On Location: Talking With the Aulani Team

So I’ve had a chance to look at Aulani by daylight, and I have to say I’m even more impressed than I was this morning. (That could be due to the coffee, of course.) There are little Disney touches throughout—a wooden table lamp might have a subtly-shaded Mickey in the base, or you might go past a small statue of Stitch from the movie Lilo and Stitch (which, of course, was set in Hawaii). But on the whole, the resort has a very grown-up feel, with natural products in the design and subdued color schemes. There's plenty that would appeal to the younger crowd, but it doesn't feel specifically designed for children.

Over breakfast at 'Ama 'Ama (the more upscale restaurant at the resort, with killer views of the beach and the pools--see above), I chatted with Elliot Mills, Aulani’s managing director (below), to find out how a Disney resort should balance its appeal to children with its appeal to their parents. The answer, he says, is not in the design or décor, but in the experiences, with different activities available for a wide range of age groups. Little kids can go to Aunty’s House for storytelling; teens can play on the beach and learn various arts and crafts (or even the art of cooking!) and grownups can relax on the beach or sip cocktails on a terrace (with views over the beach and the pool area, making it easy to keep an eye on kids) or unwind in the spa.

That spa, Mills predicts, will be the best in all of Hawaii. Spa Director Lucia Rodriguez agrees (naturally), pointing out several unique perks the spa offers, like rainwater therapies in a dedicated rainwater suite, a reflexology path for guests to walk on barefoot (soothes foot problems, she says), and the hydrotherapy program. This program is included as part of the treatments, so guests can arrive an hour early and soak in an herb-infused tub and wash off with a custom-blended exfoliation scrub before they get their massage. If guests would rather just unwind in the outdoor hydrotherapy garden and skip the massage, it’s just $35 (and that still includes the custom-blended exfoliation treatment).

Shelby Jiggets, the director of Theatrical Development, comes to Aulani with an impressive theatrical resume (she worked for years with the Public Theater in New York City). She, like Mills, points out the value of having diverse options for a wide range of ages at the resort. She especially likes the distinctly Hawaiian sense of ritual throughout the resort, and explains that the team worked with local consultants and artists—including choreographers and writers—to make the activities authentic but appropriate for the Disney demographic.

And then, of course, there’s the food. Patrick Callarec, Aulani’s executive chef, said that his cuisine will appeal to parents (nothing is fried; everything is made from scratch; lots of local ingredients; etc.) as well as the kids. Even better, to introduce younger guests to the world of fine dining, family meals are presented in a proper three-course format—even when the main course is pizza. (Hey, they’re kids. Pizza is its own food group to a 10-year-old.) In the bars, the cocktails are also made with fresh ingredients—the pineapple juice is fresh-squeezed, for example, and nothing comes from cans. (Memo to self: Try a mai tai ASAP.)

Kapa (known as Tapa elsewhere) is a distinctly Polynesian artform, but it largely disappeared from Hawaii generations ago. Dalani Tanahy (above) traveled throughout the South Pacific to learn about the unique fabric, and is now considered a master of the craft. She is responsible for a lot of the kapa throughout the resort, all of which is authentic and handmade (and strikingly beautiful). As we were talking, she mentioned that in her travels, she heard the expression "We learned this from our grandmothers" frequently, and was always saddened that Hawaiians could not say the same. But now Tanahy has a grandchild of her own, and the tradition can resume. 

Oh, one more detail about my room I forgot to mention: The toilet is heated, and features a built-in electronic bidet. Yes, folks, it’s finally happened, and it was only a matter of time: We’ve gone from smart phones to smart toilets. The machines now run the world.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more on Disney's Aulani.

Visit resorts.disney.go/aulani

On Location: A First Look at Disney's Aulani Resort

Suggestion for your clients: If they are heading from the east coast to Hawaii, strongly encourage them to book a day to travel rather than flying across country overnight. They’ll arrive in the islands as the sun goes down, and can go to bed and wake up refreshed and ready to start their vacation in earnest.

And yes, I’m speaking from experience: To get to Hawaii, I flew out of New York at 9pm, transferred at Las Vegas (having to change terminals and go through security again—fun!), and landed in Honolulu at around 4:30am, so I’m dead tired. Really, it’s better to spend a day flying and then sleep all night. A friendly little tip your clients will appreciate…

I’m here to check out Disney’s new Aulani resort, which officially opens this weekend after a soft opening last month. And, granted, I’ve only seen it in the dark, but I feel pretty safe saying it’s a doozy: It towers over the other resorts on Ko Olina (about half-an-hour’s drive from Honolulu), has lovely views over the ocean and the nearby hills, and has a lovely understated sort of luxury.

The lobby is largely open to the fresh air, giving it a spacious ambiance. (Can’t wait to see the sun coming through those skylights.) 

Many of the rooms seem to be arranged in an inter-connecting suite-room pattern—ideal for families or groups. My suite is massive, with a king-sized bed that I’ll need a ladder to get into. The shower stall has a rainforest head and a sauna-esque bench. The living room has a kitchenette and a table that can comfortably sit four people.

And then there’s the balcony, which has amazing views of the surrounding landscape. I have every intention of sitting outside and working on my tan…as soon as the sun comes up.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more from Aulani!

Visit resorts.disney.go/aulani

Discover Dining in Paris

All photos courtesy of the author

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog www.eyepreferparis.com.

Paris has many categories of eating establishments serving everything from formal French fare on white tablecloths to decadent macaroons at tea salons. Below are some of the categories with picks of our favorites in each.

Bistro

The iconic corner bistro now represented in cities all over the world is thriving in Paris with inventive chefs cooking up their most creative cuisine in small, intimate places. Legend has it that how the name bistro came about is when Russian soldiers were at a restaurant in Montmartre on Place du Tertre in 1812, their food was too slow in coming, so they yelled "Bistrot! Bistrot! which means quickly in Russian. Le Reminet, tucked away on a calm street in the Latin Quarter is the quintessential bistro, with snugly packed tables and chef Eric Ponchet whips up delectable dishes like mushroom fricassee with puff pastry and for dessert the all chocolate dessert with dark chocolate cake with milk chocolate mousse and a mini-milkshake. The newest bistro getting rave reviews is Le Bistronomes and chef Cyril Aveline is receiving accolades for modernizing traditional French dishes like foie gras with fig jam and Grandma’s old-fashioned roasted chicken. An out of the way gem, L’ Atelier d’ Antan looks modest from the outside and serves killer food at reasonable prices, like the excellent lunch deal for 17.50 euros for three courses.

Le Reminet
3 rue des Grand Degres, 75005

Les Bistronomes
34 rue Richelieu, 75001

L’ Atelier d’ Antan
9 rue Leopold Robert, 75014

Brasseries

Bustling brasseries still dominate the city with classic French dishes that have satisfied for centuries. Bofinger off the Bastille is one of the most beautiful with its Belle Époque décor dating from the late 1800s featuring a Tiffany stained glass dome and rich, dark wood details. Raw seafood platters surrounded by ice and piled high with clams, oysters, lobster, and mussels are the house specialty. Close to the stock exchange Le Vaudeville is the choice businessmen for serious lunch meetings in the authentic Art Deco interior from 1927. In St. Germain des Pres, Brasserie Lipp has long been the meeting place for the literary set since the early 1900s and still continues today to be the watering hole for power lunches for journalists and the media.

Bofinger
5-7 rue de la Bastille, 75011

Le Vaudeville
29 rue Vivienne, 75002

Brasserie Lipp
151 Blvd. St Germain, 75006


Cafes

Outdoor cafes are still the heartbeat and life of Paris. People watching is at its best at the famous Café Flore and Les Deux Magots in St. Germain des Pres, the former haunts of intellectuals and writers including Jean Paul Sartre, Gertrude Stein, Picasso and Hemingway. Café Nemours on the Place Colette by the Palais Royal has picturesque views of the stately Comedie Francaise Theater and was also the setting for a scene from the recent thriller “The Tourist”, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

Café de Flore
172 Blvd. St. Germain, 75006

Les Deux Magots
6 Place St. Germain, 75006

Café Nemours
Place Colette, 75001

Salon de Thé

Old world tea salons serving rich pastries and delicate teas in fine china cups are very much alive in Paris. Ladurée is the oldest tea salon in Paris dating from the early 1900s with hand-painted Italian frescoed ceilings and serves a full food menu in addition to their famous macaroons in over a dozen flavors. Carette has a beautiful setting overlooking the historical Place des Vosges along with the darkest, richest hot chocolate served with mounds of fresh whipped cream. Mariage Freres, the oldest teashop in Paris in the Marais offers over 30 kinds of their world-renowned tea in their salon and is served in large white porcelain and stainless teapots.

Laudrée
16 rue Royale, 75008

Carette
25 Place des Vosges, 75003

Mariage Fréres
30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 75004

 

How Cancun Replaced Spring Breakers With Families

As the annual Cancun Travel Mart Mexico Summit sets to kick off on October 12, agents and operators get set to do business in one of the best luxury, family destinations in all of Mexico.

That's right, Cancun is now both glamorous and family-friendly, a far cry from the once MTV-inspired party destination that it once was from the late '80s to 2005. The former mecca for drunken, college debauchery is now - and has been for the last six years - a haven for families and multigenerational travel, replacing the days of wet T-shirt contests with family picnics and wine-pairing dinners.

My first trip to Cancun was as a 20-year-old Spring Breaker in 2000 and my second trip was the following year. For those two trips, I was admittedly among the rowdy crowd of North Americans who pounded Coronas all afternoon, inhaled Jell-O shots by night and slept through all hours of the morning.

But every time I have gone back since, I have seen less and less evidence of this era. A hurricane in 1988 was responsible for the birth of the Spring Break phenomenon in Cancun and it was a hurricane in 2005 that washed it away.

It was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 that devastated all of the hotels in Cancun and, in turn, scared away every possible market except one, the Spring Break travelers. In many ways, the wave of spoiled college kids who crashed the destination, actually saved it and put in the forefront of Mexico tourism. But as time went on, this same clientele was responsible for driving all other markets away.

That was of course until Hurricane Wilma again swept away most of Cancun’s hotel product in 2005. But this time, instead of simply rebuilding, the hotels stepped it up a notch and upgraded as well. Now, with most hotels leaning toward the luxury side of the market (at least 80 percent of all Cancun hotels are now five-star in rating), the hotels were shutting out most of the Spring Break clients.

Whereas agents were booking packages for about $350-$400 for Spring Break clients, they were soon booking packages of at least $1,200 for families looking for a luxury experience.

Travel Agent is encouraging all agents to keep this destination in mind when booking family vacations this holiday season with hopes of keeping the Spring Break era dormid and the luxury, family market vibrant.

Visit www.cancun.travel

Don't Jump the Gun on Cuba Travel

I have to admit when I first heard of the People to People initiative last month, I thought it was some new Verizon family plan and not an essential loophole that would open the doors for Americans to travel to the one destination in the world the law forbids them to go – Cuba.

But even as the industry continues to educate itself about what is exactly legal when making money off Cuba, several operators and agencies, such as Insight Cuba, Globus and Abercrombie and Kent, have been promoting tours, either approved under the People to People program or a special religious education permit, to Cuba.

And while some companies, such as Ya’lla Tours USA have been crying foul, the plans by these operators to send clients to Cuba haven’t been terminated yet.

Ronen Paldi, President of Ya’lla Tours USA says many of the operators promoting legal travel to Cuba still may not be following the correct protocol when sending Americans to the forbidden island.

In fact, although he claims the timing was pure coincidence, a release his company sent, warning agents about making money to Cuba was quickly followed by an announcement by Abercrombie and Kent that initial offerings to Cuba were being placed on hold.

“I think it was pure coincidence,” Paldi told us during a phone interview recently, “but I think a lot of these companies are perhaps realizing how sensitive this is. This is no joke. If the proper due diligence isn’t done, these companies can get in trouble and agents who book through them can get in trouble too. After all, if you break the law just because someone told you that it was right, it doesn’t mean you didn’t break the law. You will still be held accountable."

Nonetheless, one agency, Insight Cuba, has already begun sending clients there on Wednesday through the People the People program without any negative backlash or consequences.

Any unlicensed agent or tour operator, however, that promotes Cuba travel services, makes travel arrangements, or collects funds for travel to Cuba from Americans is in violation of Federal law and is subject to civil and/or criminal penalties.

A trip there needs to be set up through an operator who’s been approved through either the People to People ecucation program or an operator who's been approved to conduct religious education tours. The People to People initiative requires Americans to take part in various cultural experiences in Cuba, essentially, as the name implies, putting them in direct contact with the people of Cuba with hopes of learning about the way of life in the country.

With help from the Center for Caribbean Religion and Culture, Globus hopes to present travelers a rare opportunity to experience the enduring faith, colorful history and lively culture of this captivating nation with its new itinerary for 2012: Cuba: A Spiritual, Historical and Cultural Journey.

Insight Cuba got the tour operator ball rolling when it announced in late June that it was reauthorized by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to send Americans to Cuba.

Abercrombie & Kent hopes to be offering trips through the People to People program, which was implemented by President Clinton in 1999 and suspended by President Bush in 2004 before President Obama resurrected the program this January.

Now, it's really difficult to formulate an opinion on whether this is fully legal, depending on who you speak to. In fact, some industry representatives say the mere promoting of travel there is against the law. When we spoke to the three operators offering Cuba itineraries, they were all pretty adamant that what they were offering was legal. And I find it hard to believe that these established companies would be counseled by someone who didn't know the laws. However, Abercrombie and Kent put temporary holds on those same offerings.

To be safe, Travel Agent suggests being very patient. Wait for the first few trips there to go down without a blip before you consider rushing into the Cuba market. The commission is the same as any other Caribbean island. It seems as though travel to Cuba could be a reality very soon. But, for now, tread lightly.

Rooftop Terraces in Paris

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog at www.eyepreferparis.com.

It’s summer in the city and the outdoor terraces are flourishing with Parisians and tourists savoring the beautiful weather. There are a handful of rooftop terraces overlooking the city with spectacular views while dining or drinking to make the Paris experience even more special.

 

Photo courtesy of the author

Jardins Plein Ciel
The distinguished four-star Hotel Raphael has a hidden secret: An undiscovered rooftop garden and restaurant. The intimate Jardins Plein Ciel has a lush setting on 7th floor of the hotel with panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. The design of a giant chessboard with teak furniture is an homage to Leonard Tauber, the founder of the Chess Club of France. A simple menu of grilled dishes and a buffet of cold summer salads is offered.

17 Ave. Kleber, 75116
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 64 32 00
www.raphael-hotel.com/uk/navigation.php

 

Photo courtesy of the author

Georges
Sitting atop the Pompidou Center, the modern museum of Paris, is Georges, named after the former French president. The chic eatery and watering hole with an expansive outdoor and indoor space in a modern setting has some of the best and unobstructed views of the city, including Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, high above in Montmartre. Georges is part of the Costes brothers restaurant and hotel dynasty, which caters to the well heeled see and be seen crowd.

An eclectic menu of French delicacies, Asian fusion, and American classics pleases everyone. Steak tartare, cheeseburgers, club sandwiches, foie gras, and California rolls are some of the delectable dishes you can enjoy while the views sweep you off your feet.

Centre Pompidou
Place Georges, 75004
Reservations +33 (0)144 78 47 99

 

Photo courtesy of the author

Terrace Montaigne at Maison Blanche
Overhanging the elegant designer shopping street Ave. Montaigne and housed in the same building as the famed Théâtre des Champs-Elysée, sits Terrace Montaigne, the new open terrace restaurant that is part of the celebrated Maison Blanche. Started by the Purcell brothers, Maison Blanche has long been an important staple of luxury dining in Paris with its modern and innovative haut cuisine. Sylvain Ruffenach, a young and upcoming chef, has created a relaxed menu of Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the Purcell brothers. The postcard views include Invalides, the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.

15 Ave. Montaigne, 75008
Tel. +33 (0) 147 23 5599
www.maison-blanche.fr/en/index.html

Best Singles Destinations in the Caribbean

On the heels of Hilton Worldwide’s recently released study on the most popular Caribbean, Mexican and Latin American destinations for singles, I thought it would be fit as Travel Agent’s Caribbean editor to chime in with a few picks of my own.

Now, whether or not you feel Hilton’s study is objective or just based on destinations where there is a Hilton present, their picks, in my opinion, are pretty spot on.

They list Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico and San Juan, Puerto Rico all as popular singles destinations. In Argentina, I would also include Bariloche in the Patagonia region simply for the action-adventure opportunities. In Brazil, I would also include Buzios, perhaps the country’s hottest beach destination that has also been described as "the Hamptons of Brazil." In Mexico, Playa del Carmen’s fifth avenue, which is stacked with outdoor restaurants, bars, live music and both high-end and affordable shopping, make it a popular singles destination.

Now let's focus on their Caribbean pick before I sprinkle in some of my own. First off, San Juan - and Puerto Rico in general- is definitely suited for singles travel with some of the best nightclubs, casinos and dining in the region. According to Hilton’s written release on the study, “During the day, the historic city of Old San Juan and surrounding natural wildlife, such as the El Yunque Rainforest, provide fun and adventure perfect for newly found friendships or a day alone.”

I couldn’t agree more.

But if you want fill out a top five list on the topic, I would also include Jamaica, St. Lucia, the Dominican Republic and The Bahamas.

Now, Port Antonio, Jamaica’s lush, tropical region full of luxury resorts and high end restaurants, is perhaps the only spot in the country that is primarily for couples. The rest of the island's tourism spots, Montego Bay, Negril and Ochos Rios, are all suitable for singles as well as couples and families. I would say Montego Bay would be the best singles spot in Jamaica for its great nightlife and affordable resorts.

St. Lucia is most likely a bit of a surprise since most people consider it a honeymoon and wedding destination. Although the island’s exposure on The Bachelor a few seasons ago cemented its position as one of the most romantic destinations in the Caribbean, its Rodney Bay district is one of the coolest hangout for singles I’ve seen in the Caribbean. In less than a two-block span, you will find at least 10 outdoor restaurants and bars playing music, attracting hundreds of tourists looking to dance the night away,

In the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata is probably more suitable for singles than couples-friendly Punta Cana, but don’t rule out the Hard Rock Punta Cana for an excellent girls' or guys' getaway. When I was there earlier in the year, I saw the most singles I’ve seen at a resort in the Caribbean in quite some time. This is most likely due to the chill, music scene the property endorses and the monthly concert series its promotes.

In The Bahamas, Paradise Island is excellent for both singles and families whereas the Exumas is where you will find couples. In Paradise Island, singles have Atlantis and other popular casinos to blow some steam off at as well as some great (and very affordable) nightlife spots.

These are just a few picks I came up with, but feel free to chime in with your own picks for best singles destinations in the Caribbean.
 

Travel to Cuba is Now Open ...and I Dont' See a Catch

With three tour operators making announcements to start sending U.S. clients to the once-forbidden destination of Cuba, it’s safe to say the news agents have been waiting to hear for decades has finally arrived.

You can send your clients to Cuba.

Your clients do not have to be a certain age, do not have to have family in Cuba and do not have to be students.

And the catch isn’t really a catch at all.

A trip there needs to be set up through an operator who’s been approved through either the People to People education program or an operator who's been approve to conduct religious education tours. The People to People initiative requires Americans to take part in various cultural experiences in Cuba, essentially, as the name implies, putting them in direct contact with the people of Cuba with hopes of learning about the way of life in the country.

But one can argue that these are usually activities a client visiting a country for the first time wants to do anyway. Now, you won’t be allowed to just sit on a beach sipping Mojitos for the entire trip, but how many of your clients do you think are going to want to do this anyway? Will they use their opportunity to visit a country they were never able to visit before just to do the same daily activities they could have done in other Caribbean islands for years?

And from reading most of the itineraries from the three operators who have already announced tours to Cuba, the cultural mandates seem to be very loosely interpreted. You won’t have to take classes there or dig ditches for a day. Instead a cultural experience can mean anything from meeting farmers who grow tobacco to driving to dinner in a 1950s classic American car.

With help from the Center for Caribbean Religion and Culture, for the first time, Globus will present travelers a rare opportunity to experience the enduring faith, colorful history and lively culture of this captivating nation with its new itinerary for 2012: Cuba: A Spiritual, Historical and Cultural Journey.

Insight Cuba got the tour operator ball rolling when it announced in late June that it was reauthorized by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to send Americans to Cuba.

Abercrombie & Kent will be offering trips through the People to People program, which was implemented by President Clinton in 1999 and suspended by President Bush in 2004 before President Obama resurrected the program this January.

Visit www.gocuba.ca.
 

Five-Star Asian Luxury Arrives in Paris

Richard Nahem, an ex-New Yorker living in Paris, leads private insider tours showing visitors the Paris most of them never see on their own (www.eyepreferparistours.com), and also writes a popular insider's blog at www.eyepreferparis.com.

There seems to be a spate of luxury hotels opening in Paris in the last few years. Discerning travelers now have options other than the purely Parisian Grand Dames like the Crillon, Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice. A long awaited Asian rival has recently opened its doors
 
Mandarin Oriental has always defined the luxury hotel in Asia and is now spreading its Eastern philosophy to Paris. The new property on the rue St. Honoré rubs elbows with upscale neighbors Hermés, Lanvin, Goyard and the Hotel Bristol.  Designer Sybille de Margerie has refurbished an Art Deco 30s gem and has reconfigured it to have the largest hotel rooms in Paris, averaging over 400 square each. Not only are the 138 rooms spacious, but they all have panoramic windows with some having terraces overlooking the lush courtyard garden. Thirty nine suites include the Suite Royal Mandarin, measuring over 4,000 sq. foot and on two levels, with a breathtaking 360 degree view of the rooftops and grand monuments of Paris including the Grand Palais, the Opera Garnier and the Louvre. The vast white and gold bathroom has the ultimate Parisian indulgence: a birds-eye view of the Eiffel Tower while taking a bath.
 
Two restaurants and a trendy bar are under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx. Sur Mesure, a gastronomic haute couture experience, is an intimate space with 45 seats and two menu selections of 9 or 13 dishes are printed on Japanese rice paper. Camelia is the more informal restaurant serving French cuisine. It has a light, airy, indoor space that spills into the gardens.  Bar 8 has specially made cocktails and the cozy interior has tones of warm browns and walls inlaid with Lalique crystals. For sweet lovers, the cake shop drips with mouthwatering French pastries to savor on the spot or they can be beautifully wrapped to take to your room.
 
A tranquil oasis away from the bustling city, the spa is entirely devoted to a holistic experience to promote the harmony of the mind and the body. The centerpiece is the long, languid 45-foot long indoor pool. Couples can indulge in three spa suites and each treatment begins with a private therapist consultation to determine the present state of well-being and the treatment and oils are then tailored to each guest. 
 
Parisian luxury doesn’t necessarily have to come from Paris.

Visit www.mandarinoriental.com

Gay/Lesbian Honeymoons for Married New Yorkers Could be Next Caribbean Trend

While they rejoiced and embraced equality as New York State voted to legalize gay marriage Friday night, I’m sure every member of the travel industry saw the dollar signs as well.

Not that New York City needs the tourism, but perhaps other tourism destinations would ride the monumental decision right to the bank and cash in on what should be expected to be an incredible spike in gay and lesbian honeymoons.

Sure, New York isn’t the first state to legalize gay marriage. But you didn’t hear about many hotel packages promoting the passage of same sex marriage in Iowa. To put it quite simply, New York commands more attention than any other city in the world. Further, from a tourism aspect, New York is perhaps the greatest source of tourism for Caribbean islands looking for that American dollar.

And on the first business day following the decision, Travel Agent already spotted the first package offered by a Caribbean hotel aimed at attracting gays and lesbians who tied the knot in New York.

In honor of the recent announcement that same-sex couples can legally marry in the state of New York, Kura Hulanda Resorts in Curaçao is offering newlyweds who present a valid New York marriage license a free upgrade and dinner for two when booking a four-night stay now until December 22.

“A progressive member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, on an island with a refreshing ‘live and let live’ vibe, the Kura Hulanda Resorts offer guests a heavy dose of culture, fine dining and city-life, all wrapped up in a gay-friendly, high-end village community,” said Jody DeLeon, director of sales and marketing for Kura Hulanda Resorts, said in a written release. “Kura Hulanda is the perfect destination for gay travelers looking to experience the beauty of the Caribbean.”

Rates start at $160 per night at Hotel Kura Hulanda and $140 per night at Lodge Kura Hulanda. To receive the free upgrade and a $200 food and beverage voucher which can be used at Japipur Restaurant and / or Watamula Restaurant, guests must show a valid marriage license and book a minimum four-night stay.

Visit www.kurahulanda.com.