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Special Offer Cancun

An exclusive offer is now available at the All Inclusive 5* Sapphire Resort in Cancun.

From only €1319pp price includes return flights all taxes and charges and 7 nights accommodation.

Price is based on 2 sharing and travel date is 15 May. For more information on this great Mexican holiday offer click http://www.touramerica.ie/deals.php

 

TripAdvisor names top US hotels for families

Travelling with your family? Hotel review website TripAdvisor has released its 2012 Traveller's Choice award-winning Hotels for Families.

This year, 504 properties were recognized in 25 destinations around the world, including the USA, Europe and Asia.

The winning hotels got the highest ratings among people who travelled with a family. TripAdvisor made their determination based on millions of reviews from travelers around the world.

Here are select lists of winners:

Top 10 U.S. Large Hotels and Resorts:

1. KeyLime Cove Resort and Water Park, Gurnee, Illinois

2.Rocking Horse Ranch Resort, Highland, New York

3.Hope Lake Lodge & Conference Center, Cortland, New York

4.Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Orlando

5.WorldQuest Orlando Resort, Orlando

6.Woodloch Pines Resort, Hawley, Philadelphia

7.Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa, Orlando

8.Marriott's Harbour Lake, Orlando

9.Floridays Resort, Orlando

10.Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim-Main Gate Area, Garden Grove, California

 

Legoland Opening in Florida

Legoland is opening in Florida this Saturday and is happy to tout itself as the only theme park in the area to aim specifically at kids from 2-12 years old.

It sports 50 attractions in 10 themed areas, including not-too-scary "pink knuckle" rides, live shows and interactive attractions. There are also lots of Lego sculptures - 50 million bricks' worth, life-size elephants in the Land of Adventure and a 20-foot-tall, 10-foot-wide Albert Einstein head beckons visitors into the Imagination Zone.

Sounds like fun huh? If you’re taking a U.S. family holiday to Florida put this one on your to-do-list and tell us all about it!

 

 

New Ferris Wheel for Las Vegas

Las Vegas is set to get a bigger American-style version of one of London's popular tourist attractions, the London Eye.

Next month, Caesars Entertainment plans to start digging to lay the foundation for a 550-foot-tall observation wheel behind the company's Imperial Palace and Flamingo hotels that it expects to open toward the end of 2013.

Taller than the 443-foot-tall London Eye wheel, the High Roller could give the Las Vegas Strip a new attraction and a potential boost as the tourist destination continues to try to recover from the recession and holiday makers increase.

The announcement comes as Las Vegas shows signs that it's coming back. “It's had 16 consecutive months of increases in visitors”, says Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“Gaming revenue for the Strip in June was about 7% higher than in June 2008”, says David Schwatrz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, although hotel occupancy remains down.

The giant Ferris wheel will be the most visible part of a quarter-mile-long, $550 million, open-air entertainment district area called the Linq, which will include shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. 

"It would be the centerpiece of a trip for a lot of people," Caesars CEO Gary Loveman says of the High Roller and the Linq. "They're looking for the next thing to do."

 

 

Visit San Francisco with Tour America

San Francisco is often revered as the coolest city in the U.S. with fantastic beaches, parks and nightlife. And lucky for you Tour America has fantastic holiday offers available right now for this vibrant American city. From just €540 per person you can visit San Fran for 5 nights with flights and 3 star hotel included, keeping your money to enjoy all the city has to offer.

For more information on this and other US destination offers see here.

 

Sleep under the stars in New York

 
Want to sleep under the stars in the city that never sleeps? Well now you can for just over €2K a night.

Until October 31^st (weather permitting) guests who book a penthouse at AKA Central Park on the 17^th floor of the 134-room hotel in New York City can ask staff to move their bed onto the 1,000sq ft wraparound terrace in front of a wood-burning fireplace.

They’ll also turn on outdoor mood music, offer champagne and cocktails, midnight snacks and a telescope for stargazing. Another reason to make New York your next holiday destination!

Top 10 Quirky Hotels

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Cheapflights.com has put together an interesting list of the top 10 quirky hotels. I think at least one of these should be added to everyone's bucket list!

Liberty Hotel, Boston

If you’re going to spend a night in jail, this is the place to serve your time. Acting as the Charles Street Jail in Boston starting in the mid-1850s, the Liberty Hotel at the foot of historic Beacon Hill was extensively renovated and opened in 2007. Sporting an ultra-stylish interior design, Italian restaurant and upscale lounge, the present-day hotel makes it hard to imagine it as a home for hardened criminals. Along with extensive in-room amenities boasting stunning views of downtown Boston, the Liberty hosts nightly events like fashion shows and parties.

Hotel de Glace, Quebec

Even though it’s built from snow and ice, Hotel de Glace in Quebec remains a red-hot place to stay. Completely rebuilt each winter, the hotel has 36 rooms and suites and is the only ice hotel in the Americas. It also boasts the famous Ice Bar, a perfect spot to warm up, where even the drink glasses are made from ice. More than 85,000 visitors take tours of the frozen accommodations each year, and 4,000 stay overnight. Guests get to choose from a wide array of winter activities including dog-sledding, snowshoeing, ice-skating and cross-country skiing.

Kennedy School, Portland

You won’t mind staying after school at the Kennedy School hotel in Portland, Oregon. A former neighborhood elementary school, the Kennedy was transformed into a luxurious and funky hotel, with guest rooms in former classrooms – complete with school-related décor like blackboards and coatrooms. After-school features include a restaurant, multiple bars, a brewery and a movie theatre. Set in an up-and-coming residential neighborhood, the Kennedy draws locals and visitors alike.

Desert Cave Hotel, Southern Australia

As the world’s only internationally rated underground hotel, Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy is an exciting change for surface-dwellers. Set in an opal-rich region of the Outback, the hotel is hewn from sandstone and stays cool and dry, and the luxurious rooms are perfect to return to after a long day exploring the scorching and beautiful surroundings. You’ll feel snugger than a baby kangaroo in its pouch when you turn in for the night under down under.

Dog Park Bark Inn, Idaho

This is no ordinary doghouse; it’s an inn in the shape of the world’s largest beagle, nicknamed Sweet Willy. The Dog Park Bark Inn has guestrooms inside the multi-level interior, including a sleeping alcove in the dog’s muzzle. Even toilets are shaped like fire hydrants. Located in Cottonwood, Idaho there are plentiful outdoors choices, such as the Lewis and Clarke trail, historic monasteries and whitewater rafting.

 

Library Hotel, NYC

You won’t run out of bedtime reading when you stay at the Library Hotel in New York City. The top-rated, luxury library-themed hotel has arranged its floors according to the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System – remember literature, history and math from back in the day? Guests choose from a room menu of sub-topics according to their interests, such as classics, astronomy or new media, complete with book selections. The Library includes an elegant great room and greenhouse as well – its Midtown location is ideal.

Jumbo Hostel, Stockholm

Jumbo Hostel gives a whole new meaning to sleeping on a plane, and you don’t need a ticket or to take off your shoes to board. A decommissioned 1976 Boeing 747 has been converted into a 27-room hostel on the grounds of Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. Completely rebuilt from the inside, Jumbo Hostel has “passenger” rooms in the cockpit and cabins, a bar and café, and a first-class lounge-turned- conference room that holds up to eight people – the next best thing to having your own 747.

Winvian, Connecticut

For a whimsical and eclectic stay, look at Winvian, located on 113 acres of rolling Connecticut countryside. Guests choose from 18 individually designed and themed cottages such as camping, golf, and maritime. The coolest one might the helicopter-themed cabin, built around a retired Coast Guard rescue chopper – the bar and lounge situated within the fuselage. There’s also a spa and restaurant, and an adjacent 4,000-acre conservation preserve to explore.

Rendezvous, Palm Springs

Visit the postwar boom era at the 1950s-themed Rendezvous in Palm Springs, California. Transformed from a roadside motel, the Rendezvous oozes kitschy-cool with pink flamingos, frosted glass, blue Astroturf poolside and Googi-inspired décor. Period-themed rooms are dedicated to 50s films and television, as well as Route 66, Elvis and James Dean.

Qbic Hotel, Amsterdam

If you want to stay in a hip, sexy hotel without blowing your budget, the ultra-chic Qbic Hotel in Amsterdam is the place. Its cutting-edge design is typically found in the most expensive of hotels around the world. The focus of each room is the Cubi, a cube-shaped living space complete with designer furnishings and individual mood-lighting schemes. Spending a night in your retro pad is like staying in a hotel from the future, and ideal whether your time in Amsterdam is spent in old museums or modern clubs and coffee shops.

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Ignite NYC

 

Macy's 4th of July fireworks display took place on the Hudson River this year.

 The annual fireworks display moved to the Hudson River two years ago in honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage.

This year's show design along the Hudson River celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

Trip Advisor Release Beach Etiquette Survey

Do you flaunt your assets on the beach or are you one of those shy retiring types, awkwardly undressing behind a giant towel?

This morning a beach etiquette survey of about 1,100 U.S. travelers was released by TripAdvisor. 78% of respondents think toplessness is OK in destinations where it's culturally acceptable with 6% saying "European" sunbathing is acceptable at any beach or pool.

Not surprisingly 85% of survey respondents think it is bad form to get up early and leave your towel on a sunbed and then not show up for hours. Only 11% of people admitted to doing this.

60% of respondents said they would like to see child-free zones at beaches and 72% want beaches to be pet-free.

When asked what the most annoying behavior was at the beach, the following results came out on top; blasting loud music (27%) and intoxication and littering (12% each).

At a crowded beach, 28% say six feet is the closest acceptable distance to sit next to a stranger; 28% say three feet.

And finally, 34% say it is an etiquette violation for a man to sport a Speedo.

 

Atlantic City Turns up the Heat

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Atlantic City is taking a sexy spin in their casinos with more servers in scanty outfits and titillating attractions.

As Wayne Parry of the Courier Post, N.J. reports: "Miss America and her tiara are gone, replaced by lingerie-wearing blackjack dealers, beverage servers in bustiers or fishnets, a million-dollar steakhouse/gentlemen's club and soon a 'Naked Circus.'

"Three casinos have bikini beach bars on the sand. Outside the gambling halls, there are a half-dozen strip clubs and a sex swingers/voyeurs club ... Even the famous New York strip club Scores wants to open a branch in a casino."

The emphasis on sex is a way to stand out on the increasingly crowded casino landscape.

"In our industry -- the casino and entertainment and hospitality business -- you want to provide things that are pleasing and exciting and fun," Dennis Gomes, co-owner of Resorts Hotel Casino told the Courier-Post. "One of the things that most people find pleasing, exciting and fun is sex."

 

Resorts here caused a stir by introducing skimpy flapper dresses for female staff, which led to lawsuits from older employees who say they were fired because they didn't look good enough in the outfits.

There will also be a "party pit" gaming area introduced soon at the Tropicana, where dealers will raise the excitement factor of gaming, as they do at some Vegas casinos. That's due at the Tropicana for Fourth of July, along with a "Naked Circus," an adults-only show where performers will don only pasties and g-strings.

"We've always looked to promote Atlantic City as a sensual destination, and we started to push the envelope a little more," Jeff Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Courier-Post. "But you have to balance it. At the end of the day, we are still a community that existed long before it was a casino town. We could never get away with "What Happens Here, Stays Here.'

Would the sex-factor bring you to Atlantic City for your US holiday?