Topics Include:
The Ringling brothers, founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus (which became the “Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus” in 1907), decided to settle in Sarasota, Florida making it a fashionable place to vacation and relocate to in the early 20th century. In 1927 John Ringling, the most successful of the seven brothers, chose to make Sarasota the circus' winter headquarters. John built an estate in the city with a 30-room mansion and also a museum to house his extensive art collections. He and his brother Charles were instrumental in the modern development of Sarasota.
Mark Becker, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sarasota joins the show to discuss his property and its unique location. The hotel is nestled in the cultural district of Sarasota on the coast. The hotel just completed a 20 million dollar renovation. All 294 guestrooms and suites were remodeled as were the lobby, fitness center, restaurant and meeting spaces. The overall design is a Lily Pulitzer inspired theme. Pulitzer was a 1940's New York socialite and designer. There is a store in her honor in the city.
Another nearby attraction is Saint Armand's Circle. It contains the “Ring of Fame” monument, a series of bronze plaques along the circled outer edge of Central Park. The plaques pay tribute to those who made contributions to the circus. The area of Armand is also renowned for its ice cream shops.
The hotel has thirty two marinas. Guests with boats can choose to dock and overnight aboard their own vessel or stay at the hotel. Half of the guestrooms at the property have private balconies and the other rooms in the other half have bay windows. All rooms either have an ocean or bay view. Mark Becker recommends perusing the hotel's website to get a virtual tour of the hotel.
Becker was recently wed in Ireland. His marriage took place in one of Stephanie's favorite Irish towns, Spittle. Becker's wife is from County Galway. His brother-in-law owns a five bedroom guesthouse in Doolin called the Cliffhouse. It is situated on the coast with stunning ocean views.
In conjunction with a recent marketing package by JetBlue that Hyatt Regency Hotel is offering a $99 USD rate until October 8. This includes breakfast.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=634
For more information visit http://www.hyatt.com
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The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota is located on the bay near downtown Sarasota right before crossing the causeway headed to Saint Armands Circle and Lido Beach. James McManemon, General Manager for the hotel, joins the show. The property opened November 2001 and has been consistently developing since. There is now a member's beach club on site, a Tom Fazio golf course, condominiums and a spa. Stephanie says that it is a destination that uniquely encapsulates grace and charm.
Ritz-Carlton management has recognized that many people have less disposal income in the current economy and also that time is a valuable commodity. They are consistently offering rates with value in mind. Sarasota has received awards for having the best beaches in the world including Lido Beach (voted best renourished beach) and the Ritz Carlton is rated the number one for beaches in the Ritz Carlton chain. Expedia.com also named the hotel the number one hotel in the US and number three in the world in terms of value and standards. Stephanie says the Ritz-Carlton is a brand you can count on for delivery of a quality product.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=635
For more information visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com
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JetBlue Airways is consistently striving to improve their customer's experience. A feature that Stephanie especially likes is that they provide thirty eight inches of space in front of your seat for legroom. Morgan Johnston, Manager of Corporate Communications of JetBlue joins “Travel with Stephanie Abram” to discuss the “All You Can Jet” promotional pass. For $599 USD customers can fly for free as much as they want between September 8 and October 8, 2009. The pass is good wherever JetBlue flies. Fall is a slow period for the industry and the company saw a chance to firstly increase loads but also give customers an opportunity to experience their product. Sales have ended as the pass was extremely popular and agents didn't want to overload the airlines during the month period.
JetBlue offers thirty six channels of DirectTV onboard their flights and have some amazing rates available year round.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=630
For more information visit http://www.jetblue.com
Virginia Haley, President of the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau says that Sarasota, Florida is a great area for “hidden away entertainment”. Visitors will find that not only is the city's main street full of activity options but there is much to be found throughout the area. Haley says it offers “urban amenities in a beautiful gulf setting”. There is also a level of culinary excellence in Sarasota that seems to go hand in hand with the vibrant art scene. Visitors can choose to use a guide to fish in the area or visit one of the many farmers markets to buy fresh fish straight off of the boat.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=631
For more information visit http://www.sarasotafl.org
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Fun Facts:
Ringling Boulevard was named in honor of Charles Ringling because of his many civic activities in the Sarasota, Florida community.
John Ringling lost his fortune during the Great Depression but was able to keep his house and his art. At his death he willed his mansion, museum and his entire art collection to the state of Florida.
There were seven Ringling brothers in the Ringling family. The seven brothers also had one baby sister, Ida Ringling.
Guests Include:
Mark Becker, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sarasota, Florida.
www.hyatt.com
James McManemon, General Manager, Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida.
www.ritzcarlton.com
Morgan Johnston, Manager of Corporate Communications, JetBlue Airways.
www.jetblue.com
Virginia Haley, President, Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sarasota, Florida.
www.sarasotafl.org
Topics Include:
Stephanie loves castle hopping. She says you need to step inside the feeling of another century to truly enhance your travel experience. Ashford Castle in County Cong embodies that experience and has on its property also a lake, river and premiere golf course. Both the town and property were featured in the classic John Ford movie the Quiet Man. No two castle experiences are exactly alike but Stephanie says Ashford is especially unique because visitors have to cross a long drawbridge. She says it's an unbeatable “experience of entry”.
Before you arrive at the drawbridge you come around what General Manager Niall Rochford calls the “WOW” corner. This is the spot in the road leading up to the property where visitors first get the view and vista of the castle in the foreground and the lake in the background. Rochford says it is an experience “700 years in the making”. The current owners understand that their position is one of custodianship and they strive to maintain the estate and also work to restore the castle grounds. It is however not a museum piece but rather is extremely comfortable and inviting. There are members of the staff at Ashford Castle who have been working at the hotel for the last thirty years. Rochford says that the property offers a unique product and unique people.
There are 83 guestrooms within the castle. These include standard rooms, deluxe rooms, state rooms (high ceilings four poster beds and fireplaces) and also suites. There are 350 acres of grounds though the castle at one time had 26,000 acres. The property is the ancestral home of the Guinness family starting with Sir Benjamin lee Guinness. It was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family following their defeat of the O'Connors, the Royal House of Connacht.
Ashford Castle is celebrating its 70th year as a hotel in 2009. Events in honor of this anniversary include a night in October where a master brewer will be present at the hotel. 2009 is also Guinness's 250th anniversary. The evening will include a selection of all different flavors of Guinness. Also in October is the world exclusive launch of the hotel's new cocktail the “Arthur Bellini” which adds Guinness to the classic drink.
There are many activities offered at the hotel. Salmon gush through the river late morning and early evening and many guests choose to fish. There is also falconry, archery, horseback riding, clay pigeon shooting, golfing and boating. The estate can easily be a visitor's base for a whole week. Large corporations often choose to take the hotel over for a few days at a time for conferences and conventions due to its size and location. Stephanie says the food, presentation of food, and service is all exceptional.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=629
For more information visit http://www.ashford.ie and http://www.discoverireland.com/us/westcoast
The Castlemartyr Resort is a luxury property located twenty minutes from Cork City in the east of the county. The town of Castlemartyr is situated on the coast and is adjacent to Middleton, County Cork which is famous for its whiskey. The estate is 210 acres and consists of a 13th century castle, a 17th century manor house and several modern buildings. The castle is a derelict structure but the manor house has been consistently in use. It served as a boy's boarding school between 1926 and 1996. In 1997 the property underwent redevelopment. It opened as a hotel in 2007 under the Capella organization.
In April 2009 the hotel reopened again as part of the Dromoland Collection. November to April was a period of restructuring for the property. It opened during a difficult market but has been doing very well. It is directly associated with Dromoland Castle which is located in County Clare within minutes of Shannon Airport. The hotel mirrors the standards of hospitality and services that the Dromoland Castle is famous for.
The Castlemartyr Resort has 103 bedrooms as well as 43 self-catering lodges. There is a spectacular golf course and spa on site. In addition to its historical structures, the hotel also has a modern section of buildings where the spa, conference facilities and most of the bedrooms are located. The bedrooms are stunning in decoration, large but with incredible detail. The Capella group has ties back to Ritz Carlton so the standards are on par with that brand. There are marble bathrooms, detailed lighting, incredible finishes, very comfortable bedding and wireless internet throughout the property.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583
For more information visit http://www.castlemartyrresort.ie and http://www.dromolandcollection.ie
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Fun Facts:
Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness was the son of Arthur Guinness who founded the Guinness brewery in 1759.
In 1914 the Guinness brewery was the largest in the world. It encompassed 64 acres.
The counties of Mayo and Cong share a bridge. There is a border line that runs through the middle.
Guests Include:
Niall Rochford, General Manager, Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo, Ireland.
www.ashford.ie
Andrew Phelan, General Manager, Castlemartyr Resort, County Cork, Ireland.
www.castlemartyrresort.ie
www.dromolandcollection.ie
Topics Include:
There has been a recent trend for business to cut back on business travel. The rationale is that you can get things accomplished via fax, video conference, email or by sending documents by courier. Stephanie says that none of that is as useful as in person meetings facilitated by travel. Furthermore, for large corporate gatherings away from home home representatives need to be restored and revitalized before entering a meeting. There are brands within the industry you can rely on to consistently get this kind of result.
The Fairmont San Jose, San Jose, California contains eight hundred and five rooms. Seventy five of these are suites and three are presidential. Cyril Isnard, General Manager of Fairmont San Jose says that the property is like a “luxury cruise ship minus the sea sickness”. The property is in the heart of the Silicon Valley, fifty minutes south of San Francisco. It is an hour and a half drive from Monterrey. In the area guests can enjoy the Santa Cruz Mountains filled with wonderful vineyards.
The property receives many business clients during the week but during the weekends and holidays the Fairmont is “San Jose's little darling” says Isnard. The hotel hosts major events in the community including engagement parties, celebration dinners, bar mitzvahs and weddings. There are six restaurants on site including a California cuisine restaurant for breakfast and lunch, a wonderful bar and grill, a seafood restaurant and an Asian restaurant featuring traditional Mandarin and Szechwan fare as well as sushi. The hotel also has a pastry shop open seven AM through eleven PM and a coffee corner. There are three food bars, a lobby lounge which features live entertainment nightly and dancing lessons on Fridays and Saturdays. There are also four sidewalk cafes between the two buildings that comprise the hotel.
The Fairmont is a pet friendly property. The hotel will take pets up to forty pounds but do not bother to weigh them at check-in. If guests with pets call ahead, the staff at the hotel will prepare their room with bedding for the animals and also treats.
San Jose has an abundance of entertainment and activities in the city including (says Isnard) “shopping as a contact sport”. There are also several unique museums: the Rosicrucian, the Winchester Mystery House and the Tech Museum of Innovation. The Tech hosted a show last year of Leonardo Da Vinci called “500 Years into the Future”. This October, starting the 23rd, there will be a Star Trek exhibition that extends this idea. It will include original costumes, genuine props and recreations of sets from all five television series and all Star Trek films. Star Trek was grounded in real scientific fact and the exhibit seeks to illustrate how the imagined narrative can teach people about real science. There is an authentic USS Enterprise command bridge and a motion flight stimulator ride. The Tech is located directly across the street from the Fairmont. Staff of the hotel expects great attendance during the exhibit period. The show will last through the holidays into January.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=633
For more information visit http://www.fairmont.com/sanjose
The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts is beautifully ornate and refurbished to modern standards. Its period of renovations included the construction of wide comfortable seating. The theater hosts a variety of events, some of them highly cultural. The fall season includes several unique performances. “Diva Nation”, a concert event by ensemble group “Four Bitchin' Babes” plays November 7th. The four talented performers currently in the group are Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith, Deidre Flint and Nancy Morgan. David Sedaris will also appear at the venue as will Dave Brubeck. Stephanie saw him at Tanglewood a couple of summers ago and says he still demonstrates a vibrancy and enthusiasm for the music he performs. The musicians that surround him are amazingly talented as well.
Also at the Colonial is Dan Riley's show “I'm a Boomer Baby”. The performance includes parodies of some of the great songs from the 60's and early 70's. David Fleming, Executive Director of the Colonial, says Riley does a fantastic Roy Orbison. Saturday October 10, 2009 will feature the great Richie Haven. This will finish the theatre's summer tribute to Woodstock.
The Colonial Theatre has a rich and illustrious history. Actress Sarah Bernhardt performed there seven times. At the beginning of the 20th century every famous traveling troupe of performers that passed through Pittsfield played the Colonial. Performers include the Barrymores, George M. Cohan, and Lunt and Fontanne. Fleming says that it is a “tiny jewel box of a theater”. Its architect built over three hundred playhouses throughout America. Most were gas lit and either burned or were torn down. The Colonial remains. George M. Cohan once said of the theater “I can stand on the stage and whisper and be heard in the last row”.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=632
For more information visit http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org
CheapOStay is offering some amazing rates for people looking for domestic land stays. October 5th through the 8th there are four star hotels available for under $99 USD a night in major cities. This is per room not including local taxes. The Double Tree Tampa West Shore Hotel is available for $86 USD. The Myrtle Beach Premier Resorts at Barefoot Resort is being offered for $92 USD. The International Plaza Resort in Orlando is available for $54 USD a night per room.
There also great rates internationally. Mexico is trying to rebound its tourism and there is a five star property in Cancun being offered for $66 USD a night.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=561
For more information visit http://cheapostay.com
Fun Facts:
Four Bitchin Babes has rotating membership of performers. Most have had solo careers prior to joining the quartet.
Actress Sarah Bernhardt was renowned for her dramatic performances which earned her the nickname “the Divine Sarah”. She famously owned a coffin and is said to have slept in it some nights to help her better understand her tragic roles.
Guests Include:
Cyril Isnard, General Manager, Fairmont San Jose, San Jose, California.
www.fairmont.com
David W. Fleming, Executive Director, The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
www.thecolonialtheatre.org
Nadir Syed Ali, Director of Online Marketing, CheapOStay.
www.cheapOstay.com
