Showers, a deluge and A-1 sun in Hamilton and lovely Southampton, Bermuda

BERMUDA - You think it’s hard being a weather man in Toronto? Imagine being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – or close to it – and in the paths of hurricanes in fall.

Yeah, being a weather predictor in Bermuda can be difficult.

“We get four seasons in a day,” a cab driver told me Friday night. Yeah, well, not quite four in the Canadian sense. But you get the picture.

It was raining lightly when I got up in St. George’s in the morning, but it wasn’t’bad so I got few shots of some of the fun streets around town. I got a cab to Hamilton (see photo at left) from my day one cabbie and good guy/tour guide Irving Butterfield, and then got a tour of the capital from another good guide, Larry Rogers.

"Bermuda is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," he said. "It's mostly good, with a little bad." Pause. "And I'm ugly."

Rogers showed me some of the nice neighbourhoods out Pitts Bay Rd., and also some “normal” areas where average Bermudians find houses for the “average” price of $800,000. He also drove me up to Fort Hamilton so I could admire the fortifications and the dry moat and the terrific views of the harbour (see photo below right) and downtown Hamilton, which is not in Hamilton parish, just FYI.

After my tour, I wandered around the capital for a while, climbing the 155  a steps (two down and 153 up the friendly ticket-taker/guide at Holy Trinity told me). Apparently the church was designed by a Scottish architect who also drew up plans for three churches in Newfoundland. There’s a fine view from on top and it’s not a hard climb.

Hamilton is a bustling, lively town with a nice harbour and fun shops along Front St.; everything from t-shirt shops to Louis Vuitton and Longchamp, plus lively pubs like Flanagan’s. I checked out some shops for t-shirts but not for long. Rather than do the typical tourist thing, I opted to explore the “back of town” area of Hamilton, which features the wonderful Jamaican Grill plus Dub City records and other Caribbean-influenced shops.

Rogers explained to me that marketing types now want to call it “Uptown” as it’s up the hill from the harbour, the thinking being that “back of town” sounds somehow shady or dangerous.

Shawn Thomas at Jamaica Grill told me the jerk chicken wouldn’t be ready for a while, so I had brown-stewed chicken and rice and peas with some home made scotch bonnet pepper sauce. YUM. Oh, and a ginger beer, too.

I checked out Victoria Park and Queen Elizabeth Park, which I prefer to Victoria and is right downtown, steps from the water. Queen Elizabeth Park also has a nice, little museum on Bermuda history.

It was then time to take the Fairmont ferry from the Princess hotel in town to the Fairmont Southampton, which is mid-island and close to fabulous Horseshoe Beach. The weather was nice when we departed but 10 minutes in the rain started. And kept going.

By the time we reached the dock near the Fairmont Southampton it was an absolute deluge; sideways rain and high winds and no way to get the 50 metres from the boat to the Fairmont shuttle bus without getting drenched.

Water was pouring off the side of the road near the harbour as if there were four or five miniature Niagara Falls, and the road had a metre of water on it.

After 20 minutes of huddling on the boat waiting for the storm to dissipate we noticed a small break in the action. I grabbed my two bags and dashed. I got wet but not quite drenched and felt pretty good. Until I looked around the bus shelter and realized my knapsack with my camera gear was back on the boat. Sigh.

I checked into the hotel, which is mostly quite good, and, of course, an hour later the sun came out and it was glorious and hot. So I caught the shuttle down the hill to the beach at the Fairmont, a lively and pretty spot that sits on a hill overlooking the harbour and also the south beaches on Bermuda.

The main hotel beach, Whale Bay, is small but lovely, with jagged rocks that protect swimmers from most of the big waves that can often arrive from the south. The cabana bar was inexplicably closed at 5 pm and I had to beg someone to serve me a beer at the restaurant, but other than that it was fine.

I had dinner at Mickey’s, a restaurant that sits on the edge of Elbow Beach a few minutes east of the Fairmont. You dine under cover but you’re right on the sand, maybe 15 meters from the surf. Very nice. They do a fabulous grilled seafood platter with scallops, shrimp, salmon, local fish, octopus and tender calamari, plus veggies and mashed potatoes, for $38. And they make a very good Bermuda Triangle drink with two kinds of rum plus pineapple and orange juice.

After that it was time to check out downtown Hamilton. The place buzzes on a Friday night, and I checked out a couple bars in the name of research. First Flanagan's, which is on the second floor and has a nice balcony patio with lots of tables where you can sit and look out on Front St. (see photo at left) and the harbour. Down the road is a more upscale option called the Onion, "onion" being a term for folks born and raised on Bermuda. It was quite the happening place; with the feel of Earl's or The Keg meets Sassafraz, if you like. Nice drinks with names such as Pink Panties and The Black Banana, it's definitely the local meat market from what I could see.

A very long and busy day, with a real mix of weather. But those are the days we often remember most, aren’t they?

 

Raining on my Bermuda parade, but hoping for better luck on Friday/Saturday

BERMUDA - So, apparently Dark and Stormy isn’t just the name of a popular drink in this island nation.

Ba-doom-boom.

Okay, so it really was a fairly decent day overall. It’s just that I had desperately wanted a hot, clear sky and plenty of sunshine and ended up with almost no sun and a reasonable amount of drizzle. And it's raining again this morning as I type up my notes.

Still, my half-day on this lovely island was a pretty decent start to a long-weekend. And it looks like we might get a break this afternoon or maybe Saturday afternoon.

I landed Thursday and was immediately struck by the colourful houses on the way from the airport to my apartment in the town of St. George’s. There was watermelon pink, fuschia, Delft blue, granny smith apple green, French’s Mustard yellow and lots more. Flaming red hibiscus, deep pink oleander and lots more flowers. Palm trees. And, oh, yeah, that famous Bermuda water. It really is stunning water down here; ultra-high-octane aquamarine that’s just so easy on the eyes.

I spent an hour or so knocking around St. George’s (see photo), checking out Diana Amos’ nice water colours and having a fried grouper sandwich at Tavern on the Sea (decent food, great views) and taking photos before catching a shuttle up to Fort Saint Catherine, on the northeast tip of Bermuda. It’s a great old fort with tons of cannons and even some World War II artillery, just in case the Germans had decided for a little summer vacation during the Great War part deux.

I decided to walk back to the town of St. George’s along the coast, but not before stopping for a Ginger Ale (honest, that’s all I had) at the St. George’s Beach Club, next to the fort. There’s a restaurant on a cliff overlooking a small but lovely beach, with craggy, jagged rocks and that beautiful water. Better is a small tiki bar down below. Yesterday it was manned by Ross (see photo below right), who used to work at Marriott Hotels and then at the Tucker’s Point Golf Course but now sells pop for $3.50 and cold beers for $7 in front of a lovely, golden stretch of sand.

Yeah, it could be worse. Like, my Canon G12 died. Again. It's the second one I've lost in seven months and I'm beginning to think I'm cursed. It's a fabulous camera when it works, with a wonderful lens that's way better than my Canon SLR Rebel. Still, when they keep having lens errors like this I think it's time to quit Canon for something else.

Anyway, the walk back to the town along the coast from Fort Saint Catherine is a great one. Instead of fancy hotels and gardens, I passed average homes and a dairy farm with goats that came to greet me and a stable and fields with contented Jersey cows and yards with hens clucking about, all of that just yards from pounding surf surging onto jagged, black rocks.

Very, very cool and a slice of old-time Bermuda for sure.

There are two more forts on the way back to town; Alexandra Battery and the tiny Gates Fort, which is set on a point where the St. George's harbour meets the ocean. Both are small but fun to check out.

Back in town I had dinner at Wahoo’s Bistro and Patio. It was fine, but nothing to write home about. Stupidly, I gazed at the menu and asked my server what “BDA Traingle” stood for. Uh, dummy, that would be BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

Oh. Yeah.

Anyway, it was three kinds of local fish: wahoo, mahi-mahi and rockfish. One was broiled (good), one was fried (not bad) and the other was breaded and deepfried. Tender but not so healthy, I’d think. It came with decent but bland rice and peas and also with good cole slaw and yummy plantains. I had conch fritters for an appetizer with pineapple salsa. The salsa was good but the conch fritters needed more spice and more conch.

Anyway, with one glass of wine (such restraint!) it came to $63, including a mandatory 15 per cent tip. Yikes. Just down the road is thelegendary White Horse Tavern. It’s probably rocking when the cruise ships are in town. But on a Thursday night in September it was deader than a Liberal Party convention in Calgary. I tried a Rum Swizzle, with local Goslings rum and tropical fruit juices. Pretty good, but not quite stellar.

I stayed Thursday night at a fun little apartment/house called The Crooked Elbow. Mark Rowe and his mother, Anne, run the place and it’s got a massive sitting area with a fireplace, a living room, a small kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom for about $150 a night in high season, with a five night minimum. It's $140 a night in September and drops to $110 in winter.

They have a small patio that fronts onto a nice yard; a perfect spot for your morning coffee or evening Dark and Stormy. The drink that is, not the weather.

It’s located at 5 Shinbone Alley, and what a great name is that? The town of St. George’s is filled with fun names, actually; Printers Alley and Barber's Alley and Aunt Peggy's Lane and more

It’s a fun part of Bermuda and one you shouldn’t miss next time you make the trip. And make the trip you should. Even if you can't predict the weather.

 

Look for Bermuda postings Friday and Saturday, plus Twitter @jimbyerstravel

Up at 4:30 a.m. to water my garden and take out the recycling prior to a 6 a.m. cab to Pearson. Oh, the glamour of it all!

Got an 8:30 a.m. Air Canada flight to lovely Bermuda for what will be my first time on the island. It's only three days but I hope to do a bit of touring around, check out some hotels and beaches and funky towns and hop on a moped for a bit. Oh, and snorkeling of course, at least once or twice.

I'm in St. George's tonight at the Crooked Elbow B and B, then the Fairmont Southampton (gotta keep the Canadian companies afloat, you know).

No time to post a real blog today, so count this as a coming attractions. At least I got onto the wi-fi at Pearson (thanks for the free service, guys).

My Blackberry power cord took a 3-day vacation to Vancouver, but I was able to find a Blackberry charger (after rifling through a couple boxes for the right fit) at the Relay shop at Pearson. So thanks for that, guys.

Anyhow, any suggestions on Bermuda feel free to drop me an email at jbyers@thestar.ca. I'll be filing a blog Friday and on Saturday or Sunday, too, plus another one Monday I suspect. And I'll be on Twitter if I can get the Blackberry juiced up. YOu can follow me on Twitter @jimbyerstravel if you're so inclined.

Thanks and Happy Thursday.

 

$2,500 per night hotel in Sardinia, Italy, plus iPads at the new Four Seasons TO

There are stories in the newspapers today about Burberry having troubles. Some folks seem worried about the fate of luxury products given the troubles in China and Europe.

But there also are plenty of signs that the rich are doing just fine, thank you. A study by luxury-hotels.com finds that Le Dune, Forte Village Resort in Sardinia is the most expensive in the world, at a whopping AVERAGE rate of $2,539 per night.

I looked on the website this morning and found places for $400 a night. But it turns out I didn't have Le Dune but another Forte Village property. Mea Culpa, as they say in Sardinia. When I just now looked at the site again and narrowed in on Le Dune, I found rooms in September for $2,049 a night; not far off the luxury-hotels figure.

A spokesperson for the luxury-hotels.com site told me the survey is based on prices from June to August, when Europeans (and many of us North Americans) like to travel. So prices could easily be less right now.

Anyhoo, the property looks stunning, and they even have night-time massages on a floating "dock" in the pool.

Here's what the website has to say about the place:

One enthralling experience rapidly follows another at Forte Village. Each day, a host of extra-special opportunities compete for your attention. Whether you're travelling as a couple, with a young family or with teenagers, we can promise you a warm Sardinian welcome and a wealth of unique experiences. With elegant rooms, bungalows, suites and villas, up to 21 restaurants and activities for all ages and interests, this is the resort for everyone who demands everything. This exceptional range of places to stay and things to do means that you can create your own personal holiday, safe in the knowledge that we'll guarantee total discretion and the utmost security. Confirming our promise of a truly unique experience, top international travel agents have voted Forte Village The World's Leading Resort for each of the past 14 years.

For what it's worth, and I'm not sure I can agree with the study given the rate I found for Le Dune, here are the remaining top 10 most expensive hotels:

2. Royal Mansour, Marrakech Morocco: $2,060

3. Hotel Pitrizza, Sardinia: $2,041

4. Villa del Parco, Sardinia: $2,031

5. Amankora and Spa, Paro, Bhutan: $1,910

6. Hotel Cala di Volpe, Sardinia: $1,904

7. Hotel Romazzino, Sardinia, $1,850

8. Maia Luxury Resort and Spa, Anse Louis, Seychelles: $1,692

9. Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia: $1,665

10. Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, $1,651

I knew there were nice places in Sardinia, but three of the top four most expensive places IN THE WORLD? And five of the top seven? How is that possible? Do the resorts all have those vibrating beds with the magic fingers or something? Is there hot and cold running champagne? What's up, Sardinia?

For the record, there was nothing in North America in the top 20.

FOUR SEASONS TORONTO GETS WITH THE TIMES

The new Four Seasons Toronto in Yorkville, which is accepting reservations for October, is making a major move in the right direction for techies. According to techvibes.com, they'll be adding iPads to each room. Four Seasons also, apparently, is adding free Wi-Fi that will be available company-wide in hourse cars, limos and all rooms.

That's about right. I mean, if you're paying hundreds of dollars a night for a room one doesn't expect to slather on an additional $15 or $20 for Internet, which most of us rely on day and night these days and can hardly be treated as an "extra" any longer. I've said it before, but if you're going to charge for the Internet at a hotel you may as well put a coin slot on the shower to get hot water in the morning.

TORONTO PEARSON "STREET FESTIVAL"

I don't remember hearing about this last year, but this coming Saturday, Sept. 15, is the 2nd annual Toronto Pearson/GTAA Street Festival.

It's a clever idea on the part of the folks who run our local airport (the bigger one), where folks can come out and check out airport equipment, get bus tours that take you alongside some of the massive planes they have and "meet the people who keep Toronto Pearson running smoothly." (Editorial comment from me: "the people who keep Toronto Pearson running smoothly for the most part, except the baggage handlers who take so long to get my g.d. suitcase off the plane. End of editorial comment.)

There's also a kids' zone, a food tent and live entertainment. The journeys begin at the GTAA Administration Building, 3111 Convair Dr., Mississisauga. Register now and you can enter the Ultimate Airport Tour contest.

They had 1,500 folks come out last year and pre-registration is already nearly double that amount, said spokesman Scott Armstrong.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

AIR CANADA TIMELINE

To help celebrate its 75th anniversary, Air Canada has launched a fun digital timeline to depict the history of the airline since 1937. There are fun bits about airline trends and fashion and celebrities and the birth of hot meals and more. One bit I found for 1939 talks about how they handed out chewing gum and smelling salts to passengers. There's a video link and you can see the flight attendant pouring coffee from a Thermos. Without fold-out tray tables, passengers balance their meals on a fluffy pillow (which at least, I assume, they got for free in those days). Who knew?

Also in 1939, the first (almost) cross-country flight took place, as passengers flew from Montreal to Vancouver. Of course, there were a couple stops along the way. As in: Ottawa, North Bay, Kapuskasing, Winnipeg, Regina and Lethbridge. The flight took 15 hours. At right is a photo of the passengers deplaning in Vancouver at the end of their ordeal.

It's definitely a fun site.

In conjunction with the site, Air Canada has launched a Facebook contest, with daily prizes and a Grand Prize of 750,000 Aeroplan miles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britain tourism aims for Olympic boost and an Olympic-sized Vegas buffet

The Games are over. Canada still has only one gold medal from the London Olympics. Michael Phelps is still a great swimmer but incredibly boring to watch in an interview. And Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen are still awaiting a reunion where someone won't pull the plug.

So, what's next for Britain? Why a marketing/advertising campaign to capitalize on the Games in the capital, of course.

Travelmole.com says VisitBritain has launched a new campaign following the release of disappointing tourism figures.

The British Airport Authority said traffic through its five UK airports in August was down 2 per cent from last year, including a fall of 1.9 per cent at Heathrow to 6.5 million passengers. The reduction was more pronounced in the first two weeks of August, when traffic was down 4.6 per cent. In the rest of the month traffic was up 0.3 per cent.

It's quite common for tourism to drop during an Olympics as folks naturally think the host city will be too busy and too expensive. The secret to making the Games work in the long run from a tourism standpoint is to capitalize on the feeling and to give folks places to tour about.

I wasn't in London for the Olympics this summer, but I suspect this could be a little tricky. Games organizers rightly tried to keep costs down, which means they didn't go crazy building monuments and didn't spend gazillions to give London new parks and such, the way Barcelona did.

I think folks will continue to want to visit London, of course. It's a great, great city. And some likely will wander to East London to see the Olympic village and check out emerging neighourhoods. But I have a feeling they won't get an enormous tourism boost from the Games. A moderate increase, perhaps, but I suspect it won't be much more than that. And given the economy in much of the world, a moderate jump would be pretty sensational.

According to today's travelmole report, VisitBritain said the UK's image around the world was "riding high" and the tourism body  is aiming to convert worldwide interest in the the UK into visitor numbers. A new 'Memories are GREAT' TV ad will include footage from the Olympics opening ceremony.

NEW BACCHANAL BUFFET IN VEGAS

This sounds truly awful to me, but here we go. USA Today today (I love writing that) has a good piece on the truly massive Bacchanal buffet at Caesar's, which apparently will serve up 500 dishes a day.

The USA Today story says Bacchanal's executive chef, Scott Green, "has worked on high-end cruise ships as well as in top restaurants." He gave the newspaper a tasting tour on Monday, showing off the "traditional Vegas buffet staples: prime rib (fine, not great Monday), shrimp (firm and tasty), bread pudding (scrumptious)" and more.

"But what sets this spread apart," the newspaper said, "are the sheer number of quality dishes and the half-dozen chefs presiding over their areas, with staffers doing much of the preparation in front of customers and trained to interact with guests." There are guacamole experts and tortillas being made in front of the guests, plus sushi cones and 22 types of gelato. And here you thought Vegas was going to do something to excess again.

FREE BOOZE PROGRAM EXPANDS ON CARNIVAL

Speaking of excess, USA Today also reports on how new Carnival Cruise lines is expanding its "all you can drink" alcohol package to a second ship.

"The Long Beach, Calif.-based Carnival Splendor has joined the Carnival Victory in offering the nearly $50 per day package, which gives buyers access to unlimited wine, beer and spirits as well as sodas and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails."

The package only includes spirits under $10, so you're probably getting Absolut instead of Grey Goose. Full bottles of wine and champagne, as well as wines by the glass, beers and individual cocktails priced above $10, are available at a 25% discount.

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have similar packages, USA Today reports.

 

 

 

 



Ditch the tiki bar for an authentic Hawaii experience? I don't think so!

There's an interesting story floating about in e-space about how hotels in Hawaii are getting away fake Hawaiian kitsch and embracing the real culture. I'm for all it. To a point.

First, here's a bit of the story from Associated Press.

"Coconut bras aren't Hawaiian. Neither are grass skirts. Tiki bars? They're from California. Yet they're all among the most recognizable symbols of a Hawaiian vacation. Now, many resorts in Hawaii are hoping to change those images, edging away from these kitschy marketing inventions and toward real-life Hawaiian traditions that can make the trip to the islands more special for travelers.

Driving the movement, in part, is economics. Tourism leaders know Hawaii needs to highlight what makes the islands unique to compete with other sun-and-surf destinations like Florida, Mexico and Thailand. But the turn is also the latest sign of a Native Hawaiian renaissance with more locals studying Hawaiian language, reviving traditional styles of hula and learning ancient skills like using stars to navigate the ocean."

I'm a huge booster of Hawaiian culture. I've gone up into the West Maui mountains with conservation types to learn how they're rooting out non-indigenous and harmful plants. I've ridden in outrigger canoes with old-timers who try to impart knowledge of ancient Hawaiian ways to the sun-seekers who flock to the condos and hotels of Kihei and Wailea.

I'm all for embracing the real Hawaiian culture. To a point.

Because, in the end, we're all imports; Hawaiians more than anyone. The original Hawaiians are believed to have come from Tahiti. Others came from the Marquesas. Later came Englishmen and Portuguese and Chinese and Japanese and Americans and Canadians and tons more.

Yes, some of us "brought the white man's burden down" as the Eagles sing in "The Last Resort." But we also brought some good things, including tiki bars, which are one of the great inventions of all time. The Ka'anapali Beach Hotel on Maui, which prides itself in teaching folks about ancient canoes and making of lei's and other Hawaiian crafts, has a large, open bar that's perfect tiki bar. It even says Tki Bar, as you can see from the photo above. And it's great.

The Ka'anapali Beach Hotel also has a guy who'll teach you to play a little ukelele. It's almost a national symbol and it's played by more and more Hawaiians all the time. It's been around for years, but it came from Europeans.

Personally I can live without the coconut bras and the grass skirts and some of the other trappings. But I guess what I'm saying is that it's pretty arbitrary to decide what's real Hawaiian and what isn't. They've had to bring in sand and make physical alterations at time to make Waikiki Beach what it is and I don't hear many tourists or hotel operators complaining.

We all can get caught up in the "authentic" holiday experience. It's nice, but people who go crazy about how THEY had the most authentic experience drive me crazy. It's like a club and they're special members and the rest of us didn't get to see the real thing. But who's to say what's really authentic. A group of women living in the Andes who make blankets in a village and sell them to tourists; is that authentic? It looks like it compared to a cruise ship stopping at an isolated island they own in Haiti, sure. But it's hard for me to say what's real and what's manufactured and what's manufactured to look and what's real but looks manufactured.

I mean, is Old Montreal authentic, with its horse-drawn carriages and cobblestone streets and mod furniture shops and cool bars? I don't know. But I like it a lot. I like DisneyWorld, too. It's not the least bit "authentic." But people go and have real experiences with their families and come home happy.

When I go to Hawaii I love to hear stories of old-timers crossing the seas without the help of navigational tools. I''m not in the habit of buying coconut bras or grass skirts, but I love to sip a mai-tai (invented in California, I've heard) at a tiki bar. So I guess I'm guilty of something...

 

 

Champagne and a $99,000 bed - Toronto hotels lay it on thick for TIFF stars

They're laying it on pretty thick in Toronto these days.

Up at the Hazelton Hotel (now a ways away from the Toronto Film Festival action) they're trying to get a bit of attention from the media by announcing that they've brought in a $99,000 bed. It's a Vividus bed from a company called Hastens. I guess Sleep Country and Christine McGee didn't have anything in stock.

Anyway, the press release from the hotel says the Hazelton "continues to demonstrate why it is the mecca of Hollywood's A-List."

"TIFF represents the pinnacle achievement for our guest services team," said David Mounteer, General Manager at the Hazelton, which bills itself as "Toronto's most exclusive hotel."

"While we will never reveal the names of our guests, as privacy is of the utmost importance, we can tell you that their personal requirements are data-based and stored for each return visit. Our team will go above and beyond to make sure that all their needs are met."

One of the requests was apparently for this bed, which they call "the ultimate in comfort." It's handcrafted in Koping, Sweden and uses all natural materials, including horsehair, cotton, flax and slow-growing Swedish pine. Cuz you'd hate to lie down on anything that uses the fast-growing kind. It could ruin your night.

While the Hazelton won't reveal who stays there, I have it on excellent authority that Drake was there a couple weeks ago and that Bruce Springsteen spent the night when he played the Rogers Centre Aug. 24. So there.

Down at the Trump, they're also doing their best to get noticed by advertising that they have the top champagne list in town this. It's hard to believe a Trump hotel would be so brash, I know, but it's true.

Stock Restaurant and Master Sommelier John Szabo, they tell me, have "left no stone unturned in finding the world's best champagne to toast cinematic success."

Included on the not-so-stock Stock list are Ace of Spades Brut or Rose (I'd never heard of it til the other day), 1998 Krug Brut Vintage, 2004 Cristal Brut, Louis Rodered, and 1997 Champagne Salon, Blanc de Blanc Clos de Mesnil. I prefer the '96, personally.

 

 

 

 

 

Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver gets 5-Diamond status, plus Maui & Legoland news

A bevy of new Toronto hotels are gunning for five-star status. But the latest Canadian property to join the club is in Vancouver.

The Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver announced Wednesday that it has received the coveted Five-Diamond Award designation from the American Automobile Association, which reviews some 59,000 lodgings and restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

It marks the first such award for a Vancouver hotel, so congrats go out to the west coast.

Last time I checked (good luck trying to find it on the AAA website), there were only two Five-Diamond Award winners in Canada. The Four Seasons Whistler has held that designation for several years, while the relatively new Ritz-Carlton Toronto got the nod last year.

There are only 126 lodgings and 53 restaurants with the Five-Diamond rating, Shangri-La officials pointed out.

I did a story in Star Travel a year or so ago that outlines the rigorous testing that goes into the ratings. I tailed a Canadian Automobile Association representative as he inspected a hotel in Montreal and had quite a good time watching him roll back bedside tables to look for dust and peering inside microwaves to see if cleaners had wiped out the spaghetti sauce stains.

They have remarkably detailed criteria for awarding various categories of hotel ratings, including the number of coat hangers in a closet and the style of them and whether hair dryers are wrapped in a nice bag and stored in the closet or bolted to the bathroom wall so you won’t be tempted to steal it. The latter, apparently, is a definite no-no if you want to join the ranks of the Ritz (see photo), Shangri-La and Four Seasons.

“The Five Diamond recognition is one we accept with humility and pride,” said Vito Romeo, general manager of Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver. “It is tremendous recognition of our hotel facilities and amenities, but more importantly of our staff, who are dedicated and passionate ambassadors for the Shangri-La brand, the city of Vancouver and our hospitality profession.”

The new Shangri-La opened for Toronto Film Festival purposes on Friday of last week and I got a sneak peek at Bosk, the signature restaurant, and at the lobby. It’s quite beautiful and I’d think there’s a pretty decent chance they’ll join the five-diamond ranks in a year or two.

If you're looking for something romantic on the weekend, I looked online and the Shangri-La Vancouver had rooms for Friday night Sept. 7 starting at $375.

RECORD MONTH FOR CANADIAN AIRLINES

Both WestJet and Porter Airlines today announced record numbers for August in terms of load factors. As in their best months EVER. Which says a lot about the state of the industry these days and our willingness to pay through the nose. But that's another story.

WestJet was first off the mark, announcing it had an August load factor of 88.9 per cent; best in its 16-year history. The airline flew nearly 172,000 more guests this August compared to August of last year.

"We are extremely pleased to report the highest single-month load factor in WestJet history and I thank our caring WestJetters for their added energy in this record-breaking month," commented WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "The demand environment remains strong and we are seeing a growing contribution from our airline code-shares and interline partnerships."

A few minutes later, Porter weighed in with news that it carried more than 260,000 passengers with a load factor of 74.5 per cent in August; both record numbers. Passenger numbers increased 23.8 per cent from the previous year.

“This is the best month we’ve had in nearly six years of operating,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “It’s a reflection of the strong passenger experience, brand and customer service that Porter is known for.”

Air Canada reported late in the day today that they, too, had a record load factor. AC reported a record system load factor of 87.9 per cent, versus 87.8 per cent in August 2011.

"This record load factor result for the month underscores our disciplined capacity management and our industry-leading product that continues to earn our customers' loyalty," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Led by increases in traffic in the Australia, Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America markets of 7.9 per cent overall, and the domestic Canada market of 3 per cent, we generated system wide traffic growth of 0.7 per cent on a capacity increase of 0.6 per cent."

HEAVENLY HANA THAT MUCH CLOSER

Here’s a welcome treat for folks in a hurry. Mokulele Airlines is partnering with the fabulous Travaasa hotel in Hana, Maui to provide twice-daily flights from Kahului to the Hana airport. The price? Just $59.

Travaasa, which I have to say upfront is my favourite hotel in the world for its blending in with the coast (see photo at left), simple luxury and the way it reflects its local environment, is offering free flights to any guests booking an all-inclusive or “Total Travaasa” package for three nights or more.

Personally, I think anyone who flies to Hana is a little nuts. The drive isn’t remotely difficult anymore. Sure, there are a million twists and turns but it’s one of the most beautiful drives you’ll find anywhere; past the cute town of Paia, then along the surging surf and windsurfing crazies at Hookipa Beach, then down to the stunning Keanae peninsula, with its taro fields and banana bread snack shack and jagged lava formations that are furiously slapped day and night by pure blue waves. There are beautiful gardens and rest stops along the way with fabulous views of the coast, plus waterfalls and blooming African tulip trees with bright orange-red flowers and the smell of growth and green and sea air. Not to mention a wonderful black sand beach and the fun shops/food stands at Nihiku marketplace, near George Harrison’s former Hana home.

It takes a few hours driving to get there; more if you slow down to enjoy the ride. But it’s one of the great treats of Hawaii. Mind you, the flight would probably be awfully beautiful on a nice day, too! 

THIS AND THAT

Legoland  Florida is expanding. Less than a year after opening, the theme park has called a press conference for today to announce plans. Associated Press reports that a video file sent to journalists suggests the expanded park will have a Star Wars theme. Legoland is built on the 150-acre site of the former Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven … British Premier David Cameron says the government will hold an inquiry into improving capacity at its over-bulging airports. There’s been a fierce debate in the community about expanding Heathrow, with environmentalists on one side and biz folks on the other (surprise!). Heathrow is operating at full capacity with 1,300 landings and takeoffs every day. Lots of folks want more but Cameron apparently says he won’t let that happen before the 2015 British election.

 

 

 

 

 

Diseases, drunk flight attendants and rude bosses ... maybe we stay home?

Yesterday I was touting travel to lots of great places in the world for "shoulder season."

I take it all back.

Why? Because perusing (or even reading) this morning's headlines makes me think we should all stay home, at least for a while. Folks seem to be getting sick all over the place, flight attendants are showing up dead drunk and the head of RyanAir in Britain is accusing passengers of being idiots for not printing their boarding passes in advance. More on that at the bottom of this posting, including some hilarious quotes from RyanAir chief Michael O'Leary from over the years.

Travelmole.com reports that "British holidaymakers who visited the US over the summer are being contacted by the Health Protection Agency following the outbreak of a deadly virus in Yosemite National Park (in California, see photo) which has killed two people and infected six.

The agency said it was not aware of any cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) - which is carried by rodents - in Britons who had been there on holiday. But it sounds a little scary.

In case you missed it, three folks who visited a downtown Chicago Marriott hotel died of Legionnaires' disease, city officials announced the other day.

The Chicago Department of Public Health released test results that showed that the primary source of the outbreak at the Marriott, located at 151 W. Adams St., was likely the spa and a decorative fountain in the main lobby. Samples taken from the fountain, the men's and women's locker rooms, and the spa's whirlpool all tested positive for the same type of Legionella bacteria found in the sick patients.

Marriott said it has removed the fountain and also closed parts of its luxury spa. The hotel said it is working with a water safety consulting company to install cleaner water systems and, according to Dr. Kathleen Ritger, medical director of communicable disease at the Chicago Department of Public Health, the hotel is now safe.

It's a little better in the air, but not much. Travelmole reports an air stewardess who was drunk on a UK-bound flight from Dubai has been fired "after she was found to be eight times over the drink flying limit."

The 24-year-old (no doubt a freshman at a Canadian university?) as arrested when her Emirates plane touched down in Birmingham after fellow cabin crew members raised the alarm over her behaviour.

Yeah, I guess so.

Folks in airline management don't appear to be a whole lot better. Michael O'Leary, the oft-quoted, often silly chief of RyanAir, has been quoted as calling passengers "idiots" if they fail to print their boarding passes in advance.

According to the Mirror in London, his launch-code attack "came after mother-of-two Suzy McLeod complained about being hit with $370 worth of fees when she arrived for a return flight home without printed boarding cards."

Ryanair users are supposed to print their boarding passes up to two weeks in advance. McLeod said she was at a rural villa in Spain without internet access for 15 days and couldn't print the passes. So she was hit with the (in my opinion, inordinately high and ridiculous) fees for printing out boarding passes for her family.

She launched a Facebook complaint that got the attention of thousands of folks. Including, apparently, O'Leary.

O’Leary (see photo) was taking no prisoners Monday, issuing a statement that said “Mother pays £200 for being an idiot and failing to comply with her agreement at the time of booking.”

He went on: “We think Mrs McLeod should pay 60 euros for being so stupid."

“She wasn’t able to print her boarding card because, as you know, there are no internet cafes in Alicante, no hotels where they could print them out for you, and you couldn’t get to a fax machine so some friend at home can print them and fax them to you.

“She then comes home and gets on Twitter, God help us all, and somehow we are going to change our policies. No we’re not.

“She wrote to me last week asking for compensation and a gesture of goodwill.

“To which we have replied, politely but firmly, thank you Mrs McLeod but it was your f***-up and if you screw up, you compensate us and you send us a gesture of goodwill.”

Asked if Mrs McLeod was its only passenger to behave in this way, Mr O’Leary replied: “No, there are 0.02% of passengers who are equally stupid.

"We say quite politely to those passengers, bu**er off.”

Unbelievable, eh?

The Telegraph listed a few of O'Leary's top quotes. Here are a few:

O'Leary on his idea of charging folks to use washrooms on board his planes: "One thing we have looked at is maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in the future. If someone wanted to pay £5 to go to the toilet I would carry them myself. I would wipe their bums for a fiver."

On overweight passengers: "Nobody wants to sit beside a really fat ****** on board. We have been frankly astonished at the number of customers who don't only want to tax fat people but torture them."

On environmentalists: “We want to annoy the ******* whenever we can. The best thing you can do with environmentalists is shoot them. These headbangers want to make air travel the preserve of the rich. They are luddites marching us back to the 18th century. If preserving the environment means stopping poor people flying so the rich can fly, then screw it.”

On turbulence: "If drink sales are falling off we get the pilots to engineer a bit of turbulence. That usually spikes up the drink sales."

On travel agents: "Screw the travel agents. Take the ******* out and shoot them. They are a waste of bloody time. What have they done for passengers over the years?"

On ordering aircraft from Boeing: “The message to Boeing today is: ‘You keep building them, we’ll keep buying them’, and together both of us will kick the crap out of Airbus in Europe. We love Boeing. **** the French.”

On not ordering more aircraft from Boeing: “Boeing had their chance. Eventually you lose interest, dealing with a bunch of idiots who can’t make a decision. They are a bunch of numpties out in Seattle.”

Personally, I'd love it if one of our top Canadian airline officials were half this colourful. Then again, we here in Toronto have Rob Ford so we can't be greedy.

September "Shoulder Season" a perfect time to check out these world spots ...

We had a story in the paper on Saturday from Pauline Frommer, talking about the joys of "shoulder season." It's the time of year that started about, oh, eight hours ago here in Toronto; those days right after Labour Day when the kids are back in school and the crowds of tourists suddenly diminish.

Think about it; a huge pool of potential tourists has suddenly been pulled off the market. If you have kids aged four to 18, chances are you're at home this week. If you ARE a kid of that age, or you're in college or university, chances are you're in school. So that means maybe half the potential tourism population of our fair city is unavailable for an overseas sojourn, at least in the middle of the week.

So the crowds will be down at the Uffizi in Florence and outside the Opera House in Sydney. The good tee times will be easier to get at the golf course in Banff or beautiful Kananaskis. Weather also is a factor in making September a great travel month. It's cooling down in northern Europe and in the Canadian Rockies, but it's still not winter coat time. In the Canadian Maritimes, it's still warm enough for the beach. And if you're a swimmer, the water should still be relatively warm in Muskoka or Lake Huron; as long as the nights don't get too chilly.

With all that in mind, here's a list of a few personal favourite spots around the world that would be ideal this month:

San Francisco: Most years (not all, but most) September is the finest month of all in this city by the bay. The fog tends to have disappeared by now and rain is extremely rare. It's a great time to take a driving tour through Golden Gate Park and across the bridge to Marin County, where you'll get killer views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out fun shops in the Haight-Ashbury area or cool bars in the Mission District or Hayes Valley. Head up to Alamo Square (at left) to see the "painted ladies." Try a ferry boat ride to Sausalito for fine bridge views and glimpses of Alcatraz. You can expect temperatures in the low 20's, but it's usually much much warmer than that in places like the Napa Valley. The magical Monterey Peninsula is only about two hours from San Francisco International. Check out my personaly favourite beach town of Capitola and also don't miss Pacific Grove, with its fine Victorian B and B's and old-fashioned main street. Passionfish serves great seafood.

Eastern Canada: Newfoundland is a personal favourite, with some of the nicest people on the planet. St. John's has a growingly sophisticated food scene, and with the kids gone back to school it should be easier to get a chair at the more popular pubs on George St. Looking for something a little closer to home? Halifax has a wonderful waterfront with great markets, shops and restaurants. The downtown has cool architecture and great food at places like Press Gang. And more than a few nice bars, including Economy Shoe Shop on lively Argyle St.

Slovenia: I like to call this "The Tiny, Perfect Country." It's wedged between Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary and has wonderful elements of all of those places. The coastline city of Piran has marvellous seaside promenades and cafes and red-tiled roofs along the Adriatic, plus Italian and Croatian food. The mountains near the Austrian border are gloriously ragged and sharp, with marvellous drives and killer views. The city of Ljubljana (at right) feels a bit like a miniature Salzburg, with a small castle on a hill and a pretty river that's also lined with smart cafes. There's tons of history and, again, really good food. The interior has good wine growing areas, remarkable caves and rolling countryside with spas and fine hotels and restaurants. Oh, and don't forget Lake Bled, with its magical views of churches and castles and an emerald-green lake and mountains and romantic boats and its wonderfully rich creme pastries. A mighty impressive package.

New York: It can be unbearable in the heat of summer. But the heat starts to dissipate a little about now, and the teeming hordes from Ohio and Ontario have mostly gone away. Take a harbour cruise. Meander over the Brooklyn Bridge to check out fine, emerging neighbourhoods. Check out the fashionable and trendy Lower East Side for cutting edge food and drinks. Walk the expanded High Line Park. Take a walk in Central Park or take in a show. There's a million things to do in the Big Apple and it's a great time to go.

British Columbia: Again, fine weather this time of year; mostly cool and dry. Victoria and Vancouver shine in late summer, as does Tofino and pretty much all of Vancouver Island. It's also a great time to check out the Okanagan region. Osoyoos is warm and dry this time of year, with fabulous wineries nestled into dusty country filled with cactus and rocky outcroppings that feel more like Arizona than Canada. Further north, near Kelowna, Mission Hills winery (at left) has a wonderful Marc Chagall tapestry and a fabulous restaurant with beautiful views over the vineyards and down to Okanagan Lake. Wonderful golf opportunites abound, and there are fine hotels along the lake in Kelowna and terrific restaurants in town and at the wineries. 

The Greek Islands: It should be starting to cool down a touch, and with the crowds gone you'll have a lot more breathing room than in July or August. I love Paros, with its old-fashioned, white buildings and simple, blue doors and pink or red flowers. Rent a moped and zip around the island for some marvellous views, pull up a chair at a seaside cafe and watch the sun go down. Or try one of the many beaches, some fairly rocky but others reasonably smooth. Beautiful water for swimming. Also popular are Naxos and of course Mykonos and Santorini. If you're in Athens and only have a day or two, try a quick trip to Hydra, where they don't allow cars and there are marvellous cafes and walking trails along the Mediterranean.

Down Under: It's almost spring in the southern hemisphere, which makes it a fine time to head down that way. I don't know South America, but I'll vouch for Australia and New Zealand for sure. The weather will still be a little cool in Melbourne and maybe Sydney, but the northern parts of Australia and New Zealand will be starting to shake off the cool temperatures quite soon. The Bay of Islands region of New Zealand (see photo at right, taken from the fabulous Kauri Cliffs golf club and resort) is breathtakingly beautiful; with small islands nestled into green-blue waters and a real tropical feel. In Brisbane, Australia, you can expect average high temperatures in the low to mid 20's this time of year; just perfect for the beach or city exploring. I haven't seen a lot of Queensland but had a fabulous time on Dunk Island following the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Even if the weather's a tad cool, it's still hard to beat Sydney for its combination of beaches, food, iconic architecture and shopping.