Double Upgrades in the Riviera Maya

As I discovered last week, there isn't much to see on the two-hour drive from the Cancun airport to Tulum: the occasional gas station, roadside vendors selling fruit and other goodies, and a deserted two-lane road unfolding toward the horizon. For two people looking to get away from it all, it was a good sign. Still, two hours is no quick ride, so to pass the time we counted the opulent entrances to what seemed like innumerable upscale and all-inclusive resorts that line the Riviera Maya. My favorite one along the way by far was the colossal entrance to the new Grand Velas resort. We couldn't even see the property itself beyond the massive walls and lush landscaping, but the gorgeous gated entry practically screamed luxury and exclusivity.

That's why I was surprised to find out that the resort is offering an affordable new travel package that brings the upscale destination within reach for families. For the lowest all-inclusive rate of $300 per person per night, guests will receive a double upgrade to an ocean-front Ambassador Suite (with a private terrace and pool!) - already a savings of $220 per person per night - plus kids 16 and under stay and eat free the whole time. For a family of four, it's a great low season rate that includes all of your meals, drinks, activities - even taxes and gratuities. The offer is good through September 30, so just check out the Grand Velas web site for details and to book your fabulous summer escape.

Double Upgrades in the Riviera Maya

Saluting Our Troops with Caribbean Deals

To show support for our troops, several travel and tourism organizations have started offering huge savings to active and retired military members on their next vacations. Marriott has introduced a new Military Golf Program called Fairway Furloughs, giving golf-loving servicemen and women the chance to play a variety of courses for between $29 and $69 per round, including carts. But the biggest such savings I've seen by far can be found at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort in Montego Bay. The all-inclusive resort is offering troops a 55-percent discount on room rates plus bonus amenities including automatic room upgrades, match play casino credits and an instant 10-percent savings on treatments at the Sol-Mer Spa. Just book and travel by December 23, using promotion code 155MIL when you reserve your room.

Saluting Our Troops with Caribbean Deals

A Couples Thing

Sunday was the final day of my Jamaican adventure, which took me 550 kilometers along the island’s north coast, from Montego Bay to Negril in the west, then east to Port Antonio, westward again to Ocho Rios and finally back to Mo’Bay.

My last three nights I was ensconced at Couples Tower Isle (formerly Couples Ocho Rios), checking out the changes to the romantic, 226-room all-inclusive resort, which reopened on Easter Sunday after a yearlong, $30 million renovation. At 60, it is one of Jamaica’s oldest properties, and in its 1950s heyday as The Tower Isle Hotel welcomed royalty and Hollywood stars. The hotel became the Caribbean’s first all-inclusive resort when Jamaican owner Abe Issa (who is widely acknowledged as the father of the island’s tourism) introduced the concept to Jamaica in 1978, and renamed the hotel Couples Ocho Rios.

I stopped by for a quick visit last year, and while the hotel was clearly as popular as ever, it was showing some wear. So it was particularly gratifying to see how beautifully the grande dame of all-inclusive resorts has been restored to her former glory. Interior designer (and co-owner of Negril’s Idle Awhile) Jane Issa has revamped every inch in a retro-modern style that combines art deco- and mid-century modern- influenced furniture and lighting with contemporary accents. Twenty new rooms, a spa, two restaurants and a second pool have been added, and the guest rooms, piano bar, gym, original pool and public areas have all been renovated. The overall effect combines Rat Pack sleek with tropical chic, and homage is paid to the hotel’s heritage with Tower Isle memorabilia throughout.

I do have some small criticisms: Although the resort offers free Wi-Fi, travelers now expect it to be available in rooms and not just in the lobby. An open, walk-in shower is a great concept, but the entire bathroom floor flooded every time I bathed. And it seemed odd that a resort of Couples’ standard doesn’t have robes in the room (nor did I see them in the new spa).

Nevertheless, just over a month since reopening, CTI is looking better than ever, guests are clearly enjoying the enhancements, and once the inevitable re-opening bugs are worked out, they’ll be hard-pressed to find fault. With free horseback riding and glass bottom boat tours, as well as complimentary excursions to Ocho Rios for shopping and to Jamaica’s iconic Dunn’s River Falls, Couples remains one of the best values in the Caribbean all-inclusive resort category. Factor in attentive service and enhanced amenities, and you’ve got three good reasons to consider it for your next vacation.

A Couples Thing