Andy James, co- owner of James TravelPOINTS, an American Express Representative office established in 1957, recently visited the Iberostar Paraiso Grand All-Inclusive Adults Only Luxury Resort located south of Cancun Mexico along the Riviera Maya.

The Iberostar Grand Paraiso, is a unique contrast among its other branded peer properties situated on the same complex.  As you enter the gates and drive past the other Iberostar resort properties (Paraiso Beach, Paraiso Del Mar, Paraiso Lindo, Paraiso Maya) you will notice this beautiful large complex.  The Paraiso Beach & Del Mar are aimed for the budget minded all-inclusive guest.  Both properties provide standard dining amenities.

The Lindo claims to be a 5 star property, but it’s my opinion to be more of a nice 3 ½ – 4 star family friendly hotel.  It appears to be a party atmosphere  with over sized pools and beautifully landscaped gardens. The main pool, the wave pool, the lazy river pool all connect  to a large swim up bar.  Music and entertainment is always “on-tap” with many activities available all day.  The pools are large and great to swim in, but it can be noisy and alive.

The Mayan, a nice intimate  property. I would consider this property to be a 4 star property. The Mayan  has its own unique features and is very family friendly but  seems to be quieter than the Lindo.  Both the Lindo and Mayan have a good selection of  restaurants and bars from buffets to ala-carte dining.   The hotel staff  is friendly, helpful and ready to serve you.

The Grand Paraiso, the “Parthenon” of the Iberostar complex,  is  a true 5 star adult’s only exclusive property, geared toward sophisticated quiet adult relaxation.   Guests staying at the Grand have multiple dining options and privileges at the other four properties as well.  Guests staying at any of the other three properties DO NOT have privileges at the Grand Paraiso it’s exclusive to  Grand guest only.

The Grand Paraiso is luxurious.  As you enter the lobby you will notice a large indoor terrarium in the center.   Surrounding the terrarium,  is a nice lobby lounge bar. This bar plays soft music during the evening hours, and is a nice quiet intimate  evening get-away.  Other guest amenities include a computer room, billiards/game room and a cigar bar.  As you pass through the lobby you’ll experience  modern spacious hallways en-route to your private room. Each floor  has its own concierge, who is ready to set up your dining reservations, excursions or activities.  The Grand Paraiso rooms are spacious and contemporary with a separate sitting room and outdoor patio.  In your luxury room, you’ll find a  comfortable bed with beautiful linens, a fully stocked mini bar with snacks which are included and stocked daily and  a nice flat screen T.V. with all cable channels you need.  To accommodate your clothing attire, there are  2 large separate closets and plenty of drawer space.  The bathrooms are large with a walk in shower, large whirlpool  tub, toilet and two separate vanity sinks.

The Grand Parasio has all the modern conveniences and exclusive privacy the resort touts.  It’s luxury and it is quite.   You’ll find a large Spa which includes  a 20 meter indoor pool and exercise room.  Other pools on the property include a large “quite pool” where lounge chairs and guests are spaced for intimate conversation and relaxations in a manicure  landscaped setting.   The largest pool approximately 100 meters in length is a “salt water” pool with a refreshing swim up bar.  This  pool has great views of the ocean with plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas.  The ocean is only a short walk away on a beautiful stretch of beach.  From your lounge chair under a palapa, on the beach you’ll find staff members ready to take your drink or snack order.   The ocean is a beautiful turquoise color and is a mild temperature. Swimming is a must and quite refreshing.  The ocean surf is mild and the bottom is sandy.  Snorkeling is not great in this area, you’ll need to go to Akumal for some this.

For all Iberostar guests who want more than sitting on the beach or lounging around sipping a tropical drink, there is a 18-hole golf course, 8 tennis courts, miles of walking paths and a shopping complex on site.  Most guests are content spending their vacation absorbing the sun and relaxing.

The Grand Paraiso has 6 restaurants on the property and all are very good.  The service is top notch and dining reservations are recommended.  There are 5  ala carte restaurants and 1 international buffet.  A nice house wine selection is included with the meals in all the restaurants.

How would I rate the Grand Paraiso.

It’s exceptional, a true 5 Star property with originality over conformity. This luxury all-inclusive resort has a refreshing array of character and ambience and it is big.  The Grand Paraiso  brings the highest standards without being standard.  They have a nice variety of dining and guest service amenities which are unique and distinctive.  This is the kind of hotel you can lavish and pamper yourself and guest with, if you can afford it.

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Hotel “Bed Warmers” Available

Looking for a way to warm up those cold bed sheets in your hotel room? An English hotel has a new service called “Bed Warmers”.  The hotel will enlist a staff member to do it for you.  The Holiday Inn in Kensington London is offering a five-minute “human bed warming” service.  So, who get’s “bed warming” duty and what is expected from the bed warmer?  The hotel staff is instructed to dress from head-to-toe in a white, fleecy outfit that looks like a hazemat suit with footed pajama feet.  They will jump into bed with you and move around generating the needed  heat between those cold sheets for 5 minutes.  Usually two staff members, a female and male are sandwiched between you to generate the bed warming experience.  As an added bonus, you might get a little pillow talk at the same time.

Ryan Air’s new “Fee to Wee”

Cross your legs if you plan on flying on Ryan Air, they have plans to charge passenger to use its aircraft’s restrooms.  The airline is planning on installing “coin-operated” restrooms as a “cost saving proposal” that would help reduce fares by at least 5%. Ryan Air is proposing to remove (2) toilets in the back of the plane to make room for 6 extra passenger seats, leaving only one restroom on board for passengers.  The proposed “Toilet” charge would be 1 euro or 1 pound.  The airline route being proposed is between Ireland and Britain.  One industry expert predicts the aircraft remodel might require Boeing to re-certify its evacuation standards.  The complexities of re-engineering each 737 may be cost prohibited for the removal of the restrooms and installation of extra seats. It may revert to just charging it’s passenger it’s “Fee for Wee” without the extra seats.

Andy’s Pick for Mexico – Riviera Maya Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts

Want a warm winter get-away without the kids in a really nice property?  Check out my review of the  Iberostar Grand All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort near Cancun Mexico. click here to read about it.

What you can expect to see this coming Year.

It’s been a busy beginning of the new year. During the previous year,  the travel industry took a serious hit but it fared better than a lot of other industries.  This is good news coming into 2010 because, as the economy improves, travel should recover faster than other industries or sectors.  Travel is beginning to see a slight increase over 2009 and some predictions are “Book early for 2011 as 2010 demand is increasing and you may be “shut out” for peak travel destinations over peak periods.

In this review the trends for 2010 were taken from a surveys from Travel Age West publication.  Find out which destination are on the “bucket list”, which all-inclusive resorts are in style, which cruises lines are competing to attract new cruisers, and why it will be a good year to travel.

Destinations Winners in 2010

So which destinations could be the big winners in 2010?  A recent survey by Travel Age West reviewed that some of the travel industry’s top destination show a trend toward the exotic.  Some of the top destinations which consumers were likely to visits in 2010 are,  Colombia, Botswana, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Greece, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Western Australia, Turkey, India and Chile.  The survey concluded that American travelers continue to seek and visit places around the world that are unusual.  Other exotic destinations include Vietnam, China, Thailand, Egypt, Peru and the Galapagos.  Many of these destinations are growing for multigenerational travel and of course Europe continues to attract Americans for its unique ambiances.  As for us in the travel industry, our challenge will be to help you find one-of-a-kind experiences in an exotic destination, all at a great price.  James TravelPOINTS has preferred relationships with vendors all over the world will help to provide the experience and style you are accustoming to.

Hotels

The economy has not been kind to the hotel industry this past year.  Surveys report that improvements in the hotel industry won’t really improve occupancy until 2011.  Although numbers are down guest satisfaction survey found that visitors are impressed with what they are getting.  Hoteliers know that providing extraordinary guest service in a consistent manner is good for continued success.

What we have noticed over the last year is survival of the fittest, the resorts and hotels that are continuing to provide additional service,amenities and guest satisfaction are still standing.  On day to day basics we hear from our travelers which hotels and resorts are providing the service and ambiance that they advertise.  Traveling Americans do not want to stay at an all-inclusive resort and find out they are the only guests at the property. Our agents are kept informed on a daily basis from our vendors to provide information to our clients which properties to stay while on vacation and which one’s to avoid.

During 2009, many of the luxury resorts were reluctant to reduce their pricing for fear that the traveling public would come to expect these rates.  To off set lowing prices, many of the luxury properties began offering extra amenities i.e. food and beverage credits, rounds of golf or spa treatments to make their pricing more appealing.  Over the course of the year, travelers came to expect and seek out added value amenities and rates.

One major all-inclusive resort that continues to excel and provide visitors with unforgettable vacation experiences is Sandals and Beaches.  Sandals have invested to enhance its products and a new partnership with Martha Steward Living this year.   It’s opening a new Sandal in Exuma Bahamas, featuring 190 oceanfront rooms ranging from beachfront villas to charming bay house settings.  The 500 acre resort, formerly the Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay also comes with a championship Greg Norman-designed golf course.

Cruises in 2010 – “Hang On To Your Hat”

In 2010 there are many new cruise ships to debut.  Royal Caribbean Cruises Lines just debuted it’s newest ship  the Oasis of the Seas, a 5400 passenger mega ship with mega fun and entertainment.    Norwegian Cruise Line in January will launch a 4,200 passenger cruise ship called the Norwegian Epic.  Oceania Cruises will launch its first new vessel, the 1,258 passenger Marina.  Silverseas Cruises will launch their new ship the Silver Spirit and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line will launch another new ship called the Allure of the Seas.  Carnival Cruise lines is also ready to roll out it largest ship in its fleet, a 4,656 passenger ship called the Carnival Dream.  In April Celebrity Cruises will launch the Eclipse and Costa Cruises will introduce the Deliziosa.  Holland America Lines will debut its newest ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam scheduled to set sail July 04 with a 12-day Mediterranean cruises between Venice, Italy and Barcelona Spain.  .

With all these new ships and existing ships in the market, what does 2010 look like for the consumer?  It appears that dramatic values will continue to be offered through out the industry to stimulate travel.Some of the deals being offered to get consumers off the fence and into cruise berths are “2-for-1″ cruise fares, free airfare, and generous onboard credits.

One of the greatest advantages our staff has the constant update we receive on the travel offers on a daily basis.  We know which offers are really good and ligament, which one’s sound good but have hidden fees and restrictions associated with them.  At James TravelPOINTS we receive offers from cruise lines many have never heard of.  Some of our clients traveling to obscure destination are looking for unique cruising experience, so we  keep abreast of these unknown cruise lines that complement the clients experience and journey. These things we know and we share with our customers who travel all over the world.

The travel offers and savings are going to be abundant during this year.  We are already seeing the public starting to travel again, but not at the same levels as previous years. Demand for travel has to increase to balance out the over abundant supply of inventory.  I don’t see a decrease in inventory, especially when you have all these new cruise ships coming online in the next 2 years with new ships along with the new hotel resorts that have been built over the past 10 years to coop with the growing demand before the recession.  If you are thinking of taking a vacation this year, call us and let us help you find the best fit, we have very competitive pricing suppliers that go “toe-toe” with the online agencies, and in most situations we are able to come out with a better pricing situation.  Remember, a good DEAL does not always translate into a good vacation, there is a reason for “Really Good Deals”.

Agent Profile- Dennie Zabler

Dennie Zabler a knowledgeable, experienced professional Travel Consultant, has been with James TravelPOINTS for over 29 years.  She is a dedicated Travel Agent that enjoys working with new and repeat clients.  She has earned her C.T.C (Certified Travel Counselor) Certification in 1994.  As a Kenya specialist, she has been recognized by American Express and has extensive experience working with clients traveling into Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, Cruises, Alaska, Europe and South Pacific.  Dennie has traveled all over the world and brings a wealth of experience and advice to her new and past clients.  She has also achieved the rank of Commodore status with Princess Cruise Lines.  Destination specialties include: South Pacific, Caribbean, Mexico, Africa and Hawaii.  You can contact Dennie at 303-442-2340 ext 230 or email at: denniez@travelpoints.com

Andy’s Pick for Mexico – Riviera Maya Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts

Review of the Iberostar Grand All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort Riviera Mexico, click here to read about it.

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