Garza Blanca Resort in Puerto Valarta, Mexico is having a sale! For just $189 per night for a deluxe room, you can’t go wrong. Or, you can choose an all-inclusive package for just $189 per person per night. Find out more here. We stayed here last Spring and we can attest that Gaza Blanca is a great place to stay. You can see our review here. For a video tour of Garza Blanca, you can check ours out on our Youtube channel here. The spa here has phenomenal views of the Pacific Ocean and you can even get treatments on the large outdoor terrace on the top floor of the hotel. We felt very safe in Puerto Valarta and the people are very nice. The hotel itself is located a couple of miles south of town. The resort has everything you need, so you don’t even need to go into town if you don’t want to.
Rope Swing – Moab, UT
We ran across this very cool video of the World’s Largest Rope Swing, put together by a bunch on a visit to Moab, Utah. If you’ve ever wanted to swing from a natural stone arch, this will show it’s possible.
James Beard Awards 2012 Semi-Finalists!
James Beard is food. Great food. Whenever we visit NYC, the James Beard house is one of our first stops for dinner. It’s such a great place to wine, dine, meet others and have some great food. The James Beard Foundation just announced their semi-finalists for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. You can find the list on their blog by clicking here.
“Glowing Man” Snowboarder Video – Tignes, France
Trending the past few days on Vimeo is “Glowing Man”, a very cool snowboarder video. The snowboarder is wearing an LED bejeweled snowsuit while on the slopes at night in Tignes, France. Enjoy!
GLOWING MAN from Jacob Sutton on Vimeo.
Punta Islita, Costa Rica on sale at Jetsetter
Punta Islita, the perfect secluded getaway on the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica is on sale at Jetsetter! We were a few years back and really enjoyed our stay. And the rates on Jetsetter? Less than what we paid a few years back as well. Punta Islita is about as secluded as it gets, so you have to be prepared for the tranquility and silence. The main building of the resort as well as many of the casitas overlook the Pacific Ocean. You can head to the beach from just about anywhere in the resort in less than 5 minutes. A couple of things to note: The beach here is black rock/sand, so not the easiest to walk on. Also, the resort is on a hillside, so it’s a good climb back up from the water, however, golf carts are available to take you back and forth.
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- Punta Islita Airstrip
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- Nature Air Plane
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- Upper Pool at Punta Islita
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- Casita at Punta Islita
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- Lower Pool
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- Black Sand/Rock Beach
The food and service here is amazing. But be prepared, there’s nothing else close to the resort so if you’re planning on a longer stay, this is where you’ll be eating through the day. You can fly into Punta Islita via Nature Air. Nature Air runs one flight daily from San Jose, seven days a week. It’s a small plane (think 8-10 passengers), but on a clear day, you’ll see some fantastic scenery. And, landing on the short dirt/rock landing strip at Punta Islita is worth it alone. The Jetsetter special is good for dates in March through June. Click here to check it out.
Two Great Deals – NYC & BC
You have two days to get in on two great deals on Snique Away right now.
Good until around 8AM ET on Wednesday, February 15 is a phenomenal deal at The Standard East Village in NYC. Rates as low as $209!
We’ve stayed at this hotel and it is probably one of the best locations in NYC, if you love SOHO, The Village, or NYU areas. Rooms are spacious, modern and the staff is very helpful. Run, don’t walk to book a room at these unheard of low prices. Rack rates here begin at $325, so the savings is off the charts!
Next up is one of our favorite ski resorts in British Columbia, Sun Peaks Resort. Delta Sun Peaks has rates as low as $79 through the end of the season.
The rooms here are fantastic and the service is, too. Sun Peaks has some of the best snow in BC, (drier than the snow at Whistler) and a place you won’t need your car. Just a short 45 minute ride from Kamloops, BC (fly Air Canada or Horizon Air) and you’re there. The village is compact and everything you need is right there. You don’t even need a rental car. We use Sun Star Shuttle in Kamloops every time we’re at Sun Peaks. Great rates and they’ll get you there safely. But hurry, this deal ends Thursday, February 16 on Snique Away.
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- The Exterior of The Standard
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- The lobby at The Standard
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- Corner Room at The Standard
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- Delta Sun Peaks
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- Above the clouds – Sun Peaks
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- Top of the Mountain
TSA Pre Check Program to Expand
The TSA Pre Check program allows for a faster screening process when going through pre-flight security at designated airports in the US. Today enrollment is limited to members of specific airlines frequent flyer programs or members of the US Customs & Border Patrol Global Entry Program (GOES). Currently, there are only five US airports and two airlines participating, however that’s due to expand starting in March. By the end of this year, the program expands to 28 additional airports and add two more airlines (US Air & United).
How does the TSA Pre Check program work? The TSA determines if a passenger is eligible for expedited screening. Once enrolled with your airline, the information is embedded in the barcode of your boarding pass. TSA reads the barcode at the security screen airport and may be sent to an expedited screening lane. There you may not have to remove the following items:
- Shoes
- 3-1-1 compliant bag from carry-on
- Laptop from bag
- Light outerwear/jacket
- Belt
United recently announced that for it’s new Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members they will be assisting with the fee to participate in the GOES program.
Vacation Surprise: $11,000 Movies
Using your smartphone becomes a daily habit. But if you’re not at home, be careful. A Canadian family after vacationing in Arizona arrived home to an $11,000 wireless bill. Read the article here. Another good reason to make sure you’re aware what data rates are from your cellular provider when traveling outside your home country. To avoid accidental usage or charges, make sure to turn the “International Data and Roaming” capability OFF on your phone before leaving your country.
30 Days of Airline Changes for US, Europe and Beyond
The first 30+ days of the year see airline changes across the globe. On January 27, Spanair, HQ’d in Barcelona, abruptly shutdown leaving many passengers stranded. This past weekend, Malev, the Hungarian state airline shuttered operations as well. Air India, is also having trouble paying it’s fuel bills which is causing some flights to be delayed or cancelled. American Airlines files for bankruptcy shows airline problems are not limited to just the US. Plus, a slate of mergers in early 2012 are on the horizon as well. BMI, is being sold by Lufthansa to British Airways with the sale set to close at the end of March. TAM in Brazil and LAN in Chile, hope to tie up their merger in the same timeframe, now that both Chile and Brazil have approved the marriage.
Beyond the airlines, the major airline alliances are caught in the ripple effect. Oneworld, loses Malev. Star Alliance loses Spanair and more than likely loses BMI when there merger with Oneworld’s, BA is complete. Everyone is waiting to see who the alliance winner will be when TAM (currently Star Alliance) and LAN (currently Oneworld) officially merge. Both airlines have stated a decision had not yet been made as to which alliance they’ll join.
2012 will continue to be a difficult year for airlines. With the travel season ahead, there are a couple of things to do to protect yourself from this unsettled airline market. Purchase your ticket with a credit card. You’ll at least have a chance on getting your money back from the credit card company. Purchase travel insurance that includes coverage for tour operators and airlines going out of business. Remember, it’s only February. What will happen during the rest of the year?
