Charm, Character, and Beauty…that’s Puerto Vallarta!

Ahh, lovely Puerto Vallarta.  First and foremost, a BIG thank you to the new and awesome Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta for hosting our group of travel advisors and allowing us to experience your gorgeous resort in this amazing Mexican destination.  We had the privilege of spending time in this region from late January to early February 2015.  A tropical, warm destination where banana trees and tropical flowers flourish, and a lush jungle exists which affords plenty of excitement, beauty, and adventure.   With annual temps between 80 F – 90 F, this is a year round destination to enjoy.   Loads of excursions and tours are available including swimming with the dolphins, surf lessons, sea lion programs, and whale watching. A perfect place to balance your vacation between relaxation and exciting activities.

     

Compared with the other two top popular Mexican destinations of Cabo and Cancun, Puerto Vallarta is quite different with its own unique personality. Puerto Vallarta’s charming Old Town district that’s covered in cobble-stoned streets and loaded with history and character has the lure of yesterday’s past.  I understand why famous film director John Huston, and actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton fell in love with the beauty and romance of this magical place. All three ended up buying homes in Puerto Vallarta.   John Huston helped put this destination on the map with the filming of his 1963 movie, ‘Night of the Iguana’.  The mystique of this place enticed visitors and tourists to flock in, causing it to become one of the top vacation destinations by the 1970’s.  And then with the allure of Liz and Richard’s romantic, high profile relationship which further showcased this destination, people became intrigued.  Below is a picture of the famed bridge that was built to connect their two homes, it still exists in Old Town!

Liz’ former home (above left) was recently purchased and is now being renovated into becoming a boutique hotel.  One of Burton’s homes (he had 2 in Old Town), was purchased and is now a beautiful, boutique hotel tucked away in the heart of Old Town, just right around the corner from his and Liz’ former homes.  Upon entering this quaint inn (pictured below), you must pull a string on the outside of a large wooden door on the side of the building.  This string rings a bell which alerts the staff from within to open the door.  Once entering, the first thing you notice are the immaculate grounds, much like a hidden garden of Eden.   This hotel is a charming inn, perfect for a private, romantic getaway, but one that also commands a hefty nightly rate.

Richard Burton’s former home now Hacienda San Angel Hotel. Old Town Puerto Vallarta

Those who travel to Puerto Vallarta and head north straight from the airport to their resort in Nuevo Vallarta and Punta Mita without exploring Old Town during their stay are truly missing out on a big part of the fascinating history and Mexican colonial charm that this destination offers.  Below is a picture of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church which is centrally located in Old Town, just north of the Cuale River.   The crown seen on the top of this church was a gift from the late actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Old Town Puerto Vallarta

Once inside, I was blown away by the spectacular architecture and decor that graces this gorgeous church from its ceiling to its floor.  It rivals some of the prettiest Cathedrals seen in Europe.  It was just stunning and unexpected.  As a place of reverence to visit and enjoy, it’s a must see when visiting Old Town.

After a visit to the Cathedral, we headed out for a peek at one of the popular open air markets that are sprinkled all over Old Town. Haggling over prices for clothing, Taxco silver jewelry, and souvenirs is all part of the fun of experiencing Puerto Vallarta.

After strolling further west, we ran into the famous El Malecon beach boardwalk (pictured below).  Sand sculptures, restaurants, local artisans, performers, and loads of tourists frequent this popular walkway along a gorgeous stretch of beach.  It’s one of the most beautiful boardwalks of its kind in the world.

El Malecon Boardwalk

     

As you move further south past the El Malecon, you will run into beachfront restaurants where tables are set up right on the sand in front of the restaurants making it a great place to enjoy lunch, drink some Mexican cerveza, snack on chips and guacamole, and look out on the horizons of the big, blue Pacific Ocean.

        

After our day trip we returned to our hotel, the Hyatt Ziva, which is located just south of Old Town in panoramic Banderas Bay.  Outstanding service and scrumptious culinary can be found at this fabulous newly renovated All-Inclusive resort.

    

With its ideal setting right along a white, sandy crescent beach sandwiched between two majestic cliffs, this property is romantic, private, and boasts amazing ocean views. Rolling green hills of jungle surround the perimeter, making the topography unique and diverse.  Warm ocean breezes, gorgeous sunsets, and perfect balmy tropical temps make it a resort paradise. Poolside or under a palapa on the beach, plenty of relaxation can be found.

Included are daily scheduled pool activities to keep guests entertained during the day.

  

Along with the lovely resort grounds, this hotel also has incredible dining!  For an All-Inclusive resort where all the meals and drinks are included with your stay, all 4 of their restaurants were outstanding!  And the service was top notch all the way around.

   

Even their buffet had a huge assortment of daily fresh, made to order entrees, breads, fruit, cheeses, meats, and the list goes on.  Definitely a big 2 thumbs up for dining at the Hyatt Ziva, they’ve outdone themselves in this department.  At their coffee cafe, we had a wonderful Barista (pictured below) who always welcomed us with a warm smile as she’d make our favorite morning Americanos.  This cafe also offers daily fresh muffins and pastries.

      

Their fitness center had all the latest equipment, not to mention the fantastic ocean views.  It’s always a treat to be able to view the gorgeous Pacific ocean while working out on a tread mill!  And then after working out, you can step out onto the deck that’s connected to the gym to bask in the warm sunshine.  Their full service spa which is next to the fitness room emanated the most heavenly scents, it was aromatherapy at its best.  A unique feature to their spa includes their fun Fish Spa. You place your feet in the tank (pictured below), and the fish go to town nibbling at your feet and portion of your legs that are immersed in the water.  The end result is very smooth, soft skin, it’s a bit surreal.

And to top off each day, we enjoyed outstanding evening entertainment at the Hyatt. Fire dancers (pictured below) performed with hula hoops ringed with fire choreographed to catchy music was just one of the many talented performances we saw.  We also enjoyed amazing local musicians and singers perform in the cozy lounge located in the main building of the resort just down the corridor from the open air lobby.

Congratulations to the Hyatt resort group for their decision to make their grand entrance into the world of All-Inclusive resorts.  Keep up the diligent efforts in proving to your guests that you will be one of their best options in their vacationing, and we, as agents, will happily send guests your way!

      

kolendatravel.com  #hyattzivapuertovallarta  #hyattziva  #puertovallarta #mexico #kolendatravel

A morning spent at La Boqueria Market in Barcelona!

It’s the morning of December 8, 2014, and we get dropped off by the taxi driver on famous La Rambla in the heart of Barcelona, Spain.

If you have never been to La Rambla, it’s a major boulevard in Barcelona where in the middle of the street is a long, wide walkway dedicated to pedestrians looking to shop and dine.  La Rambla is lined with loads of restaurants, shops, and the world renown La Boqueria Market.

     

Cars have only one lane on each side of this beautiful, tree lined pedestrian walkway to get up and down the busy boulevard. La Rambla is about 3/4 of a mile long, and is one of the top tourist sites in the city.    Barcelona is cool, but not freezing in early December. Temps were at a comfortable mid-50’s that day with the sun shining brightly.

As we made our way past the flower shops and restaurants along the walkway, the street was already bustling with tourists.

   

A few more steps, and there was the entrance to La Boqueria!

Entrance to La Boqueria Market on La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain

The only other market I can compare this one to in the U.S. is the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.  Yet, La Boqueria, although smaller than Pike Place, comes in first place if you compare produce presentation.  Canned lighting from above illuminated the off the charts beauty of these fruit and vegetable stands.   This wasn’t just a market, it was an amazing, artistic, and creative presentation of produce seen like no where else in the world.  The only thing was, tourists seem to be taking more pictures of the displays then actually buying the goods!

    

      

In addition to the amazing produce, delectable meats, poultry, and seafood were also beautifully displayed.  And being Christmastime only made the presentations even more magical.

Here’s a video snippet from our morning at La Boqueria:

The vendors were friendly, and there were so many different foods to choose from it was overwhelming.

  

Cheeses, olives, dried fruit, chocolates, and the list went on and on…

  

Don’t miss La Boqueria when visiting this beautiful city, it’s a must stop!

We ❤ Barcelona!  🙂

#kolendatravel #barcelona #laboqueria #larambla #spain #produce #market #travel

ME London Hotel: A Travel Advisor’s Review

In early December, we journeyed to England from California to check out the fabulous ME London Hotel!

Our Virgin Atlantic flight enroute

After a long 11-hour nonstop flight from LAX, we arrived into Heathrow and were greeted by our cheerful and chipper personal driver, David (pictured below). It was wonderful to see him after an exhausting flight.   For our clients, we provide this same type of private or shared transfer in which a representative is there waiting and ready to greet and transport our weary travelers to their hotel after their long flight.  This service is especially fantastic if it is a first time visit to a foreign country.  We believe in removing stress from the travel experience, and this amenity accomplishes just that.

During our hour-long drive into the city center of London, we chatted it up with our driver who gave us little inside scoops and history of the sites that we passed along the way.  And then, we finally arrive at the ME London hotel.   At first glance, the simple white facade of the hotel which sits on the triangular corner of Aldwych street seems pretty basic and smaller than expected.  The surroundings, however, are fabulous.  Walking distance to many of the top Broadway shows in the heart of the theater district, numerous dining and shopping options as well.  Lots of energy on the bustling streets.

ME Hotel London

Although the hotel facade at first glance was underwhelming, once we entered the hotel, the magic began…

ME Hotel London Concierge Level

Guests enter the dimly lit, sleek black marble-walled ground floor where the concierge, hotel lounge, restaurants, and elevators are located.  Silver metallic spirals line the way to the elevators and provide a divider between the corridor and the Marconi lounge.   Bellmen and hotel security greet hotel guests and direct them to the elevator that leads to the 1st floor where the hotel reception is located.

Marconi Lounge

 When entering the 1st level into the hotel reception area, you are greeted by hotel staff with a chilled glass of Prosecco sparkling white wine as you check in to your room.  On the steep walls there are projected images of jelly fish and abstract silhouettes.  A swanky white couch is there to relax and drink your wine and take in the unique ambience.  Since it was Christmastime, the hotel was adorned with gold Christmas trees, which added an additional intriguing element to the rest of the striking decor.

ME London Hotel Hotel Reception

After checking into our room, I freshened up, and headed down to the lobby to meet the Senior Sales Manager of the hotel, Mr. Marco Orru.  The hotel site inspection and tour was graciously given by Mr. Orru which allowed me to see specific room/suite categories and other parts of the hotel.  Hotel site inspections allow us as travel advisors to familiarize ourselves with the hotel’s overall layout and the differences between the numerous room and suite categories, thus selecting for our clients the perfect fit for their stay.

 

The ME London Hotel has 157 contemporary, exquisite rooms and suites.  Sophisticated, stylish, and chic are a few adjectives that come to mind.  This hotel offers 5 different guest room categories and 4 suite categories, including the impressive Suite ME.

   

    

Their duplex ‘Suite ME’ boasts two stories, and is approximately 1063 sq. ft.  It offers panoramic views of London’s most famous sights such as the London Eye, Big Ben, London Bridge and the River Thames.

Suite ME

Along with the wonderful guest rooms, the ME London hotel has one of the coolest bars in the city called Radio Rooftop Bar.  Panoramic views of London can be seen from this popular night club spot while enjoying various savory Tapas.  On weekends millennials flock to this bar and wait in a cue in front of a separate elevator located on the Concierge ground level that only goes to the 10th floor where the bar is located.   A smart move so hotel guests don’t have to compete for an elevator with this group heading just to the Radio Bar for night life.  Although we did end up having to direct some party goers to the correct elevator as they erroneously stepped into the elevator heading to the guest rooms instead of the elevator for the rooftop bar.

Radio Rooftop Bar

View from Radio Rooftop Bar

The other hot spot at the ME London hotel is the STK London steakhouse restaurant and bar.  This bar gets exceptionally busy After 10pm when they have a DJ come to play the latest club music.  This hotel is definitely a millennial paradise for clubbing.  Some nights when we would enter the ground level to return to our room, we’d pass by the STK and hear the roar of the music and people.  Lots of energy and plenty of fun to be had at the STK London.

STK London Restaurant and Bar

Lastly, the more laid back Cucina Asellina is the hotel’s Italian fine dining restaurant.  This restaurant had a contemporary design that matched the rest of the hotel.  We passed on eating Italian food during our stay in London, but it looks to be a nice option for a romantic meal.

Cucina Asellina

We want to give a special thanks to the Melia Hotel Group, the ME London Hotel, and Mr. Marco Orru for their wonderful arrangements and hospitality in accommodating us during our stay at their spectacular hotel.  We give this property a strong 2 thumbs up, and will definitely recommend it to our clients!

#kolendatravel

Signature Travel Network Sales Meetings and Trade Show – Las Vegas 2014

Just returned from 4 action packed days at the Oasis and Signature Travel Network Sales Meetings and Trade Show in Las Vegas!

Had the opportunity to meet  and network with some of the top travel suppliers in the world including Abercrombrie  & Kent, Crystal Cruise Lines, Disney Adventures, and Ama Riverboat Cruises.

Ms. Edie Rodriguez, President of Crystal Cruise Lines – Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas

Presentation of Crystal Cruise Lines by President Edie Rodriguez

We enjoyed a Cocktail reception that was hosted by Norwegian Cruise Lines and Europe Express.  During this reception we learned about the latest upcoming travel products from our reps of these two suppliers.

Norwegian Cruise Lines and Europe Express Presentation and Cocktail Reception – Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas

Sales meetings and seminars for agents were put on by our top suppliers in order for us to learn and/or refresh our knowledge on their existing products as well as unveil their latest new products so that we can pass along this information to our valued clients.

After the seminars, the big trade show was on!  This gave us a chance to speak directly with worldwide Hoteliers, Tour operator representatives, and Regional Managers who are instrumental in helping us build our businesses.  A strong partnership with our suppliers is the key to our success. These important alliances with our suppliers offer our clients invaluable resources and connections that they can never match if they book their trips on their own.

Signature Travel Network Trade Show MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas

Figi Airlines and Figi Tourist Board hosted a wonderful cocktail reception where they transformed the entire ballroom.  We got a fabulous taste of Fiji while in Vegas, including the dancers!

Taste of Figi in Vegas! MGM Grand – Las Vegas

While enjoying another hosted dinner, we listened to the key note speaker Diana Nyad speak.  This 65 year old woman won international fame when she sucessfully swam from Cuba to Florida last year in 2013.   She was a terrific, inspirational speaker.

The last night of this event, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines hosted a lovely dinner.  We were presented with the latest news on these 2 fantastic cruise lines.  To top the evening off,  an awesome Begees cover band rocked the night away for the nightly entertainment.

Among the attendees we sat with at this dinner were a hotelier from the Cook Islands and a representative from the Scandinavian Tourist Board.  We met people who travelled from all over the globe to share about their countries, hotels, tours, and travel experiences that they can offer to our clients.

And to end the trip, you can’t go to Vegas without seeing one of their world class shows.  The Michael Jackson’s ONE show put on by Cirque du Soleil is OFF THE CHARTS!

Look forward to attending this event again next year to learn more about the latest and greatest offered in the tourism industry!

For more information on our travel services go to:  kolendatravel.com

#STN14

Napa Valley Earth Quake Assessment: Virtually Unscathed

I just returned from a trip to Napa Valley yesterday to site inspect resorts and to see any destruction for myself. Other than the town of Napa, all other towns in Napa Valley, including Yountville, St Helena, and Calistoga did not experience any major structural damage, and all are open and receiving guests.

The Andaz hotel in the town of Napa, in particular, did have to close its doors for a month to make repairs, and there was structural damage to some of the older buildings surrounding it in the downtown Napa area. One street was partially blocked off altogether. The gorgeous old Victorian homes that align some of Napa’s quaint downtown streets had boards in the windows and were strewn with red tape indicating repairs were in progress.

Other nearby hotels and restaurants of downtown Napa, however, were untouched and open for business. I just witnessed only a handful of any major destruction. The area was clean of any leftover debris and work crews were diligently getting the affected structures up and running again for business.

Aside from the town of Napa, further up the valley where thousands of tourists flock to every year during Harvest season, all the wineries, restaurants, shops, resorts and hotels were up and running and appeared unscathed and were happily accepting guests.

In between site inspections, I stopped and enjoyed an amazing lunch at the fabulous Bardessono Resort’s Lucy Restaurant in Yountville. As is the popular concept all over Napa Valley now, you will see the farm to table dining methods everywhere. And Bardessono has their gardens lining parts of the perimeter of their hotel grounds. A smart way to bring the freshest produce possible to the recipes that are made right there on site. Delicious!

Napa Valley is definitely alive and kicking and just as spectacular as ever. Enjoy the rest of these Napa Valley snapshots, and contact us soon to book your romantic getaway to Wine Country! Kolendatravel.com

Top 5 Reasons to use a Travel Agent

A common question I get as a travel agent is what is the benefit of using a travel agency versus booking their trip on their own using the Internet?  I first tell them it depends on what type of trip they are going on.  For a simple domestic flight, they obviously don’t need a travel agent, unless they wanted to save time and have someone do their booking for them.  But for someone trying to book a major tourist destination, and the trip includes lodging and possibly some tours, that’s a good time to call a travel agent.  And you should always use a good, reputable travel agency to book trips that involve travel outside of the country.   

Here’s my list of the top 5 reasons it makes sense to use a travel agent:

1.  YOUR TIME IS PRECIOUS:  A trip to Europe, for example, can take hours, weeks, or even months of research for the average person who plans their trip online.  Europe by rail can require numerous different travel segments that have to all be booked separately such as the rail, ground transportation, the lodging, the tours, etc.  In comparison, our clients simply pick up their cell phones and either make a quick call to us or shoot us an email or text, and they get their complete 11 day European itinerary delivered to them in a fraction of the time a person plans on their own.  Some argue that spending hours upon hours of their precious time on the Internet researching and booking their own travel is ‘fun’ for them, and they actually enjoy it.  The way I would respond to that is go ahead and read the rest of the reasons below, it may just change your mind. Not to mention, the planning can quickly become frustrating when all your trip segments that you are trying to piece together separately don’t sync up the way that you expect them to.  If you are that person who puts endless hours into your own travel planning, chances are something else more important may be getting neglected.  Planning extensive trips can take enormous amounts of time away from the more important things, like maybe your family or your job.  

2.  DESTINATION KNOWLEDGE:  Those not in the travel industry who book their own trips lack the knowledge about the destination, especially if they have never been.  Many think that their one month of research on the Internet on a destination equates to years of knowledge of a travel agent, and/or the travel suppliers that agencies work with who have specialized in a specific country for decades.  It can take travel agents just minutes to gather information on the best hotels, tours, and transportation for any major tourist destination in the world and present it to the client along with loads of information and photos.  There’s no second guessing by our clients that what we recommend will 99% of the time meet and many times exceed their expectations.

3.  SAFETY:  Those who book on their own on the Internet run the big risk of making arrangements that aren’t quite up to their expectations. That 4-star hotel in Paris looked so beautiful on that website, and all the travel reviews were so glowing, but you didn’t realize it was in a less than desirable part of the city until after you arrive.  Or you didn’t realize that if you would have booked your trip through a travel agent, your passports that were stolen during the trip could have been replaced and covered at no cost to you because your agent included a good trip insurance plan with your itinerary to protect you.  Or you arrive exhausted and jet lagged from your 11 hour flight just to find the hotel you booked online has no record of your reservation. And the list goes on and on.  Using a reputable travel agency bypasses ALL of these less than pleasant scenarios, because we have access to and knowledge of the most efficient, trustworthy travel suppliers who in turn deal only with the best hotel groups and most reliable tour companies around the globe.  

4.  BETTER QUALITY: When booking with our agency, not only do we make an effort as agents to visit the resorts and hotels of destinations that our clients most often book, but we use suppliers that send their reps as well to site inspect every hotel and resort they will be adding to their inventory for us as agents to sell to our clients.  The general public doesn’t realize that travel agencies use suppliers that hand-pick only the best rooms and room locations at each property.  These suppliers make special arrangements with the hotel groups to reserve these specific rooms so that when our clients arrive, they are guaranteed the best rooms the hotel has to offer. This, folks, you definitely WON’T get booking on your own directly through the Internet.  In fact, you will get the exact opposite.  You most likely will be treated like run of the mill and receive whatever is left over upon your arrival in the category you selected.  

5.  WAY BETTER SERVICE:  If your trip that you worked so tirelessly on by yourself goes south while you are traveling, guess what, just like the way you booked it…you are on. your. own.  One of the biggest reasons our clients continually come back to us is if there is ANY travel mishap or catastrophe outside of our client’s control, they have the added security and comfort knowing they have a team behind them that is there ready to help them 24/7, 365.  There’s no waiting on the phone on hold for hours with the cruise lines, the airlines, the tour companies, the car rental companies, and the hotels to fix, modify, or cancel any part of their trip before or while en route.  It is all done with one simple text or email to the agent, or if en route and outside of our business hours with a phone call to the 24/7 Travel Hotline that we provide with our clients’ travel documents. Our clients can just relax and drink their lattes while we fix the issue.  THIS level of service you will NEVER EVER find on the Internet. Also, our agency and most suppliers that we use add a little something extra that our clients love and appreciate.  For instance, all our Hawaiian packages come with a Lei greeting upon arrival.  Most of our suppliers provide complimentary luggage tags along with their travel documents that are sent in their travel document organizers. Our Costa Rica supplier adds a pouch of fresh Costa Rica coffee with all of their travel documents for our clients to enjoy before their trip!  And yes, THIS, my friends, you will NEVER get when booking on the Internet.  🙂

However, for the record, our agency actually does use the Internet, but we use it for delivering beautiful e-mail proposals chock full of destination information which includes links and lovely pictures of recommended hotels along with their trip itinerary. All nicely organized, easy to read, and easy to understand. One other thing to point out which is widely misunderstood by the general public is that travel agents are primarily compensated by their suppliers. So, if you think you will be paying a ton more by going through a travel agency, it’s simply not the case.   And if you do happen to pay a little more, please know that no other online company will ever match the level of service and one-on-one attention that our agency gives to our clients before, during, and after their trip…hands down.

Sample of travel documents received by some of our clients from us for their fabulous Hawaii vacation. We make travel fun and stress-free! And you know what? Yep, you guessed. You won’t EVER get this by booking on your own on the Internet. 🙂

Contact us when you are ready to book!

kolendatravel.com

Vancouver, BC – A Lovely Romantic Getaway

For our 22nd wedding anniversary, my husband and I wanted to do a little getaway to a place we both had never been.  A place that was an easy, quick flight from where we lived in Northern California.  Vancouver, British Columbia was the perfect choice.  We went in early May to visit, which yes, the weather can be a bit unpredictable, but we lucked out.   As we walked the streets and harbor of downtown Vancouver, we were met with an array of incredibly vibrant tulips of all different colors and picturesque mountain and harbor views that were breathtaking.

The main tourist areas of downtown Vancouver are clean, safe, and well maintained.  It’s definitely a great walking city. There was a myriad of  eclectic restaurants and the harbor was filled with interesting, fun boats and beautiful yachts.  The only drawbacks are the traffic can be awful in and around downtown, and as mentioned, the weather can be unpredictable in early May.  Although we didn’t luck out with the traffic, we did enjoy low 70’s F and no rain during our stay.

Vancouver boasts its famous 1,000 acre Stanley Park along the seawall of its downtown. This park is a must for those who love to walk/run or bike ride.  The 5.5 mile perimeter is a gorgeous path that runs along golden sandy beaches, lagoons, and harbors. There are nature lookout points, picnic areas, and several dining options.

Within the park it is heavily forested and offers more walking and biking trails, along with stunning flower gardens.  North American Aboriginal art, historical monuments, landmarks, and sculptures can also be found.  And for those who are physically impaired or just want a fun ride with the kids, there are horse drawn carriages and trolleys available to cart visitors around.

Pictured below is the Teahouse Restaurant which is a nice little stop to have lunch after walking a few miles on the perimeter trail.  It is up on a bluff which provides nice views of the water.  And just look at those flowers, beautiful!!

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VANCOUVER HOTEL REVIEW:

We stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim.  Upon our arrival to this hotel, we were greeted by friendly valets and bellmen.  Check-in was a breeze, and we strolled to our lovely room that had a harbor view.

Each room at this hotel is given their own iPad (pictured below), a Nespresso coffee machine, and if you join Fairmont’s Presidential Club (for free) this hotel provides complimentary chauffeured car service in their BMW to take you wherever you want to go within a 5 mile radius around the city. Complimentary bikes are also available from the hotel to explore nearby Stanley Park.  These are AWESOME amenities, folks.

 

In addition, all the rooms come with high-tech features including embedded TVs in the bathroom mirrors, yes, you read me right.  You can watch TV while you are brushing your teeth…and it was awesome!  Automatic curtain blinds (press a button and watch them move), the lighting system took a little time to figure out, but it was pretty cool too.  Super comfortable beds, daily newspaper delivered to your room, quick and friendly in-room dining service.

The fitness center and spa area was contemporary, clean, and well maintained with the latest workout equipment.  A complimentary water bottle and work out towel are on each elliptical and treadmill for guest convenience.   Yoga and stretch room is available along with complimentary fruit and snacks.  In our room, the maid helped organize and straighten up our shoes and toiletries each day, which some people might be uncomfortable having someone touch their things.  We weren’t uncomfortable with this, and she even got an extra tip for doing these little extras for us.  It also was a breeze during checkout.  We wanted to use a different credit card to pay for our hotel stay, so instead of having to wait in a line, a staff member from the front desk approached us in the lobby with a Fairmont iPad in her hand, and with friendly and quick efficiency helped us get this done so we could be on our way.   We LOVED this hotel.  As a travel agent, I’ve been to many luxury hotels, and this one was definitely a few steps ahead of the rest.  Totally unexpected.

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VANCOUVER RESTAURANT REVIEW:

So, you can’t go on a romantic getaway with your Honey and not have at least one fancy meal.  After researching, we landed on the lovely Bishop’s Restaurant.  Tucked on a quaint Vancouver street across from a ‘sweet’ chocolatiers shop sits this culinary gem.

The owner, John Bishop, is originally from Wales but received his culinary training in France.  The cuisine is considered ‘Modern Canadian’ and all menu items are locally and organically grown. The Smoked Salmon, Dungeness Crab Risotto, and BC Ling Cod were a few favorites. The beet salad was divine as well.

Bishop’s Restaurant is currently one of the top reviewed restaurants in Vancouver, and we too give it a strong 2 (or rather 4) thumbs up.   Also as you can see below, Mr. Bishop loves to help celebrate your special occasions as well.  Our creme brulee was sumptuous, and was the perfect ending to our spectacular romantic getaway… 🙂

 

One thing to note…in Canada when you dine at a restaurant, by law the waiters are not allowed to take your credit card out of your sight away from the table to ring up your bill. They will bring a small computerized device to your table and ring you up while waiting for you to sign the check.  This was implemented due to a large problem with credit card numbers being stolen.  Although we appreciated this added security, as Americans, we felt a bit awkward when adding in the waiter’s tip while they stood by watching us.

 

Overall, we loved Vancouver and highly recommend a visit!!

Website:  kolendatravel.com

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/AAHsf?ref=br_rs

New Travel Blog!

So, I’ve been wanting to start a blog for years, and I’ve finally carved out the time to at least create a page! I’ve been in the travel industry since 2006, and I am passionate about what I do,  which is creating perfect, seamless travel itineraries for my clients for whatever destination they desire around the globe. I started out helping Honeymooners create their amazing vacation of a lifetime and quickly learned the ins and outs of how to put together incredible travel experiences. Some travel consultants focus on just a few destinations in the world.  Personally, that was just too boring to me.  If a client wants ‘Timbuktu’, I create an itinerary and use my industry resources to get them there.  I have an invaluable team of top worldwide destination experts that I call upon to ensure my clients have a great trip each and every time.

Over the years, I’ve also gone to great lengths to accommodate clients who wanted more than the typical vacation and wanted to spice things up and add to their travel bucket list of boasts.  I’ve arranged and booked African Safaris, cooking classes in Bangkok, zip lining tours in the rain forests of Costa Rica, elephant treks in Bali, and dips with Great White sharks in Cape Town.  The world is a spectacular place, just waiting for all of us to explore, learn, and appreciate its endless exhilarating treasures.

Seeking out the most sumptuous dining, the most memorable tours and activities, and of course checking out the top hotels/resorts/villas that a destination has to offer is my mission, and the motivation to share this info with you is the reason for this blog. I am BIG on giving solid, honest reviews on stuff worth sharing.  I am a senior Contributor on Trip Advisor, and have written numerous hotel reviews for one of the top U.S. travel suppliers, Gogo Worldwide Vacations.

Check out some of my reviews and contributions I’ve written in the past:

Trip Advisor Contributions:  http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/Lvv2trvl#CITY_TILES

Gogo Worldwide Vacations Review:  http://www.gogoworldwidevacations.com/news/hotel-review/paradisus-punta-cana-resort

Gogo Worldwide Vacations Review:  http://www.gogoworldwidevacations.com/news/hotel-review/beaches-turks-caicos-2

 

Hope you will come along with me for this journey…

Happy Travels,

Cori 🙂

To contact me for YOUR next travel adventure, email:   info@kolendatravel.com

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