Short on time? Here is what’s been happening this week in travel.
Travel Deals:
- Disney’s Free Dining Promo is back. Enjoy a FREE Disney Dining plan when you purchase a 5 night/6 day non-discounted vacation package that includes theme park tickets for travel between September 2nd and the 25th.
- Oceania Cruises is running a great promotion on select sailings in Europe including up to $500 in ship board credits, Free Pre-paid gratuities, business class air upgrades from just $799 pp, free unlimited internet package and 50% off deposits.
- Kids stay FREE at the Hard Rock Punta Cana all inclusive resort (up to 2 children under the age of 12 traveling with 2 adults.) Prefer Mexico? The same deal is available at the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun.
- Tauck tours is offering past guests their “Gift of Time” promotion where you receive a free hotel stay on any 2014 trip booked.
Travel News:
Globus and Cosmos tours, Trafalgar tours and Insight Vacations all released 2014 escorted tour itineraries with early booking deals for travel to Europe and the United States.
Royal Caribbean Cruise line has ordered a third Quantum class ship from a German shipyard. This ship, not yet named will enter service in 2016 following the Quantum of the Seas in 2014 and the Anthem of the Seas in 2015.
Earlier this month, New York added another form of public transportation, the bicycle. Through Citi Bike, there are more than 6000 pick up/drop off bicycle on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. By swiping a credit or debit card at any of the 300 docking stations scattered throughout the city, renters can grab a bike and return it to any station. The cost is $9.95 per day or $25 for a week. Similar bike programs are operating in several U.S. cities including Madison, Wisconsin, Portland, Oregon and Washington.
The Ritz- Carlton Hotel is making plans to return to Bali in 2014. The beachfront property will offer 288 rooms, including 90 suites and 14 villas, 10 of which will be cliff-top units with ocean views. The hotel will have six restaurants and bars, plus facilities for weddings and receptions. Ritz Carlton has not operated in Bali since 2009.
Hyatt Hotels will develop nine Hyatt Place Hotels throughout Brazil. The first properties, in the 150 – 200 room range, are expected to open in 2016. Hyatt is also set to open a new hotel in Seoul, Korea in 2016. The hotel will be located in the Dongdaemun shopping area.
Hertz Car Rental Company expanded its line of specialty vehicles with Hertz Dream Cars, a collection of high-end, high performance vehicles in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and 32 other US Markets. The list of cars includes the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari California F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911, several Mercedes-Benz models and the Dodge SRT Viper.
United Airlines is giving their Mileage Plus members the option of prepaying for Economy Plus Seating or checked baggage service for one year, for $499 or $349, subject to geographic restrictions.
Virgin Hotels plans to open a New York hotel in 2016 at Broadway and 29th Street, just north of Madison Square Park. The hotel will have over 300 guestrooms and many fine dining experiences. Virgin plans to open their first hotel in Chicago in the 2nd quarter of 2014.
Thanks to Macy’s Plaza, the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles will undergo extensive renovation. Macy’s Plaza, about three blocks from the LA Live retail entertainment complex will receive $160 million in upgrades tat will include renovations to the 40 year old hotel.
Would you believe the New York Hilton Midtown has announced plans to eliminate room service. The buzz suggested that room service appears to be less essential to both leisure customers and young travelers. Of course that is not necessarily the case with certain business travelers or those who come to New York for live theater and want a late night meal. Hilton is using the opportunity to pitch it’s grab-and-go food offerings at the Midtown Manhattan location and making it clear the decision to cut room service would not apply chain-wide. Each of the Hilton properties is unique and decisions to eliminate room service would be made on an individual property basis.
Gossip:
- At the Jerusalem International Summit, Israel TAourism Minister UZI Landau passed along a rumor that Donald Trump would build a golf course in Ashkelon, Israel.
- Ritz Carlton’s unfinished Molasses Reef project, a secluded and uninhabited nine square mile island in West Caicos, a 20 minute boat ride from Providenciales, will resume work sometime later this year.
