Recommend February 2011 - (Page 66)

invigorating GIRL continued from page 64 ESCAPES “We believe our property is a great option for women just looking to lounge around or get out and explore.” Matthew Mullen, Senior Director of Sales, AMResorts Another plus: the Sueños del Mar Spa and its lengthy menu of treatments and therapies, including a Lifting Shock anti-aging facial and an exclusive Floral Neuro-Aroma Ritual using sachets and manipulating specific meridian points. Clients can add a Girls’ Getaway Experience to their stay at just $100 pp and enjoy a mani/pedi with champagne and truffles, 10 percent off spa treatments, daily yoga sessions and access to the spa’s wet areas, or sign up for a Cultural Experience at $246 pp and get a snorkeling tour of Santa Maria Bay and either a desert safari or tour of Todos Santos or San Jose. Rack rates start at $1,250 per night dbl, then go down April 30-Aug. 26 to $854 per night dbl inclusive of Endless Privileges. our hotels closely—all the time—and making sure agents get paid,” says MBH director Sylvie Laitre. Rates at El Chante start at $277 for a Deluxe Room, but a Lake Suite with a nice balcony and views is just $336. Prices include daily American breakfast and morning yoga classes. a cultured liberation Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure will leave thoughts of finger painting behind with its Art & Design of Mexico tour, which showcases some of Mexico’s richest cultural options: Meso-American art and architecture, colonial designs and even a bit of the country’s flavors. Clients spend four nights in Mexico City—staying at the luxurious Las Alcobas, Four Seasons or St. Regis—soaking it all in with a private tour of the neighborhoods, the markets and world-famous museums such as the Frida Kahlo Museum, Casa Luis Barragan and the Museum of Anthropology. They will also visit Teotihuacan and the floating gardens of Xochimilco (by boat, of course), plus enjoy a memorable performance of the city’s famous Ballet Folklorico before flying to Oaxaca for three nights of a luxurious stay at Camino Real Oaxaca and full cultural immersion, with visits to Zapotec and Mixtec ruins nearby, meetings with local artisans and plenty of time to lose themselves in the city’s markets and sample its famous cheese and chocolate. If they want, they can also sign up for a cooking class and learn how to make mole. The tour starts at $5,795 pp dbl. all about them Farther south, about 45 minutes from Guadalajara, there is a jewel of a place made for total relaxation and healthy self-indulgence. El Chante Spa Hotel has absorbed its local heritage and surroundings to create an incredible spa experience that rivals any other in Mexico. Another plus to this spa hotel is its location—it’s one of the few places along Lake Chapala that has thermal waters for added bliss. The hotel is not large—just 19 rooms and suites, which means a group of pals can “spa” their days away in their hotel bathrobes with a certain degree of anonymity, spend hours on end lounging by the poolside bar or on a hand-woven hammock with a cocktail or a fresh juice in hand, then enjoy a varied menu at El Chante’s Tokal Restaurant. There is a meditation room, as well as a temazcal for full body-and-soul cleansing. The spa menu itself is memorably rich, with options that are classic and Ayurvedic, Mexican and Oriental, traditional and exotic, healing or just plain fun. Clients can spoil themselves in anything from a four-hand personalized Abhyanga with herbal oils to unblock energy channels, to a traditional Mexican therapy with obsidian to release stress and recharge. Among the treatments exclusive to the property: a Reverential Xocolatli, which includes an exfoliation, pure cocoa mask, chocolate oil massage and chocolate foam bath. Ladies can rent a car and drive from El Chante to Guadalajara whenever they want—it’s only 45 minutes away—and discover “The City of Roses.” Have them explore its typical markets, historic centers and museums. Also tell them of Tlaquepaque, which is highly regarded as a shopper’s utopia. Here, they will find plenty of pretty pottery items, furnishings, blown glass and many other Mexican crafts. Clients can also extend their stay and sign up for a Spanish course at one of the language schools in Tlaquepaque or Guadalajara. El Chante is a member of Mexico Boutique Hotels, which means your clients get a close eye on quality and you get hassle-free commissions. “Our best asset is knowing what we’re talking about, watching 66 february 2011 new flights With Mexicana out of the picture for now, other airlines are picking up the slack. Alaska Airlines has new flights from Sacramento and San Jose, California to Guadalajara, while Continental Airlines is offering daily nonstops from LAX to Leon/Guanajuato (BJX). United Airlines is adding flights from LAX, Chicago and San Francisco to Mexico City. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines just launched nonstop Saturday flights from Memphis to Mexico City. n Archived related articles (available on recommend.com): Send the Girls to Mexico (January 2010) contact information Artisans of Leisure: (800) 214-8144; artisansofleisure.com El Chante Spa Hotel: (800) 728-9098; mexicoboutiquehotels.com Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts: zoetryresorts.com recommend.com http://www.recommend.com http://www.artisansofleisure.com http://www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com http://www.zoetryresorts.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend February 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Crystal Cruises' Serenity
Flights of Fancy With One&Only Cape Town
South African Airways
South Africa Set to Score Big in 2011
Fantastical Fiji
Luxury Lands in Puerto Rico
Grenada
Barbados: High-End, Low-Key
Bermuda Scales Back
Peru is Gaga Over Luxury
Starry Arizona
Acqualina Resort & Spa, Florida
Baden-Baden, Germany
New Choices in Luxury Tweak Mexico's Landscape
Invigorating Girl Escapes

Recommend February 2011