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Don’t Want To Be Home for the Holidays?

Then take a look at what some travel suppliers are offering families for the upcoming holiday season:

Villas of Distinction is offering a $500 credit on Christmas or New Year’s villa reservations made by October 9. Pioneers in the villa rental field, they offer luxury villas in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Tuscany, Italy, and the South of France, ranging from two to twenty bedrooms. They are also full service travel planners, who can assist with airfare, car rentals, and concierge services.


Princess Cruise Line has space is available several holiday sailings, including:
Dec 19 Mexico cruise on Sapphire Princess out of LA
Dec 20 Southern Caribbean cruise on Caribbean Princess out of San Juan
Dec 19 Western Caribbean cruise on Crown Princess out of Ft Lauderdale.

Princess makes it easy to have a Happy Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year, with ships trimmed in festive holiday decor, and a special dinner featuring traditional favorites such as roast turkey, mincemeat pie, and chocolate Yule logs. Children can make ornaments for the ship’s Christmas tree, and participate in a holiday play which they perform for passengers. On Christmas day, Santa Claus makes a surprise appearance, bringing joy and gifts to each child on board.


Ceiba del Mar, a luxury boutique resort in the Riviera Maya, has scheduled fun family events for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, children can smash a piñata and go caroling on the beach, and families will enjoy traditional Mexican and American Christmas dinners. Guests can dance under the stars to lively music each evening, enjoy a Fire Show, and celebrate New Year’s Eve with a scrumptious feast.

Ritz Carlton Kapalua is offering 6th night free from Dec. 23 – Jan. 3. The luxurious Maui resort recently underwent a $180M transformation which included renovated rooms, re-designed restaurants, an Environmental Education Center, and a new children’s pool. The Ritz Kids program has also been enhanced, and now features Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program, offering an environmental and cultural education center with excursions led by expert naturalists.

And for an “over the top” experience, celebrate an authentic Renaissance Christmas in a chateaux in the Loire Valley. Up to fourteen guests can have exclusive use of the ancestral home of Count and Countess de Vanssay. Château de La Barre’s special Christmas package includes champagne and chocolates, a cheese and vintage wine tasting dinner, a Renaissance dinner at Leonardo da Vinci’s home, and chauffeured car service for New Years’ Eve.

For help with planning a memorable and stress-free trip for the holidays, contact Suzette Mack, Family Travel Advisor, at suzette@family-treks.com
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Keswick Hall Combines History and Family Fun

Keswick Hall is located in the heart of Virginia, near Charlottesville and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. An extensive estate amid beautiful countryside, it makes an ideal destination for families who enjoy nature and history. Though the property itself is intimate, with only 48 rooms and suites, it offers a broad variety of activities. All ages can enjoy nature walks, fishing, horsback riding, tennis, hot air ballooning and indoor and outdoor pools.

Children are especially welcome at the country house, and given a Kids Only Passport at check-in, a cleverly designed interactive guide to the estate, Charlottesville and the surrounding area. Kids will have fun planning their stay from the journal’s long list of places to discover, people to meet and interesting facts about the property. They also receive an in-room amenity ranging from caramel popcorn to animal crackers with fruit flavored sodas.

Golf is one of the more popular activities at the resort, which has its own Arnold Palmer Signature 18-hole golf course. And children are encouraged to pick up a set of clubs as well. On select weeks in summer, golf clinics are held for ages 6-12, and a Junior Golf Camp for ages 13-16. Complimentary tennis clinics are also available for children 5 to 10 years old, and golf lessons are also available year round for all ages and abilities.


Through May 31, to celebrate the 266th anniversary of the third President’s birth, Keswick Hall is offering a 2 night Celebrating Jefferson package including:

* Monticello Guidebook
* Daily continental breakfast
* Passes to Jefferson’s beloved home, Monticello, his summer escape, Ash Lawn and the Michie Tavern Museum
* A three course dinner for two in Fossett’s, an award-winning restaurant named after Jefferson’s head cook
* Jefferson Vineyards tour and wine tasting


Guests who book through a Virtuoso agency receive the following complimentary amenities:

* Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
* Daily continental breakfast for up to two guests
* One complimentary round of golf for two, including cart

To learn more about Keswick Hall and how to receive the best rates, amenities, and VIP treatment, contact Suzette Mack, Family Travel Specialist, at suzette@family-treks.com.

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Hawaii’s Best Luxury Travel Deals for Families

If you’ve always dreamed of a taking the family to a luxury resort in Hawaii, this may be the time to do it. For the past several years, Hawaii’s popularity as a family vacation destination has been increasing. And as a result, rates have steadily gone up and hotels have sold out very early. But the current hiccup in the economy has reversed that trend, and now there are great deals to some of the best resorts on the islands.


If traveling out of SFO or LAX, Pleasant Holidays is offering special airfares, inlcuding 50% off a companion fare (SFO only through May 31) and reduced children’s rates (one child per two adults for travel June 1- August 23). Clients also receive double upgrades on select Hertz rental cars, or a complimentary economy car.

So how does booking a package compare with booking everything separately? The price of a 7 night Pleasant Holidays package for June 13-20 in an Ocean View Suite at the Fairmont Kea Lani is $7746, including a mid-size SUV, taxes, lei greeting, and vacation protection plan. This includes roundtrip, daytime (not redeye) nonstop flights out of SFO. When I looked up these flights on United’s website, they were priced at over $2200 per person because only first class seats were available on the return flight. Nonstop flights which had economy class seats available were >$1000 per person. The best internet rate for the hotel is just shy of $4000, so that comes to over $8000 not including the rental car and travel insurance. That’s a savings of over $1000 by booking the package!

Other Hawaii luxury hotel offers include:

Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island
Their Family Package includes:
> Guaranteed connecting rooms
> Breakfast for four daily
> Two full day passes to Keiki Adventures Program.
> Fifth night free for Garden View and Partial Ocean View rooms
> Third night free for Ocean View rooms plus $400 resort credit.

For single room bookings, the following offers apply:
> Garden view and partial ocean view – every 5th night free and full breakfast daily
> Ocean view and higher – every 3rd night free and $200 resort credit

Planning a family reunion? Book five rooms and the fifth room is upgraded to a suite for free – what a way to treat the grandparents! All offers are valid through December 20, 2009.



Four Seasons Resort Maui
They have an exclusive offer for guests booking through Preferred Partners before March 1, 2009:
> Fifth night free for travel through March 12
> Full island buffet breakfast for two adults each day including tax and gratuity
> Afternoon whale watch excursion for two adults
> Two specialty tropical cocktails and choice of appetizer in Lobby Lounge


Halekulani on Oahu
They are offering clients of Virtuoso Travel Advisors who book a minimum 3 night stay:
> Reduced rates > Complimentary room upgrade (based on availability)
> Daily breakfast for two
> Private taxi transfers (or complimentary parking).


The Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa Kauai
An exclusive Suite Delight promotion is available through Virtuoso Travel Advisors for travel through December 24, 2009:
> $200 resort credit with a 4 night minimum stay in a suite
> 6th night free
> Beautiful orchid arrangement in the suite
> Deluxe fruit bowl
> Complimentary access to ANARA Spa facilities ($60 value per day)
> Daily buffet breakfast for up to two guests
> One evening appetizer in Stevenson’s Library Lounge

To read more about Kauai, see my recent blog post, Kauai – A Family Vacation Paradise.

For more information about planning a family vacation to Hawaii, contact Suzette Mack, Family Travel Specialist, at suzette@family-treks.com.

All offers subject to availability, and may be changed or canceled at any time without notice.
Restrictions or blackout dates may apply.
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Fairmont Mayakoba (Riviera Maya) Review

I love Fairmont Resorts because they excel at being luxurious, yet kid-friendly, a balancing act that not all resorts do well. I have been pleased with all my Fairmont experiences, so I was very eager to try out the relatively new Fairmont Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya, just north of Playa del Carmen. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive at first, as it is a very large, sprawling property. But once there, amidst the canals and lush vegetation, the resort took on a much more intimate feeling. And the Fairmont staff, as expected, provided exceptional service, so it was definitely not a mass market, “mega resort” experience.


Most of the rooms are spread out in low rise buildings around the property, surrounding an island with the main family pool, an adults only pool, kids club, cafe/deli, and casual restaurant. It really didn’t take long to get oriented, as there is one main path running through the center of the property. Our room was the in “Private Casita” section, out by the beach, and separated from the rest of the resort by a long stretch of jungle. But rather than feeling isolated, we felt like we were staying a private resort. At the end of the day as guests headed back to their rooms near the main pool, we enjoyed having the oceanfront pool and beach to ourselves. And only the casitas in this section are assigned a private butler.

The best rooms hands down are the Beachfront Signature Casitas, with their own oceanfront infinity pool, and a terrace leading right to the beautiful beach. Most romantic are the Private Signature Casitas right behind them, on the second floor with their own rooftop infinity pool. While not beachfront, they enjoy the same panoramic views of the ocean and the resort, but are quieter and more private. But even the least expensive Fairmont rooms have their redeeming qualities. They are close to the lobby and spa, and have their own pool which was the quietest one of all, as most guests headed to the main pool in the center of the resort, just a short walk away. And as all rooms are nearly identical in size (~500 sq ft) and amenities, guests experience no difference in quality no matter what room they book.


For families wanting lots of space, there are many suites available which are basically two rooms connected, with the second bedroom transformed into a living room with sofa sleeper and coffee table, and two identical, and huge, bathrooms. Half of all the rooms at the resort are also available in a connecting configuration. Though they are not guaranteed before check-in, my clients receive priority in getting a connecting room request fulfilled because the Fairmont Mayakoba is a Virtuoso property.

What impressed me most about the resort was how it managed to serve the needs of all guests. Adults could find ample places to relax in peace, either at the adult infinity pool, or in the huge Willow Stream Spa (20 treatment rooms, including a couples’ room on the roof). Families with babies and toddlers hung out by the shallow kids’ pool, which was located conveniently close to the bathrooms, swim-up bar, and market. In fact I was very impressed by the clever design of the entire main pool area. Walkways and grassy areas clearly separated sections geared either for adults or children, but not so much that parents felt like they were isolated. Mom and Dad could relax in the kid-free water near the swim-up bar, but still easily monitor their kids on the waterslide. And if parents need some time alone, all children receive 3 complimentary hours in the Kids Club daily, which is open until 8 pm.


For 2009, the Virtuoso amenities are:
> Upgrade on arrival (subject to availability)
> Daily continental breakfast for up to two guests
> $50 or $250 spa credit, depending on room type

For more information about the Fairmont Mayakoba, contact Suzette Mack, Family Travel Specialist, at suzette@family-treks.com.

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Treating Families Like Royalty in London

London is a great destination for families, with lots of kid-friendly activities such as watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, riding on a double-decker bus, visiting Harry Potter movie sights, or exploring the Tower of London. But parents often get frustrated trying to find suitable accommodations. As a Family Travel Advisor, I know which hotels go out of their way to make children of all ages welcome, and how to obtain the best value and extra amenities.

One of the most kids-friendly hotels in London is The Goring, a Virtuoso hotel in a wonderful location next to Buckingham Palace. And they are one of the few hotels that will guarantee a complimentary upgrade at time of booking for clients of Virtuoso travel advisors. A free upgrade is a standard Virtuoso amenity, but it is usually based “on availability.” That means you won’t find out until you check-in if you will be bumped up to a better room. By guaranteeing the upgrade “at time of booking,” you pay for one room category but are confirmed in the next higher room category. So you can book the room or view you want and be assured of a discounted rate. Virtuoso clients also receive complimentary daily breakfast for two, flowers, fruit, and a selection of teas.

The Goring welcomes children with open arms, and even has a connecting room configuration – just ask for the “Delightful Family Accommodation.” Yes, that’s what it’s really called. In fact, The Goring has some of the most unique names for their rooms I have ever seen, including “The Most Splendid Balcony Room” or my personal favorite, “The Best Room.” There is no stodginess here!

Parents of very young children will find all the essentials they need, from changing pads to bath toys, and children of all ages are welcome to check out books from the Bedtime Story Library. A “For Kids Eyes Only” pack includes an activity book and crayons, and a Goring Passport to be stamped as they visit different areas in the hotel, including the kitchen where they will decorate cookies with the chef. The beautiful gardens also provide a safe area for kids to run around and burn off energy.

The Draycott, located between fashionable Chelsea and Knightsbridge, also has rooms designed just for families. Most popular are bunk bed rooms adjoining to a double room, many which have their own fireplaces and sitting areas. For more space, families can book the two bedroom Draycott Suite, which spans an entire floor of the hotel and includes a fully equipped kitchen. Children receive a gift bag on arrival, and have access to a library of CD’s, DVD’s, and Playstation games. Families are pampered with gourmet picnic lunches made to order, special breakfast for children, champagne and tea for the adults, and hot chocolate at bedtime for the kids.

For families spending a weekend in London, The Stafford near Piccadilly is offering special rates on connecting rooms in the Main House, or connecting junior suites in the Stafford Mews. A recent upgrade provides modern amenities such as air-conditioning, complimentary wireless internet access, US power sockets; satellite television, plasma TV’s and a fitness center.

And for the most discriminating families, Ritz-Carlton can always be relied upon to offer impeccable service and elegance. Keeping with the luxury chain’s family-friendly reputation, The Ritz London gives children the VIK (Very Important Kid) treatment with their Kidz@TheRitz program, including a welcome goodie bag, bathrobe and slippers, complimentary ice cream, milk and cookies at bedtime, and even a Teen Concierge. Virtuoso guests also receive preferred rates, a complimentary upgrade (based on availability), and daily breakfast for two.

For more details, contact Suzette Mack, a Virtuoso Family Travel Advisor at suzette@family-treks.com.

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Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

The first client I sent to the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa walked into the open air lobby with its amazing view, and promptly saw a whale breach offshore, perfectly framed by the foyer. He said right then he knew it was going to be an amazing vacation. And he was absolutely right.

The Grand Hyatt is an exceptionally beautiful resort, with lush vegetation, beautiful artwork, and elegant furnishings throughout. Despite its large size, the clever layout ensures that the resort feels intimate and exclusive. When I visited during peak Fourth of July week, the hotel was fully booked, yet there were plenty of chairs by the swimming lagoon, and I passed only a few other guests on the paths.
The recreational facilities include a meandering lazy river connecting two freshwater pools, a saltwater lagoon for kayaks and inflatables, four tennis courts, mountain bike rentals, a 45,000 square-foot indoor/outdoor ANARA health and fitness spa, and the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf course next door. There is also 12,000 square feet of retail shops and for corporate groups, 65,000 square feet of meeting space, plus formal gardens and manicured lawns to host outdoor functions

The Grand Hyatt Kauai is not only one of the most luxurious hotels in the Hawaiian Islands, but it is one of the most family-friendly. Camp Hyatt offers a supervised children’s program for ages 3 – 12, featuring activities relating to the island’s culture, such as hula lessons, palm frond weaving, shell bracelet making, traditional Hawaiian storytelling and games, and the popular Parrot Talk. And kids of all ages enjoy the 150 foot waterslide!

And one of the biggest perks for parents: connecting rooms can be guaranteed at time of booking for an additional fee, based on availability.

The 2009 exclusive amenities for clients who book with a Virtuoso agency are:

> Upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
> Daily buffet breakfast for up to 2 guests
> Evening appetizer in Stevenson’s Library Lounge once during stay
> Complimentary daily spa access for two

In the exclusive Virtuoso Suite Life promotion, guests who book a suite receive a 6th night free, $200 resort credit, a fruit bowl, and fresh orchid display in addition to the above amenities.

For more details, contact Suzette Mack, a Virtuoso Family Travel Advisor at suzette@family-treks.com.

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Why Use A Virtuoso Family Travel Advisor?

Finding the best travel value is more important than ever for families. It may seem easy on the surface, as the news is filled with travel deals and promotions. But most families don’t want a “cheap” vacation; they want their vacation dreams fulfilled at the best price. As a Virtuoso Family Travel Advisor, I can help parents maximize their travel dollar and end up with a wonderful family vacation that meets, and probably even exceeds, their expectations.

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY – This is not just about price, it’s about getting what you want and need when you travel. The good news for travelers right now is not just that they can get a discounted rate or a free upgrade, but that they can negotiate for those special perks that are often “on request” or “available only at check-in.” For example, many of my Virtuoso partner hotels are willing to guarantee upgrades at the time of booking, or guarantee specific bedding requests, a particular view or location, or even connecting rooms. When combined with the standard Virtuoso amenity, usually a complimentary meal or spa credit, families can get an exceptional value.

POWERFUL RELATIONSHIPS – This is one of those times where it’s “who you know” that makes all the difference. I spend a significant amount of time networking in the industry, to develop and maintain close personal relationships with my travel suppliers. So when my clients walk into a hotel for the first time, they will be warmly welcomed and treated like a VIP. I have also been able to acquire rooms at sold out hotels during holiday periods, or secure tickets to exclusive events. In virtually every country in the world, my clients have a local support network they can count on for emergencies or special needs. This is especially comforting for families traveling abroad with children.

HAPPY KIDS = HAPPY PARENTS – Anyone who has traveled with children knows that it’s a completely different ballgame. Just like at home, parents make tradeoffs on vacation to ensure the comfort and security of their children. As a Family Advisor, I know that every age group has its unique needs, and I can help find that right balance in meeting the kids’ and parents’ interests. Years of experience traveling with my own children since they were infants allows me to proactively address parents’ concerns, and gives me expert knowledge of family-friendly lodging and activities. I have taken my children backpacking, cycling, and kayaking since they were very young, so even active parents don’t need to slow down just because they have kids.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS – The value of working with a Virtuoso Family Advisor becomes most evident after the travel reservations are made. That’s when I become my clients’ travel partner, reviewing trip logistics to make sure everything runs smoothly and no detail is left to chance. It’s easy to call an 800 number and book a room at a resort or a cabin on a cruise ship. But when you call back, you’ll probably never get that same agent again. And they certainly aren’t going to contact you to make sure your children have the correct travel documents, provide you a day to day itinerary, tell you which rail pass you should get, hire a driver who can provide a car seat, or advise you on travel insurance. I am at my clients’ service from start to finish.

As we head in to the busy holiday season, remember that the latest trends in fashion, movies, and toys will be forgotten over the years, but the memory of a wonderful family vacation will last forever. It doesn’t need to be far, it doesn’t need to be expensive. What matters is spending quality time together.

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