Insensitivity

I am dealing with a client who won't pay her final payment. She's got her roommate on hold. If she gets cancelled, the roommate will have to pay a higher rate for a single room. It's amazing that one person can be so insensitive and show no remorse at all. Not cool, not cool!

I Need Personal Blog

I really need a personal blog because I just have too much to say that I can't put on this travel blog. LOL.

Wait, I do have another blog that's just sitting there. Hhhmmm... I have to find a name for it.

Couples Barbados. It's a Done Deal!

Bridgetown Travel Agency congratulates Couples Resorts on the new Couples Barbados. Welcome to Barbados!


COUPLES RESORTS AND CASUARINA BEACH CLUB CONCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS FOR ALMOND CASUARINA BEACH RESORT, BARBADOS 


Montego Bay, January 14, 2013 - Glenn Lawrence, CEO Couples Resorts announced today that Couples Resorts and Casuarina Beach Club Limited have concluded negotiations for the lease of the 280 room Almond Casuarina Beach Resort, in Barbados, effective February 10, 2013.

Under Couples Resorts management, the resort will operate as Casuarina Beach Resort through May 31, 2013, offering the same facilities and amenities currently being provided. During the period of February 10 – May 31, Couples Resorts will embark on a US$ 3 million facilities and property upgrade program designed to bring the resort up to the Couples Resorts standards. 


The upgrades will include: 

• New décor and amenities in public areas and guest rooms, 
• New pool and Jacuzzi,
• New Spa and Salon, 
• New Gym with state-of-the-art equipment and designated Yoga gazebo, 
• New piano bar/lounge. 

Effective June 1, 2013 the resort will be rebranded as Couples Barbados® and will become the island’s first and only all-inclusive resort exclusively for adult couples.

“We are thrilled to launch our first-ever venture in Barbados and believe this property located on the vibrant South Coast to be the perfect addition to the Couples Resorts family of boutique-style hotels,” states Couples Resorts  CEO, Glenn Lawrence. “We look forward to introducing this resort to a new Couples audience and we are proud to provide our loyal Couples guests with another destination for them to call ‘home’”.

“Couples Barbados staff will surpass guest expectations for a Caribbean all-inclusive vacation by delivering the romance experience and quality inclusions synonymous with the Couples Resorts brand”, says Randy Russell, Couples’ Senior Vice President and Chief Romance Officer®. 

“Our Barbados guests will enjoy:

• Complimentary internet café and WIFI, 
• Unlimited premium brand drinks, 
• Gourmet dining options, 
• In-room dining, 
• 24 hour food service, 
• Personalized mini-bars, 
• Ipod/MP3 docking stations, 
• Piano/sports bar/lounge, 
• Tennis with instruction, 
• All taxes and gratuities 

All set in a stunning beachfront location with lush gardens certain to reignite the spark that first brought the couple together.” 

Couples Barbados will redefine the meaning of all-inclusive on the island by introducing an array of exclusive value-added inclusions, specifically: 

• Free Roundtrip transfers from Grantley Adams International Airport 
• Free weddings and renewal of vows 
• Free golf (transfers and greens fees) at The Barbados Golf Club 
• Free Glass Bottom Boat Ride, including swimming with Sea Turtles 
• Free Sunset Catamaran Cruise 
• Free Scuba Dive 
• Free Body Boarding, Wind Surfing, and Hobie Cat Sailing and Kayaking with instruction
• Free Shuttle to Oistin’s Fish Fry – a Barbados MUST-DO
• Guided Barbadian Green Monkey trail walk 

About Couples Resorts:

Couples Resorts, headquartered in Montego Bay, Jamaica, owns and operates four properties in Jamaica – Couples Tower Isle, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril – and now one in Barbados – Couples Barbados  Pioneered by the legendary Abe Issa, “the father of Jamaican tourism,” each Couples Resort is an unsurpassed model of the all-inclusive resorts concept, boldly designed with local inspiration to create a harmonic sense of nature and authentic Caribbean spirit. For over 35 years, Couples has delighted guests and refined the Caribbean all-inclusive resort experience by providing unparalleled service, exceptional dining experiences and exclusive added value inclusions. For further information please visit Couples Barbados.

About Almond Casuarina Beach Resort:

The hotel known as Almond Casuarina Beach Resort, which was for several years managed by Almond Resorts Inc, is the property of Casuarina Beach Club Ltd which is owned by Goddard Enterprises Limited, The Barbados Shipping & Trading Co. Limited and Almond Resorts Inc. (“Owners”). This announcement follows on from the decision of the Owners to divest their investment in Casuarina Beach Club.

Source: Couples Resorts

Visit: http://www.BridgetownTravel.com/Couples-Resorts

Almond Casuarina to Become Couples Resorts' New Couples Barbados

News from Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation that Almond Casuarina Beach Resort, an Almond Resorts property, is now going to be owned by Couples Resorts out of Jamaica. Couples owns very upscale resorts in Jamaica, and having one in Barbados will be great for tourism.

Look out for a fabulous vacation from Bridgetown Travel to "Couples Barbados".

Thursday, 03 January 2013 18:56

The stage is being set for a Jamaican hotel operation to take over one of the Almond’s properties in Barbados.

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Casuarina Beach Club Limited and the Jamaican based Couples Resorts are now locked in negotiations concerning the 280 room property in Barbados.

According to Chairman of the Casuarina Beach Club Limited Anthony King the negotiations are expected to conclude by January 31st.

In a press statement, it was pointed out that during the negotiations the operations of Almond Casuarina Beach Resort will continue normally.

All forward bookings under the Almond Casuarina Beach brand will be honoured up to May 31st 2013.

After that date the resort will be re-branded at which time it will be operated under the Couples Resorts brand.

Source: CBC

Good things do come in threes - at least today

As I was telling you, I'm working on a fitness vacation called Soca Fitness Vacations. This one I'm creating on my own from start to finish.

Ok, so there is this saying that good things happen in threes. Who believes that mess anyway. I never really did. But today, I had three awesomely good things happen. So maybe I'm starting to believe this stuff.

1. I hired a "Communications Manager" that writes the most awesome press releases. The woman is brilliant. She delivered a draft to me today that blew me away. I usually write these press releases myself (like I do with everything else), but I have been wanting to hire her for a very, very long time. I finally jumped the gun so that I can work on other things while the professional handled the job. Pleased is the word that comes to mine. I can't wait to get the word out and get this ball rolling.
2. I received a reservation for Soca Fitness Vacations from...drum roll...LONDON! What a wonder. After inviting a yoga instructor who teaches at one of the most exclusive hotels in the Caribbbean to my fitness event, he asked to teach at mine. What!? I really, really never expected that. It was quite an honour, I must say. Hopefully we can work somethng out to mesh London and Barbados instructors. But, next thing I know, I'm getting reservations from London. I'm still shaking my head!
3. Tonight I spoke to my marketing and PR person. Yes, I hired another professional to help me reach my goal of making Soca Fitness Vacations into something bigger than just another one-time trip. From the first few sentences, I knew my girl and I would work well together. I knew I hired the right person. She's smart, intelligent, and she knows marketing and PR. I expect good things from this one.

So those are my three great happenings for the day. Next time something good happens, I'm expecting two others to follow it. ;) Time will tell.

Mag

Vacation Savings: Bridgetown Travel

Sandals Acquires Yet Another Property in Turks & Caicos

This man certainly goes for what he wants. Sandals just this past month acquired LaSource in Grenada, and now an adjacent property to the existing Beaches Turks & Caicos in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos. 

This new property will be called Key West Luxury Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos.

Key West Luxury Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos

BUTCH STEWART BUYS THE VERANDA RESORT IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

Butch Stewart

Sat, Dec 01, 2012

After almost two years of negotiations, Jamaican hotel magnate Gordon “Butch” Stewart has finally bought The Veranda Resort & Residences, a five-star fully-inclusive property located on Grace Bay beach. The multi-million dollar sale to Sandals Resorts International by Faez Limited will become official on December 17th, 2012, officials told The SUN.

Mark Durliat, Chief Executive Officer, Grace Bay Resorts, said: “While the sale of this magnificent property was not anticipated so early in its establishment, we feel proud to have been the operators who established it as among the top five-star fully-inclusives in the Caribbean.

Our team will work hand-in-hand with Sandals Resorts International to provide a wonderful experience for all during the transition, and we remain grateful and indebted to our staff, without whom the success of The Veranda and its rapid growth over the past three years would not have been possible.”

Grace Bay Resorts, the developer and owner of the world-renowned Grace Bay Club, has managed The Veranda for the past three years since its opening in 2010, and will cease direct management and supervision of all operations, effective with the close of the sale.

The Veranda will be transitioned to Sandals Resorts International as an expansion of the award-winning Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa and will honor all previous bookings. Officials said Grace Bay Resorts will work closely with the Sandals Resorts International staff at The Veranda over the next several weeks to ensure a seamless and successful transition during the holiday season.

Beaches Turks & Caicos

The Veranda, which is an $80million, five star fully-inclusive 123-room residence-style resort, is located right next to Beaches Resort and Spa, with only a beach access separating the two properties. Sitting on 11 acres and boasting 800 feet of beachfront, The Veranda is made up of one, two, three and four-bedroom cottages and 40 studios and has a total of 168 keys. It is built in the Key West/Caribbean style.

Earlier this year, The SUN broke the story that Stewart and Veranda owner Andre Serruys of Britain, held several meetings about the multi-million sale which would make Stewart the largest single owner of beachfront property in Providenciales and increase his majority percentage of hotel rooms in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Veranda is an $80 million investment, but it was reportedly sold for around $100million.

With the integration of The Veranda into Beaches Resort, the Butch Stewart resort will have a total of 875 keys and over 1,100 bedrooms, mainly suites, making it the largest hotel on the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Beaches Turks & Caicos employs around 1, 400 people and with the acquisition of The Veranda, that figure would go up to about 1,800 employees. It has one of the best beaches in the Caribbean and the third-rated barrier reef for scuba diving in the world. The hotel also boasts the largest water park in the Caribbean and with 16 restaurants, it has more restaurants than any resort in the Caribbean.

When Stewart first established operations in the Turks & Caicos he took over a small hotel of just 150 rooms with limited facilities. At that time, American Airlines was offering one flight a day from Miami. In order to expand, Stewart chartered five airplanes from Continental Airlines to help create additional airlift. These aircraft serviced key sites namely Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia and Atlanta and had the effect of putting the Turks & Caicos on the map as a top Caribbean destination.

Earlier this month, Butch Stewart’s Sandals Resorts International bought a four-star hotel that recently closed in the eastern Caribbean nation of Grenada.

Stewart says he will invest $100 million to convert the former La Source property of 100 rooms into a 265-room complex. It will be renamed Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa and it is scheduled to open in early 2013 and become the 14th Sandals resort in the Caribbean.

The resort is located on Pink Gin Beach and is currently closed. It was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and didn't reopen until February 2008.

Source: The Sun