SOL MELIA HOTELS
& RESORTS announced reopening dates for its hotels in
Cancun and Cozumel following Hurricane Wilma. According to the
hotel company, the Paradisus Riviera Cancun and the Melia Cozumel
will reopen on Jan. 14, the Gran Melia Cancun will reopen on March
31 and the Melia Turquesa will reopen on June 30. A number of
changes are also planned as the resorts reopen. The Gran Melia
Cancun, for example, will feature upgrades to its rooms, spa and
fitness center, and the addition of a sushi bar and lounge in the
main atrium. The resorts Royal Service Pyramid wing will become an
adults-only section. Sol Melia announced that its 1,679 employees
in Cancun and Cozumel will retain their jobs as its resorts work to
get back on-line following the hurricane. For more information or
reservations at any of the resorts, call (800) 33-MELIA or visit
www.solmelia.com
AMRESORTS, which operates 11 resorts in
Mexico and the Dominican Republic under the Secrets Resorts &
Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas and Sunscape Resorts & Spas
brand, also had news about its resorts affected by Hurricane Wilma.
The Sunscape Puerto Aventuras, which had just reopened after
repairs brought on by Hurricane Emily on Oct. 16, will reopen on
Dec. 12 after cleaning up in the wake of Hurricane Wilma. The
Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa, meanwhile, will reopen on Dec. 24.
Most recently, the Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun reopened last
week.
THE BOUTIQUE IKAL
DEL MAR Villa Resort and Spa, another Hurricane Wilma
casualty and member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, will offer
a five-night Welcome package as its reopens Dec. 16. The package
costs $2,399, double, for a villa with a private pool, roundtrip
airport transfers, daily breakfast, one spa treatment per person,
one dinner for two and a snorkeling tour. For information or
reservations, call (888) 230-7330 or visit www.ikaldelmar.com.
IN RELATED
POST-HURRICANE NEWS, Funjet Vacations, a leading tour
operator to Mexico, launched a Web log, or blog, dedicated to
providing agents and customers with updates on resort openings and
other tourism developments in the Riviera Maya, Cancun and Cozumel
as the destinations prepare for the high season in the wake of
Hurricane Wilma. The blog is located at http://rivieramayaupdate.blogspot.com It
features interviews with locals, photos and video of hotels and
tourism attractions in the affected area, as well as a forum for
discussion about the progress being made in the aftermath of the
hurricane. The blog offers travel agents and travelers an
alternative place to go for information that is current and that
they can trust, because its being updated [by people] who live and
work in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, said Tammy Lee, vice president
of corporate affairs for The Mark Travel Corp., Funjets
parent.
LOS CABOS
will celebrate its gastronomic attractions during the destinations
inaugural Culinary Festival of Los Cabos, scheduled for Dec. 2 to
10. The event will be organized around the zocalo, or town square,
with stands offering samples of traditional Mexican fare prepared
by 21 of the destinations top restaurants. The event will also
offer music and stands selling jewelry and arts and crafts. Tickets
to the culinary portion of the event cost $15. Throughout the week,
participating restaurants in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo
will offer specially priced menus, and the festival will culminate
on Dec. 10 with a Dinner in the Desert featuring a grill menu. For
more information, call (866) LOS-CABOS or visit www.visitloscabos.org.