500 Years Later, Spanish Hotel Chains Find Gold in Mexico…Again!

Doug Cooke CTC and Monique Burns contributed to this article

Five hundred years ago Spanish Conquistadors came to Mexico seeking fortunes in gold. Today, Spanish hoteliers are repeating their ancestor’s quest, with one slight twist; they are still seeking fortunes, but the gold they seek is ocean front real estate, and all inclusive resort development is their vision. And by all accounts they have been extremely successful with new resorts coming on line in a steady stream. JAX FAX has had the opportunity to visit several of these resorts over the past few months and meet with the visionaries who are leading this modern day invasion.

Iberostar Hotels and Resorts
A presence in the Spanish tourism industry since the 1930s, Iberostar is moving aggressively into Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. With more than 100 hotels in 15 countries and plans to add another 100 hotels worldwide by 2012, Iberostar spent $368 million in new development and renovations in 2008, with more than $231 million spent in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Founded in 1968, the family-owned Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has focused its Mexico development on the Yucatan peninsula—with seven properties on the Riviera Maya, a 75-mile stretch of Caribbean beachfront south of Cancun, and one hotel on the island of Cozumel. Opened in June 2007, the newest property is the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso, a five-star hotel that inaugurates the company’s “Grand Collection,” or luxury line, of all-inclusives. An adults-only hotel, the Grand Paraiso features 310 suites, a couples-only spa, several pools, a breakfast/lunch/and dinner buffet, and four a la carte restaurants. Guests enjoy such amenities as a pillow menu, Gilchrist & Soames toiletries and 24-hour butler service. There are dine-around privileges at the four other hotels in the Paraiso Beach complex—the Paraiso Beach, Paraiso Del Mar, Paraiso Lindo and Paraiso Maya—and opportunities to play tennis, or golf on the 18-hole championship P.B. Dye course.
In Playa del Carmen, south of Paraiso Beach, Iberostar’s first two Riviera Maya properties—Quetzal and Tucan—opened 11 years ago. With a combined total of 700 rooms (including 48 junior suites), the first-class, family-friendly properties are built around a lush rainforest that shelters monkeys, parrots, giant tortoises and flamingoes. The hotels share an extensive beachfront, three pools, an international buffet and five a la carte restaurants.
Between 2009 and 2010, the company plans to open three properties in Puerto Vallarta: the Playa Mita Beach, the Playa Mita Suites and the Grand Hotel Playa Mita. Looking farther west in 2011, Iberostar will stake its claim in Baja California with a new hotel in the rapidly developing resort of Los Cabos. For more information, rates or reservations go to www.iberostar.com.

Sandos Hotels and Resorts
Sandos Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Spain, has four products on the Riviera Maya, Mexico, housed in two resort complexes – Caracol complex, which consists of Sandos Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa and the Select Club Beach Resort & Spa and the Playacar complex containing Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa and the Playacar Riviera Hotel section – and one resort, the Sandos Papagayo Arena Beach Resort & Spa in the Canary Islands. Future openings are planned in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
The Sandos Playacar Riviera Hotel opened in April 08. Located just behind the Sandos Playcar Beach Club, the Playacar Riviera Hotel is just a 10-minute walk to the beach. It consists of 400 over-sized junior and master suites. Select Club Junior suites (adults-only) feature a sitting area with a sleeper sofa, terrace or balcony, full private bathroom with a Jacuzzi and separate shower, and a satellite plasma television. Each guestroom has a complimentary stocked mini-bar with mineral water, fruit juices, soft drinks and beer. Master Suites also feature a private Jacuzzi on the balcony overlooking the pool area.
Select Club guests at both the Riviera and beach Club enjoy special amenities including: a private beach with upgraded chaises, beach beds and waiter service, a private specialty restaurant, premium in room minibar drinks, free internet access and 24/7 room service. Select club membership is automatic for guests staying in upgraded Select Club rooms and a nominal $25/pp/per day for other guests.
Guests at the Playacar Complex can choose from a variety of dining options during mealtime including four buffet restaurants serving Italian, Mexican and International fare, and four specialty restaurants serving Asian, gourmet, Brazilian and traditional steakhouse cuisine. Having stayed at many all inclusives, JAX FAX was impressed with the quality of the food and service. As an example of their commitment to gourmet dining, according to the Executive Chef, Sandos Resorts spends twice the amount on their meats, as other 4-5 star all-inclusive resorts do. The only difference your clients find between dining in their specialty restaurants and their favorite hometown eateries is the lack of prices on the menu.
Special all-inclusive rates at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort & Spa and Sandos Playacar Riviera Hotel start at $192 per person, Dec. 24, 2008 - Jan. 3, 2009. For more information on Sandos Resorts go to: www.sandoshotels.com.

Riu Hotels and Resorts
RIU Hotels & Resorts, a family owned and operated company, was founded in Palma de Mallorca (the Balearic Islands, Spain) in 1953. With more than 50 years of experience in the hotel industry, the Riu family brings their warm hospitality to travelers through their collection of hotels located in the finest beach destinations in Spain, the European Mediterranean, North Africa, Portugal, Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Central America.
Most recently, JAX FAX attended the grand opening of the Riu Palace Pacifico in the Riviera Nayarit development in Mexico just west of Puerta Vallarta and just a 15-minute drive from PVR airport. Mr. Luis Riu, Chief Executive of Riu Hotels was on hand to escort the media on his ritual pre-opening inspection of the new resort. The Riu Palace Pacifico joins the Riu Vallarta and Riu Jalisco on the same stretch of beach on the beautiful Bay of Banderas, bringing Riu’s total room count here to 1,700. Riu Palace properties are the premium product for Riu and are only built in areas that have been proven successful by their other existing resorts. Palace Pacifico welcomes families, but is primarily designed as an adult oasis with a world-class spa.
The design of the resort allows for ocean views from all rooms. The 22 “stepped” ocean front jacuzzi junior suites feature private jacuzzi on the oceanfront balcony; the 445 junior suites feature two queen or a king-sized bed with a separate sitting area with couch, coffee table and 25” satellite TV and either a balcony or terrace. Interconnecting junior suites can be reserved. The resort offers a large swimming pool with in pool lounges and a swim-up bar. A children’s pool is located in the center of the adult pool. There is also a kids club with daily, organized activities for kids 4-12. Dining options include one main buffet style restaurant as well as four specialty restaurants available by reservation. Guests of the Riu Palace Pacifico can also dine and use the facilities of the two other Riu’s within walking distance on the beach.
Riu has plans to begin construction on their 15th hotel in Mexico in Mazatlan in 2009 as well as a new 700 room five star, oceanfront resort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica with fall 2009 openings expected.
For more information, rates and reservations for Riu Hotels and Resorts visit www.riu.com

July 2008 Feature

Mexico’s Uncommon Retreats

By Maria Lisella

Every corner of Mexico seems to be in an international marathon to pursue big-name hotel systems to build, build, build. With all the flashing logos, it is easy to forget why one comes to Mexico in the first place. Its culture, its people, its food, its way of life, its natural resources -- good weather, sun, bay breezes -- and a place in which to catch one’s breath.
Tucked away in the old hills of Acapulco, a jewel of a destination that has been negelected but to some travelers seems just tarnished enough to invite new interest in its “older” self are two of my personal favorites.
John Wayne may well have slipped off the barstool you find yourself on as you sip fresh coconut juice from its shell at Hotel Los Flamingos, built in the 1930s, is destined to remain inextricably linked to the ghost of Tarzan aka Johnny Weissmuller (who actually hails from Timisoara, Romania) whose controversial grave lies on yet another hill over Acapulco. The legendary property is as well maintained as ever atop its cliffside perch at 450 feet above the blue bay that feels so close to the clouds (and to La Quebrada where the famous high cliff divers perform daily) one could reach and touch one of those old stars. In the 50s the property was sold to the Hollywood Gang that found refuge here in the 40s and 50s such as Richard Widmark, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, Fred McMurray to name a few. Suggest a stroll through the property to immerse in the gallery of black and white studio shots that line the walls in simple frames.
The prices are modest (from $65 to $125) but if your clients are not taken with the legend and love for this property, then do convince them to have lunch here where the ceviche is delicately prepared and served with care, suggest an exotic drink as well with or without alcohol or arrive for the sunsets, which are indeed memorable if not spectacular.
Call (011) 482-06-90; Email flamingo@prodigy.net.mx; www.hotellosflamingos.com
Downtown close to the heart of Acapulco’s busiest boulevard, Costera Miguel Aleman, is a tourist class property often overlooked but known to insiders as yet another refuge for those who must be in the fast lane or at least close to the Convention Center.
The sapphire and bright white Hotel Acapulco Malibu y CLub de Playa counts 80 suites, a pool, and beachfront and bouelvard location. Despite its small parameters in an area that is increasingly eaten up with properties shooting long past the palm trees that line the streets, this property delivers. Refurbished in 2000, the 80 octagonal rooms are equipped with a/c, cable TV, Wifi and great views of Acapulco Bay and a knowlegeable and friendly staff. In its simplicity, it remains an original worth getting to know. Rates range from $55 to $75 per night. Call (011) 52-744-484-1070; E-mail reservaciones@acapulcomalibu.com; www.acapulcomalibu.com
Another region of Mexico that is simply chockablock with hotels and resorts is Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo. Certainly, those in the know, are aware of the fabulous beaches on the bay side, the pockets of the fishing industry and some of the characters who populate this town (such as the American lady who fell in love, gave birth to several children who run the finest shops in town and a little animal clinic to save reptiles and other wildlife in the area above one of the shops). To be fair, the big properties line Ixtapa’s channel and the clientele for those properties is strong and vibrant as these properties for the most part occupy oceanfronts.
Terraced on a forested hillside (loma) above Ixtapa is one of Mexico’s newest members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Loma del Mar Resort. Its 16 spacious suites of the new, privately-owned Loma del Mar Resort overlook the property’s landscaped grounds with waterfalls, three swimming pools with lounging areas, palapa-topped restaurant and bar. Tree-shaded paths meander through the five-acre property which borders Ixtapa’s Palma Real Golf Course and nature reserve.
Chalk-white curvilinear architecture with red-tile roofs, inspired by both Mexican Pacific tropical design and Andalusian whitewashed villages, graced the “chic retreat” cover photo of Continental Airlines in-flight magazine’s December, 2007 issue.
The 68-foot-long pool has been converted into a thalasso (salt-water) pool as part of the resort’s new Thalasso-Wellness Center debuts this month. Elaborate spa facilities include four hydromassage chairs, four hydromassage beds, “volcanic” hydromassage for legs, and overhead water spouts designed especially for neck, shoulders and back. This “New-Age Thalasso-Spa” concept is designed under the auspices of the prestigious 5-star Incosol Spa founded 35 years ago in Marbella, Spain, and is supervised by Incosol’s director of endocrinology and nutrition.
Rates range from $485 a night Luxury Suite through Oct. 1, to $763 a night for the Presidential Suite from Dec. through March 31, 2009.
Sales and marketing for Loma del Mar are by Miami-based VDS Marketing, Michael Cojocea, director (E-mail mike@vdsmarketing.com)
Call 866-496-1082; E-mail res@lomadelmar.com ; www.lomadelmar.com

June 2008 Issue

Report from Tianguis, Mexico’s Marketplace

Buyers crowded around festooned booths, rummaging over counters piled high with fruits from the sea such as at the Mazatlan booth, a region known for its sportfishing and delicious shrimp and lobster or coffees or chocolates, as buyers pored over catalogs describing the upcoming year’s worth of projects and products. Suppliers seated at desks or counters called out to friends, colleagues, luring them with the best arguments for doing business with them comparing competitors’ prices and values with their own.
The scenes repeat themselves as more than 500 exhibitors occupied 430 booths and about 1,100 buyers from 28 countries participated, 57% of them international and 43% of Mexican origin, at the 33rd edition of Tianguis Turistico, easily Mexico’s largest travel marketplace and is considered the seventh biggest worldwide.
Organizers estimated that during the three-day event, more than 22,000 business meetings took place (13% more than last year) while no dollar figure emerged by the end of the show to indicate the actual business transactions. Nearly $3 billion were invested in tourism-industry-related projects during the first quarter of 2008, or 40% more than during the same period in 2007, according to government figures. The goal for the current federal administration, which concludes the end of 2012, is $20 billion.
Tianguis opened at the Mundo Imperiale on April 13 with Guerrero Gov. Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo Torres and CPTM Director-General Oscar Fitch Gomez addressing a growing crowd at Acapulco’s Diamante or Diamond Zone. The Diamante Zone is a new district under development that is being earmarked as the next meeting destination as a new glass-walled Convention Center was formally introduced during Tianguis. Adjacent to it is an 800-room convention hotel under construction, both establishments are distant from Acapulco’s chaotic, frenzied and lovable downtown, where the current 40-year old Convention Center now stands, one that has garnered a great deal of affection from Tianguis participants.
As the event drew to a close attendees speculated that it may have taken place for the last at the Acapulco Convention Center and possibly the last in Acapulco. Those in favor of keeping Tianguis in the heart of the city, point out that Acapulco is easily accessible, and that hotels are located within minutes of the convention center.
Capital Investments
Mexican President, Felipe Calderon closed the 33rd annual Tianguis Turistico in Acapulco by reasserting that his government plans to convert Mexico into one of the biggest power players in the tourism industry. Calderon plans to invest in infrastructure to attract more foreign investment, diversify destination offerings, expand Internet facilities and reinforce security.
He also mentioned that in 2007, an additional 100,000 foreign tourists visited Mexico compared with the previous year, and that in 2007, the economic influx was $700 million more than in 2006. Likewise, he emphasized that in the first 16 months of his government, the private foreign investment in tourism was over $5,500 million; half the amount collected in the previous six years.
Among the outstanding seminars was one that focused on North American travel to Mexico. The Secretary of Tourism of Mexico, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, headed during the 33rd Tianguis Turistico, the “North American Market Trends” discussion forum, in which six specialists stressed to the public and private sectors the importance of boosting investments boost in this market.
Led by the head of Sectur, Elizondo, other members included Sarita Skidmore, President of MENLO Consulting and expert in Travel Style studies; Peter Yesawich, President and General Director of Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown and specialist in advertising and tourism trends; Viviana Rojas, academic in the University of Texas and investigator in retirement tourism, “baby boomer” phenomenon, and second residencies in Mexico; Ray Snisky, President of Mark Travel Corporation; Michael Pusateri, Executive Strategy Consulter of Vantage Strategy and Deborah Sexton, President and General Director of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
Below are just a few of the highlights from Tianguis. JF will continue to follow up with reports in future issues.
States of Mexico
Mazatlan: With an ad budget that has leaped to $5.5 million to promote the State in the U.S. and $8.5 million overall, the policies for the State of Mazatlan are ambitious. Dubbed the “Pearl of the Pacific," Mazatlán has more than 90 hotel and condominium properties, including nearly 50 four and five-star resorts. The destination expects to have more than 10,000 hotel rooms available throughout the city by yearend, compared to 9,400 in 2007. That's good news for the 3,767,476 visitors expected here this year, up 9 percent from 3,456,400 in 2007.
Oaxaca: Among the best-known tourist destinations in the State of Oaxaca are Huatulco, and the city of Oaxaca, also known as one of Mexico’s 35 Magic Cities. Tourism Minister of Oaxaca, Beatriz Rodriguez Casanovas said among the State’s goals is to increase the quantity and quality of the tourism product at Huatulco including adding a variety of water-based eco tourism activities. Rodriguez Casanovas mentioned that the State is welcoming new properties such as the 951-room La Esperanza, an additional 128 rooms at the Hotel Gala, AMRresorts will add 393 rooms. In total new construction work will yield Oaxaca a total of 1,877 rooms. Additionally, an extension of the local airport runway and the construction of additional terminal facilities is expected to attract more air service, and Mexican de Aviacion increased flights to Oaxaca City.
Puerto Vallarta: “Where Mexico Comes to Life,” is the marketing line for this State which has lately begun a multi-million dollar restoration of its Old Town. Oscar Abel Rivero Estrada, President of Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, mentioned the area has become appealing for special events such as the upcoming qualifier soccer match among Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador and the U.S. as well as attracting a series of new arts festivals. News for agents is the chance to become a PV Expert – see Jax Fax, Dec. issue, p. 40 for details or visit, www.visitpuertovallarta.com
Yucatan: The Costa Maya, a cruise port on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, will be operational by next month, ahead of schedule. Due to Hurricane Dean, the port was heavily in August 2007. Costa Maya now says that two berths will be ready by July and that its third will be ready by November. Costa Maya said reconstructed berths could accommodate the newest and largest cruise ships entering the market in the next few years, including Norwegian Cruise Line's F3-class ships and Royal Caribbean's Genesis-class ships. Port executives said that Cunard, Princess, Celebrity, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, Regent Seven Seas, P&O, Disney, Windstar, MSC and Ocean Village have committed to return to Costa Maya.
A new boardwalk, lined with beach houses, small hotels and restaurants, will be ready in time for the port’s reopening; it represents a $15 million government investment.
The Mexican Caribbean island of Cozumel continues to rank high as a top destination and was rated at the fastest growing international beach destination by Orbitz and a one of the top five dive destinations in the Caribbean.
Air Access
New air service from Europe (Madrid and London) has raised the island’s profile on the international scene while new and increased domestic airlift links the island with Mexico City more frequently on Mexicana Airline’s Click and Vivaaerobus, a low cost carrier, now provides direct service from Monterrey to the island thrice weekly. New airline operator Mayir now offers daily shuttle service between Cancun and Cozumel, four times daily; and Mayfair also operates flights from Cozumel to Chicen Itza, declared one of the new Seven Wonders of the World last year.
Direct flights to Cozumel out of the U.S. are as follows: Atlanta (Delta), Charlotte (USAirways), Denver (Frontier Airlines), Dallas (American), Houston (Continental), Miami (American Eagle) an Newark (Continental).
Shortly after Tianguis closed, Rubén Beltrán Guerrero, Mexico’s Consul General to New York, joined Mariana Pedrero, Director of the Mexico Tourism Board’s New York Office, and Juan Antonio Meza, Mexicana’s East Coast Zone Manager celebrated the arrival of Mexicana Airlines’ Airbus A319, the airline’s new direct service between Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and New York which started May 1.
The aircraft departs Monterrey’s International Airport at 8:00 a.m. and lands at JFK at 1:00 p.m. The aircraft, has 12 seats in the airline’s award-winning Clase Ejecutiva and 108 in coach class and returned to Monterrey at 2:00 p.m. arriving at 5:30 p.m
Hotel Developments
Azul Hotels by Karisma, a premier collection of Gourmet Inclusive® properties located throughout the Riviera Maya recently joined forces with the Sensatori collection by TUI AG, the largest tourism and services group in the world, unveiling Azul Sensatori Hotel. Opening in October 2008, Azul Sensatori Hotel will be the first Sensatori resort in the Americas located in the Riviera Maya. Call 888-280-8810; www.azulhotel.com.
Mexican-owned Camino Real plans to open two more hotels in Mexico City, plus others in Puebla, Leon, Hermosillo and Xalapa this year. All will be owned by the firm and will be full service hotels catering to business travelers. Their goal is to have 37 Camino Real hotels.
City Express, which operates 26 low-priced hotels around Mexico, has announced the creation of City Express junior, where rooms will be cheaper still. City Express rates vary from destination to destination, but average about 60 dollars per night. At City Express Junior, the tariff will be about 45 dollars per night.
El Cid Resorts’s CEO Carlos Berdegue reported new investments in Porto Morelos Marin, which will include a 300-room hotel and a convention center. Additionally, he said the independent hotel firm would be developing 117 rooms in Cozumel, at a cost of $25 million while in Mazatlan the company expects to increase exponentially and in Cancun an additional 300 rooms will be added. El Cid Resorts recently joined the Mayan Alliance, is developing spas, and is close to announcing new development with marinas, golf, horseback riding facilities and hotels along the Pacific shore. www.elcidresorts.com
Hilton’s Andy Slater, Vice President of the Hilton brand, reported the company now counts some 18 properties in Mexico for a total of 3,600 rooms. Slater mentioned Hilton’s $210 million increased investment will see several new properties added to its portfolio; the company credits itself with adding 1,700 to 2,000 jobs in Mexico making Hilton the number one hotel developer in the country.
Inter-Continental will more than double that, planning an investment of 515 million dollars to add 63 new properties in Mexico, most of them economical Holiday Inn Express.
Posadas de Mexico, best known for its Fiesta Americanas and Fiesta Inn, has launched a low-tariff chain with hotels called One. Accor, which plans to expand in Mexico, announced that almost all its hotels will be low-rate Ibis.
According to top executives at Preferred Hotel Group, Mexico is a key market for huge growth. Announced recently, was the addition of eight new member properties for an additional inventory of 2,343 rooms in Mexico, which now totals 24 hotels and 4,960 rooms. Comprised of five brands, Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, Preferred Boutique™, Summit Hotels & Resorts™, Sterling Hotels and Historic Hotels of America. www.preferredresidences.com
Real Resorts’ Royal in Cancun, the brand that represents the company’s adult-only, five-star all-inclusive property, is planning to further spoil its guests with new enhancements announced at Tianguis. The Royal in Cancun features 285 suites in six categories from ocean view Junior Suites to one-bedroom oceanfront Royal Presidential Suites and Cancun’s first beachfront Royal Swim-Up Master Suites. Call 800-543-7556; www.realresorts.com
Sol Melia’s Guy Hensley, Area VP Premium Brands and Vicente Madriga, Director of Sales of Premium Brands were on hand to discuss that the new brand launched in Cancun and Cabo in late 2007, ME is among the 10 most expensive properties in Mexico. The Gran Melia Cancun, had a multimillion renovation. Its ME brand, such as the ME Cabo completed a multi-million dollar renovation in 2007.
Wyndham Hotel Group announced an agreement to develop a Wingate by Wyndham hotel in Chihuahua, Mexico, which will become the brand’s first property outside North America when it opens later this year.
For more information, contact the Mexico Tourist Board, www.visitmexico.com

December 2007 Issue

Fine Dining and Zip Lining in Puerto Vallarta

By Patricia Earnest

Once a sleepy fishing village, Puerto Vallarta is a bustling vacation area now, with activities not only in the heart of Puerto Vallarta but also around the bay and onto its various islands. Once home to the movie director, John Huston and stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, it has matured since those days, although its cobbled streets, old buildings and ambience ahve been preserved in the center of town.
Puerto Vallarta is a delightful city set on Mexico’s famed Bay of Banderas. Whatever clients crave in a vacation, they are likely to find it here. Whether their tastes run to relaxing on the beach or poolside, shopping, night-life, fine dining, or enjoying more vigorous outdoor activities, it’s all here.
Puerto Vallarta sits about midway on the 40-mile-long, fish and whale-filled, horseshoe-shaped Bay of Banderas (Bay of Flags) on the Pacific Ocean side of Mexico, surrounded by the lush Sierra Madre Mountains. Outdoor activities include kayaking, snorkeling or scuba diving, or yoga on the beach.
An ideal place from which to enjoy all these activities is on a daytrip to Las Caletas, former home of director John Huston. The seven-hour excursion starts with a boat ride across the Bay to the south from the ferry terminal in Puerto Vallarta with Vallarta Adventures. Arriving at Las Caletas, visitors can choose from a variety of activities (or relaxing non-activities, like lounging on the soft sand beach or swimming). Jax Fax tried yoga, cooking and the nature hike up through the jungle to check out the flora and fauna. Buffet lunch was ample and delicious. Spa treatments are also available but not included in the general cost of $80 for adults, $40 for children under 12. Call 888-308-2653, www.vallarta-adventures.com

Zipping Over the Treetops
If you are up for more strenuous activity, then Vallarta Adventures’ 4.5-hour Canopy Tour into the magnificent Sierra Madre Mountains could fill the bill. The trip includes some zip lines, which are a real thrill as you sail among the treetops from platform to platform. The Canopy Tour lasts 4.5 hours and costs $79 for adults, $58 for children under 12.
A more extended and challenging tour is the Outdoor Adventure, lasting 5.5 hours. The adventure starts with a fast boat ride to Boca de Tomatian on the Bay, then a bouncing ride in a 4 x 4 Unimog to 2,000 feet above sea level up into the mountains to the base camp where guests are well briefed on the safety issues and gear associated with zip lining.
But wait, guests have still higher to climb and the next phase involves a mule ride, then a final short hike on foot to the start of the intense zip lines that wind their way back down the mountains, through streams, rappelling down by precipitous waterfalls and crossing jungle bridges. It is a real adrenaline rush to look down as much as 250 feet to see the jungle below and the lines stretching ahead to the next tree platform.
Transportation, water, fruit and cookies are included in the price of $95 per adult. Restrictions include a minimum 12 years of age to participate, plus a maximum body weight of 220 lbs. Save 10 percent by booking online. www.vallarta-adventures.com

New Dining Selections
Fine restaurants abound in Puerto Vallarta below are a few I managed to sample in a recent trip. Before dinner, try to catch the Papantia Flyers on the Malecon, the main boardwalk by the Bay.
El Arrayan is located in the old, cobble-stoned section of Puerto Vallarta. It serves regional Mexican fare and the food is absolutely delicious, interesting and reasonable. The atmosphere is Mexican, warm, cozy and thoroughly delightful. www.elarrayan.com.mx.
Cilantro’s signature, oversized Cilantro margueritea is not to be missed. It’s a delicious start to interesting offerings that combine Mexican elements with Pacific Northwest style and taste. Dine upstairs and you can enjoy the magnificent sunset turning the rooftops shades of evening. www.cilantospv.com.
Vista Grill Restaurant and Lounge is set high above Puerto Vallarta with magnificent views of the town and Bay. The cuisine is contemporary with regional accents and excellent service. www.vistagrill.com

Accommodations
The Sheraton Bouganvillas Resort and Convention Center is conveniently located 15 minutes walk from the center of town, three miles from the airport and a short cab ride to the cruise terminal.
Accommodations include towers, suites, studios and resort rooms. Check out the wedding and honeymoon specials.
The resort has a number of restaurants and bars. La Villita almost on the beachfront, offers a splendid Sunday Champagne Brunch for $25 per person offering everything you could think of eating. Call 800-325-3535, www.sheratonvallarta.com

Getting There
Alaska Airlines flies nonstop from Seattle, New York’s JFK, Los Angeles or Salt Lake City; and from Newark via Seattle or Salt Lake City.
Call 800-252-7522, www.alaskaair.com. Continental Airlines operates flights from Seattle or JFK via Houston. Call 800-523-3273, www.continental.com.
For more information on Puerto Vallarta, visit www.visitpuertovallarta.com

July 2007 Cover Feature

The Yucatan’s Glory Days Are Now!

By Helen Heales

Despite the new passport requirements, Americans are traveling to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in droves. The new law that requires travelers returning to the U.S. from Mexico and other Western Hemisphere countries to carry a valid passport, took effect in January of this year.
Although the Mexican government expressed concerns last year over the impact the requirement might have on tourism, Mexico received a 15 percent increase in American arrivals in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2006. “These numbers demonstrate that requiring a passport has not deterred Americans from traveling to Mexico,” said Rodolfo Elizondo, Mexico’s secretary of tourism.

Gateway Expanded and Improved
Hurricane Wilma ravaged some of Mexico’s most popular vacation resorts –Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya—in 2005, and Merida, its capital city, which is fast becoming a cultural center in the State of Yucatan. But even this natural disaster did not deter American arrivals.
The hurricane resulted in rebuilding, and many of the area’s hotels and resorts saw an opportunity to reinvent themselves or build anew –as did the Cancun International Airport, which serves as many as 800,000 passengers per month during high season.
Expanded primarily to serve the region’s thriving tourism industry – as a country, Mexico received 3.6 million international tourism arrivals in the first quarter of this year – the Cancun airport, the second busiest in the country, added a new terminal in May, increasing the number of terminals servicing Mexico’s top resort destination from two to three.
With a total investment of approximately $100 million, the new terminal doubled its international passenger capacity. It covers an area of 126,000 square feet, 84 check-in counters and a platform equipped with 11 gates as well as a state-of-the-art security equipment, including the first CT scanning system in Mexico for all checked baggage.
Additionally, the airport incorporated wireless technology into its check-in procedures last fall, adding 10 mobile counters that rely on a wireless connection as well as built-in power sources using rechargeable batteries. The new wireless check-in system can be used by any airline that needs to handle a higher number of check-ins than expected.
Given that the Yucatan is also the gateway to the rest of Mexico -- four of every 10 international travelers to Mexico transit here -- the additional terminal is already at capacity. Along with the new terminal three at the Cancun airport, Mexico Tourism Board CEO Francisco Lopez Mena revealed plans for a new international airport in Tulum, with construction rights to be awarded to the winner of an imminent public bid.
In the meantime, service to the Cancun International Airport from the U.S. continues to increase. After American Airlines celebrated 25 years of service to Cancun in December, the airline launched once daily nonstop service between Miami and Cozumel in March.
Jetblue’s new service between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Cancun was implemented March 2, 2007, a day after the airline began operating a second daily nonstop flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to Cancun, which complements the existing daily nonstop service to the Yucatan that began back on Nov. 30, 2006.
In December, Mexico’s newest airline, Aladia, launched operations with service from Monterrey to Cancun five times weekly and Puebla to Cancun twice weekly. The carrier plans to expand service internationally, including flights to and from the U.S.

Hotel Boom
The Yucatan Peninsula -- from Cancun, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya to the capital city of Merida —is burgeoning with new lodging developments that range from new properties to expansions on existing resorts and overall hotel enhancements.
One of the latest properties on the Cancun lodging scene is Elan Resort & Spa, which is offering a special bonus commission of $50 per room per night for bookings made between now and Nov. 1, 2007. Joining the ranks of Mexico’s growing luxury all-inclusive market, this Colonial Mexican style property overlooks the Nichupté Lagoon and boasts 95 rooms and 51 one-, two- and three-bedroom villa suites, seven restaurants serving Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian and American cuisine, three bars, two private beach areas, two swimming pools, two tennis courts, a fitness center, a spa, steam rooms, saunas, a Temazcal, an authentic Mayan sauna and a Cyber Cafe.
Mexico-based Real Resorts debuted its newest luxury all-inclusive resort, The Royal in Cancun, in January. Like its sister property, the 459-suite Royal in Playa del Carmen, the Cancun resort boasts signature services, signature beds and an hour’s complimentary use of the resort’s signature car, a BMW Mini Cooper to guests staying in Royal oceanfront, corner, presidential one-bedroom and swim-up master suites. Formerly the Royal Porto Real Playa del Carmen, the Royal in Playa del Carmen emerged from renovations in November with a new name and a new look.
Another recent addition to the area roster of all-inclusive resorts is Club Med Cancun, which reopened last November, after a $24 million renovations with a strong emphasis on the discovery of the Yucatan region, new programs for families, upscale amenities and the Jade Villa, concierge-served accommodations for luxury travelers.
In February, Sol Melia reintroduced the Gran Melia Cancun after renovations that included: the addition of Yhi Spa, Sol Meliá’s new spa brand; Nami, a new sushi lounge; and revamped rooms and suites. The company’s Paradisus Riviera Cancun Resort welcomed the addition of its family concierge program, which features a dedicated, family-only reception area with a mini check-in area for kids, a dedicated family butler who can be reached via walkie-talkie, and family concierge suites that boast separate living quarters, a sofa bed and adjoining suites as well as special children-size amenities.
Complementing its Cancun properties, Sol Melia also unveiled renovations at its Melia Cozumel property recently, which now showcases a new, more luxurious class of accommodations known as M Floor, an overhaul of The Flintstones Land and an expansion of La Isla restaurant.
The nearby Presidente InterContinental Cozumel, which completed a major renovation project last year, is the site of a new Mandara Spa, where Balinese and Elemis-branded beauty treatments are the order of the day.
On the Yucatan’s Riviera Maya, Karisma Hotels officially opened Azul Blue Hotel & Spa, in November. The boutique-style resort is the latest addition to Karisma’s portfolio of five “Gourmet-Inclusive” properties on the Riviera Maya.
At its couples-only property El Dorado Royale, the company debuted new meeting and event space in the form of a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 600 guests. In addition, meeting/event rooms Salon Guacamyas and Salon Royale, have been added to accommodate 150 guests each.
Additionally, two new one-bedroom presidential casitas have also been added. Located on the beach, both ocean-front Casitas are 1,300 square feet and feature a private open-air shower, private pool with hammock and lounge chairs, an in-suite Jacuzzi for two, oversized living room and dining area and separate bedroom. Each Presidential Casita also offers an oversized balcony with retractable linen curtains for privacy and a back patio. Guests receive personalized attention from the on-call Casita Concierge team who will bring champagne at midnight or arrange a sunrise breakfast on the terrace.
Sister property, El Dorado Seaside, also a couples-only resort, has a new restaurant, Vida Garden Grill and Margarita Lounge. Azul Beach Hotel introduced the new Exotic Suite.The 630-square-foot Exotic Suite consists of two connecting superior suites with a private sitting area, day bed and in-suite Jacuzzi.

Next Stop, Merida
For the fifth consecutive year, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Yucatan (MACAY) in Merida is hosting the Brotherhood Sculpture show in conjunction with the Macay Cultural Foundation and the Merida Municipal Government. The program features artists from Mexico and abroad; forty-nine sculptures by 27 Japanese and 22 Mexican artists will remain on exhibit for the next 10 months on the walkway between the Merida’s cathedral and the Ateneo building on the main plaza.
Just outside Merida, the high-end Hacienda Xcanatun, the restored 18th century sisal plantation where Mexican President Calderon hosted a dinner for President and Mrs. Bush in March, is offering the new, overnight “Dine Like the Presidents” package, for $425 for two guests. Included are accommodations, the same dinner served to the Mexican and American presidents in March with the same wines, breakfast the next morning; and roundtrip transfers to Merida.
Additionally, the property has a three-night “Romantic Fantasy” package for $1,250 per couple through Sept. 30 and $1,375 Oct. 1 through Dec. 15, 2007, and Jan. 8 through April 31, 2008. Included in the package are suite accommodations, daily breakfast, a bottle of wine, a selection of dark Yucatecan chocolates, a candlelight dinner in the hacienda's restaurant, two spa treatments, roundtrip airport transfers, taxes and hotel service charges. For additional charges, the hotel also offers a Maya wedding or vow renewal ceremony in the garden ($180) and golf on a Jack Nicklaus championship course that is slated to open in December (about $100 per round).

Mid-Range Markets
Yet, the region’s luxury accommodations are not limited to higher-end all-inclusive resorts. In September, Marriott officially reopened the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa and the Casa Magna Marriott Cancun Resort, both of which closed for extensive renovations after Hurricane Wilma. The new, ultra-luxury Mayakoba Resort on the Riviera Maya will be home to the Kor Group’s first international hotel, the Viceroy, this fall.

Innovative Tour Operations
Another barometer of the region’s hearty tourism industry, several U.S. tour operators are bolstering their offerings to the Yucatan Peninsula. Rockwell Tours added Sol Melia’s Paradisus Riviera Cancun, Gran Melia Cancun and Melia Cozumel to its product line-up last fall. Pleasant Holidays’ sister company, Dynamic Leisure Corporation and Palace Resorts extended their net rate wholesale contract through 2008. Through its subsidiary Changes in L'Attitudes, Dynamic Leisure Corporation's business relationship with Palace Resorts spans over 25 years.
Further cementing its already solid relationship with Karisma Hotels & Resorts, MLT Vacations awarded its 2007 Quality Assurance Award to El Dorado Royale, A Spa Resort by Karisma and Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma. The award names both properties as the two top hotels in the Riviera Maya, with Azul Beach winning in the Small Hotel Category and El Dorado Royale winning in the Large Hotel Category. Azul Beach and El Dorado Royale are the only hotels in the Riviera Maya to receive this year's honor.

Refreshed Websites
However, more detailed information about Cancun’s airlift –as well as hotels, resorts, dining, attractions and beaches—can be found on the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau’s recently revamped website, www.cancun.info and coexisting domain www.cancun.travel, which automatically directs visitors to the destination’s official site. The site’s newly tailored functions include a bilingual format, an interactive map and destination web cams. Among the site’s other new features are color photo tours and virtual postcards.
“Armed with a virtual 'looking glass,' our web users can explore every inch of Cancun, from the downtown and hotel zones to tucked-away Puerto Morelos,” says Arturo Escaip Manzur, CEO of the Cancun CVB. “We're sure the improved site will show the dedication and commitment we pledge to the millions of travelers who visit our growing destination each year.”
With so many new extravagances, it’s obvious, the Yucatan Peninsula has come a long way from being just your college kid’s spring break getaway, and is worthy of serious consideration for repeat visitors looking for a world-class travel experience.

Call the Mexican Tourist Board, 800-44-MEXICO; www.visitmexico.com; www.mayayucatan.com.

Interview with Jorge Torre Loría

The Yucatan’s Magical Old and New Wonders

By Maria Lisella

Jax Fax caught up with Jorge Torre Loría, Yucatan's Secretary of Tourism, and the Director of the Yucatan Center of the National Anthropological and Historical Institute (INAH), who has been described in the local press as “the man who rarely ever sleeps.” His proudest moment recently was the acceptance of Chichen Itza as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Torre has served as president of the Association of Hotels of Yucatan, Skal International, the Chamber of Commerce of Mérida, where he also served as the vice president of tourism twice and presided over the Trust of the Mayan World for Mexico and the Tourist Enterprise Council.

JF: Why should travel agents send their clients to the Yucatan?
Torre: The Yucatán has a wide variety of attractions that can suit special interest travelers: such as archaeology, colonial towns, ecotourism, bird watching, diving in cenotes, gastronomy, culture, folklore, museums, spa treatments, haciendas as well as a long list of new resorts for pure rest and recreation.
Today, there is even more to see and experience. Take the capital city of Merida, for instance, which was founded 465 years ago on top of a Mayan archaeological site called Tho. It has the second largest downtown area in all of Mexico and within a radius of less than two hours there are more than 15 major attractions to visit including the beach, which is just a half hour drive from town.

JF: Are there any new attractions for travel agents to pitch to their clients?
Torre: We have a new light, video and sound show in the convent of San Antonio de Padua in the city of Izamal, which is located 45 minutes from Merida and is one of the few that preserved the pyramids inside the city, as part of their buildings, with their distinctive yellow colored-stone. The convent was built in the top of a Mayan pyramid called Zamná, and it has the largest open atrium in the Americas. Besides the Light Show, you can tour around the city and enjoy meeting artisans, in a carriage pulled by horses.
Other new products are the gastronomy tours in the city of Merida including visits to haciendas for tasting not only the typical food, but also our liquors. The hacienda Sotuta de Peón is a former hacienda that has been rebuilt as a living museum where visitors can enjoy a half-day excursion to view the ancient process of the henequen plant used to produce sisal fiber or ride through the plantation and swim in the cenotes, underground rivers with crystal freshwater.

JF: How strong is air service?
Torre: Delta operates flights four days weekly from Atlanta to Merida on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. We continue to have support from Continental with flights departing from Houston and Aeromexico’s service out of Miami, Florida.

JF: What are the Yucatan's best selling points?
Torre: Our rich and exotic heritage that is in such close proximity to the U.S. Most Americans think they have to travel to long haul destinations such as the Middle East, South America or Asia to view important archaeological sites but we are just across the Gulf of Mexico.
Few realize Mexico ranks first in the Americas and eighth worldwide for 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites, all recognized for their historical, cultural and natural relevance to the world.
Most recently Chichén Itzá was named one of the new seven wonders of the world, and the promotion that we have in place is bringing a larger number of tourists interested in this site.

JF: How can travel agents learn more about Yucatan?
Torre: They can consult our web page: www. Mayayucatan.com, where they will find all the places of interest as well as a full service directory for all the cities in the State of Yucatán.

JF: Can you give us a client profile of visitors?
Torre: About 50% of international visitors are aged between 26 to 45; 38% are professionals; 14% are Directors; 9% are retirees.
The average stay is 7.4 nights and their travel patterns indicate that they travel with an average group of four; while 41% travel as couples; 58% travel with children under 18. Many -- 40% -- planned their trip within a month and 14.5% in less than a week. In 2006, 42% of tourists came from North America.

JF: Any new marketing campaigns for 2007-2008?
Torre: We see Merida as the gateway to a wide variety of products: celebrations, family reunions, honeymoons and fast getaways.

JF: What is the impression you would like visitors to take home?
Torre: A great experience, to return to, a little knowledge about who we are through the exceptional places that illustrate the greatest features of an ancient civilization and the Mayan culture kept alive by its modern citizens.

Call the Mexican Tourist Board at 800-44-MEXICO; www.visitmexico.com, www.mayayucatan.com

May 2007 Feature

A Primer on the Yucatan Peninsula

The Yucatan is a magical Mayan land with ruins and historic relics from white paths used by the ancient Mayans to magnificent Mayan temples and cities, making this region a microcosm of Mexico’s ancient past and native influences.
Located in southeast Mexico in the north of the peninsula for which it is named, with Campeche and Quintana Roo, Yucatan State is bordered on the north by the Gulf of Mexico.

Merida, the White City
One way to discover Yucatan State is to begin at its capital city of Merida, home to an international airport with regularly scheduled flights from Mexico City, Miami, Houston and Atlanta, and charter service from Toronto and Milan. The city lies about 55 miles south of the Port of Progreso, and a very large and modern highway network connecting it to the rest of the country.
Called the “White City” for its white colonial buildings, Merida was founded in 1542 over the ruins of the ancient Mayan city Ichcaanziho and built from the sacred stones of its temples. Examples of the city’s beautifully conserved colonial architecture include the House of Montejo; the Government Palace; the Jose Peon Contreras Theater; the Canton Palace Museum of Anthropology and History; and the Autonomous University of Yucatan and the Cathedral. A horse-drawn carriage tour of the breezy Paseo de Montejo is highly recommended.
Merida is also close to the remains of elegant sisal (henequén) haciendas, which were the backbone of the region’s economy during the last third of the 19th century. Many of these haciendas have been restored and converted into hotels.

Gateway to the Mayans
Just 20 miles north of Merida is Progreso, known as the gateway to the Mayans, as many visitors arrive by sea to visit the nearby Mayan ruins. Located on Mexico’s Gulf coast, a delightful laid-back port city with a population of about 50,000. Founded in 1840, Progreso was virtually unknown to tourists until recently and has since become a popular stop for visitors arriving by both land and sea. Walk along the boardwalk, dine at one of the many seafood restaurants, visit colonial buildings and admire one of the world’s longest piers.
The majority of Yucatan State’s people are descended from the Mayans, the builders of Uxmal and Chichen-Itza. Uxmal, part of the Puuc Route, was founded by the Mayans in the 8th century and considered one of the most important sites in Mesoamerica.
Chichen-Itza, which reached its peak between 700 and 1200 AD (although it was inhabited for over 2000 years), was the political, economic and military power in the area. Today, the city’s main attractions include El Castillo or the Pyramid of the Serpent God Kukulkan, a magnificent pyramid topped by a temple, to which thousands of people flock every spring and fall equinox to witness a shadow depicting the god slithering down its side. Visitors can also explore the sacbes, white paths used by the ancient Mayans. Near Chichen-Itza lie the colonial cities of Izamal and Valladolid.

Soft Adventures, Spectator Sports
The Yucatán is also a great setting for ecotourism and adventure experiences. Its climates have produced forest surroundings that support a wide range of fauna. Visitors can enjoy sports in the open sea in Yucalpeten, while birdwatchers can admire the wide range of species found in El Palmar as well as the impressive flamingo population of Celestun.
Brimming with enchanting caves that were considered sacred places for the Mayan people the Yucatan is home to the Lol-tun caves, located in the hilly Pu’uc region, about 65 miles south of the capital city of Merida.
Evidence of human existence has been traced back 7,000 years in these caves, many of which are adorned with murals and columns that can be "played" like musical instruments. When struck with one's fist, beautiful bell-like tones can be heard. Guided tours in English are offered daily.
Exploring caves on foot is just one option. Yucatan unique “cenotes” are water-filled caverns found all over the state. Cavern diving is also a popular activity in the Yucatan and is considered one of the most exhilarating and easiest forms of diving as the waters are calm, shallow and temperate.
Visit www.ecoyuc.com or www.cavern-diving.com.

Whale Watching and Fawning Flamingos in Summer
Every year, summer brings a convergence of natural phenomena to Holbox and Contoy islands, located off the northernmost tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. For several years now, the world’s largest fish, the spotted whale shark, has been coming to this region to feed and mate during the summer months, and the lagoons near these islands are some of the few spots in the world where the whale sharks can be easily seen. While their average length is 25 feet, whale sharks can grow up to 45-feet long and weigh up to 10 tons.
Also visiting this region during the same time are about 40,000 pink flamingos. Filling the skies and waters with flames of pink, flamingos spend the summer months feeding in the nutrient-rich waters nearby. It is quite a sight to see huge flocks alternately wading, taking to the skies and landing.
The area also enjoys the annual return of several species of marine turtles who lay their eggs on these shores. Visitors can observe them while participating in conservation initiatives.

Visit www.qroo.gob.mx. For information on Mexico, visit www.visitmexico.com