Luxury and Romance on St. Lucia

ST. LUCIA – Was Jade Mountain the best hotel I have ever stayed at in the Caribbean? Well, there was an infinity pool in the bedroom of my three-wall room at this ultra-luxury resort in St. Lucia.

Enough said.

This room was just pure heaven. I can see why a guest here once stayed in the room for five consecutive days without stepping foot outside. There is quite simply no reason to leave. And you aren’t exactly inside, either.

Each room has only three walls.Without the fourth wall, you are basically outside while in your room. You can catch plenty of rays just by sitting in the lawn chairs in your living room. The pool begins from your bed, which is netted to protect you from mosquitoes, and extends to the front of your living room with perhaps the best view I’ve ever seen at a Caribbean hotel.

Looking out from the edge of your pool, you can see the pride of St. Lucia: the Pitons, two gigantic, gorgeous green twin mountains.

To your right is more ocean, which looks like a painting when the sun goes down. To make a long story short, I was in my room, in a pool, drinking a cold beer, overlooking a real-life mountain.

This was one of the first luxury properties I had seen in the Caribbean when it first opened roughly four years ago, right around the time I began covering the region. I never got to stay there until now, but the wait was well worth it — even if I only got to stay for one night.

Also, there is a Jacuzzi directly in front of the shower, which has no walls at all.

I stayed in room JA2, known as “Moon,” one of the 29 rooms of this resort, which is owned by Karolin and Nick Troubetzky, who also own the original Anse Chastanet. Anse Chastanet was built in the ‘70’s and Jade Mountain is its sister property, the newer of the two and practically a resort-within-a-resort.

Although situated near the same location, the difference is that Jade Mountain comes with access to the pools and a butler for every room. The lowest category rooms at Jade Mountain, however, only come with a Jacuzzi. Rooms are pretty pricey, ranging from $1,200 to about $2,300 a night.

The only drawback for someone like me was the room's lack of a television. That’s usually not a problem since the typical guests here are not lonely travel writers, but honeymooners, a variety of guest this property has consistently attracted since it was featured on “The Bachelor” last season. In fact, the terrace of Jade Mountain, where private dinners can be arranged, was the site where Jake proposed on the show. Or, so I’ve heard.

Butlers, upon request, can bring wireless devices to your room, so you have Internet service if you feel the desire to connect with the outside world or, in my case, brag to your friends about what an awesome job you have.

You simply can’t go wrong pitching this incredible resort. This is mainly for honeymooners and wedding destination-seekers, but Anse Chastanet is also a place for  families to stay.

Visit www.stlucianow.com and www.jademountainstlucia.com.

A Tour of St. Lucia’s First-Ever Casino

ST. LUCIA – So, I managed to go four straight days in Las Vegas without playing a single hand of Blackjack, keeping intact my New Year’s resolution to not gamble in a casino. And what happens?

The day I arrive for a four-day press trip to St. Lucia, the island opens its first casino since it was discovered by Columbus.

Now, I could have easily stayed away, but I had to get a first-hand look at something I thought I’d never see on this Caribbean island. The Treasure Bay Casino has 257 slot machines (90 percent of which are penny slots), nine Blackjack tables, one Craps table, one Roulette table, 31 televisions in the bar and three poker tables in a private area. The casino is located in the Bay Walk mall in the heart of Rodney Bay, the area of the island with the most vibrant nightlife.

The temptation to sit down at the brand new, green felt Blackjack table — that hadn't yet seen a single spilled drink or a frustrated gambler's pounding fist — subsided quickly for two reasons: The “How to Play Blackjack" pamphlet to the left of the table, which alerted me to the fact that most of the people I would play with here would not be experts of the game (something that has cost me money in the past), and … the dealer was not yet on duty.

But I must say, the place looked very clean, very professional and, unfortunately for me and the locals of St. Lucia who are inexperienced in table games, very inviting.

The casino also has a handful of $1 minimum Blackjack tables, meaning you can gamble for hours without losing too much dough. I spoke to Jeff Prusinowski, vice president of gaming operations for Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel, about the casino. Prusinowski's company is based in Biloxi, Mississippi, and owns and manages several casinos in the Caribbean, in locations such as The Bahamas, Aruba and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Thirty-six nationals and 10 to 15 ex-pats work at the casino, all of whom went through 10 weeks of training prior to the opening, according to Prusinowski. Locals are allowed to gamble. Locals, as well as tourists, need to become a member of the casino in order to wager. To become a member, all you have to do is present your I.D. and sign a form.

I’ve been hearing about the possibility of St. Lucia opening a casino for some time now, but I honestly never thought the government would allow it. Prusinowski said the plan to open this casino first sprouted in 2004.

“I always say the Ministry of Tourism should be called the Ministry of Experience,” said Sen. Allen Chastanet, minister of tourism and civil aviation in St. Lucia, “because tourism is really about your experiences and adding a casino is just another way we can tailor visitors’ experience of St. Lucia. It’s just one more thing we can give them.”

Visit www.stlucianow.com and www.treasurebay.com.
 

Day Two Roundup of the Luxury Travel Expo

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - The 12th annual Luxury Travel Expo continued its success Wednesday morning at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. During the open session, there was a flattering shout out to Travel Agent magazine for our 80th anniversary, complete with the presentation of a cake, but the better shout out was to John McMahon, vice president and group publisher of The Travel + Hospitality Group, who was celebrating his birthday Wednesday.

It was funny to see McMahon’s face turn beet red when he was serenaded by a Marilyn Monroe impersonator on stage in front of everyone.

“I think you’re about the same age as Travel Agent magazine,” McMahon told the fake Monroe on stage.

The keynote address was conducted by the very vibrant and very funny Nancy Friedman, founder and president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Travel. In between checking herself out on the big screen and flirting with attendees, Friedman told the audience a few phrases to never say to clients. For example, Friedman urged to crowd to never say, “I don’t know.”

“I don’t know? Never say that,” Friedman says. “It says ‘I don’t care.’ It is a direct rejection. Why not start out with a positive alternative if you don’t know the answer. Instead, say ‘Gee, that is a very good question, Mr. Customer. Let me check and find out.’ By the way, Tommy, when did you need that information? By the way, Mr. Jones, when do you need that information?”

The trade floor opened at 1 p.m. Here’s some notable news and notes Travel Agent was able to get during our time on the floor:

Travel Agent spoke with Dr. Aloyce K. Nzuki, the new managing director of Tanzania Tourism Board, who discussed the African destination’s plans to add direct flights from New York and Atlanta and possibly add U.S. hotel brands such as Marriott Hotels and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

Travel Agent met with Scott Ward, director of marketing and sales for Scrub Island, the British Virgin Island's first new resort in nearly 15 years, and learned that the hotel portion of the resort is now complete. All 52 rooms of the resort are now fully complete, which wasn’t the case when Travel Agent visited the resort back in January. In fact, since its opening the resort has already hosted six groups and six weddings. The villa portion of this resort within a resort is also coming together smoothly. The first property, a five-bedroom villa, opened in May. Four two-bedroom villas are expected to be ready by February or March, Ward said.

We spoke to John L. Lynch, Jamaica’s director of tourism, and found out that the destination saw a six percent spike in arrivals in November from the same period last year. Lynch also noted that the new Montego Bay Convention Centre will be functional by the upcoming Caribbean Marketplace 2011, which will be held Jan. 16-18.

Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, a company that just launched its first resort, the Buccament Bay Resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with a soft opening in August and a grand opening slated for April 3, is planning to expand further throughout the Caribbean and the rest of the world. Groundbreaking has already begun on projects in St. Lucia, the Dominican Republic and Barbados, and plans are underway for other resorts in Jamaica and Brazil. Harlequin Hotels & Resort’s Harlequin Golf brand will continue to expand throughout the world, with other Harlequin Golf resorts possibly opening in China, Africa and India, although Ames says those destinations are merely being scouted for new projects and no definite plans are in effect.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com and www.luxuryta.com for more from our ongoing coverage of Luxury Travel Expo.
 

Day One Roundup of Luxury Travel Expo

LAS VEGAS, Nevada –The 12th annual Luxury Travel Expo got its feet wet on Tuesday with the inaugural Young Leaders Conference. I was on hand for the event, which attracted roughly 110 agents and tourism representatives under the age of 40.

“I’m usually the youngest one at all these events and conferences, so its great to be able to trade advice with people my own age for a change,” says Aimee Leon, manager of leisure services for Travel Dynamics Group in La Jolla, California. “It’s very beneficial.”

Attendees sat through six interesting presentations from such industry icons as Jack E. Mannix, of Jack E. Mannix & Associates, along with Nancy Strong, CEO of Strong Travel Services; Kathryn W. Sudeikis, vice president of corporate relations for All About Travel; Michelle Mangio, owner of Magical Express and Ralph Iantosca, owner of Go Girl Travel.

“The energy throughout the day was exciting and innovative,” says the event’s host, Jose Barreiro, group director of sales for The Travel + Hospitality Group. “It was so wonderful to see some of the travel industry’s brightest young professionals interacting with longstanding industry icons. It made all of us hopeful about the future of the travel agent.”

After the roughly seven-hour conference, I had enough time to race to my room, write a bit, change into my suit and race back downstairs for the 10th annual Awards of Excellence where the big winners were Geoffrey Gelardi, The Lanesborough for Top General Manager of a Luxury Hotel/Resort Worldwide and Abercrombie & Kent for Top Luxury Destination Management Company Worldwide.

Along with the 2010 Awards of Excellence winners, Luxury Travel Advisor honored Kathy Sudeikis, vice president of corporate relations for All About Travel, as Top Humanitarian for 2010. The Top Humanitarian award is bestowed on those travel industry professionals who are not only committed to the betterment of the industry, but who use their notoriety to bring attention to communities and individuals in need.

I’ll be covering LTE through Thursday, so keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com and www.luxuryta.com for updates from the show.
 

Luxury in Buenos Aires: Alvear Palace

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Travel Agent arrived Thursday in Buenos Aires as part of a press trip hosted by Blue Parallel, a tour operator and villa operator who specializes in Latin America, and the first hotel we stayed at is definitely worth pitching to your luxury clients visiting Argentina.

The Alvear Palace is located in Las Recoleta, one of the most elegant neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. The neighborhood is home to some of the best restaurants, coffee bars and stores in all of Buenos Aires. It is known mostly, however, for its public parks and rich architecture.

The hotel is embodies classic elegance with its French design, including crystal chandeliers in its lobbies and rooms.

Every floor in this luxury property has its own butler service. I stayed in room #723, which came with one of the most comfortable king-size beds I’ve ever slept in, views of the city, a flat-screen TV and free wireless Internet service. But the kicker here was the small, flat-screen TV located in the bathroom on a wall above the bathtub. Your clients will thank you when they are watching television as they sip some tasty Malbec wine in their bath.

Pitch this hotel for your affluent business or leisure clients. It’s a great sell for both families and couples, but we would mainly recommend this for travel savvy couples.

Visit www.alvearpalace.com.
 

A Top Pick: El Casco Art Hotel in Bariloche, Argentina

BARIOLOCHE, Argentina – On my second day of a press trip hosted by Blue Parallel, a tour operator and villa operator who specializes in Latin America, I took a nearly two hour flight from Buenos Aires to Patagonia and stayed at one of the best hotels I’ve ever seen in Central and South America, The El Casco Art Hotel.

The ultra-luxury hotel located in Bariloche, an adventure travelers dream, overlooks the famous Lake Nahuel Huapi, which can be seen from every room in the hotel. All rooms are numbered, but are also named after a famous artist.

There are 33 rooms and suites and 475 pieces of art, all available for purchase. I stayed in room 211, the Daniel Kaplan room, named after a famous artist who lived for some time in New York and now resides in the city of Mar del Plata.

His favorite subject is the tango, which developed into a new style of tango painting that is completely original. The room, like all rooms of the property, is themed after the artist it is named after. Our room is decorated with Kaplan paintings and included brochures and books all devoted to the artist. You can even buy the pieces that are hanging in your room. The room category is a Nahuel Studio. There are 18 of these.

The main selling point here is the view and the location. I can’t begin to describe the feeling of walking into the room, looking out of our floor-to-ceiling-sized window and being smacked in the face by one of the best views I’ve ever seen at a hotel. The lake is gorgeous. The bright, blue water attracts baby ducks and boats, while green and snow-covered mountains can be seen alongside of it.

It is also home to a beauty salon, fitness center, restaurant, a bar and more. The hotel also has adapters for the outlets since the outlets are different than American ones.

The food and wine here are amazing, but the theme and views of this hotel is what makes it perhaps the top five hotels I’ve ever stayed at in Latin America. Pitch this to just about anybody, especially art enthusiasts and adventure lovers, who can take part in anything from mountain biking to repelling.

It is perfect for couples and girls and guys getaways, although families may not be the perfect fit since children might not appreciate the art that the resort celebrates.

Visit www.hotelelcasco.com.
 

World Travel Market in London: Day Three (Part Two--Hotels)

With regrets, I left the Egerton House Hotel this morning. I'll miss the place--it has a wonderfully homey vibe (probably helps that it's built from two converted townhouses) that makes it very comfortable and a nice retreat from business meetings. (I'll especially miss those fireplaces, and the amazingly multi-lingual staff. I couldn't keep track of all the languages I heard going back and forth.)

I caught a taxi over to Mayfair (and got taken for a ride in more ways than one by the cabbie...be sure to check the meter before setting off on a trip and make sure it's not already pre-set to some ridiculous rate) and dropped off my bags at the Athenaeum, which I've always wanted to see. The hotel has a green wall of living plants designed by Patrick Blanc, a French botanist, and it makes for a very striking facade. At the door, I was met by Jim Burns, the hotel's  wonderfully outgoing and informative doorman and greeter, who remembered my name when I returned in the evening and offered a very friendly "Welcome home!" Sweet. 

I'm staying in one of the hotel's suites on the top floor, which has views over Green Park (the sun was setting when I got in, so no pictures yet), and a four-poster bed with post-modern plastic posts. The room is very spacious (lots of chairs--good for casual entertaining), and has nice perks like free drinks (of the non-alcoholic variety, alas) from the mini-bar and a walk-in closet that can double as a changing room. The bathroom is very large and has two sinks (great for couples getting ready in a rush). 

Even better: The hotel's spa has just reopened after some renovations. On the downside, I won't have time to use it. Woe.

Tomorrow: Puttin' on The Ritz!

Richard Nahem's Paris Tea Salons

Ladurée

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog www.eyepreferparis.com.

Tea salons are an old and wonderful Paris tradition and a steaming pot of tea accompanied by a pastry is luxurious respite from hectic city life. Here are some of our favorites.

Carette

Newly opened last year, Carette Salon de Thé has a glorious location smack in the middle of the picturesque first square of Paris, the Place des Vosges. Not only do they have a fine selection of herbal teas served in individual pots, but also they offer a full food menu, available in English and in French, the size of a mini-encyclopedia. It lists tempting salads, creamy quiches, classic Croque Monsieur’s, sumptuous pastries and breads, and if tea isn’t your thing, their thick as mud hot chocolate is grand replacement.  The outdoor café part has heat lamps so you can enjoy the splendid view all year round and the inside has an elegant setting with marble floors. If you want their sweet treats to go, there is a pastry bar in the front of the salon. There is another location on Place Trocadero.

25 Place des Vosges, 3d. arr.
Tel. 01 48 87 94 07
Open 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m., seven days

4 place du Trocadero, 16th arr.
Tel 01 47 27 98 85
Open 8 a.m. –12 p.m., seven days
www.carette-paris.com/uk

Ladurée

Most famous for its luscious macarons, Ladurée has one of the most decadent tearooms in town. The original location on rue Royale has an interesting history. It was opened as an upscale patisserie in 1871 and painter Jules Cheret, inspired by the Sistine Chapel, painted the interior with cherubs and gold paint. At the turn of the century, Ernest Ladurée’s wife Jeanne, came up with the clever idea of one of the first tea salons in Paris so her lady friends would be free to meet in public during the day without men escorting them. Macarons are not the only delicious order of dessert business, there are over 40 kinds of tantalizing sweets including fruit tarts in fig & honey, passion fruit, and roasted pineapple, ice cream dishes like Café Liégois with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and espresso, and Religieuse Chocolat, a cream puff with chocolate custard cream, which promises to be a “religious” experience. A full food menu is also available.

16 rue Royale, 8th arr.
Tel. 01 42 60 21 79
Open Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
www.laduree.fr/index_en.htm

Mariage Freres

Mariage Freres

Mariage Freres, the oldest teashop in Paris, dates back to 1854. The thriving shop still stands in the Marais district of Paris and looks much like it did in 1854 with creaky wood plank floors and large black canisters containing their much loved teas. In the back of the charming shop is a sunny tea salon with lemon yellow walls and glass skylight, and is for serious tea connoisseurs. Over 30 kinds of tea blends are traditionally steeped using purified water and prepared on an antique wood bar, then served in a large white porcelain and silver pot. Tea is use artfully used to flavor dishes on their food menu and pastry menu. When you are done you can visit the fascinating tea museum upstairs.

30 rue Bourg –Tibourg, 4th arr.
Tel. 01 42 72 28 11
Open 12 p.m.-7 p.m., seven days
www.mariagefreres.com

Arriving in London for World Travel Market

You know that wonderful new-car smell that car fans love to talk about? Turns out, planes have that, too. I got to ride in one of Continental's new 777 jets from Newark to Heathrow, and yes, it smelled like a new car. Also? Wide-screen TVs with lots of on-demand programming on the back of every seat. Nice way to start a trip to London!

A quick and very convenient ride on the Heathrow Express got me right into the heart of London in fifteen minutes and, at Paddington, I learned firsthand how difficult it is to navigate the Tube with luggage. Most New York City subway stations have at least one elevator or ramps for people in wheelchairs (or people with luggage), but on the Underground, one must carry one's luggage up and down numerous flights of stairs. That's annoying enough, but how do people in wheelchairs get around London?

I finally arrived at the Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge, a lovely boutique property that really conjures old-fashioned glamor. The bed in my room is a four-poster, and the housekeeping ladies wear black dresses and white aprons. The keys are the old-fashioned heavy metal things you see in period dramas, and the lounges have fireplaces. It's so Jeeves & Wooster that I keep waiting for PG Wodehouse himself to pop out and offer me a martini. 

Which is not to say that the hotel is completely old-fashioned, of course--there's complimentary Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs in both the bedrooms and the bathrooms. But the vibe is very classic, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of the hotel after I've shaken off the jet lag. 

Better Product Training for 2011

After reading up on Travel Agent's exclusive roundtable with cruise industry executives, reader and travel agent Karen Dawson of Southlake Travel contacted us to shares scenarios she believes are missed opportunities in training.

I read with great interest your article with several cruise line executives regarding the agency community…. however, it made me crazy. I think they are missing a huge opportunity because, in my opinion, their focus is solely on the PRODUCT, PRODUCT, PRODUCT. And when the sales don’t materialize as expected, then the big push is on for “Sales Training.” Surely we need to teach the agents “how to close the sale.”

The missing factor that I see in every webinar, presentation, workshop is that the cruise lines fail to teach “how do I find the customers to buy this product?” As a result, the agents walk out of those presentations as, as Bob Dickinson used to say, “good order takers.” So if a customer calls wanting to go that destination or sail on that cruise line, by gosh the agent can sell it. But they are not given the simple tools of how to recognize a great client for that product. And it’s not a case of marketing here, with more e-mails and more direct mail, etc.

It’s more to teach the agents how to recognize the potential client for those one-on-one conversations they will have…  at their next Chamber of Commerce luncheon, their next networking event, their next wine-tasting event, etc. From there, they start formulating groups of people that might be interested in that destination or product, too. Let’s give the agents the confidence of matching these great products with great prospects.

How simple would it be to take five minutes at the end of a training session and say “Let’s brainstorm here…who would be a good client or group to sail on this ship, or destination?”  And have the agents write down at least five people they think might be a good prospect. This is not rocket science.

I can tell you the agents are hungry to sell the cruise lines products, but all they hear about is more balconies,  butler service and new duvets; they all start sounding alike after awhile.