School Hard/Work Hard

Hard Rock Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico is promoting remote school learning and pairing it with remote office work for a productive family getaway.  The programs will be available exclusively at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, and Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos through December 20, 2020. Amenities include:

School Hard:

• Dedicated online classroom with tech support
• After school care activities
• Bottled water station
• Organized sports training including soccer, basketball,
  volleyball, and gym
• Expanded in-room dining menu

Work Hard:

• Sanitized working stations in every room
• Expanded in-room dining menu
• Dedicated conference room/office space
• Workout classes on demand
• Daily activities
• Free long-distance calls

Your family can now save 45 percent at Hard Rock and children and teens stay free!

Rosewood in St. Barts

In other Rosewood news, the chain has assumed management of Le Guanahani in St. Barts.  Following a major renovation, the luxury resort will reopen in the spring of 2021 as the Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth. The popular hotel has been closed since September 2017, when Hurricane Irma extensively damaged the property. The intimate resort will feature 66 guestrooms, suites, and villas, and many accommodations will have private pools. There will be a new beachfront restaurant, a new ocean-facing pool, excellent kids club, event spaces, and spa. Reservations will open this October. The hotel will be Rosewood’s fourth in the Caribbean. The company also operates the Rosewood Baha Mar in the Bahamas, Rosewood Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda, and Rosewood Bermuda. The new Rosewood Half Moon Bay in Antigua is scheduled to open in 2023.

Mayakoba Family Time

Rosewood Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya, Mexico is showcasing a unique Family Time experience.  This valuable package includes a 5th night free, daily $100 resort credit, free meals for children under age 12, private family bonfires with s’mores and Mayan storytelling, free rollaway, butler service, daily fruit, daily bottled water, an exclusive welcome amenity and more! Presidential Suites and Private Residences also receive daily in-suite continental breakfast and round-trip airport transfers. This luxury resort has 129 suites plus spacious 2- to 5-bedroom residences.  It is located within the exclusive 620-acre enclave of Mayakoba and has a wide variety of activities for the entire family including the Rosewood Explorers kids club, golf, private yacht, watersports, pools, bike rentals, spa, and more.

Palladium Peace of Mind

For added peace of mind, Palladium Resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean are offering an innovative and new health care insurance plan to protect your family against any unforeseen circumstances related to the current Covid-19 pandemic. The free policy called Stay Safe Plus includes the cost of medical care, medical transfers and more along with covering a longer hotel stay for up to four people if needed due to illness. The resort chain also has a set of new cleanliness protocols and is currently offering up to 50 percent off regular rates.  Also, at Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres and the Family Selection Costa Mujeres one child stays free for travel through the end of September.

Hyatt Ziva’s Christmas in July Sale

The family-friendly Hyatt Ziva and the adult-only Hyatt Zilara are now offering savings of up to 60 percent off. You can also cancel your reservation up to 24 hours prior to your arrival. Some additional benefits to this sale, depending on the resort, include 20 percent off spa services, airport transfers and $200-300 in resort perks (discount coupons for room upgrades, romantic dinner, spa, cabana rental, wine bottles, etc.)  Choose from Hyatt’s all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos in Mexico as well and Montego Bay, Jamaica.  All resorts are currently open to American tourists.  Hurry, this special must be booked by July 31 for stays from September 24,2020 through December 20, 2021, but with black-out dates over the winter break period.

New Villas at Chaa Creek

The Lodge at Chaa Creek has recently added luxury villas to their selection of accommodations.  The Ix Chel Villas are spacious and air-conditioned suites with gorgeous 180-degree views of the pristine Belizean rainforest and river.  They were built with environmental sustainability methods and come with a personal butler service to assist with room service, housekeeping, laundry, babysitting, booking nature tours, activities and more. An expansive veranda showcases an al fresco shower, private pool and Jacuzzi. The two Villa plazas contain two suites each – a master bedroom suite with a sitting room lounge with two extra sleepers, and a junior bedroom suite with a king-sized bed. These can be combined for large family groups. Ix Chel is the Maya moon goddess and was one of the most highly revered deities in the ancient Maya pantheon.

Plan Now Rock Later

Hard
Rock Resorts in
the Caribbean and Mexico are offering a deeply discounted coupon to use through
2021.  The vouchers are available for 3, 4 or 5 nights and multiple
vouchers can be combined for a longer stay.  For 2020 travel, pay only
$285/night for two adults and two children (12 and under) for unlimited food
and drinks, unlimited spa and tours (plus a 25% service fee), skateboard and
waterpark, children and teen programs and more when sharing one room for up to
4 people! Rates are slightly higher for 2021 and teens pay a small
supplement.  Names are not even needed to purchase the coupon…and it is
refundable up to 15 days prior to the expiration date.  A great gift as
well!  2020 vouchers expire December 25, 2020 while 2021 vouchers expire
October 31, 2021.  Once names are on the booking, you can still cancel or
change your travel dates up to 7 days prior to travel. Blackout dates are
December 26, 2020-January 2, 2021 and February 12, 2021-February 14,
2021.  Choose from deluxe resorts in Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera
Maya, Cancun and Los Cabos.  Parents and young adult children can also
enjoy a similar promotion at the adult-only Unico in the Rivera Maya. Book by
July 31, 2020!

Hyatt Ziva Barbados

We are excited to report that a Hyatt Ziva is coming to Barbados! The upscale, all-inclusive resort will be located on the island’s Carlisle Bay in Bridgetown and is scheduled to open in 2022. It will showcase 380 guest rooms, 40 spacious condominiums and six premier rooms and will be Barbados’ first new-build hotel in over a decade. It will also feature an overwater restaurant, water conservation features and locally sourced food and artwork. The new resort joins other family-friendly Hyatt Ziva all-inclusive resorts, including Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cap Cana, Dominican Republic and Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, plus three adults-only Hyatt Zilara resorts in Montego Bay, Cancun and Cap Cana.

Dream Now, Travel Later

Dream Now, Travel Later with Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn in Belize and La Lancha in Guatemala.  Their current promotion includes 20 percent off your room, free upgrade at time of booking (based on availability) and a $100 resort credit which can be used on food and beverage, tours, spa and more for stays of four nights or longer. A one-night deposit is due at the time of booking with cancellation permitted at least 14 days prior to your check in date. This deal needs to be booked by the end of June and is available for any new and future booking (although not including festive dates 2020 and 2021). Owned by film producer, Francis Ford Coppola, these lodges were each personally discovered, renovated and curated to his specifications. He has a personal connection to each resort as well as a personal love for each location and its culture.

Aloha Hawaii

Hawaii, the only U.S. state located outside North America, encompasses 137 islands spread over 1,500 miles. That makes the 50th state the largest island chain in the world! Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii (four of the seven inhabited islands) are the most popular destinations for our families. Each one has a unique flair with wonderful biodiversity as a result of their volcanic origins. Lush forests, incredible beaches of many colors, rugged coastlines, waterfalls, canyons, active volcanoes and more create a scenic beauty like no other place in the world.  The island’s Polynesian culture is also a special highlight and dates back 1,500 years.  Opportunities abound to learn about it through crafts, luaus, museums, local events, food and more. Our families also love the incredible array of outdoor adventures, friendly people, terrific coffee and varied wildlife. Most of our families stay on more than one island in a visit as inter-island air travel is quick and inexpensive.  Some of the more unique activities include swimming with manta rays at night on the Big Island, hiking around the active Kilauea volcano, understanding WWII history at Pearl Harbor, learning about Hawaiian royalty at the Iolani Palace, outrigger canoeing and seeing the petroglyph lava rock carvings. Let us craft a custom itinerary to match our families’ needs, interests and budget.  For more details check out https://www.gohawaii.com/.