Another Toronto Olympic bid could be on the horizon ... Deal of day: China

Here we go again. Maybe.

Canadian Olympic Committee chief Marcel Aubut was quoted last week as saying the COC is considering a Toronto bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Aubut was believed to be pushing for a Quebec City bid for the 2022 Winter Games. And maybe he still is. But he said last week that the country needs a Summer Games more.

"Toronto is going to deliver a great 2015 Pan Am Games and it should be the first step in going higher for the Olympics like Brazil did (in winning the 2016 Summer Olympics), Aubut told Reuters. "If not we are going to look again at the Winter Games, and Quebec is a very good possibility. But the first goal is to convince people to go with Toronto in the summer."

The time for a 2022 Winter Games bid is almost here, actually. The International Olympic Committee will vote in September of this year on the site of the 2020 Summer Olympics, with the final ballot consisting of Istanbul (the favourite), Madrid and Tokyo.

A 2022 decision will be made by the IOC in 2015, while the 2024 decision comes two years after that.

It's good to see Aubut talking about the need for a Summer Games. Because Canada still needs good, Olympic pools and running tracks and other facilities. And a Summer Games in Toronto would do a lot for the city's tourism if it's done right.
Lord knows we should've learned how to bid, too, having lost out for the 1996 Games and then losing to Beijing in the 2008 race.

What we do NOT NEED is another ski jump or another bobsleigh/luge/skeleton course. It's bad enough to have Olympic winter facilities in Calgary and Vancouver; to spend public money on duplicating them in Quebec would be absurd.

Having staged the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver is probably enough for Canada. But the trouble is that, with global warming (or global inconsistency), there aren't many places cold enough to pull it off any more. Quebec might be one of the few dependably cold places the IOC can find for a Winter Games at some point, although there should be plenty of options for 2022, including perhaps China, Norway or maybe a Slovakia-Poland joint bid.

Staging the 2024 Games in Toronto is fairly soon after Vancouver. But it's definitely time for the big summer event to return to a North American stage as the last one here was way back in 1996 in Atlanta (after Atlanta nudged out Toronto and other cities).

Since then we've seen the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio in 2016. It's time to come back to North America.

But I’d be leery of the U.S. Big-time. The U.S. and the IOC were kinda like Karen Stintz and Rob Ford for a while; very much at each other’s throats. But they resolved a major issue over television money a while back and are now back on good terms. I think a Canadian bid would be extremely hard-pressed to elbow the Americans from the front of the IOC food line.

So far there's been interest from Los Angeles (which already has held the Games twice), Philadelphia and, um, Tulsa. I think Toronto could take on Tulsa, no offence to my Oklahoma friends. Also rumoured to be mulling a 2024 bid are Rome, Paris, Doha, Dubai and Durban, South Africa.

Aubut sounded excited.

"There won't be any political problems, there won't be a problem with terrorism. They (members of the IOC) love Canada. It's close to America. They love our country.

"But we have to make sure the interest is there, the government support is there."

I can see Mayor Ford jumping at it. Hard. But I'm not sure Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario government would feel the same way about such a huge undertaking during tough economic times. I'm also hugely worried about the potential security costs of a Toronto Games, as the bill would be massive.

Still, it should be fun to watch.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal today for a great-sounding trip to mystical China to see The Great Wall, rhw remarkable Terra Cotta Warriors and more. It's a five-star, 11-day trip priced at $2,419, including $720 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• 11-Day/9-Night Terracotta Treasures Tour, including visits to Tian An Men Square, the Imperial Palace, and the Great Wall of China, an itinerary offering time to shop for cultural and artistic treasures, and more!
• Includes international airfare with Air Canada, plus domestic airfare and airport/hotel transfers throughout the tour. See Offer Details for more info.
• Includes transportation via private air conditioned coach, accompaniment of licensed English speaking local tour guides, tours & entrance fees as per the itinerary and more!
• Pricing includes single-entry China Visa (valued at $120) and gratuities for local driver & guide (valued at $150)
• Accommodations for 11 nights in 5-Star Hotels, based on double occupancy. See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Meals include 9 daily breakfasts, 8 lunches & 6 dinners including dinner with a traditional Apsara show 

• You'll experience China in depth, from traditional medicine to dance shows and savoury foods
• See the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors
• Stay in true luxury at five-star acommodations

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on November 20, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Vancouver:
  Double: $1699
  Single: $2119
  Tax: $720
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1899
  Single: $2319
  Tax: $720
  
  Calgary:
  Double: $1799
  Single: $2219
  Tax: $720
  
  For Other DATES or LAND ONLY option, Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Accommodations Included (or similar): Oriental Bay Hotel, Beijing (3 nights); Titan Times Hotel, Xian (1 night); Sanli New Century Grand Hotel Zhenjiang, Hangzhou (1 night); Landison Plaza Hotel Wuxi, Wuxi (1 night); Grand Metropark Hotel, Suzhou (1 night) and Majesty Plaza Hotel, Shanghai (2 nights)
• Your Flights Include: Departure airfare from Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary to Beijing and return airfare from Shanghai to Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary, domestic round-trip flight from Beijing to Xian and Xian to Hangzhou.
• Valid passport and visa required for travel from Canada
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

Hotel concerts a great idea ... Westin T.O. deal for sports fans ... Deal of the day

I hadn’t heard this, but it seems the folks at Aloft Hotels (a division of Starwood) have been trying to draw in guests by staging concerts in the lobby with local musicians. It’s a fine idea for both musicians and hoteliers, I’d say; good publicity for both. Dan Young at Starwood tells me the Aloft property at Vaughan Mills north of Toronto has a different band, artist or DJ come in on occasion. They had an L.A. band called Wicker play last June and you can click here for the video.

Of course, Hotel California would be a popular hit. And also Heartbreak Hotel, I guess. I’ve always liked Motel Matches by Elvis Costello. And don’t forget Gordon Lightfoot’s Hangdog Hotel Room.

WESTIN TORONTO SPORTS DEAL

Here’s a nice one for sports or music fans. The Westin Harbour Castle on the Toronto waterfront has a deal through Sept. 2 where guests can save on their stay if they come to town for a special event such as a Jays game or Leafs playoff contest or a concert. Guests must show the front desk their ticket for an event scheduled within 48 hours of their stay when they check in to get the offer, which can be booked with rates from $139 per night. Call 1-866-716-8101 or mention the EVENTS rate plan or visit www.westintoronto.com for more information. Rates are fully prepaid at time of booking and priced per room, per night based on single/double occupancy and are subject to availability. Advance reservations are required. Go Leafs, Go.

PENINSULA HOTELS UPDATE 

Peninsula Hotels are celebrating some big anniversaries this year. The New York property (Fifth and 55th) is celebrating a quarter century in business. There’s a new restaurant at the New York property, designed by the Toronto firm of YabuPushelberg. It’s set to open in the fall and will feature modern American cuisine with plenty of produce and other items from the American northeast. If you’ve never been, the rooftop bar at the New York property is quite something.

Elsewhere, the Peninsula Beverly Hills has finished an extensive renovation of its 193 guest rooms, suites and villas. Officials say it’s the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star hotel in Southern California for 20 consecutive years.

In Bangkok, the Peninsula is celebrating its 15th anniversary. I had a chance to stay for a couple of nights two years ago and loved it: an incredible spa and a beautiful pool and fabulous food, combined with excellent service. Last I checked you could get a room for about $200 and it’s well worth it. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about when I visited was the lobby, which seemed rather old-fashioned. But I saw pictures of the new one and it’s jazzy and bright and modern; a nice change.

The venerable Hong Kong property – easily one of the top hotels of the world – is celebrating it’s 85th birthday this year and just finished a $60 million renovation. There will be year-long celebrations such as traditional tea dances (see photo below) and puppet shows and they also have specials.

They’re set to open their first property in Europe with the opening (probably next year but given French unions who knows) of a hotel in an old Beaux Art building on Avenue Kleber in paris, a short walk from the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. The outdoor terrace looks outstanding and there will be a rooftop restaurant, bar and terrace with killer views of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

Peninsula announced last week that they’re proposing a hotel for Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) on the site of the former headquarters of the Burma Railway Building. It’s remarkable when you consider Myanmar was almost nowhere on the travel radar screen two or three years ago…

In addition to fine hotels, Peninsula likes to offer guests great local experiences. In New York you can arrange theatre tickets plus a chat with an actor or director and a behind-the-scenes look at a Broadway production. Or you can go casual by foraging for food in Central Park and having a picnic lunch (with or without the wild mushrooms you might have picked). Not your style? How about a tour of Brooklyn in a bespoke Mini Cooper and some great local pizza. At the Peninsula in Manila, you can take a helicopter ride to a distant river and have a picnic on a boat or check out the war history of the Philippines.

No word on a Canadian property any time soon but you'd have to think it's only a matter of time until Peninsula steps into the market.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a great 12-night cruise from Rome to Athens for $2,145, including all fees and taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE TO JAUNT 2 for 1: For every one person paid in full, the second traveller's cruise is FREE! (Two for one pricing already reflected in the price)
• 12-Night Athens to Rome Cruise on board the Aegean Odyssey, starting in Athens, Greece and ending in Rome, Italy
• Includes excursions in the following cities and/or ports of call: Athens, Greece; Piraeus, Greece; Nauplia, Greece; Syracuse, Sicily; Trapani, Sicily; Palermo, Sicily; Sorrento, Italy; Bonifacio, Corsica; Livorno, Italy; and Rome, Italy 
• Accommodations in a Standard Inside Cabin (Category M)
• Includes open-seating dining, plus wine included with dinners on board
• Enjoy top lecture series and guest speakers on board to complement your cruise itinerary
• Includes gratuities on board, plus unique onboard experiences like lectures and fresh local fare
• A smaller cruise ship means exposure to less visited ports
• See Rome, Athens, Pompeii, Sicily and more

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on June 24, 2013 sailing
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy)
  
  Standard Inside Cabin (Category M): $2145 tax included
  
  NOTE: 2 for 1 pricing above reflects the following breakdown:
  1st passenger: $3300 + $495 port tax = $3795
  2nd passenger: $0 + $495 port tax = $495
  = $2145 tax included per passenger
• Option to upgrade your package and include airfare, transfers and hotel stays pre or post-cruise. Call our travel professionals to book: 1-855-687-5925
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking 

 

 

 

 

Oregon: one vastly under-rated state ... Porter adds Boston/Chicago flights

Folks from all over Canada know California.

Many of us, especially those in British Columbia, are familiar with Washington state, B.C.'s neighbour to the south.

Oregon? Not as much. This is a state that gets sandwiched between two bigger west coastAmerican brothers and probably doesn't get the visitation it deserves. It's a bit far for a day trip from B.C. and it's a hundreds of miles north of San Francisco.

But if you don't check it out you're missing a huge treat; a wildly diverse state that has just about everything you could want in a relative compact package: endless, beautiful beaches; towering mountains; alpine lakes; gorgeous and trendy cities with fabulous food and pubs, a vast desert area with world-class golf and adventure and a deeply green valley that grows some of the best wines in the world; especially Pinot Noir.

Oregon officials pride themselves especially on their food and drink scenes and on adventure travel. Because they have the Willamette Valley, they can grow darn near anything in a climate that's cooler than California but warmer than B.C., for the most part.

They didn't invent farm-to-table cuisine, one official told me over coffee this week, they just live it. Portland has an amazing food scene, with tons of fresh seafood and Oregon beef and inventive, cosmopolitan dishes. It's also one of the leading brewpub cities of the world.

Portland likes to be different. There's a large (and popular) wall in town that says "Keep Portland Weird."

The traditional downtown (for tourists anyway) on the west side of the river has been a lively spot for years, but now the neighbourhoods on the east side are becoming just as hip, with new distilleries hawking homemade gin, vodka and whisky. I'm told you can take a $20 pedicab tour and check out several distilleries, all the while admiring traditional neighbourhoods and cool architecture.

It's only 45 minutes to the Columbia River Gorge from Portland, 30 minutes to the Willamette Valley and 90 to the Pacific Ocean. The state has 580 km of oceanfront property,and it's all open to the public. Some of it is rocky and looks like Big Sur in California, while other parts offer broad, sweeping beaches and cute fishing villages. You also can check out some of the best golf on the planet at Bandon Dunes, a true links course where they have several options, including a par-3 course. Some of the sand dunes nearby are open for folks to try sandboarding; like snowboarding but without the ice. And the cold. Mind you, with the Cascade Mountains you can try real skiing or snowboarding for large stretches of the year, too.

The area around Bend, in the centre of the state, is famous for its low humidity and beautiful river canyons. Lots of rafting and watersports and hiking and golf and biking in the area.

Further west and north is Pendleton, home of the famous Western shirts. This is cowboy country, with rolling hills and endless ranches and a real western feel.

Toss in some good university towns and natural spots such as Crater Lake National Park and you've got perhaps one of the most diverse states in the U.S.

And there's no sales tax, even on your food and drink purchases. So it's great for shopping.

The best way to get there for now is through Calgary or Vancouver but Oregon officials are hoping to someday soon land a direct flight from Portland to Toronto.

PORTER ADDS OPTIONS

Porter Airlines today announced added weekend flights from the Toronto Island Airport to both Boston and Chicago, effective immediately. They're also adding another weekday flight from the island (Billy Bishop Airport) to Chicago's Midway airport from June 24 to Aug. 30.

This has increased the number of weekly options to as many as 43 roundtrips, for both Boston and Chicago, including eight weekend roundtrips to both cities, officials said.

“Boston and Chicago have always been popular markets, but with the launch of Porter Escapes, our new packaged vacations platform, we are seeing even higher demand for leisure travel to these two cities,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “The additional Saturday flights allow greater flexibility for weekend travel, providing convenient options for any schedule.” 

 

 

DayGuest.com comes to polite, quiet Canada ... Jaunt.ca deal of day is Curacao

What would Canada's founding fathers think? Geez, what would the guys think who banned beer at the ballpark and locked the playgrounds on Sunday in Toronto?

A company called DayGuest.com has set up shop in the true north strong and free, offering folks day-time use of hotels for significant savings versus overnight stays. It's billed as a service for folks who simply want to freshen up or for business folks who might have a late appointment but need a daytime nap.

Yeah, right. To their credit, they also concede there could be, ahem, other reasons for daytime usage.

In a press release sent earlier today, Founder and CEO Philippe Cohen said his company is offering hotel rooms in various locations, near airports and in the city, for a few hours during the day, at deeply discounted rates (30-70% off).

"We already have over 100 hotel partners and are currently working on major chain deals," Cohen said. "We've seen a lot of business being generated throughout Europe and the US with our offering and naturally extended it into Canada. We provide access to otherwise hard to find reservations and otherwise unaffordable luxury rooms, DayGuest removes the inconvenience and embarrassment of the process.

"The users we anticipate include travelers stranded on long stopovers at airports, cross border business trips, staff sent to locations where corporations have no office, couples that have nowhere else to go and sometimes people from neighbouring cities for a Raptors of Leafs game (now that the Leafs are back).  We simply offer the possibility to rest, refresh, nap or meet privately. On the hotel side of things, we help them take advantage of the thousands of rooms that remain empty every day to generate additional revenue."

I went online today at dayguest.com and found several rooms at the airport for $65 to $79 or so, including a Quality Hotel and Suites in Etobicoke for $79 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In looking around on the Internet, I also found a website called between9and5.com, which was offering rooms at a couple of Toronto hotels for daytime use, including the Delta Toronto Airport West for $106.61 U.S. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We ran a USA Today story in Star Travel recently that talked about a company called dayusehotels, which operates around the world but not yet, it appears, in Canada. They're quite open about the whole thing, with descriptions about having affairs and arranging secret sex trysts and all. They appear to have nice hotels in New York City for daytime use for about $135 and up.

It's interesting, for sure. In fairness, I actually can imagine folks on a layover wanting to take advantage of an airport hotel, not just folks looking for a laydown with a friend or loved one. And the business angle works, too. I mean, you can get free Wi-Fi at the airport or at Starbucks or McDonald's but they don't seem to have appreciated it the time I've gone and stripped down to my boxers and stretched out on the bench with a pillow and all.

TENNIS STAR JUMPS INTO HOTEL BIZ

Tennis champ Andy Murray is planning to transform a former country house hotel in Perthshire, Scotland into a boutique five-star property.

The winner of the U.S. Open championship and Olympic gold medallist from London last year wants to re-open Cromlix House Hotel in Kinbuck, Scotland next spring, just in time for the 2014 Ryder Cup, according to travelmole.com.

Murray said the project, which will create up to 40 new jobs, enabled him to "give something back to the community I grew up in."

Athletes have been involved in travel and tourism for some time, but I haven't seen too many opening hotels. Mike Weir, Canada's one-time Masters golf champion, has a winery down in Niagara that's quite good. Ernie Els and Nick Faldo have wineries, too. But I think Murray is doing something a little different with his Scotland hotel.

Next year is a big one for Scotland in terms of tourism. There's the Ryder Cup, mentioned above, which features Europeans against Americans and is always a huge treat for golf fans. It's also, more importantly, a Homecoming year for Scots, with a huge, year-long lineup of parties and festivals and events to celebrate their "creativity, culture and ancestral heritage."

For more information, check homecomingscotland.com.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a seven-night Air Canada Vacations deal on tap for colourful Curacao for $1,613, including $214 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save up to $560 per couple, compared to what's available in market!
• BONUS: Includes FREE Upgrade to an Oceanview Room
• BONUS: Enjoy welcome cocktails upon arrival, free Casino Matchplay coupons, free shuttle service to downtown area, and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 3.5-Star Hilton Curacao in Willemstad, Curacao
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Curacao, and round-trip hotel/airport transfers in Curacao
• Accommodations in a Oceanview Room, featuring 1 king bed or 2 double beds and balcony. Max. occupancy: 4 adults
• EXCLUSIVE to Air Canada Vacations: All Inclusive Meal Plan featuring daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• Curacao is an intimate, secluded Caribbean destination
• The Hilton offers special extras like welcome drinks and an exclusive cocktail party
• The hotel has a beautiful beachfront property on pristine Piscadera Bay

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on March 30, 2013
  (Other dates available. Call us at 1-855-687-5925)
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto:
  Single: $1779
  Double: $1399        
  Triple: $1299    
  Quad: $1249    
  Child 2-12yrs: $499
  Child 13-17yrs: $1169    
  Tax: $214
• Upgrade to Oceanview Room is applied at time of check-in
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

What's old in Scotland ... new art centre for Montreal ... Jaunt.ca cruise deals

The tourism job is a tricky one.

On one hand, folks like to talk about what’s new. It’s a natural way to start a conversation, of course. But it also can be a dangerous game.

I get dozens of emails a week from tourism boards in Canada and the U.S. and Europe, all giving me thousands of words on a new hotel in this town or a new art festival in that one.

But sometimes I think everyone in the industry, myself included, gets too focused on what’s new that we forget about the stuff that makes a city or a tourism region popular in the first place. I mean, most tourists heading to Paris don’t care if there’s a new Shangri-La hotel opening. They want to know about the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame or the Louvre.

So when I met with Mike Cantlay of Visit Scotland yesterday, I jokingly started our chat by telling him, “I don’t care what’s new; tell me what’s old in Scotland.”

He laughed but he said he completely understood where I was coming from (a rarity in my life).

“Tourism is our biggest industry,” he said. “We want people to understand the unique features that make Scotland different.”

Cantlay, sporting a white shirt with a red and blue tartan tie for our coffee meeting, said Scotland has to make sure it keeps its iconic sights and activities front and centre as they’re what make Scotland Scotland. That means golf, castles, whisky, Robert Burns, tartans and bagpipes.

Plus, of course, a certain emphasis on other activities and, naturally, at least some focus on what’s coming up that’s different and might bring people back a second or third time.

Sports have been a big focus for Scotland, and it’s hosting the Ryder Cup golf tourney in 2014 at Gleneagles and also playing host to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow that year. The Commonwealth Games will bring some 6,500 athletes from 71 countries and they expect to sell a million tickets.

They’re bidding for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and are lobbying the Tour de France to start a future race in Scotland, which would be interesting to say the least.

The year 2014 also marks a Scotland Homecoming year, and there are plans for a new branch of the Victoria and Albert museum in Dundee for 2015 or 2016.

“Tourism is the easiest industry” to help Scotland stay on its feet, Cantlay said. “You invest one dollar and you’ll get 20 dollars back.”

The British pound has fallen mightily against the Canadian dollar over the past couple years, to the point where a visit now is probably one-third cheaper than two or three years ago.

“The whole country is one-third off,” Cantlay said with a laugh. “But it won’t stay that way forever.”

NEW MONTREAL CENTRE

I don’t recall hearing about it before, but the folks at Montreal Tourism tell me The Phi Centre opened up this summer as a new art spot. It’s a multi-disciplinary centre with films, music, a new exhibition space with “cutting edge interactive installations” and room for conferences, corporate events and more.

A restaurant is planned for late 2013 or early 2014, and the centre is located at 407 Saint-Pierre at the corner of St. Pierre and Rue St. Paul in Old Montreal.

JAUNT DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, still has a great deal on for cruises. Their exclusive Norwegian Cruise Lines Balcony Sale ends this coming Saturday evening and features three of NCL’s top ships, the Pride of America in Hawaii, the Norwegian Epic in the Western Mediterranean and also in the Eastern Caribbean and the Norwegian Breakaway out of New York City.

The deal includes added value such as paid gratuities, onboard credits and reduced rates.

Jaunt also has deals across Canada and other parts of the world, so check them out at jaunt.ca.

 

 

You have to think they’re not hockey or basketball fans. Or soccer enthusiasts, for that matter.

The folks at Travelzoo Inc. released its 2012 Travelzoo Awards list on Thursday and there was a rather large surprise in the category of “Best Overall Provider of Entertainment Experiences in Canada.” The winner? Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

I had to give my head a shake. At first I thought it was an award for “best condo builder.” But no. Then I thought it was “most outrageously profitable entertainment experiences where fans are continually hosed by owners who don’t care if their teams win.” But no. It was “best overall provider of entertainment experiences.” IN ALL OF CANADA!!

MLSE? The folks who struggle to put even a mediocre product on the ice and the basketball court and the soccer pitch? The laughingstock of North American sports? The organization that's part of a league that isn't even playing this fall?

You gotta be kidding me. Yes, Real Sports is a great sports bar. Yes, the Raptors dance pack features some pretty hot routines. And yes, the Raptor himself continues to dazzle (I think, I haven’t seen a game in a couple years).

But this is an organization that has run Toronto FC into the ground and can’t field a hockey playoff team and a basketball team that's consistently below average with a general manager that is riding on his success in Phoenix a century or two ago.

Good concerts at the ACC? Maybe that’s what did it, but not if you judge that category by the feedback from fans at this week’s mysterious Bob Dylan show.

The other Canadian categories in the Travelzoo awards were for best overall provider of Airfare (Porter), best overall provider of hotel deals (Sutton Place, Vancouver, which is often on sale on various websites) and best provider of vacation and cruise packaging (Cruise Connections, Inc.).

 

QUEBEC CITY HOTELS KICK BUTT

Congrats to Quebec City for having the highest rated hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

CheapHotels.org released a survey this week of 30 destinations north and south of the border. It was based on evaluations written by customers over the past 12 months following their stays.

To ensure proper comparisons, the study was based only on 3-star hotels (the kind most of us stay in most often) in the city centre. Two booking sites, Expedia and Priceline, served as the aggregator from which reviews were drawn.

The winner, with 75 per cent positive reviews, was Quebec City. Next was Washington D.C. at 73, followed by Chicago (72) and a tie between Boston and Montreal at 71. So, good on La Belle Province for a great showing.

The bottom five were Las Vegas (61), Honolulu (59), Ottawa (a terrible 57 score), Atlantic City (56) and, at the very bottom, Miami at 54.

Sounds like theirs food for thought down Florida way….

For the record, Toronto was pretty much in the middle (slightly above average) at 67, one spot behind Niagara Falls (68), although the study doesn’t say whether that’s the U.S. or Canadian side of the falls.

New York City was at 65.

 

THIS AND THAT

Fairmont is opening its first-ever property in the Philippines, which seem to be getting more and more travel press these days. The Fairmont Makati opens Dec. 3 in Metro Manila. Fairmont Makati will have 280 rooms and suites with a Filipino design. The tower housing the Makati also is home to the 32-room, all-suite Raffles Makati and to condos under the Raffles Residences brand. Raffles is a sister brand of Fairmont under the parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International … Kudos to Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia for being named best new golf course by SCOREGolf. It’s a no-brainer, really, as it’s by far the best new course opened in this country in some time. It’s a true links course, the only one in Canada, and it’s absolutely marvelous.

 

More top American cities in Travel + Leisure survey; what about Canada?

More today from the recent issue of Travel + Leisure, which each year ranks American cities in various categories. As I mentioned on Friday, New Orleans took the overall top city trophy this year, and it's hard to argue with that.

Here are some other categories from the survey:

Top City for Friendly People: Nashville

Top City for Attractive People: Miami (see South Beach photo at right)

Top City for Tech-Savvy Folks (what a dull category that is): Seattle

Top City for Stylish People: New York

Top City for Barbecue: Kansas City

Top City for Pizza: Chicago

Top City for Fine Dining: Charleston

Top City for Ethnic Food: San Francisco

Top City for Microbrew Beer: Portland, Oregon

Top City for Cocktail Lounges: Las Vegas

Top City for Sports Bars: Chicago

Top City for Museums/Galleries: Washington D.C.

Top City for Free Attractions: Washington D.C.

Top City for a Romantic Escape: Charleston (see photo)

Top City for a Cultural Getaway: Santa Fe, New Mexico

It's a nice, fun list. But what about Canada? How do our cities stack up? Well, sadly we don't have as many of them, do we. But we can maybe make a go of it. I'm not claiming this as definitive as I haven't been to all our major cities. And we don't have so many to begin with. But you could at least argue that I'm in the ballpark on these, so here goes....

Top City for Friendly People: St. John's. (I will hear no argument on this because I'm right.)

Top City for Attractive People: Toronto (Only because we have so many from around the world.)

Top City for Tech Savvy People: Calgary (You have to be tech savvy to entertain yourself in winter.)

Top City for Stylish People: Montreal (Hands down, right?)

Top City for Barbecue: Not saying much but I'll go with Toronto. (Maybe we should say best city for poutine and give it to Montreal).

Top City for Pizza: Toronto (We have the most Italians.)

Top City for Fine Dining: Toronto.

Top City for Ethnic Food: Toronto. (Sorry, sheer variety and size wins again for Hogtown.)

Top City for Microbrew Beer: Victoria

Top City for Cocktail Lounges: Montreal

Top City for Sports Bars: Edmonton (it IS the ciity of champions, notwithstanding yesterday's rout by the Argos)

Top City for Museums/Galleries: Ottawa

Top City for Free Attractions: Vancouver (the beach, Stanley Park)

Top City for a Romantic Escape: Quebec

Top City for a Cultural Getaway: Toronto

That's TOTALLY off the top of my head and I'm more than willing to entertain thoughts from folks with broader experience than I. I'm sure Saskatoon would be up on my list for friendly people if I went there.

Just for a bit more balance, let's toss in a few categories that pertain to us:

Top City for Outdoors Types: Calgary

Top City for Adventure Seekers: Whitehorse

Top City for Lovers of the Sea: Halifax

Top City for Hockey Lovers: Winnipeg (sheer exuberance wins it)

Top City for folks who'd rather have their mayor coach football than attend council meetings: Toronto

Top City for Municipal Corruption: Montreal

Top City for Sushi: Vancouver

Top City for Job Seekers: Saskatoon

Top City for Wine Drinkers: St. Catharines

Top City for finding an Australian in Winter: Whistler

Top City for bloggers who put too much emphasis on the great things to do in Toronto: The capital of the universe.

 

 

 

 

 

Off to Florida for a little Miami Beach time ... and some Key West key lime pie!

Except for one event, which I’ll get to shortly, my most vivid memories of being in Miami involve sports.

I’ve been there to cover Raptors’ games and baseball world series games, most notably when the Florida Marlins won the Series in 1997 and I was covering it for the Star. I was there at the fabulous Doral golf course in 2005 when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson duked it out on the final holes on the final day. Actually, that’s probably my favourite memory from covering golf for the Star for a few years.

I was down keeping an eye on the tourney in general and on Woods when it became clear that the Sunday round was going to end up like a match play event with he and Mickelson, mano a mano. They were back and forth, or at least tied, a great deal of the day. I remember Woods making a big putt on the 17th hole to really put the pressure on and I think he took a one-shot lead to the famous 18th hole on the Blue Monster course, a long par four with treacherous water down the left side.

And here’s the fun part. When you cover golf for a paper as big as the Star, they give you a pass to walk inside the ropes, near the players and away from the hordes of fans. You’re supposed to stay within an arm’s length of the ropes as they don’t want reporters in the way or sidling up to Mickelson asking for tips on his famous flop shot. I remember hearing somebody say something in the crowd that I liked after Tiger sank his putt on the 17th, or maybe I just had a rare thought in my head. Anyway, I paused for a half-minute or so to write something down in my notepad. As I scribbled, I noticed the other reporters and photographers with “inside the ropes” access walking past me. No problem, I thought.

I put my pen away and my notepad and got into the back of the media line as it snaked its way past the 18th tee box. The photographers with the big lenses usually walk down the fairway a bit, then turn around with their big lenses to get shots of the players on the tee without making noise. Usually they walk a fair piece down before they stop. But on this day the photographers at the front of the line stopped short. So that meant the people in line behind THEM stopped a little short. Which meant that little old me, in the back of the line because of my note-taking, was suddenly stopped from moving forward in the media line. That wouldn’t normally be an issue but this time I was stopped just two feet from where Tiger was leaning down to put his tee in the ground. Maybe less. I could almost hear him breathing as he put his ball on the tee.

His caddy, Stevie Williams, looked over at me and snarled, “Get the f--- out of here!!”

Williams has a reputation as a bit of a jerk but he was absolutely right. I was in precisely the wrong place at the wrong time and it was my own fault.

I nodded. I looked around. There was nowhere to go. The line in front of me was stopped. There were PGA Tour officials behind me. So I did the only thing I could do to get away: I got on my hands and knees and crawled under the ropes, through the crowd of fans gathered around the 18th tee.

“Excuse me, pardon me, excuse me.” I felt like Bugs Bunny in the theatre in that famous cartoon. I also felt like an idiot.

I was soon able to get to my feet and I walked down the edge of the trees on the right side of the hole, then clambered back inside the ropes to watch Mickelson just miss a chip that might have tied Tiger. Instead, Woods made a short putt for the win and, as I recall, regained his number one world ranking.

It was a great finish but I mostly remember it for my own stupid situation. It's certainly a golf story I’ll never forget.

My other favourite memory of Miami is being on a family trip maybe eight or nine years ago. We went to South Beach and my wife and my youngest son, then about 12 or 13,  waded out into the Atlantic to toss a football around, as I recall. They were having a great time when a couple of teenage girls (or maybe a bit older) decided to have a little fun. They stood on a sandbar not far from my wife and son and yelled "Let's get naked," and then whipped off their bikini tops.

To this day, I think my son has a real thing for Miami Beach.

I’ll be back in Miami this weekend, so look for a live blog posting sometime on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday I’ll report from the Florida Keys and Key West. And then I’ll be in the U.S Virgin Islands for a week, checking out St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix before heading back to Miami for a day on the way home.

Cheers and thanks for reading!

You can email me at jbyers@thestar.ca. Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jimbyerstravel

 

Cruise with a favourite major league ballplayer ... World to reach 1 billion tourists

You gotta hand it to the cruise industry. They know what we like and they keep giving it to us; free drinks packages, fabulous swimming pools and rock-climbing walls and, increasingly these days, theme cruises with special guests.

Notwithstanding the fact that none of them seem to want to invite travel editors on board, they seem to have some pretty good concepts. The latest one I've read about involves former ballplayers, ranging from Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Marichal to former Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield.

USA Today reports that MSC cruises has announced another round of 'baseball greats' voyages to the Caribbean this coming winter. There will be five sailings, all on the 3,010-passenger MSC Poesia (what kind of a name is that, anyway) out of Ft. Lauderdale and ranging from seven to 10 nights.

Barfield apparently will be on a 10-night southern Caribbean voyage that leaves Dec. 11 and also features former big leaguers Bill Russell, Dave Campbell and Stan Bahnsen. Former player and Jays manager Jim Fregosi, who I think would be pretty entertaining if my dealings with him in my career as a Jays/baseball reporter are any indication, will be on a seven-night eastern Caribbean trip leaving Feb. 9 with Banhsen, Larry Parrish and Griffey (senior, not junior).

The list I saw isn't bad. But I'm not seeing too many guys in their 40's on the list. I'd think MSC, in an ideal world, would want to mix in a few younger baseball guys to go along with the Griffeys, Marichals and Barfields, and you don't often see Jesse Barfield's name mixed in with Griffey and the legendary Marichal, do ya? (A side note here: I grew up outside of San Francisco and saw him pitch his no-hitter in June, 1963. Very cool, although I remember my dad telling me in later years I was bored by the lack of scoring in the game. Stupid kid.)

I was noodling about on cruisecritic.com this morning and found there are far more theme cruises than I had expected. There are art cruises (I'd heard about those) and history cruises (of course), but also nature cruises, "gaming and technology" cruises and political cruises. Yeah, that's gonna be awesome; talking with wrinkly, former senators around the hot tub.

The music ones sound pretty good to me. I'm not a metal fan but I read that Foreigner, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult and more than 20 other bands will do a four-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas early next year. Cruise critic says they'll "perform multiple times in three different venues aboard the ship, which will sail to Labadee, Haiti (the cruise line's private beach area), and back. Meet-and-greet sessions will be available, too.

A BILLION TOURISTS?

An amazing stat here from the World Tourism Organization: there were a record 467 million "tourists" around the world in the first six months of the year. If the numbers hold up, we could be on track to reach ONE BILLION tourists by the end of the year.

The number for the first six months of 2012 was up five per cent from last year, and officials at the WTO say we could very well crack the 1,000,000,000 mark by Dec. 31.

"Tourism is one of the few economic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed counries alike and, most importantly, created much needed jobs," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

The WTO says Asia and Pacific tourism numbers are up a sizable eight per cent from last year, while Africa and Central America rose seven per cent and South America visitation numbers were up six per cent.

Numbers for the Caribbean were up five per cent. I didn't see numbers for Europe or North America as a whole but they can't be up too much if the world overall is up five per cent.

The report said outbound travel was up a whopping 30 per cent for China and 15 per cent for Russia, compared to nine per cent for the U.S. and six per cent for Canada and Germany. Growth was slow or even negative for the UK, Australia, Italy and France...

THANKS TO FRANCE TOURISM

The folks with Atout France held a nice gathering in Toronto Wednesday night, complete with French cuisine and French wines. The emphasis was on some of the southerly regions of the country, including Marseille, Provence and the Midi Pyrenees region, which is the largest region of the country.

Looking at the videos shown during the evening reminded me just how vast and varied France is. Sure, there are gentle valleys and wineries in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley (check this coming Saturday's Star Travel for a nice piece on the Loire), and there's Paris and the French Riviera, of course. But the mountain villages and swift-flowing rivers and deep valleys and snow-capped peaks were the images that had me gazing in wonder.

I've seen the Gorges de l'Ardeche in southern France, and it's quite something. And a couple years ago I spent several days along the Lot and Dordogne rivers, which feature great canoeing and fabulous, fabulous food and wonderful castles and gardens. If you've never been to France and have an image in your mind of "typical" French countryside, the Dordogne just might be your ticket.

Prince Harry antics boost interest in Vegas visits ... New Jaunt Golf site

The Queen is not amused.

Las Vegas is delighted.

In case you somehow missed the news, the Internet is awash with stories and the odd photo of Prince Harry cavorting naked in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Travelmole.com reports that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is rather pleased.

"Las Vegas is excited that Prince Harry continues to visit the destination for his stateside getaways," said Courtney Fitzgerald of the LVCVA. "Las Vegas is about adult freedom and that means different things to different people.  It's important for friends to know what activities can be shared publicly and what activities are protected by the code of 'What Happens in Vegas; Stays in Vegas.'" 

Virgin Holidays said inquiries for trips to Sin City had shot up 30% since news of Harry's antics broke. The company said it had sent a care package to the Wynn hotel for the Prince, which includes spare trunks, sunglasses and an energy drink, and I like their style.

In the interest of being a family blog and all, I've only shown you a modest shot of the Prince in some nice, red Hawaiian board shorts. Other images, which don't appear to show anything, really, are available on the web for the curious.

GOLF TOURISM ON THE GO

Jaunt.ca and SCOREGolf.com have teamed up to launch Jaunt Golf, which offers exclusive, hand-picked golf getaways. It's billed as "the most extensive, fully-packaged online travel destination for beginners, avid golfers, Bubba Watsons and Happy Gilmores alike."

The first round of getaways are available now, featuring nine different locations. Included are Niagara, Muskoka, British Columbia, Mexico, Arizona, Florida and more. 

"We know that Canadians are eager to attempt new and challenging golf courses, and combining the most notable links with luxurious hotels and travel bonuses is the ultimate vacation experience," said Jonathan Tafler, general manager of Jaunt.ca. "We're thrilled to partner with SCOREGolf and pair our travel offers with their trusted voice and niche expertise."

Jaunt.ca is owned by Torstar Digital, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Just so you know.

 

WEST JET VACATIONS KUDOS

WestJet Vacations this week announced results of a study showing it has the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty among the six most widely used tour operators in Canada.

Conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of WestJet Vacations, the survey was conducted across Canada in June and July. WestJet Vacations scored higher than the competition for overall satisfaction, likelihood to recommend and customer service. It was also was rated as the most trusted vacation company, WestJet officials said.

FOUR SEASONS GROWTH

In addition to adding the new Yorkville hotel on Oct. 5, Four Seasons is busy around the world. The Toronto-based chain spans five continents and 36 countries and there's plenty more on the way.

China is a large growth area, representing more than 20 per cent of projected openings for the next four years. A new hotel in Guangzhou opened last month, and more hotels are coming to Beijing and Shanghai in the coming weeks.

This fall, Four Seasons also will enter Sub-Saharan Africa with the opening of the first of three properties. Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania "will be a unique opportunity for the brand in an exciting new destination," officials said.

Located within Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, the landscape features "the largest concentration of plains animals in Africa and is acclaimed for the best game drives and abundant, year-round wildlife."

Sounds pretty good to me.

U.S. TRAVEL SKYROCKETING

TravelAgent.Com reports that U.S. Commerce Department data shows international visitors have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date. This is an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year.

The new data confirms that the U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for another record-setting year and, if these trends to continue, international visitors could end up injecting more than $169 billion into the U.S. economy by year-end, the Commerce Department says.

The U.S. not long ago launched a new Brand USA campaign in the hopes of increasing visitor numbers. If the latest figures are any indication, it appears to be working.