Blanca Blue Restaurant Receives Star Diamond Award

The Star Diamond Award is a coveted recognition for excellence granted by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, or AAHS as it is know for short. The Academy evaluates hospitality institutions against its own independent criteria to award restaurants, airlines and hotels its world-recognized award.

Garza Blanca’s onsite gourmet restaurant, Blanca Blue received the Star Diamond Award for the second time consecutively in an intimate ceremony held on the grounds of Garza Blanca. Chef Fernando Pulido and Garza Blanca’s hotel managers were presented with a plaque which will be proudly put on display.

Blanca Blue restaurant is one of Garza Blanca’s most prestigious restaurants, serving gourmet cuisine and boasting an award-winning wine cellar. The key to Blanca Blue’s success lies in Chef Pulido’s dedication to fresh ingredients, contemporary flavors and creative presentations. Dining at Blanca Blue restaurant is an encounter with a sensual journey of flavors.

However, it is not just the delectable menu that attracts visitors from other hotels and Puerto Vallarta’s residents, Blanca Blue has an unparalleled view of Banderas Bay and Los Arcos. Sunset is incredible as you dine in the comfort of air-conditioned class yet watch the ocean as though you were part of the scene. At night Blanca Blue’s terrace is aflame with fire torches that give a truly magical experience at Garza Blanca.

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Cancun Savings – How to Spend Less

Many people assume that Cancun in Mexico is an expensive destination, and while you can spend a lot of money in Cancun if you choose to do so, there are ways to experience the luxury of this amazing paradise designation without spending your life’s savings. It is possible to spend less in Cancun and get an incredible vacation experience with some simple tips.

Save money on airfares by booking in advance. If, like many people who have a full-time job, you know when your vacation time will be, you should track the prices of flights to Cancun and pounce when there is an unbeatable offer. You may even be lucky to catch a sale price.

Book Cancun hotels and resorts during the low season from May to October. You will find that you can enjoy some great discounts during this time. Cancun’s high season is during the winter months because is it is a sunny getaway while the rest of North American experiences freezing temperatures.

Decide what is best of your vacation needs in Cancun. All inclusive or European Plan? All inclusive can save you money if you are a big eater or drinker and there are many deals where children eat for free, so look out for discounts. If you like to eat in a variety of places or even want to save money by cooking for yourself on occasions, you can save money in Cancun by reserving a suite with kitchen facilities or renting a timeshare unit.

Save money on taxis in Cancun by checking what shuttle services the hotel offers or use local bus transportation. Families might benefit from car rentals, and you can even save money on excursions by driving yourself to some of the activities.

Drink the local brands in the bars. You can save money on drinking in Cancun’s bars by choosing local beers and liquors. When it comes to wine ask for “vino de la casa“, which will be reasonably priced and generally palatable.

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Cancun Vacation Club Recommendation

Cancun is the ideal location in Mexico to join a vacation club, not only because flights are cheap and regular (especially from the east coast of Canada and USA and even Europe!) but because it is a destination that will show you something different each time your arrive.

Relaxation and beach time are definitely the main attraction in Cancun and you are guaranteed good weather no matter what – even during the hurricane season, you will have to be really unlucky to experience a long run of gloomy days. So, buying into a vacation club that is located in Cancun is a great move if you like to lie by the Caribbean Sea and drink cocktails on the sand for a great price.

Another reason why investing in a Cancun vacation club is a sound deal is the great array of activities you will be able to enjoy each time to visit on vacation. Sea lovers in Cancun will be able to go fishing, whale shark watching, diving, snorkeling and jet skiing, while land lovers can check out the cenotes, go horseback riding, try a ferrari experience and visit a different Mayan ruin every time.

So how do vacation clubs work in Cancun?

If Cancun keeps calling your attention then buying membership at a vacation club in Cancun will work out to be a great deal and save you money on future vacations. Like the timeshare model, you will purchase a number of points at a resort, let’s say Villa del Palmar Cancun, and then you will be able to use those points towards accommodations every time you wish to visit Cancun or any of the other locations offered by the vacation club.

Vacation club points will also enable you to exchange your accommodations for other destinations worldwide through association with international vacation clubs like Interval International and RCI. In that way your investment in a Cancun vacation club becomes completely flexible to meet your requirements every time you wish to take a vacation.

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Garza Blanca, Puerto Vallarta: Timeshare Rentals

Many people don’t realize that as well as purchasing a timeshare, you can also rent a timeshare apartment. When you buy a timeshare property, you may find that for some reason you cannot use your week in a destination and therefore you can rent your timeshare to friends and family or even through an agency. Timeshare is not generally considered a moneymaking scheme, no matter how good you are at renting your timeshare week, however, it is a good way to make a little extra cash on the occasions when you are not able to use your timeshare.

Garza Blanca in Puerto Vallarta is a great property to rent, both as an owner as well as someone looking for accommodation in Mexico. Garza Blanca resort is one of the most luxurious resorts in Puerto Vallarta with two infinity pools (and more on the way) over-looking spectacular views of Banderas Bay and protected by lush verdant mountains.The resort landscape is simply stunning with architecture that uses natural stone and materials from the region. Garza Blanca’s spa is also world class with a host of sensual and healing treatments to be enjoyed by all.

Renting a timeshare at Garza Blanca comes with gastronomic benefits in that the gourmet restaurants on site are simply outstanding, drawing diners from other hotels and local snowbirds. You can also take advantage of room service. What many people don’t consider is that even if you are renting a timeshare from a Garza Blanca member, you can still purchase an all inclusive meal plan. In that way you can enjoy the gourmet menus at any of the restaurants as well as room service all for a set price.

So, as a renter and a rentee you can’t go wrong with a timeshare rental at Garza Blanca.

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Garza Blanca Awarded RCI Gold Crown

The beginning of the year saw RCI award Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa with their fourth consecutive Gold Crown Award. Representatives from RCI, one of the world’s largest international vacation clubs and timeshare exchange networks went to the resort to present the award to the Resort Manager, Pierre Bonin, in the presence of other staff.

For Garza Blanca, the awards is a great honor and reaffirms to guests and time share owners that the resort continues to meet its exceptional high standards. RCI’s Gold Crown Award is one of three certificates awarded to resorts and is the highest accolade given by the global exchange network. The Gold Crown Award is evidence of a resort having met or “exceeded specific standards in the areas of unit housekeeping, unit maintenance, hospitality and check-in/check-out procedures, and an evaluation of resort facilities, amenities and services.”

The award ceremony was held in January, 2014 for efforts in 2013, taking place in Garza Blanca’s, Blanca Blue Restaurant at the entrance to the wine cellar. In addition to the Gold Crown Award, Garza Blanca also received a Top Producer Signature Selections plaque and other awards for top timeshare sellers.

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Best Places in Mexico – Puerto Vallarta No.1

Are you looking for the best destination in Mexico to take a vacation?

U.S. News Travel have recently published a list online of the “best places to visit in Mexico” naming Puerto Vallarta in the number 1 spot, alongside Cancun, which also features in the list.

If you know anything about Puerto Vallarta, you will not be surprised by this great ranking. Puerto Vallarta is one of those destinations that will never go out of fashion and that continues to move with the times while maintaining its traditions and Mexican charm.

What is clear from Puerto Vallarta’s No.1 position in the U.S. News Travel’s list is that its beaches, vibrant nightlife and cultural attractions still have what it takes to beat other destinations in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta has everything it takes for a first rate vacation including fine dining restaurants, typical Mexican eateries as well as jungle adventures, whale watching and guaranteed sunshine throughout the year.

What are you waiting for?

Source: http://ift.tt/1iXU2YP (retrieved 01/30/2014)

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Best Places in Mexico – Puerto Vallarta No.1

Are you looking for the best destination in Mexico to take a vacation?

U.S. News Travel have recently published a list online of the “best places to visit in Mexico” naming Puerto Vallarta in the number 1 spot, alongside Cancun, which also features in the list.

If you know anything about Puerto Vallarta, you will not be surprised by this great ranking. Puerto Vallarta is one of those destinations that will never go out of fashion and that continues to move with the times while maintaining its traditions and Mexican charm.

What is clear from Puerto Vallarta’s No.1 position in the U.S. News Travel’s list is that its beaches, vibrant nightlife and cultural attractions still have what it takes to beat other destinations in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta has everything it takes for a first rate vacation including fine dining restaurants, typical Mexican eateries as well as jungle adventures, whale watching and guaranteed sunshine throughout the year.

What are you waiting for?

Source: http://ift.tt/1iXU2YP (retrieved 01/30/2014)

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Are there All-Inclusive Fees in Time Share?

When you purchase a timeshare, there are no all-inclusive fees unless the resort where you have bought your timeshare is an all-inclusive only resort. In the case that the resort is all inclusive only, time share owners are rarely obligated to purchase an all inclusive package unless they wish to do so, as most units will have kitchen facilities for you to prepare your own meals and so forth.

What generally occurs is that the all inclusive timeshare resort will offer you the choice to purchase an all inclusive pass or a book of vouchers to be able to eat at the restaurants on site. Therefore you can enjoy as little or as much as you like of the all inclusive plan.

In the majority of cases, time share resorts are not all inclusive only and usually have both a European Plan as well as all-inclusive. European plans are basically a room only package whereby you charge meals and drinks to your room and then pay for everything when you leave or at the end of each day. European plans are generally a much more convenient choice for timeshare owners. However, the best situation is when a hotel runs both plans as usually you can opt to buy an all-inclusive pass for a few days. In that case, a timeshare owner can enjoy the resort on an all inclusive plan for a number of days and then venture beyond the resort for the rest of their stay, trying the local cuisine or cooking in their timeshare unit.

Therefore, all inclusive fees as such do not exist in timeshare but rather, you have the choice to enjoy the benefits of an all inclusive plan if the resort offers the service.

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Can someone explain timeshare blocked weeks and points?

Today when you purchase a timeshare, most companies will have introduced the timeshare points system in addition to the tradition blocked week timeshare. What this means for new buyers as well as existing owners is greater options and flexibility.

Blocked Week Timeshare

The original timeshare model, and one that still works for some today, is a blocked week timeshare, which means that you buy a week or more of a timeshare property, which you will share with other owners that you do not know. Usually this week is a fixed week every year, although there are other schemes, such as floating weeks and rotating weeks. Buying a blocked week means that you have a specific type of accommodation within a condo or timeshare resort that is yours to use during the same specified weeks every year.

The advantages of a fixed timeshare week is that you are guaranteed your dates, which is especially useful if you can only travel during peak vacation times like Christmas and the summer vacations. The other reason that people like a fixed blocked timeshare week is that you can get to know other fixed week timeshare neighbors and form a community, making the idea of owning a second home all the more real, albeit for a week or two each year.

Timeshare Points

As vacation needs evolved, so did the timeshare model and the points system was introduced. Buying a set amount of points equivalent to a type of accommodation gives you great flexibility. For example, you can divide points and take two vacations in one year, or bank your points to take a longer period the following year. Having points means that you can use them as you wish, rather than exchanging a fixed week “like for like” through a vacation club.

Many timeshare developers are offering the points timeshare model in addition to fixed week purchases, and many people prefer the freedom that timeshare points give you to use your timeshare in other places around the world.

What is clear from customer reviews and timeshare forums is that deciding what is best: fixed weeks or timeshare points, is a decision only you can make depending on your vacation needs and preferences.

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