Taking a Chance on a Brand New Hotel

Taking a Chance on a Brand New Hotel:

            I mentioned in an earlier blog post, how you can save money and often get a deal if you are willing to book a new hotel. Sure it may not be at full capacity, it may not have all services available yet, and they will be working on their customer service. However, most of the time you will be welcomed into a squeaky clean new hotel with employees eager to impress and serve you. After all, management knows that their success highly depends on the reviews they will receive on TripAdvisor and more. Here are a few hotels we were lucky enough to stay at before their nightly rate increased significantly:

1.     Live Aqua Cancun: It was stylish, modern, and they greeted you with a hand massage upon check-in. It was close to many activities in Cancun, yet quiet enough to resemble a spa. The room service was top notch and the pools looking out on the ocean were breathtaking. Highlight: sipping “Cancun kiwi’s” (cocktail) while swinging on the swing at the beach bar.

Price we paid in 2011: $159 (u.s dollars) per night double occupancy

Price per night currently: $449 (u.s dollars) and up per night double occupancy

2.     Barcelo Maya Colonial (Mayan Riviera): This resort was huge! So much to see and do. As a guest you have access to all four hotels: Barcelo Maya Beach, Barcelo Maya Caribe, Barcelo Maya Colonial and Barcelo Maya Tropical. Leaving your hotel room was truly a full night out, with taking a trolly to dinner, then another trolly to the shows, and finally a large disco to top it all off. Highlight: feeding the fish and swimming with the sea turtles found just off the hotel built board walk! We loved this place so much we came back and got married at its partnering Barcelo Palace.

Price we paid first visit 2006: $159 (u.s dollars) per night double occupancy

Price we paid for our wedding 2010: $400 (u.s dollars) per night double occupancy

Price per night currently: $472 (u.s dollars) and up per night double occupancy

3.     Grand Sunset Princess (Playa del Carmen): This resort is quite large as well. It has many options for upgrades beyond the basic room, like swim up villas. Lots of exciting activities going on and great restaurant choices. The facilities were modern and the lobby is grand. We stayed with a group of friends at this resort and we loved that it was close to Playa Del Carmen if we wanted to go into town, yet there was still enough to keep us entertained if we decided to stay at the resort. Highlight: drinking mimosas in the lobby bar before dinner and enjoying the ice cream treats they handout around the pool during the day.

Price we paid in 2011: $99 (u.s dollars) per night double occupancy

Price per night currently: $343 (u.s dollars) and up per night double occupancy

In two weeks Rich and I will be travelling to Puerto Vallarta. We are staying at the newly opened Grand Fiesta Americana which is an adult’s only resort. The resort opened in November and has received solid reviews so far. There have been little complaints and pool temperature and the dinner reservation system, but management has already addressed these areas. We’ll provide pictures on our Instagram account while staying at the resort and a trip review when we get back for those who may be interested in future stays at the resort.

Have you been one of the first guests to stay at a hotel or resort? Let us know in the comment section how it worked out for you.

Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe
Photo: @conciergecouple

The big debate: try something new or cherish something old?

          Richard and I had a rule…never go to the same place twice. When I say place; that could mean: hotel, country, city, restaurant, etc. We are quite adventurous. We have good reason to be too…you never know what tomorrow will bring, so embrace the excitement of each day. We watch many others fall into one of two common traps- travel very little or go back to the old faithful’s.

          There is so much to see and do in this world. If you are visiting our blog or following us on Instagram or Twitter (@conciergecouple), then you already know this.

          Now the TRUTH: we have followed our rule for the most part, our Tripadvisor history proves it as do my travel journals. However, we do have a few spots on repeat. Why you ask? What else can there possibly be to do there that is that exciting? What makes it so magical?  Other than the person you are with (aww…), that answer is a complicated one.

          We have a few places we go back to every now and then. They give us goosebumps, joy, and nostalgia. I will cover these favourite spots of ours in upcoming posts. Stay tuned.

          Which kind of traveller are you? Let us know in the comment section below.

Airport & Flight Must Haves

Even after years of travelling and visiting many countries Richard and I still get excited to go to the airport. There is an excitement and anticipation about counting down the minutes until taking off for a new adventure. I must admit, I even get excited to come home on the plane because it means I get to see our dog after many days of being away.

So what you pack and what you bring on your travels is largely determined by your destination. Richard and I both have a bad habit of travelling with a lot of luggage, but we are very aware of how high maintenance we can be. When it comes to our carry-ons we differ in what we bring with us, but we have it down to a science.

Richard travels with a backpack. This backpack is packed to the brim with:

• Extra batteries
• All cords/chargers for electronics kept neatly inside a pencil case
• His Beats by Dr. Dre (noise cancelling headphones)
• Samsung tablet (he watches a lot of movies and series during the flight)
• SLR camera and underwater camera *
• Gum
• Pens
• Travel itinerary folder (more on that in a later post)
• Compression socks

* The one time we for some unknown unintelligent reason decided to pack our camera in our suitcase for our journey home, was when we lost our luggage. After much stress about losing all of our 1500 pictures from our month away, it was luckily returned to us. If you must put your camera in your luggage, take your memory card with you!

My carry on is a little lighter. Which speaks to the way I spend my time flying….reading and sleeping. I carry my things in an over the shoulder tote filled with:

• 4 or more magazines (I often save 1 or 2 to read at the gym or poolside for the duration of your trip). Be aware: it is difficult to find English magazines in many destinations off the beaten path.
• A book (I do not often even get to reading it because let’s face it there is so much more to be doing on vacation than reading)
•  A sweater
•  Compression socks (they keep my feet warm as well!)
•  A pillow. Yes I bring my full pillow from my bed. Like I said I spend a lot of time sleeping on long flights so carrying it from airport to airport is worth it to me.
• Airplane blanket (We got amazing ones when we flew first class one time)
• 2 granola bars and a piece of fruit
• Earphones
• A clutch carrying my money and phone. I do not haul a large purse on my trip at all, so this tucks easily into my travel tote. 

Post a comment about your “must have” carry on items!

Manila to El Nido ITI flight
Photo: @conciergecouple

Is all-inclusive for you?

Is all-inclusive for you?

Richard and I began our travelling as University students. Which means we spent our fair share of time at many all-inclusive resorts. For those of you who do not know what an all-inclusive resort is, it is often a very large hotel with many rooms. It means all of your meals, entertainment, food, and most importantly drinks are included in your price. The only thing to worry about is tips and any extra money you may wish to spend on offsite excursions.

                We have been to all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Side note: our favourite location is Mexico (all areas). There are many benefits to this kind of vacation, here are just a few:

•          There are few to no extra costs if you do not want there to be
•          You get to relax and literally do nothing if you want
•          Spas and fitness are often on site
•          There are opportunities to meet new people(at dinner, during pool volleyball, etc. )
•          The food can sometimes be pretty good and the variety is nice
•          You can eat a lot…..if that’s your thing
•          You can spend some time at some incredible pools
•           Most importantly……every drink you can imagine is included. And there is not limit!

Richard and I love going to resorts with my sisters and their husbands (brothers in law). The six of us have tons of fond memories of all-inclusive trips. We have some drinks, get silly, participate in the daily games/activities, and meet up for dinner. We believe it’s a great choice for groups. Heck, we even got married at one. But more on that later….

                Slowly over the years, Richard and I have been on vacations that are more adventurous. We have ventured to many parts of Europe, Asia, and more. It is through these trips that we have formed an appreciation for small boutique hotels, unique vacation rentals, and the push to go out and discover all there is to see of each unique destination. It lends to more spontaneous experiences, exposure to culture, and can be surprisingly affordable. Here are just some of the benefits of “freestyle” travelling:

• You can actually save money : often mom and pop shops serve food at fair prices and you can buy a bottle of alcohol for quite cheap in many countries (Canada excluded J)
• You get to find and appreciate local specialities and delicacies cooked by locals
• You get to rent cards/scooters and explore….there is so much enjoyment in this, it’s underrated
• You get to meet and interact with the hotel owners : there are often cool family stories or  history
•  Each day is new and different
•  You run into other fellow adventurous travellers and locals, who often have great food and  excursion suggestions
•  The boutique hotels or apartments are often unique and luxurious in ways that you just cannot  get with big box resorts

All in all we prefer “freestyle” travelling. We have many memories, and the ones that we have experienced through our own discoveries far exceed our all-inclusive memories. There is just an exposure and escape that I cannot describe. Try it. 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Photo: @conciergecouple

Travel Season

“Well what about rain season?”

“I can only travel during high season…but it is too expensive”

             Being teachers is a blessing in many ways, but a curse for those with the travel bug sometimes. Yes, we do have much time off together, which allows us not only to travel reasonably often for professionals, but also for long periods of time. However, the time we have off is often when most destinations raise their prices and/or it is rain season. So what do we do to balance this positive and negative? Stay longer to get our money’s worth and do not be deterred by “rain season”.

 The past two summers we have travelled to Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and China). It was their rain season and in total over the two trips we only had 4 rain days total. We maintain the attitude that we need to “seize the summer/winter” time that we have off. We have no regrets and I tell you, our eyes have been opened to new countries and experiences that we may not have had if we had just stuck to those destinations that are comfortable or safe.

            As it goes for costly destinations like Europe, we just opt to stay longer (often 3-4 weeks). This way our expensive flight over (Toronto-Paris), is not such a hard pill to swallow when we know we are getting plenty of time to enjoy our destination. We do a great job hopping around various parts of Europe by train or budget airlines and split our time between hotels and apartment rentals. Another bonus of extra time is….you get just enough time to sink into the lifestyle and forget all about your responsibilities at home. 

Photo: @conciergecouple

Escape the winter…or just escape!

Escape the winter…or just escape!

As I mentioned my husband and I are both educators living in Ontario, Canada. This time of year makes us long for warm and sunny destinations. Quite simply, an escape from shovelling the driveway and walking the dog through knee deep snow. March break (a.k.a spring break) is coming up and boy are we ready to get out of here for a fun week of drinks and beach. Our wedding Anniversary also falls on March break, so it is always another great excuse to “celebrate”.

          We had planned and hoped to visit Aruba this year, but plans do not always unfold as you hope. Looking at the next available destination keeps us open minded and easygoing travellers. We are headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Have we been there before? Yes. Did we have a great time? Yes. Did we book an amazing resort? We hope so!

          We are booked at the Grand Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta. This is a resort chain with other properties in other areas, but this specific location officially opened in December 2015. Which means it is brand new! We always thoroughly read and trust the reviews we read on TripAdvisor and cross reference details with other travel sites to make sure what we see is what we get. We are confident we will be pleased.

          If you are looking for a good deal and willing to visit a new resort, you can be pleasantly surprised. Just make sure it has been in operation for at least 3 months before visiting and there should be at least 50-100 reviews you can read on TripAdvisor to give you a glimpse into what you can expect. There are often upgrades available, because they are often not at capacity. Make sure to tell the front desk/management that you read and review the hotels you visit on TripAdvisor, so that they are aware you expect quality customer service. Most importantly, go with an open mind and positive attitude. It is easy to see the negatives if that is all you are looking for.

          We will be sure to post a review/trip report when we return. Check back to see our thoughts!

Puerto Vallarta
Photo: @conciergecouple