With 2014 winding down, Travel Agent takes a look back at the biggest Mexico travel stories of the year, from the Hurricane Odile recovery effort to the latest hotel opening and renovation news.
1. Agents Talk Odile Recovery at Travel Impressions' "Best of the Best"
In late November Travel Impressions hosted its 19th annual "Best of the Best" gala event at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort, in Los Cabos, Mexico, where participants had a chance to view firsthand the destination's recovery from Hurricane Odile.
The event was held November 20 through 23.
"I really appreciated the time in Cabo," said Alex Sharpe, president and CEO, Signature Travel Network. "I thought that the city did a great job in rebuilding so quickly and the people of Mexico have always been so warm and welcoming, and now, even more so. As I tweeted out while I was there…Cabo is indeed back!"
2. El Dorado Maroma to Offer Nearly 60 Over-the-Water Suites in 2015
Back in November Travel Agent sat down with representatives of Karisma Hotels & Resorts and learned that its El Dorado Maroma, A Beachfront Resort, by Karisma property in the Riviera Maya, Mexico will soon be home to 58 new over-the-water suites.
The project has been in the making for five years, the time it took Karisma to obtain the necessary permits for building something as complicated as this.
3. Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa Opens
September kicked off with a bang in Cancun as AMResorts officially opened the doors to the extensively renovated Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa.
Set in Cancun’s Hotel Zone along a 650-foot stretch of beach, Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa is aimed at both couples and families. It has 438 rooms and features 24-hour room service, daily refreshed mini-bars and the brand’s Unlimited-Luxury experience. There are seven restaurants with six a la carte dining options and four bars and lounges, 24-hour concierge services, complete day and evening activities program and access to the Explorer’s Club for kids.
4. The Resort at Pedregal Wins Court Decision, Targets January 31, 2015, Reopening
Following a November 12 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, maintaining The Resort at Pedregal's operation as an independent resort, the luxury Los Cabos property announced that it is targeting a January 31, 2015, reopening date. The resort had been closed for renovations to repair damage sustained during Hurricane Odile.
In early November the property had been the center of a management dispute between the ownership and Capella Hotel Group (CHG), which had managed the property as the Capella Pedregal. The Resort at Pedregal's ownership had attempted to sever ties with CHG, alleging that the property had performed poorly under CHG's management and that CHG had withheld funds donated for the relief of The Resort at Pedregal staff affected by Hurricane Odile. CHG denied both of the owner's claims.
The property is taking the chance to renew many of its experiences during the closure, including the Champagne Terrace at the property's restaurant, El Farallon, along with signature Mexican folk healing treatments at the resort's spa, Luna y Mar.
5. New Mexico Travel Warning Includes Acapulco
Based on an existing situation involving protests following the disappearance of 43 students, the U.S. embassy in Mexico issued a new travel warning for the state of Guerrero that includes Acapulco in late November.
The new warning was issued in response to protests and violent incidents in Guerrero state in response to the disappearance of 43 students there.
The embassy issued guidelines for its personnel, which it also cautioned U.S. travelers to follow, to defer non-essential travel to Acapulco, by air or land, to include the federal toll road (“cuota”) 95D to and from Mexico City and Acapulco. Road travel in all other parts of the state remains prohibited. Travel by air to and from Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo is still permitted.
As of press time the travel warning is still active on the embassy's website.