Topics Include:
The “Travelers411” Radio Show is broadcastling live from the Hotel Melia Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ponce is located an hour and a half south of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says the city and municipality is “packed with museums, gorgeous architecture, history and culture”.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says that staying in a family owned and operated hotel enhances the experience of the guest as the atmosphere is different from “even the finest of corporately managed hotels”. She comments, “You make a bonded connection with the people who own the property”. Stephanie says she feels she has been adopted by the family who own and manage the Hotel Melia Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Nicolas Albors, the General Manager of the Hotel Melia Ponce, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. Stephanie says the property is reminiscent of hotels in Spain. Nicolas Albors’ wife’s grandfather was a Spanish immigrant as was Albors’ own grandfather. His family emigrated from Valencia, Spain where Stephanie says there is a Lladro factory. Lladro manufactures porcelain figures. Stephanie states, “What you save on the Lladro will pay for your trip to Spain”.
Nicolas Albors grandfather was a soldier during the Spanish-American war. After the conflict ended he decided to settle in Ponce and went into the shoe business. Albors was one of eight brothers and decided to split from the family business.
Nicolas Albors states that “Ponce has a unique character different from San Juan”. He says the area played an important role in the history of music as the Caribbean musical genre “danza” originated (within Puerto Rico) in Ponce. The city, he states, is important both politically and socially. He says those who emigrated from Spain wanted to move away from Spanish culture and have something of their own. Albors says that is how the city evolved and is one of the remarkable aspects of it. He says the city was considered once to be the second capital of Puerto Rico. Stephanie says the Ponce has its own personality and Albors says that despite the influx of cultures it is a distinctly Puerto Rican city. He says there is a sense of Puerto Rican pride associated with the development of the city.
Nicolas Albors says that the design for the Hotel Melia Ponce was inspired by a small hotel in Barcelona, Spain. Stephanie says that the tile on the second floor is similar to what you would see in an Old World Spanish hotel. She says the feeling of Europe is evident also in the layout of the property as one level up from the lobby there is an open air area. She says the architecture is a “unique mix of cultures with the Spanish influence reinvented”.
Nicolas Albors recommends travelers spend at least three nights in the city. He says guests should first visit the Museum of History of Ponce. The Hotel Melia Ponce is in the heart of the Historic District of Ponce and the museum is within walking distance of the property. Albors says another must-see attraction is the Serralles Castle Museum, a mansion located on top of Vigia Hill overlooking the city. Serralles Castle was built in the 1930’s by Juan Eugenio Serralles who founded the local rum producer Destileria Serralles. It’s most popular brand is Ron Don Q. Today the mansion serves as a museum with information on the rum industry in Puerto Rico.
Nicolas Albors says Ponce had the first port on the island that belonged to Puerto Rico. He states that there was a lot of contraband shipped there and as such many people were not paying taxes to the Spanish government. Others were attracted to Ponce because of the degree of freedom from the Spanish. Albors says they felt they could build it as a Puerto Rican city.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1165
For more information visit http://www.hotelmeliapr.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Jessica Portalatin, Assistant General Manager of the Ramada Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. The property has seventy guestrooms, six of which are located in a historic building that dates back to 1882. The hotel’s Lola restaurant is also located in the historic building. Adjacent to this is the new part of the property which opened July 1, 2009. The modern building is painted purple and blue. The historic building is characterized by its Spanish-style architecture and heavy use of woods.
Jessica Portalatin says the Ramada Ponce appeals to both corporate and leisure visitors. She says that one of the challenges travelers face in the city is that there is so much to do. Attractions include the Parque de Bombas, La Perla Theater, Guadalupe Cathedral, Ponce Art Museum, La Guancha Boardwalk, Tibes Ceremonial Park, Hacienda Buena Vista and the Serralles Castle and Virgia Cross (both situated on top of Vigia Hill overlooking the city). Jessica Portalatin says that almost everything is within walking distance of the hotel.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1168
For more information visit http://www.ramadaponce.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Maria Melia Albors, Owner and Matriarch of the Hotel Melia Ponce, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. Maria Melia Albors’ grandfather originally started the hotel. He was from Majorca, Spain and moved to Puerto Rico to take an accounting job. When he arrived he discovered that the owners of the business were in jail. He decided to settle in Ponce and opened a small grocery store and later a restaurant before starting the hotel.
Maria Melia Albors says that Ponce is called “the pearl of the south”. She says it is unique city because it has a more laid back atmosphere. Albors states, “We still take siesta”. She says that the people in Ponce are also incredibly warm.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1166
For more information visit http://www.hotelmeliapr.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Fun Facts:
The Puerto Rican national anthem was originally performed in the musical genre style of “danza” but was later altered.
Destileria Serralles makes the Captain Morgan Rum brand at its factory in Puerto Rico though the brand is owned by the company Diageo.
Ramada means “a shaded resting place” in Spanish.
Guests Include:
Nicolas Albors, Owner and General Manager, Hotel Melia Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.hotelmeliapr.com
Jessica Portalatin, Assistant General Manager, Ramada Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.ramadaponce.com
Maria Melia Albors, Matriarch of the Hotel Melia Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.hotelmeliapr.com
Topics Include:
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams states that her initial impression of Ponce, Puerto Rico was that she had stepped across the ocean to Spain. This is Stephanie’s first visit to the city and she says many travelers do not make it out of the greater San Juan area when they visit Puerto Rico. Stephanie says she was stunned by the gorgeous architecture of the city and notes also that the city streets were immaculately clean.
The “Travelers411” Radio Show is broadcasting from the wood paneled lobby reception area at the Hotel Melia Ponce. Stephanie says the property has the kind of ambience you would expect to find in a stately European hotel.
Amir Seneriz, Director of Tourism for the Municipality of Ponce, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. Amir Seneriz was born in a small town in the center of Puerto Rico. He said he always wanted to live in Ponce and knew that he would move to Ponce to pursue his university education.
The Hotel Melia Ponce is located across form the Plaza Las Delicias and the historic Firehouse Museum or Parque de Bombas. The Parque de Bombas was constructed in 1882 as the main exhibit for the Exhibition Trade Fair which Seneriz says displayed products important in commerce and trade at the time. It became the main dispatch station for Ponce’s firefighting operations in 1885. The building is made of mostly wood and is painted with red and black stripes. Seneriz states that these are the colors of Ponce. Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams noticed antique fire engines outside of the building which Seneriz says are from the 1920’s.
Stephanie comments on how clean the city streets are in Ponce. She arrived in the city at night but said that she was astonished at how the lamp lit streets looked “shiny”. Amir Seneriz states that this is made possible by municipality employees who work both night and day.
The Municipality of Ponce main attractions are concentrated in the downtown area of the city. The Museum of Puerto Rican Music has French-style architecture and was originally the residence of the Serralles-Nevarez family. The museum gives a chronological overview of music in Puerto Rico. It traces Puerto Rican musical origins and has Taino, Spanish and African musical instruments on display. The Municipality Band holds free weekly musical concerts on Sundays in the city’s main square.
While passing through the historic downtown at night Stephanie said she saw the Armstrong-Poventud Residence, a historic house designed by architect Maneul Victor Domenech that was built in 1899. As a cultural museum Amir Seneriz says the home has an exhibit that shows how the Armstrong family lived in the early nineteen hundreds. The patriarch of the home, Carlos Walter Armstrong, was a businessman and banker who also served on the Danish consul in Ponce.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169
For more information visit http://www.visitponce.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Raul Albors, Executive Manager of the Hotel Melia Ponce, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. In Spain there is a line of Melia brand hotels that Raul Albors says are not affiliated with the Puerto Rican property. Albors’ grandfather, Bartolo Melia, immigrated to Ponce from Majorca, Spain in 1890. Albors says that his grandfather started a small grocery store in the town square in 1893. Melia decided to build a house next to the market in 1895 which he later turned into a hotel.
Raul Albors says Hotel Melia Ponce is a historic landmark in the downtown of the city. He states that the hotel caters to both leisure and business travelers and updates to all the latest trends. It has Wi-Fi Internet, a business center and other standard technological amenities. Free breakfast served is daily from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM alongside a panoramic view of the city.
Raul Albors says the property is “colonial and charming”. He says that he and his family try and make guests feel at home. Raul Albors is the fourth generation of his family to operate the hotel and plans to pass the tradition on to his own children.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1167
For more information visit http://www.hotelmeliapr.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertorico
Bill Miller, Senior VP of Strategic Partnerships for Travelong, Inc., returns to the “Travelers411” Radio Show to talk about the services provided by CheapOAir.com. Miller states that CheapOAir addresses all travel needs especially with regards to providing affordable airfare. Miller states that CheapOAir.com has several databases which allow representatives to search millions of airfares and provide the traveler with the cheapest rates. CheapOAir.com has twenty four hour customer service.
Bill Miller lists rates available at CheapOAir.com for travel to Puerto Rico. The airfare is for Saturday March 20, 2010 with a return date of March 25, 2010. Miller says it is for a roundtrip flight to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico and does not include additional taxes: Boston $220 USD, New York City $ 194 USD, Philadelphia $ 275 USD, Pittsburg $276 USD, Chicago $247 USD, Baltimore/D.C. $222 USD, Charlotte $279 USD, Atlanta $250 USD, Tampa $247 USD and from South Florida it is $180 USD. Bill Miller lists roundtrip airfare available directly to Ponce (taxes not included): New York $206 USD Chicago $259 USD, Atlanta $247 USD and South Florida $270 USD.
Bill Miller says there are also great rates at CheapOAir.com for international airfare. He lists roundtrip flights not including taxes: Seattle to Shangri $553 USD, San Francisco to Beijing $765 USD and New York to London $620 USD. Bill Miller advises customers to book at least thirty five days in advance to receive the best rates.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1170
For more information visit http://www.cheapoair.com
Fun Facts:
The Parque de Bombas operated as a fire station until 1990.
The University of Puerto Rico at Ponce’s school motto is "¡Rojo y Negro Siempre!" ("Red and Black, Forever!").
Guests Include:
Amir Seneriz, Director of Tourism, Municipality of Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.visitponce.com
Raul Albors, Executive Manager, Hotel Melia Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.hotelmeliapr.com
Bill Miller, Senior VP of Strategic Partnerships, Travelong, Inc.
www.cheapoair.com
