first class accommodations in Key West and the 25 percent discount at Coral Hammock Resort and King’s Pointe Oceanside Condominiums.

Aviation enthusiasts will want to be in Marathon on Nov. 8 for the Florida Keys Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Aviation Day at Florida Keys Marathon Airport. The event showcases more than 20 different aircraft including World War II military aircraft, home-built aircraft, new airplanes and planes in government service. Nearby Village at Hawks Cay Villas & Marina in Duck Key offers luxury accommodations with free Wi-Fi Internet and free unlimited local and long distance calls, as well as the 25 percent special discount.

On Nov. 13, the Cook-Off 2008 in Key Largo pits talented local chefs against each other. In Key Largo, luxury accommodations and the special 25 percent discount are available at Mariner’s Resort Villas & Marina.

"These great events are unique to the Florida Keys so we are pleased to celebrate them with a special discount," said Sam Schorr, KeysCaribbean managing director.

For reservations book direct at www.keyscaribbean.com or call 305.853.5000.

With so many acronyms and hotel terminology flying around the hotel industry it can become very confusing for the average customer. Hotel price comparison website HotelsCombined.com has collated the top industry terms customers query.

1. Star Rating

The star rating system is a widespread classification system for hotels where luxury is indicated by a higher star rating. The AAA and their affiliated bodies use diamonds instead of stars to define hotel rating levels. In some countries, there is an official body with standard criteria for classifying hotels, but in many others there is none. There have been attempts to unify the classification system so that it can become internationally recognized at a reliable standard but large differences exist in the quality of accommodation across countries. In recent times, there has been an expansion beyond the traditional "five star" rating which has led customers to question whether it is simply marketing hype.

Six to seven star hotel example: Burj Al Arab Hotel Dubai
Five star hotel example: Le Meridien Hotel Nice
Four star hotel example: Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort Hotel
Three star hotel example: Holiday Inn Express Stratford-London
Two star hotel example: Formula 1 Kings Cross Motel Sydney
One star hotel example: Super 8 Hotel Hangzhou Hi-Tech

2. Best Available Rate (BAR)

Best Available Rate (BAR) is a pricing mechanism introduced by Hotel Marketers in an attempt to reduce customer confusion and guarantee the lowest available rate for each night stay. Where it starts to become confusing to customers is that several accommodation booking websites advertise BAR for the same hotel at different rates. Furthermore it is evident that consumers cannot count on these guarantees as most guarantees must be carefully documented if consumers are planning to file a claim and even then it can be difficult to extract the guarantee.

3. On Request Availability

Most customers expect instant confirmation when making a reservation online. Yet there are many online travel agents which conduct business by means of "on request" availability. An "on request" booking is when a customer submits a reservation form and payment details to an online travel agent who then contacts the hotel to confirm the customers’ reservation. If the hotel confirms the customers’ reservation request, the customers’ credit card will be charged and the customer will receive a confirmation email. If the room(s) is not available, the customer will be informed as soon as possible by email and the customers’ credit card will not be charged.

4. Cancellation fees

If a customer wishes to cancel their booking, a cancellation fee may apply in accordance to company policy. What customers get confused about is how much cancellation fees can vary, depending on where the customer made the booking and the lead time of their check-in date. A customers’ cancellation of their reservation may result in a fee up to the full cost of their stay. It is recommended that customers’ pay attention to the fine print to understand what the actual cancellation fee may be.

Get the full article at: http://www.HotelsCombined.com/AboutUs/Press/HotelLanguage.aspx

Corona, CA - Honeymooner’s Review Guide, which provides honeymoon and destination wedding planning advice for couples has released their recent findings for honeymoon couples who are choosing the USA mainland. Reasons range from high airline costs to negative exchange rates. Also, International couples wanting to take advantage of recent great bargains on US soil are coming to the US. The top honeymoon planning website just released their 2008 recommendations for where to go and where to stay for that romantic US mainland interlude.

LaVerne Haller states, "We are seeing more and more US and International couples who are selecting honeymoon travel sites in the United States for their weddings and honeymoons this year due to high costs overseas and bargains in the States." According to Haller, the majority of honeymooners tend to leave their native land or in the case of US citizens prefer Hawaii or the Caribbean to the mainland. However, recent high costs for US couples to fly and honeymoon in Europe, Asia and beyond has driven many to look to home for that special time together. As to European, Asian and other couples, the US looks like a great deal and offers many very romantic locales to start married life together.

Based upon data from returning honeymooners and their research, they recommend that couples consider the following for that special honeymoon or destination wedding on the US mainland (listed alphabetically):

Avalon Luxury Bed & Breakfast - Sonoma Valley, California
Bellagio, Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Berry Springs Lodge Bed and Breakfast - Sevierville , Tenn
Blue Lake Ranch - Hesperus, Colorado
Carneros Inn - Napa, California
Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing - Branson, Missouri
Inn at Palmetto Bluff - Bluffton, South Carolina
Inn of the Five Graces - Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Inn at Bowman’s Hill - New Hope, Pennsylvania
The Tides Hotel - Miami Beach, Florida

Their latest survey is not intended to be a complete list of all the top honeymoon hotels and resorts in the US mainland, but does provide guidance for couples planning their honeymoon travel. Haller states that, "in addition to our surveys, we check each provider to ensure that they are indeed considered the ‘best of the best’."

Ratings are based upon 25 factors and stress ambiance, activities, customer service and romance. Honeymooners Review Guide and its website, www.honeymoonersreviewguide.com offers couples online access to 350+ planning pages of tips, articles, ideas on romance, destinations, and a database with over 3,000 hotels and resorts, with direct access to select honeymoon travel agents and destination wedding specialists.

The website encourages couples who return from their honeymoon to complete a short survey on their experience at their website survey page.

Panama City Beach, FL, - The Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa Hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida is not only the home to acclaimed Chef Julio Lucero, but home to an award winning culinary team as well.

As a native of Sonora, Mexico, Chef Julio Lucero received a degree in industrial engineering before looking to expand his horizons by emigrated to the United States in 1986, where he decided to pursue his passion of the culinary arts. Chef Lucero perfected his craft by working in every area of kitchen operations.

Chef Lucero’s background as a chef includes assisting in opening and operating the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Palm Springs. After ten years with Renaissance, Chef Lucero took on the next challenge to become the Executive Sous Chef of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. In 2003 he was promoted to an Executive Chef position to open the new Seville Golf and Country Club, in Gilbert, Arizona, where he continued to build his knowledge of various cuisines. In 2007 Chef Lucero returned to the Emerald Coast along with his wife and two sons to become the Executive Chef at the Marriott Bay Point Golf Resort and Spa.

Since starting at this luxury Panama City Beach hotel, the culinary team has won Marriott’s "Best in Class in Quality of Food" award. Finishing 6th out of 343 Marriott hotels and second out of all Marriott resorts, the Bay Point Marriott’s culinary team has become a world-class and award-winning team.

With five distinctive Panama City Beach restaurants at the hotel on top of room service and banquet catering, this Florida hotel boasts everything from fresh seafood overlooking St. Andrew’s Bay at 30 Degrees Blue, to Limes which features beach music and frozen drinks, Bay Point Marriott has it all. So, getaway and escape to the lovely and tropical Marriott hotel and discover a sizzling summer destination complete with delectable dining and creative cuisine. More at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pfnbp

Las Vegas, NV - Tom Xavier, General Manager of the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel off the Strip, is pleased to announce the appointment of Fred De Sota to the position of executive director of market strategy, a key position leading the sales, catering and marketing efforts at the award-winning Las Vegas hotel. De Sota’s responsibilities include marketing the more than 20,000 square feet of event space, the largest of any non-gaming Las Vegas business hotel, and the award-winning on-property restaurant, ENVY The Steakhouse. The centrally located off-strip property has proven an ideal venue for Las Vegas conferences, meetings and corporate events.

"We are thrilled to appoint Fred to lead the Renaissance Las Vegas sales and marketing efforts, and we are confident that he will take the hotel to exciting new heights as the pre-eminent off-strip, non-gaming hotel in Las Vegas," said Xavier. "His large meeting and convention expertise and insight will be instrumental to the continued success of the Renaissance Las Vegas."
  
De Sota brings more than 19 years of successful hospitality experience to the Renaissance Las Vegas, Nevada hotel, including tenures as director of marketing at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare, director of sales and marketing at Lakeway Inn Resort & Spa, opening director of sales at the InterContinental Houston, and various key sales positions with Hyatt Regency Austin, Hyatt Regency DFW, and Associate Director of Sales at the flagship Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Most recently, De Sota served as director of marketing at the Doral Tesoro Hotel and Golf Club, recognized as one of the "Best Resorts in Texas" by Texas Golf & Resorts, where he was instrumental in marketing the addition of a 5,000-square-foot event facility and 2,000-square-foot terrace to the existing 22,000 square feet of flexible event space at the property.

About Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel

The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel offers conference and event planners more than 20,000 square feet of space, the largest of any non-gaming hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel features a total of 14 meeting rooms, providing a variety of sophisticated decors and sizes, yet intimate enough to provide highly personalized attention. Rooms can accommodate professional meetings, large-scale events and conferences, team-building activities and pre-function activities.

The hotel boasts 14 stories of Las Vegas accommodations, including 548 spacious guest rooms and 30 exquisitely-appointed suites ranging from 859 to 1,681 square feet, the award-winning ENVY The Steakhouse and Lounge, pool and workout facilities, superb meeting and catering resources, and concierge services to impress the most discerning guests.

The ideal venue for Las Vegas conferences, meetings and corporate events, the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel inspires productivity by removing the stress of planning an event as well as the clutter and commotion associated with casino hotels. This family friendly hotel in Las Vegas provides guests effortless access to the heart of the city while earning valuable Marriott Rewards points.

The Renaissance is located at 3400 Paradise Road and can be reached by phone at (702) 784-5700 or toll free at (800) 750-0980. Renaissance Las Vegas, an AAA four-diamond rated hotel, can be visited online at http://www.renaissancelasvegas.com.