Riu Sante Fe - Los Cabos

Check out this special!

Los Cabos
Riu Santa Fe
From specialty restaurants and first-class facilities to the exciting discotheque, relaxing spa, fun-filled kid’s club and sparkling swimming pools, this sprawling Mexican getaway provides family-friendly relaxation just a short drive from Cabo San Lucas. Fronting the famous Land’s End arches and one of Baja California’s most beautiful beaches, guests of all ages enjoy unforgettable vacation experiences at this inviting retreat.

All Inclusive
3 nights air & hotel from $384*
was $699
Save up to 45%. Complimentary room upgrade from a Double Room Garden View to a Double Room Ocean View.
Hotel Rating: 4.5

Riu-Santa-Fe-200x200

Contact Janet for more information and rates to this amazing destination!

janet.reed@goawaytravel.com

888-314-2929 ext 176

Dreams Riviera Cancun - Grand Opening

Are you ready for the ultimate in luxury and pampering?  This is the place for you!

Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, Dreams Resorts & Spas’ newest property located next to the charming beachfront town of Puerto Morelos, celebrated its grand opening on October 1, 2009.

Guests staying at the all-new Dreams Riviera Cancun will enjoy Unlimited-Luxury® in an unparalleled tropical setting. The resort is surrounded by glistening pools, spring-fed cenotes, lush tropical gardens and a palm-studded beach. Amenities include 486 sumptuous premium octagonal rooms and suites with stunning ocean views, 24-hour room service, daily refreshed mini bars, countless activities, gourmet dining options and bars serving premium brands.

Here are some of the highlights of the resort:

  • Elegant octagonal rooms and suites offer stunning ocean views, shimmering pools or manicured gardens.
  • A spectacular array of day and evening activities for every age and interest
  • Multiple sun drenched swimming pools
  • Nine international restaurants serving gourmet fare and six friendly bars and lounges serving unlimited premium brand beverages.
  • 24-hour room and concierge services
  • Supervised Explorer’s Club for kids, so everyone enjoys their own time in their own way.
  • Nearby excursion sites for golf, shopping, adventure tours and history
  • A friendly, fastidious staff who will make you feel like the honored guest you are.

Please contact me for special rates for this brand new resort.. book your next family vacation or maybe a girlfriends getaway!

click here to contact me - Janet!

Iberostar Paraiso Beach, Riviera Maya

I recently (July 26 - 30) visited the Iberostar Paraiso Beach with my family, (husband and 2 kids, 13 and 8).  Being a travel agent,  I have been fortunate to visit many  properties, and the Iberostar is now among my favorites!  We had a fabulous time - with plenty of activities to keep the kids busy all week.  The check in process was very smooth and the Lobby is very open and inviting with large sitting areas, a bar, and shops to keep everyone entertained while we checked in.  Our room was not ready, but we were able to put our suits on and head to the beach restaurant and start our vacation right away.  (Tip ** I always pack my swim suit and small bottle of sunscreen in my carry on just in case my room is not ready.  I don’t have to dig through my suitcase - a quick stop in the hospitality room and I am ready to start my vacation!)

This property is very large!  You will do a lot of walking…. they have trolleys that run back and forth from the lobby to the beach, but they never seemed to be going the same way we were!  The majority of the restaurants are located near the lobby, including the main buffet.  There are 2 large open air restaurants near the beach that are open in the morning - breakfast buffet and in the afternoon for lunch, also a buffet.  There is also a small lunch buffet at the beach - we ate there everyday and loved it!!!   They have  a big grill and cooked everything right there in front of you.   There is also a big beach bar right there, along with restrooms.  There are several ala carte restaurants - Japanese, Mexican, Brazilian, Steak, Mediterranean.  You do have to make reservations… the Steak House was all booked up for the week when we got there, but we did get into the Mexican (good) and Japanese (good) and had a great time at both - great service and good food.  We did eat at the buffets for the other meals and they were good, with a variety of things to choose from and different items each night so you did not feel like you were eating the same thing over and over.

The pool and beach were great!  It is one of the best beaches I have been on - great swimming, no coral, and amazing waves to “ride”.  There were a lot of people swimming, but it never felt over crowded.  We never had a problem finding beach chairs, but get there early if you want chairs in the shade!

The pool runs almost the length of the resort, with several pool bars, separate sports area for volleyball and basketball, lots of fountains, and great entertainment everyday with fun pool games!  We had a great time just going up and down the pool - we called it our “walk about”.  We would all grab a drink at one end of the pool, get on our rafts and float down to the other end.  By the time we made it down there, we were ready for another drink and headed back!  The kids loved being able to order smoothies whenever they felt like it - and the bartenders at the swimup bars were great to all the kids, making all kinds of fun “drinks” for them.

We did end up with a Jr Suite for our room in Building 31, the last building before the beach, but not ocean front.  It was a great location during the day with great access to the pool, beach and restaurants, but were a good distance from the main restaurants and lobby.  Our room was very nice, with 2 double beds and a couch that converted to a bed (twin).  The maids were very nice the first night and made it up with blankets and sheets.  We had a nice balcony, but lots of trees blocked us from having a great view.  From talking to other guests, the standard rooms are just as nice, just smaller.

They did have nightly entertainment, beginning with a kids show, then an audience participation, and then a musical theme show, different every night.  We did enjoy the show only one night - (it does not start until about 9:30 pm) but it was very good.

One of the other features of the resort is all the animals that call the Iberostar home!  They had peacocks, flamingos, large tropical birds, swans, and one other animal that we did not learn the name of, but it looked like a cross between a cat and a lemur monkey.  The kids loved seeing all of these animals wandering around the property!

I cannot say enough about the staff - always friendly, willing to help, and actually very quick!  All of the waiters and the pools and beach were great!  The waiters and dinner for the ala carte restaurants were wonderful - very fun and interactive!  Also, this property was very clean!!  I appreciate that especially with it being such a large property.

I have many pictures of the beach, pool, rooms and property so please email me with any questions you may have.  This property is great for families and definately a great value!  I would love to help you plan your next family vacation!

Contact Janet to book your next getaway!

HAWAIIAN VACATIONS

ARE YOU READY TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF HAWAII?  IF SO, WE HAVE A GREAT OFFER FOR YOU!

RIGHT NOW, APPLE VACATIONS IS OFFERING LAND ONLY PACKAGES STARTING AT 699$ PER PERSON!  YOU PICK THE DEAL, THEY PICK THE HOTEL!

5 Golden Apple Oahu Square Deal
Ocean-view room!
FREE Fun’N Sun Gift Box!
Includes round-trip transfers with lei greeting

RIGHT NOW HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO VISIT HAWAII.  COME DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF THE ISLANDS AND SAVE UP TO 50%

PLEASE CONTACT JANET FOR MORE PRICING INFORMATION!  I WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT VACATION.

UPDATED FUNJET VACATIONS MEXICO TRAVEL

PLEASE NOTE THE UPDATES BELOW IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OTHER POSTS.  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY - 888-314-2929…. THANK YOU AND TRAVEL SAFE!

Mexico Travel Update Regarding the Swine Flu:
Updated Rebooking Policies & Procedures and Hotel Rebooking Discounts

Funjet Vacations is committed to protecting our customers and their vacation investments.  Our policy has just been updated with extended windows through May 15, 2009.  Also, in efforts to protect our customers’ vacation experience, we are offering discounts for rebookings at select hotels in Hawaii and the Caribbean. Travel agents can save time by rebooking in VAX and issuing their own payment transfer requests via email for reservations that don’t require special service.  Click below for complete policy and procedure details as well as discount information including a list of participating hotels.

VAX Vendor Center Advisory Page

Participating Hotel Rebooking Discounts (Check back frequently for additional updates to hotel list.)

  • Save up to $50 per adult on vacations 3-6 nights
  • Save up to $100 per adult on vacations 7+ nights
  • Sandals and Beaches Bonus! Save up to $150 per person including children at Beaches for any length of stay

Mexico Travel Advisory for Funjet Vacations

Please find the latest information regarding rebooking your trip if you are scheduled to leave to Mexico within the next week and are booked with Funjet Vacations:

 Customers with Travel Pending to Mexico:
For anyone looking to reschedule their vacation, Funjet Vacations offers all major airlines to a wide variety of the most popular vacation destinations including the Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, Las Vegas, California, ski vacations, Europe and hundreds of other fun places.  We highly recommend purchasing our Complete Coverage travel protection program which allows you to cancel for any reason before departure and receive a refund on your vacation.

Customer Options:
Please see below for details on Funjet Vacations options for customers who are currently booked on vacations to Mexico.  We encourage all customers who booked through their travel agent to contact them for assistance.    

 
Customers currently booked on a vacation including scheduled air service or hotel only to Mexico:

  1. Customers traveling Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, May 6, 2009 who choose to cancel and rebook their vacation by May 6, 2009 for travel completed by April 30, 2010, Funjet Vacations penalties will be waived. The guidelines for rebooking the air portion of the vacation vary by carrier and customers may be subject to any airline and/or hotel imposed penalties.   The customer will receive the increase or decrease in price for the new vacation.  The customer must cancel prior to their scheduled departure time.
  2. Additionally, customers who have purchased the Complete Coverage who rebook their current vacation by May 6, 2009 for departures through April 30, 2010 will receive the Complete Coverage at no additional charge on their new reservation plus a $100 per reservation credit towards a future Funjet Vacation.  The customer will receive the increase or decrease in price for the new vacation.  Or, they may cancel and receive a refund less the cost of the waiver. The customer must cancel prior to their scheduled departure time.  This policy does not apply to “No-Show” situations where the customer does not check-in or is denied boarding.

Customers currently booked on a vacation including a Funjet Vacations Charter/Value Flight:
Funjet Vacations customers currently booked to any Mexico destination for departures including a Charter/Value Flight scheduled Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, May 6 2009 who do not wish to travel on their current departure date have the following options:

  1. Customers traveling Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, May 6, 2009 on a charter/value flight can choose to cancel and rebook their vacation by May 6, 2009 to any new Charter/Value Flight departure through December 15, 2009 and all monies will be applied to the new reservation, less any hotel penalties that may be imposed.  The customer must cancel prior to their scheduled departure time.  The customer will receive the increase or decrease in price for the new vacation.
  2. Additionally, customers who have purchased the Penalty Waiver or Complete Coverage who rebook their current vacation by May 6, 2009 for departures through December 15, 2009 will receive the waiver option originally purchased at no additional charge on their new reservation plus a $100 per reservation credit towards a future Funjet Vacation.  The customer will receive the increase or decrease in price for the new vacation.  Or, they may cancel and receive a refund less the cost of the waiver. The customer must cancel prior to their scheduled departure time.  This policy does not apply to “No-Show” situations where the customer does not check-in or is denied boarding.

What is a Charter/Value Flight?
“Funjet Vacations uses its buying power to secure the best rates to the places you want to go. Value flights - which include both charter service and special negotiated fares on select scheduled airlines - provide non-stop jet service at the most competitive rates available.  Your travel agent or Funjet Customer Care Representative can determine if your vacation includes a Value flight.

TRAVEL OPTIONS FOR WORRY FREE VACATIONS

If you are traveling to Mexico and are booked with Worry Free Vacations, here is an update for their policy for rebooking or canceling your trip if you are traveling within the next 7 days:

Influenza Advisory Policy

In response to the recent news of an influenza outbreak, Worry-Free Vacations is providing the following options for customers traveling to Mexico between April 27 – May 6, 2009:

  • Customers who have purchased Travel Protection may cancel their trip up to the moment of departure.  Customers will receive a full refund in the form of a gift card valid for one year from the date of issue.
  • Customers without Travel Protection have the following options:
    1. Receive a refund less normal cancel fees.
    2. Rebook without penalty to another destination for departure within seven days before or after the original departure date.
    3. Cancel and receive a refund, in the form of a gift card, good for booking another destination within 60 days. A $50 per person service fee will be assessed.

Terms and Conditions:
Customers must cancel the existing booking before the scheduled departure date and time. Changes to vacation itineraries may result in a difference in price. Any price increase will be the responsibility of the customer; any price decrease will be refunded in the form of a gift card.

TRAVEL UPDATES FOR MEXICO FOR APPLE VACATION TRAVELERS

If you are traveling to Mexico and are booked on Apple Vacations, please note the following
travel options you have if you are leaving in the next couple of days:
Mexico Travel Update - April 27, 2009
Travel Policy for Passengers Traveling to Mexico on Apple Vacations’ USA3000 Airlines and Charter Flights
Passengers flying to Mexico between Saturday, April 25 and Wednesday, May 6, may rebook for travel to any other USA3000 Airlines international or charter flight departing through December 15, 2009. Apple Vacations will waive its change fees. Passengers with AVOK Travel Protection will
not need to repurchase AVOK. All money will be moved to your new booking. If there is a decrease in the price of your new vacation, you will be issued a Vacation Voucher in the amount of the price difference, valid for travel for one year from the date of issue. If you choose a date where the price is higher, you will be responsible for the difference. All rebookings must be made by May 12, 2009. Normal cancellation penalties will apply for changes made after May 12.

Travel Policy for Passengers Traveling to Mexico on Other Scheduled Airlines

Apple Vacations will waive its change fees on vacations through May 6 using other scheduled airilnes to Mexico, however, all scheduled airlines change fees apply.

Now You Can Go Away Green While Saving Some Green

In honor of Earth Day 2009. GoAwayTravel.com is proud to announce GoAwayGreen.com.

You deserve a vacation. Make a difference and go away green!

GoAwayGreen.com is a new division of GoAwayTravel.com.  This new division will be dedicated to offering resort vacations at properties committed to making our collective carbon footprints as small as possible.  GoAwayGreen.com will only feature resorts that are proactive in making our world a greener place.

Ready to travel now? Fill out the Find Me A Green Vacation Deal Form.

Can’t go away right now? Sign up for the GoAwayGreen.com newsletter to stay on top of the latest happenings in green travel!

Visit GoAwayGreen.com today.  Planet Earth will thank you.

Mexico Remains a Safe Tourist Destination

The revised Mexico Travel Alert issued by the U.S. Department of State was updated on February 20, 2009 and is designed to inform travelers of the issues and common sense precautions to “ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable”. The drug related violence that triggered the update is centered in border towns hundreds of miles from the tourist destinations frequented by our customers. (For example, the distance from Ciudad Juarez to Cancun and the Riviera Maya is more than 1400 miles and the distance from Los Cabos to these border towns is over 600 miles) 

 Mexico continues to be a safe, fun and affordable place to go on vacation. Please take the time to read our Frequently Asked Questions below that address travel safety and the current issues in the Mexico border towns.

 

Is Mexico an unsafe place to travel?

The violence is mainly in U.S. border towns, more than 600 miles from destinations including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Mazatlan and Acapulco.  While travel to the core leisure destinations remains safe, we do encourage travelers to make smart decisions while traveling out of the country.   

 

Reports of drug violence in Mexico have been widely circulated.  Have these stories affected tourism to the country?

This is not a new alert nor is drug violence something new to Mexico.  This alert was updated on February 20, 2009 to advise Americans of a recent increase in the drug-related violence along U.S. border towns.   Mexico still remains the most popular international tourism destination for Americans.

If you have any questions regarding travel to Mexico, please do not hesitate to contact me, Janet, and I will be glad to assist you as best as I can!