Destinations
Luxury resort on Oahu North Shore has special offers
With almost five miles of beachfront, Turtle Bay Resort is a perfect place to enjoy Hawaiian coastal scenery, just 45 minutes from the energetic pulse of Honolulu and Waikiki city. Oahu's spectacular ocean views are on display from all of the resort's 443 units, including beach cottages, villas, guest rooms and suites. It now has offers of fifth, sixth and seventh night free available. Turtle Bay Resort features two landscaped pools, championship golf courses by Fazio and Palmer, tennis courts, horseback riding, hiking and mountain bike trails, a surfing school, dining and shopping. Nearby is...
JW Marriott Ihilani gets new GM
Marriott International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Paul Toner as general manager of the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina on Oahu. Toner assumed his new post Jan. 14, succeeding Dan Banchiu who is retiring after 32 years with the company. Most recently Toner was senior vice-president and chief operating officer of RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality, which he joined in 2008 following many years as a senior executive with Marriott International in the Hawaiian Islands. At the 387-room JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa, Toner will oversee and direct all aspects of the...
Big White Ice Tower back for second year of climbs
With no ice cliffs, ice falls or glaciers in sight, Big White Ski Resort has devised the next best thing, with its nearly-new ice tower a fixture of climbing action at the Okanagan mountain. Now in its second year of operation, the Big White Ice Tower is made by cross-bracing four 18-metre telephone poles and soaking the whole things in water to freeze in the Okanagan winter. The $20 fee for one climb includes boots, cramp-ons, ice tools, helmet and harness. For $55, climbers can spend the day on the tower....
Westin invites guests to say ‘I do’
Romantically inclined sorts are welcome to say "I do"to romance at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa. The resort's "Celebrations of Aloha"wedding centre helps couples create romantic events to celebrate their love. The "Intimate"wedding package provides the bride and groom with a personal wedding specialist to co-ordinate the event, choice of resort location, garden chairs for guests, fresh flower lei for the couple, a non-denominational officiant, wedding certificate and sunset dinner for two. Other packages include enhancements, such as a live music performance by a solo Hawaiian or...
Hot breakfast included
Kelowna, BC's Best Western Plus Wine Country Hotel & Suites has implemented Best Western's new enhanced hot breakfast selections for guests. The Best Western brand has announced a new comprehensive breakfast buffet menu featuring the addition of new hot menu items that includes eggs, and hot breakfast meat in addition to freshly cooked waffles. Close to all the attractions in West Kelowna, the hotel is ideal for business, leisure or group travellers. This new-build, 100% non-smoking hotel features spacious suites with flat-screen TVs, refrigerators and microwaves. There is an indoor pool with...
PCC enhances agent booking system
The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) has made a significant upgrade to its agent booking system. "PCC Agent"now allows travel agents to easily book reservations at one of Hawaii's top attractions seamlessly from anywhere in the world. With a few clicks, agents can send clients on a winding canoe tour through the PCC's 42 acres, on a cultural journey through six island villages, to a feast at the Alii Luau or the newly renovated Gateway or through a captivating tale at the evening show Ha: Breath of Life. PCC Agent places an emphasis on travel agency integration. The new system makes it easier...
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver gets new GM
Andre Zotoff, a 35-year veteran in the hotel industry, has been appointed the new general manager at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. A native of Munich, Germany, Zotoff began his career in hospitality as a culinary apprentice in 1977 working for top toques in Munich, Germany. Following his apprenticeship, he joined the Inter-Continental Hotels kitchen brigade as Sous Chef at the Hotel InterContinental in Berlin, Germany. In 1990, Andre headed to Canada as Executive Chef of the InterContinental, Toronto. It was then into the United States as Regional Director, Food & Beverage for...
1,600-year-old Byzantine bathhouse discovered in Israel
The remains of a 1,600-year-old Byzantine bathhouse were exposed last month during an excavation project by the Israel Antiquities Authority near Moshav Tarum, outside of Jerusalem. The 19.5-by-19.5-metre bathhouse includes the frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium (warm room) and caldarium (hot room), as well as a courtyard attached to its northeast section. The bathhouse is believed to have been used as an inn situated on an ancient road running along Nahal Harel through the southeastern Ayalon Valley, or as part of a wealthy country estate. "Bathing in bathhouses during the Byzantine period...