Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: May 10-14

Before we get started this week, I'd like to suggest agents (particularly those with clients who are eager to visit Great Britain) take time this weekend, or sometime soon, to go see the new Robin Hood film by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and William Hurt. I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening this past Wednesday and, in my layman's opinion, not only is the film a subtle and original take on the legendary figure (that is neither hoaky nor driven by a Robin Hood that speaks with an American accent- sorry, Costner), it has some beautiful scenery that could further entice clients to make the journey across the pond. The backdrop of the film can remind clients about the bucolic regions of the country where they can go to truly escape and, perhaps, get in touch with the original sources of thei heritage. Visit www.visitbritain.com/en/campaigns/robinhood for more and you'll see what I mean.

That being said, let's take a look at what readers have been saying at TravelAgentCentral this week. I'm glad to report that most of the comments this week have been focused on helping agents through advice or warning.

More on Vacation Rentals

We've been discussing the potential impact that vacation rentals can have on an agent's business for almost a month now, and the conversation is not going away just yet. In fact, two readers shared some information on the topic just this week.

First up this week was michael chisholm, of Wimco Villas. He wrote:

As a sales agent working for a villa reservation company, we help Travel Agents all the time as we apprciate the need to further the villa vacation market. The company I work for, www.wimco.com represents villas in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe and Nantucket and ALL our destinations have on island support for vactioners. In the ever expanding vacation rental marketplace, specialising in specfic destinations is important as this provides better accuracy overall.

Perhaps you are weary of potentially subjective information coming from a supplier, which is understandable. Therefore, I suggest you listen to Amanda, who posted:

Staying in hotels on vacation is a thing of the past! So many more people love the option of getting a vacation rental and having more privacy and more space. Not to mention how affordable they can be. I believe that vacation rentals are a great market for travel agents. I myself book vacation rentals and get nothing but great reviews.

Lisa is another non-supplier who is a strong supporter of this niche market, stating:

When in Hawaii, staying in a vacation rental whether it is in a villa or a home, it is the only way to go. I had the opportunity to work with the friendly staff at Tropical Villa Vacations, who showed a genuine concern for all of my travel needs. The location that we chose was perfect!

The fact that so many comments have been coming in on this topic over the course of a month (which is like years in Internet timing) is more than encouraging, to say the least. I hope agents take the opportunity to keep sharing more on the topic both here and at a discussion thread on AgentNation.

Speaking of AgentNation

Last week, we reported on Expedia's new Travel Agent Affiliate program and, although there have been no comments posted (yet) directly on the story, we've received feedback at our discussion thread on the matter at AgentNation. If you haven't signed up and/or logged in yet, here's what some agents had to share on the matter.

Angie was the first to respond, writing:

I am excited about this because now clients can't say "we booked it on Expedia". They will know we can get them the best price available no questions asked. I do have one question. I am trying to sign up online for the free sign up before June promo. It wants my bank info. Is that so they can bill us the 50dollars?

Meanwhile, user macaw_mom does not appear as enthused as Angie, posting:

I am not that excited. I see the online agencies like this worried they are losing to the True Travel Agent. Commission levels for TAAP are: 10% for Expedia Special Rate hotels $6 per booking for Agency Hotels 5% on vacation packages (flight+hotel, flight+car rental, flight+hotel+car rental). Note Minimum 3 night/3day Land Content 3% on vacation packages (flight+hotel, flight+car rental, flight+hotel+car rental). Note Less than 3 night/3day Land Content 10% for activities I just booked a 7 day vacation - Hotel/Air - my commission is $347.00 If I did it through Expedia - at 5% - my commission would have been $160.00 I work hard for my money - to build my business not theirs If people want to book from Orbitz or Expedia, I say okay... In 2010 I have seen an increase in customers, who say they are tired of spending so much time on the internet finding the best price. I will remain "true" to my agency & my customers, without affiliating with these online booking companies.

What's your take? Is the Expedia program an opportunity for agents as online travel agencies (OTAs) seek new relationships or is it, perhaps, a waste of time too late in the game? Agents chimed in on the subject at our Facebook page as well. Here is what some of them had to say.

Dedra Shahan wrote:

While it's wonderful to be recognized as valuable, I can't help but think these giant companies will market direct to our clients thus becoming Their clients. My prefered tour operators will price match. I work with companies that have always valued my expertise.

Laure Poffenberger shared:

They are chasing their tails now & realize what a great asset using a travel agent is. So much of travel just cannot be planned over the Internet & when there is a problem our clients want help from someone the know & trust. I in turn want to use a tour operator that I know & trust. I think OTA's are in trouble & are grasping at straws.

What are your thoughts? Hit us up by posting a comment below or at the original posting. You can also join the conversation at our Facebook page, send a tweet to us at our Twitter page (@travelagentmag) and join the discussion in real time at AgentNation.

Readers Request Answers

Sometimes, we write a report about a new business or supplier and some readers, apparently, believe that means we are that same business. That's flattering, in some regard, as they consider us the ultimate source of information on the matter. But as an organization that does its best to cover all aspects of the travel trade, it can be hard to answer specific questions.

For instance, we've received a lot of attention to our initial report on the introduction of Pet Airways to the industry. Most recently, one reader inquired about potential flights to Europe on the carrier.

Gisela Gonzalez Flores-Clarke wrote:

Your service looks fantastic!! When are you opening flights to Europe? I need to travel to England twice a year and need to bring my 5 kilo Yorkie. Sending him in the hold is definately not a option for me!!! I do hope you start service to Europe asap!!!!!!!!

I wish I had an answer for you, Gisela. With the company now just more than a year old, I kind of doubt they will be doing flights outside of the United States just yet. However, perhaps if you take a gander at the Help section Pet Airways web site you can find the answers you need, be it a timetable on potential flights or a straight up answer if it is going to happen, ever.

James Collier recently commented on a story in a similar manner. After learning about Tourism Ireland's new Golden Trekker for seniors riding Irish Rail, he commented:

This development is very welcome, my sister was born in UK of Irish parentd and they returned to Ireland when she was 2, she went to nurse in UKwhen she was 18 and has lived there since. She comes to stay with us each year and this will be very useful. I write for the Senior Times and I would appreciate an e-mail of this information and any other useful information for seniors travelling, including reserving seats, etc.
Best Regards,
Jim Collier
116 Sea Park, Malahide

James, I'd be delighted to help you by sharing any information I can find. However, you did not provide an e-mail for me to contact you. Can you post it in a comment or contact me at kcassels@questex.com and I'll see what I can do? Until then, if any agents and readers out there can share additional information on this program, that would be a great help. It runs through the end of the year. Here's the Tourism Ireland web site, which may provide answers: www.tourismireland.com.

America('s Vacation Center) is Under Attack!

Two months ago, there was a lot of attention on the temporary demise of Travelport and it transitioned to discussions on how an agent's leads may be affected. But as much as the conversation was based around Travelport, one reader brough America's Vacation Center (AVC) into the fray.

Mary brought it up, writing:

Beware of AVC They will take 70% of your commission and all referrals generated from that one lead will be their's, again taking 70% commision. I was promised the referrals as my own, which I thought would be worth giving up that initial commission,but boy was I wrong. I was hounded on every extra person that booked their trip and asked if they came from their live lead. They took that customer as their own because they were referred.. Also, all of my customer base that I put into their system at the time so I could market to them, are still being marketed to by AVC after I quit them as my host agency. That is so wrong. Just my 2cents worth.

Note that this is Mary's opinion and not that of the staff her at Travel Agent. Regardless, that's disappointing to read. Anyone out there able to support or rebuff Mary's take on AVC? I'd like to learn more (and I doubt I'm alone).

Advice for an Editor

Normally, an exchange between readers and writers/editors on the site involves our staff responding with some information to help our audience. But this week, we was a bit of the reverse happen as our own Jena Tesse Fox journeyed to Durban, South Africa for the 2010 Indaba trade show (the largest in Africa). Read her most recent report here.

But before Jen hit the trade show floor to share reports, she took a seemingly endless journey across the Atlantic Ocean, most of it pleasant thanks to South African Airlines. On the topic of drinking too much or not enough coffee before a flight, reader Alfredo Tor-Paz made a suggestion to Jena, stating:

In spite of the strong coffee, never drink so much caffeine after 6pm, it is a very good airline, SAA, my comment, would be over the transfer to domestic, there is no place to complain much....have you tried to fly via the USA??? Horror, thanks for reminding that, I still prefer transferring thru JNB...my grain of sand or salt.

I am currently in the midst of what has been numerous attempts to cut back on coffeed, and it is indeed hard. Still, Afredo's comments are spot on regarding drinking it at night. Hopefully Jena takes his advice before flying back next week.

Speaking of next week... we'll catch up again on what's causing buzz around the industry and at TravelAgentCentral. Keep the comments coming (below or elsewhere) and don't forget to extend to conversation to other outlets such as our Facebook page, our Twitter page (@travelagentmag) and in real time at AgentNation

Continental’s First Class Service to Cancun

We recently flew Continental Airlines' first-class service to Cancun as part of Travel Agent's trip to the Riviera Maya.

And we can say the service is comparable to most top-of-the-line carriers. Now, it was only a roughly four-hour flight and not the 13-to-15-hour journeys we’ve taken aboard first class before, so there was less pressure on our friends at Continental.

Nonetheless, the service was top notch and we wouldn’t have been disappointed if our flight was longer than it was. There were roughly 20 seats or so in First Class, all spread out adequately from each other, giving you enough space to store some carry-on bags in front of your seat, still without enough room to stretch your legs. This is something I keep an eye on since I hate stowing my smaller bags up top and then fighting for them as soon as the seat belt light goes off when the plane lands.

The food was also very good. It was a morning flight, so I ordered the sausage and eggs, which were delicious. Now, there was no champagne on the flight so my First Class ritual of making a Mimosa my first beverage of the journey was foiled. Instead, I opted for a Bloody Mary. The drink service was perfect. A flight attendance circled our seats like a shark at all times, waiting for an empty glass or a request for another.

The movie selection couldn’t have been better either. Each chair gets its own separate television, which unfolds from the armrest, much like the food tray. The screen can be rotated from the left or right, making it easier to escape the glare if someone nearby chose to leave the window shade up. I went with the “The Informant,” a drama/comedy starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre, vice president turned informant who prompts the U.S. government to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation. The movie is pretty simple and not much really happens, but I think Damon should be nominated for an Oscar. He was that good.

The trip was part of a Continental Airlines Vacations (managed by MLT Vacations) promotion of its new Select Escapes packages. Select Escapes is a custom, user-friendly luxury package in which clients can put together their own luxury getaway to Mexico, choosing everything from resorts to excursions with the click of a mouse. Look for an in-depth story on MLT Vacation’s Mexico offerings, our stay at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita and our full trip to Mexico in upcoming issues of Travel Agent magazine.

Visit www.continental.com.

 

Our Stay at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya

RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico— We recently returned from a four-day stay at AMResorts’ flagship Zoetry property, Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita, and Travel Agent can say without hesitation that it is one of the finest luxury resorts we’ve ever stayed at in all of Mexico.

We stayed in room Mombasa (all suites have names), a one-bedroom, beach-level, luxury suite with a plunge pool. The resort has just 90 rooms and is located on a very quiet part of the beach between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, so if it's quiet you are looking for, this is the place to be.

The food was absolutely amazing, especially the property’s La Canoa restaurant, an elegant AAA Four Diamond restaurant that features the resort’s French chef's "La Cuisine de los Soles," a delectable fusion of styles using the spices and chilies of several warm weather countries. You would never be able to tell this was an all-inclusive as all restaurants are a la carte and premium liquors are included.

But the best part of this resort, hands down, was the service.

Need an extended checkout? No problem.

Would you like a full bottle of wine delivered to your room? No problem.

And the best part of our treatment there was that no one at the resort knew who we were, so we can honestly say this is how they treat all guests and not just the ones who will be writing about them.

The trip was part of a Continental Airlines Vacations (managed by MLT Vacations) promotion of its new Select Escapes packages. Select Escapes is a custom, user-friendly luxury package in which clients can put together their own luxury getaway to Mexico, choosing everything from resorts to excursions with the click of a mouse. Look for an in-depth story on MLT Vacation’s Mexico offerings, Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita and our full trip to Mexico in upcoming issue of Travel Agent magazine.

Visit www.zoetryresorts.com

 

 

 

 

Guess What? Mexico's Had a Lucky Year

Despite what you may have read or saw on the television, I think this was actually a pretty lucky for year for Mexico.

That’s right, you read that correctly.

Ok, sure, I too was among the long list of reporters and other media members who began to think this country was jinxed in 2009. And how could you not? It seemed as though one bad occurrence was happening after another. But now that the year is winding down and it appears as though Mexico has dodged yet another possible hurricane in the ongoing weakening of Tropical Storm Patricia (now Remnant Storm Patricia), the year doesn’t look as bleak as it did when the “negative” news first began surfacing.

Let’s re-assess the year, shall we?

Ok, there was gang violence near the Mexico border. Ok, we’re human first and professionals second, so violence anywhere is sad and tragic. But as a travel trade writer or any member of the industry, this didn’t affect (or at least should not have affected) business at all.

It was the perception of the news that affected business and not the news itself for the simple reason that not one tourist was caught in the middle of the drug war that plagued one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

I’m not breaking any news when I tell you every country has a dangerous zone. Picture that area in your city and think real hard: when was last time you vacationed there?

“Pack your bags, children, we’re heading to East L.A.”

When was the last time you saw a scenic postcard distributed from there? My guess is probably never because tourists never, or at least should never, vacation to a place that is dangerous. Or, in the case of Mexico’s U.S.-bordering towns, a place that was a bit unsafe (kind choice of words) long before 2009.

Now, the swine flu. Man, did this get exaggerated or what? The first case was discovered in Mexico. But how can say Mexico is to blame for it? I mean, that's just silly. Hypothetically, lets say I visited 15 countries in the last year, came across thousands of people who have also visited 15 countries in one year and then I got sick a few days after I return home. Would it be fare to say New York, where I work, is to blame for this?

And now the good.

Mexico was spared by Mother Nature yet again on Tuesday and Wednesday when Tropical Storm Patricia shrunk quicker than Michael Keaton’s head in Beetle Juice.

This was the second major weather threat Mexico dodged in the last few months with Hurricane Jimena being the other.

Secondly, I was in Cancun in the beginning of the summer and I noticed something. Its beaches are back. When I was there in 2008, pretty much all of the hotels’ beaches were nonexistent, completely eroded away.

And now?

Ok, there's still some work to do, but at least from the naked eye, it appeared as though one-third have returned without the need for some fake, man-made beach.

Lets put it this way: I’m visiting Mexico in December and I’m bringing my mother. If I thought Mexico wasn’t one of the greatest vacation spots in the world to visit or if it wasn’t safe, I wouldn’t be bringing my mother there.

Mother Nature has brought Cancun’s beaches back and has protected Mexico from a serious hurricane in 2009. Because of this, Mexico has had a luckier year than most think. But human nature can be stronger than Mother Nature sometimes and it’s human nature to be afraid. It’s human nature to focus on the negative. Me? I’m somewhat of a momma’s boy. I’m listening to Mother Nature and in December my mother is too.

 

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments August 10-14

The heat is getting to the masses in politics, sports, and entertainment. Vitriolic arguments about health care at town halls have flooded the airwaves and web, the Red Sox brawled with the Tigers (I think because they're bitter about getting swept by the Yankees but that's my New York subjectivity), and OMG John and Kate got into argument last night and the police showed up. Theses scuffles are, to me, only semi-exciting in comparison to the showdown going down in District 9 this weekend.

As you could expect, there's been some tussling going on here at TravelAgentCentral, especially if multilevel marketing companies and Joystar are involved. But we'll get to that in a moment.

Vivá La Mexico!

From the H1N1/swine flu outbreak to gang violence, Mexico has had a rough going in the tourism industry this year. But fortunately many in the industry still have faith in the destination— as evidenced in a comment posted by Andrew Paul on Joe Pike's story on how the country is regaining ground. He wrote:
Great collection of articles. It's good to see Mexico may be through the worst - even though most of the bad news was hype.

Joe is actually in Cancun right now, so let's hope he brings back some good news with him.

They're Not Like Us!

As you may have noticed, I enjoy citing obscure cinematic references with any chance I get. An easy one has been comparing the competition between travel agents and companies like Orbitz or Expedia etc to the ongoing battles between humans in machines in such franchises as Terminator and Transformers. But I think I'm exhausting that shtick plenty. So, as Lisa Sweet shares her opinion on a report that online travel agencies are showing an increase in leisure travel demand, I'll stick to the subject. She wrote:
Those are NOT Travel Agencies! Priceline, Expedia and Orbitz! Those are the dimiz of real Travel Agencies who have real knowledge and experience! Those are just the "Walmarts" of the travel industry, trying to put real Travel Agents and Travel Agencies out of business with their less than truthful advertising and embellished promises! They are making the travel economy worse, not better as people find out they get no help, their hotels they booked are not like the pictures, or close to where they thought, and they can't change their air easily as promise! Gives the travel industry a bad name.......especially, calling them Travel Agencies, when they are definitely NOT! Please do not associate them with our name!

We've used the term online travel agency, or OTA for short, in many instances on this site (like here) and have so with concerted effort to separate them from real travel agents. It may get confusing to the laymen or outsider of the travel industry, so I understand Lisa's concern. However, I think she, and you reading this, should check out some good news regarding these evil machines: George Dooley's report on how consumers are leaving the Internet for humans when it comes to booking travel.

I Don't Like Him!

In June, David Eisen reported that former Disney Cruise President Thomas McAlpin will lead Residensea Ltd as the new CEO. A month and a few weeks later, someone had something to say about that. Daizy wrote:
Tom is arrogant and didn't make it any further than Director at Royal Caribbean and only four years as President at Disney. Good luck ResidenSea!

I know nothing about McAlpin, so I cannot say whether I think Daizy is being harsh or not. However, if this Daizy is anything like Daisy de la Hoya from the recent realty TV show train-wreck "Daisy of Love" then I must admit I don't trust her in judgment in men.

As I have now embarrassed myself by admitting I watched that show, I will fill in those of you who are not in the loop on what I mean. Daisy de la Hoya tried to win the heart of former Poison frontman Brett Michaels in season two of "Rock of Love." She lost to a woman that Brett dated for a few months before ditching so he could have a third season of hooking up with drunk groupies and make some money off of it. So she got her own show and was the one choosing a new mate. In the end, she choose an unemployed, aspiring musician who lived with his father until getting kicked out. His name is Christopher Lee but she affectionately called him "London." The first night of the show, London drank until blacking out and passing out. He then left the show because Daisy bothered him. But then he came back and bothered everyone, and she still chose him because he was what she wants, though admittedly not what she needs. So I think you get the point now. And if you don't, go to vh1.com and look the show up. I think you'll concur.

The Usual Suspects

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like here at Travel Agent to go through a week in which someone did NOT take the time to post a comment about YTB, Joystar or alleged multilevel marketing companies. Actually no I don't, because that will never happen.  But I'm leaving YTB alone this week, as it seems there may be a new name to throw in the mix.

After reading about the latest bankruptcy news about Joystar and how some agents may get their money back, Joyce raised a flag about Global Travel, saying:
Now that Joystar i out when will they look into Global Travel. You can buy an Iata card from them for $16.00 talk about card mills this is the biggest. I have several friends who bought cards from them aand get the benefits I do. Something is wrong with this picture.

This sounds like an investigation for George Dooley. So Joyce, I'll shoot him a note on the subject. Maybe Dooley will get an opinion from John Frenaye on the matter, who has been the subject of conversation here on TravelAgentCentral as well.

Earlier in the year, Dooley interviewed Frenaye about the dangers of multilevel marketing companies and card mills, and the story got several comments from the months of February through April. The conversation had since died down until, this week, reader Carol addressed John directly, asking:
For john Frenaye: you stated you knew many host agencys that charge no fee to join and no website fee with a 80% split. Could you please email me a list. I am all over that one.

John, I know you read this site because I have posted your submitted comments personally (unless someone is pretending to be you, which I doubt). Carol didn't include her e-mail, so unfortunately you cannot contact her directly. So, if you can, come on back and share the list she requests, or at least get in touch with her either here or perhaps on AgentNation, the only social community for all types of travel agents. Can you help out?

As always, keep the comments coming here or in real time at AgentNation. We love hearing from you, and I love watching the words fly.

Sorry, Tianguis

Only a mutated form of a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs and humans could keep me away from this year’s Tianguis Turistico.

Enter the swine flu scare.

Suffice it to say, I am not in Acapulco, the site of this year’s Tianguis Turistico, but rather in my office in New York City, where I didn’t laugh as hard at the people wearing surgical masks on the train. They didn’t look any cooler, but they sure looked a bit smarter as reports indicate that New York has also seen cases of the flu that looks like something straight out of I Am Legend.

I informed my contacts in Mexico that I would not be attending after the initial Friday report on the unusual, part-animal, part-human flu spiraled out of control on Saturday.  

Allow me to put into perspective how big of a blow Mexico got dealt with this latest public relations nightmare. Tianguis Turistico is perhaps the Super Bowl of Mexico trade shows. And this year’s was slated to be one of the most important in recent history because it was going to give Mexico the perfect platform to prove it was safe despite all the drug-related crimes in the U.S. bordering towns that gave the destination its first public relations disaster.

Although I will not personally be in Acapulco, my colleague Jose Barreiro already arrived on Saturday before the news escalated. We will be relaying information from Barreiro to you throughout the day as well as other updates. As of this morning, Barreiro told me that a few clubs in Acapulco have been closed, several meetings at the show have been canceled and all flights from Acapulco that avoid Mexico City are “booked solid.”

Tianguis Doesn’t Skip a Beat

My colleague Jose Barreiro just e-mailed me to tell me that Tianguis Turistico is surprisingly going on without a hitch:

“What's amazing to me is that Tianguis seems like business as usual,” he told me. “Yes, there are the occasional masks but for the most part people here are conducting business and with a very 'this too shall pass' attitude.”

And it should be noted that this was written shortly after tremors from a 6.0-magnitude earthquake near Acapulco caused the center to evacuate. According to CNN a strong quake measuring 6.0 in magnitude struck southwestern Mexico and it was felt about 175 miles away in Mexico City, according to a CNN producer and the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS measured the quake's epicenter in the state of Guerrero about 43 miles northeast of Acapulco. The preliminary magnitude is 6.0, but that could change.

“People are already piling back in to the convention center ready to talk business and sell Mexico,” Barreiro told me. “I am really amazed even after all these years in the industry. It's like the travel industry has become super resilient ready for anything that's thrown at it.”

All the major hotel companies are at the show, including all major Mexican state tourist boards.

“So, while I am a little freaked out, the people representing the Mexican travel industry make me feel safe with their calm and determined approach towards life.”

All Is Well In Mexico

I just came back from Mexico and all is well. I attended Starwood's Luxury Travel Advisory Board meeting at the St. Regis Punta Mita. Twenty of your peers also attended the event in support of Starwood and Mexico as a destination.

I am always surprised at the ignorance Americans have for the dangers in the world. At the drop of a news clipping, we question our safety and fail to look at the crimes in our own backyard. The U.S. Government should put a travel advisory on itself before looking across the border to Mexico.

Now I am not trying to ignore what is going on, but I don't expect anyone to vacation in crime-stricken communities in the U.S. On my recent trip to Punta Mita, it was business as usual—the violent events and crime that the media is focusing on is so far removed and actually closer to the U.S. than Punta Mita.

While in Mexico, I saw no added security that made me feel uncomfortable or any safer. It just is not a concern in the lives of Mexicans in the regions that rely on tourism. But the loss of business is a reality and a concern. We would be remiss as the largest travel trade media company in the world not to tell both sides of the story and inform you of the situation.

While others try and make money on the confusion and attempt to make money off Mexican travel suppliers to help set the record straight, I decided to go and see for myself. You all have nothing to worry about. Encourage your clients to travel to Mexico—they won't be disappointed. 

Our Stay at Aqua

Our next and last stop of our one-week hotel tour in Mexico landed us at Aqua resort. Travel Agent didn’t get to see many rooms  (they were all booked due to a last minute group booking), but we can tell you about the room we stayed in. Room #3027 is a standard room, but it could have been a suite at most of the other properties we visited during the week. It had a balcony with a oceanfront view.

Aqua is a very classy resort that focuses on every aspect of all senses, from the tastes of the different cuisines to the scents of the different parts of the hotel. For example, if you closed your eyes in our room, you would have thought you were in a spa. The resort describes itself as “barefoot luxury,” meaning the resort is very casual yet maintains luxury standards. It offers cooking classes for children, eight pools (all with different temperatures) and theme weeks. During the popular Chocolate Week, everything from chocolate-flavored spa products to actual chocolate are offered throughout the resort.

The spa is located in the middle of the hotel since it is supposed to represent balance. This is great for couple and families—in fact, we were surprised how great this property was for both children and adults.

Visit  www.feel-aqua.com. 

A Trip to La Amada

Whereas most of the resorts we saw during our recent trip to Mexico were in either Cancun or the Riviera Maya, perhaps one of the best was located in the fairly new resort destination of Playa Mujeres. Here, we saw the much talked about La Amada resort, which may well be one of the most involved projects the Cancun area has ever seen.

Now, the project isn’t expected to be completed until next year with an opening tentatively slated for early February, but there was enough to convince us that this was a gem in the making. The hotel portion of the overall project, which also includes private residences and a 170-slip marina, is made up of about 109 rooms. The spa, which has 17 treatment rooms including four spa suites, is open to non-guests as well. The only drawback here is that the resort will house only two restaurants when it opens—but a third will most likely open shortly after, with more to follow.

The best room is the Owner’s Suite. There is only one of these. If this room looked so great while unfinished and in the dark, which is the state in which we saw it, we can only imagine how incredible it is going to be when it is done. It is a two-bedroom suite and there is a Jacuzzi located right in front of the window of the master bedroom. As the suite overlooks the ocean, the views are amazing.

Forty percent of the rooms, including the Owner's Suite, have plunge pools. We also saw one of the 14 Swim Up Suites, which have a pool located literally right outside the back door of the room. A Jacuzzi is also tucked away in the back of the room, facing the window and offering great views of the pool.

Agents should call David Munoz, marketing director, at 011-52-998-872-8566 or dmunoz@laamadahotel.com.

For more information, view www.laamada.com

Touring Hyatt Cancun Caribe

The next stop on Travel Agent’s recent tour of Cancun and Cancun area properties was the Hyatt Cancun Caribe, which obviously isn't your traditional Hyatt. The 296-room property is made up of three different buildings. The room categories are standard rooms, Premiere Suites and Regency Suites. The property is ideal for families and couples.

We saw room #3014, a standard room with a King bed. This room has a patio while the rest of the standard rooms have a balcony. The main tower, in which this room is located, has been around since the ‘70s but the Regency and Premiere towers, which house the resort’s best rooms, didn’t open until 2006.

We loved room #2304, a Regency suite. It has a small balcony with a great ocean view and a Jacuzzi right behind the bed. We also loved room #2308, a Regency Suite with a terrace. The best part of this room was the whirlpool located on the terrace overlooking the ocean. There are two pools on the property.

Agents should call Sofia Cervantes, marketing coordinator, at 011-52-998-883-3606 or soifa.cervantes@hyatt.com.

For more information view www.cancun.caribe.hyatt.com