Families have the best experiences at Vogages

Families that like to stay at Voyages Hotels & Resorts will be pleased to note that they the have been voted Best Experience (Travel) at the inaugural Harper’s Bazaar magazine’s Luxury Reborn awards.

The awards, sponsored by Belvedere Vodka and held at Melbourne’s GPO, were presented in 11 eclectic categories including Best Experience (Travel). More than 6,000 readers voted for their favourites online at www.harpersbazaar.com.au

“The idea behind the event was to show our enduring love affair with all things ‘luxury’,” said Jamie Huckbody, editor of Harper’s Bazaar Australia.

Voyages Hotels & Resorts has six properties that sit within the ‘luxury’ category offering all-inclusive dining and premium beverages, unrivalled service and all located in amazing locations. Voyages’ six premium properties include: Lizard Island, Wilson Island and Bedarra Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef; luxury cattle station Wrotham Park Lodge; El Questro Homestead in the Kimberley region; and Longitude 131 at Uluru.

Anna Guillan, Voyages Executive General Manager Sales & Marketing, said: “Voyages defines luxury in a variety of ways, from top-quality service to gourmet food and wine, privacy and exclusivity. But above all, Voyages prides itself on offering unique holiday experiences in some of Australia’s most remote and breathtaking locations, blending the vast and varied landscape with first-class travel experiences.”

Exclusive Savings at priorityclub.com/memberexclusive

For those that like to be in the know you heard it here first the IHG 72 Hour sale is coming back with it super great specials on Accommodation at IHG hotels.

Priority Club and Priority Privilege members will have first pick  from midday the 7th of July and can start making bookings from Winter  IHG 72 hour  sale.  So if you would like to be in with a winning chance of picking up a great hotel room for the family  before it goes public on the 8th of July just be sure you are either joined up to Priority Privilege or Priority Club Rewards.

For more details about the promotion visit priorityclub.com/memberexclusive

Participating Hotels:

Crowne Plaza Hotels – Darling Harbour, Coogee Beach, Parramatta, Norwest, Terrigal, Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Torquay, Surfers Paradise, Pelican Waters Golf Resort & Spa, Perth, Alice Springs, Darwin, Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown.

Holiday Inn Hotels: -Darling Harbour, Potts Point, Old Sydney, Sydney Airport, Flinders Melbourne, Melbourne Airport, Adelaide, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Burswood, Darwin, Esplanade Darwin, Gagudju Crocodile, Wellington, City Centre Christchurch, Avon Christchurch.

Best of luck in finding that great room for the best family holiday this winter.

Beat School Holiday Boredom In North East England

Are you looking for top ideas to beat School Holiday Boredom In North East England

Tourism attractions in Durham have organised a packed summer of events to help children beat boredom during the upcoming school holidays. From children’s cookery schools to forest den building, storytelling sessions and arts workshops in country gardens, Durham is a great place to distract the children during the summer months.

Hamsterley Forest, Teesdale, Durham Dales

This vast forest and visitor centre is not just a superb picnic spot and mountain biking centre of excellence, it hosts superb children’s activities in July and August.

The 4th annual Hamsterley Forest Play Day is taking place in August and is perfect for bored kids who want to escape into the outdoors. Play day includes den building, mountain biking, zip wires, archery, drumming workshops and a Robin Hood story trail with Jack Drum Arts. It is advised to book to avoid disappointment as places are limited on many activities. For further details call: 01388 762 220. A toll ticket for the forest costs £3, under three’s go free on play day, children aged three and over £2.

Other events including arts and craft workshops, den building, mountain bike trail building and night time forest walks are also taking place in July and August.  For more details visit: www.visitcountydurham.com/site/whats-on

Beamish Museum

This award winning open air museum recreates the story of life in North East England during the 19th and 20th centuries and is a year round favourite with children. Grab a bag of pear drops at the sweet stop in the reconstructed 1913 market town and ride the authentic tram on route to attractions like Home Farm, Mahogany Drift Mine, The Colliery Village, Pockerley Manor and the Railway Station. www.beamish.org.uk
A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children costs £46.

Crook Hall & Gardens, Durham City – Art in the Gardens

The popular exhibition of outdoor art returns to Crook Hall & Gardens, a 13th century medieval manor house and English country gardens, situated in the heart of Durham City. This August, children can explore innovative and exciting sculpture and exhibitions by local artists beside the moatpool and inside the maze, orchards and scented gardens.

Family ticket costs £16
Web: www.crookhallgardens.co.uk
Tel: 0191 384 8028

Summer Food Festival, Thorpe Farm Country Park, Barnard Castle

This brand new family-friendly food festival is showcasing the finest food producers in North East England as well as introducing children to the art of cooking. The Augill Castle cookery school will be on hand to run children’s cookery classes for young Heston’s and Delia’s, as well as pony rides, falconry displays and a children’s play area. Fortnum and Mason are also sending their famous toffee apple demonstrator to show children how to make and enjoy their own toffee apples.

Date: August 8-9
Times: 10am – 4.30 pm
Prices: Adults £7.50 with children under the age of 16 free
For more information and ticket log onto www.theglutton.co.uk or contact Prink Festivals on 0191 260 2262 or 0191 221 1221.

Killhope: North of England Lead Mining Museum, Weardale, Durham Dales – Children’s Archaeological dig

Killhope, a fantastic place to learn about mining, minerals, geology and precious metals is offering children the chance to be Indiana Jones for a day at a special archaeological dig on the 19th and 26th of July.

For more details and to book a place call: 01388 537 505, web: www.killhope.org.uk
Price: Adult £6.50, children £3.50

Toy Tales at The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle is hosting the exhibition, Toy Tales, celebrating 60 years of BBC children’s television characters, from Pinky and Perky to Postman Pat and The Flowerpot Men to the Teletubbies. Events in August include learning to create a digital animated story based on childhood memories, summertime stories in the museum gardens with storyteller Adam Bushnell and toy handling sessions with objects from the exhibitions.

www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Prices: £7 adults, children under 16 free

Events
Animated Toy Tales – August 7
Summertime Stories – August 13 – £2 adults, £1 children – booking advisable
Toy Handling sessions – August 11,18, 25 (children must be accompanied by an adult)
Tel: 01833 694 602

Toy Tales runs at the renowned art treasure house from May 9 to November 1.

Locomotion: Model Mania

The National Railway Museum at Shildon is holding a special exhibition of model planes, trains and automobiles from August 8-9, alongside its impressive collection of locomotives from around the world. The museum is currently home to the original steam engine from the popular 1960’s BBC Children’s TV programme The Railway Children.

Web: www.locomotion.uk.com
Telephone: (01388) 777999
Price: Free entry

For more general information: www.visitcountydurham.com

Alice Springs Camel Cup an Odds On Favourite

Forget about the kids with their spitting, biting and grunting this normal behaviour and part of the daily routine for cameleers, but getting on board and racing these unpredictable beasts is no small feat for riders taking part in the 38th annual Lions Imparja Camel Cup in Alice Springs early next month.

More than 4,500 people will converge on Alice Springs on Saturday 11 July to experience Australia’s most famous camel race.

This year’s Cup will see riders from the Territory and as far afield as Tasmania, tackle the dusty outback course in nine separate races scheduled throughout the day.

The race, which attracts visitors from all over the world, celebrates the uniqueness of the Red Centre and its quirky traditions.

This year’s Lions Imparja Camel Cup will see a team of US riders from Pine Gap competing who have been training with Camels Australia especially for the day. Legendary Cameleer “Shorty” Smith will also return to the heart of Australia for another crack at the Cup.

All proceeds from the Camel Cup, which is organised by the Lions Club of Alice Springs, will be put back into the local community.

What: The 38th Annual Lions Imparja Camel Cup
When: Saturday 11 July 2009, 10.30am-5pm
Where: Blatherskite Park, Alice Springs

Kids to eat healthier at Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn Refreshes Kids Eat Free Menu

Expanding upon the success of the award-winning Kids Eat FreeTM program, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts will now offer new healthier food options through its ‘Rainforest Adventure’-themed kids menu. The new menu is currently available at more than 850 properties in the U.S. and Canada.

The new ‘Rainforest Adventure’ menu focuses on grilled and fresh items with a greater emphasis on lean proteins, vegetables and fresh fruit. New items such as grilled chicken, steamed or raw vegetables and fresh fruit now give parents the opportunity to choose healthier meal options for their kids, with side items that can be mixed and matched based on preference. The breakfast menu also carries well known items such as Dannon® fruit yogurt, Kellogg’s® cereal and Quaker® oatmeal, brands that are known for their quality healthy offerings.

“Parents are always looking for ways to provide a healthy meal for their families while on the road,” said Sue Morgan, vice president, Franchise Food & Beverage, IHG-The Americas. “The new menu helps relieve some of that challenge by providing families with a new, fun and engaging healthy meal experience while staying with Holiday Inn.”

Virtually all Holiday Inn hotels in the U.S. serve Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM coffee as part of their Best-4-Breakfast® menu, so it became the inspiration for the menu’s ‘Rainforest Adventure’ theme. In addition to the new creative design, the paper used for the menus is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and is printed with biodegradable inks and laminated for continued reuse. All menus include Rainforest fun facts and a website link back to the Rainforest foundation where kids can find more colorful and interactive puzzles and games.

As a pioneer in family travel at a great value, Holiday Inn was the first hotel brand to offer a Kids Eat Free program, and has been making family travel both friendly and affordable for more than 50 years. The new ‘Rainforest Adventure’ menus demonstrate Holiday Inn’s commitment to keeping up with the needs of today’s travelers.

The Kids Eat Free program is available at all Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kids Eat Free is available for up to four kids per family, 12 years of age and under, when dining from the kids menu in hotel restaurants with a paying adult and does not apply to room service.

The refresh of the Kids Eat Free program is happening during a pivotal time for the brand, as Holiday Inn is currently undergoing the biggest relaunch in hospitality history. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and drive consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome, guestroom and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.

Qantas to allow Families to check in online

Qantas has announced today that Travellers who are flying on International flights can now Online Check-In and Advance Seat Selection

Qantas has introduced international online check-in and advance seat selection, expanding the range of services available to customers.

Qantas Group Executive Manager Customer and Marketing, Ms Lesley Grant, said the new services would ensure an enhanced travel experience for customers.

“The ability to check-in online for international travel means customers can check-in at their leisure between 24 hours and two hours before their flight from their home, office or hotel,” Ms Grant said.

“Customers who check-in online will enjoy a faster airport experience with dedicated online check-in counters for bag drop and necessary visa checks.

“And we are rewarding our top tier Frequent Flyers, (Platinum, Gold and Silver) with even more choice – the ability to choose their seat online.

“Immediately after making a booking, whether at qantas.com or through other booking channels, eligible Frequent Flyers are now able to request their seat for international flights.*” Ms Grant said the new services were testament to the Qantas Group’s continued investment in customer product and services.

“Over the past few years, Qantas has invested significantly in new generation product both inflight and on the ground, including lounge refurbishments, the introduction of our fourth cabin, International Premium Economy, and the delivery of our A380s,” she said.

“Our aim is to provide travellers with a wide range of services to ensure a seamless travel experience, and customers can expect to see even more enhancements to domestic and international customer services later in 2009.”

This is great news for families that are travelling with Qantas as it means it will make the whole checkin in process with kids just that little easier.  But it would be great to see the online advance seat selection opened up to Bronze Frequent Flyers as well.

Dunk Island named as one of the best family friendly destinations

Voyages Dunk Island Named one of Australia’s Top Ten Family-Friendly Resorts

Voyages Dunk Island has been named one of Australia’s Top Ten Family-Friendly Resorts in the 4-stars and over category by Holidays with Kids Magazine – an Australian family travel website and magazine.

Votes were received from over 600,000 parents and 40,000 online members who nominated Voyages Dunk Island for outstanding holiday appeal and facilities for families. Readers were invited to rank their nominations on categories including activities and facilities for kids, childcare and babysitting services, staff hospitality, standard of accommodation, location, accessibility, safety, fun for the entire family, value for money and overall experience.

Voyages Dunk Island is Queensland’s most beautiful tropical rainforest island – a natural haven for adults and kids alike. Kids can run riot in the Kids Club, enjoy arts and crafts, rainforest discovery walks and a visit to the island farm. Mum and Dad, meanwhile, can jump on water skis, snorkel, enjoy a sailing trip, play a round of golf or indulge at the Spa of Peace and Plenty.

For a limited time only, guests staying for four nights or more can have their breakfast, lunch and dinner included for FREE! Kids still stay and eat for free. Four-night packages start from AUD$588* per person and include full buffet breakfast, buffet or 2-course lunch and buffet or 3-course dinner daily. Also included are many non-motorised water sports and islands activities, plus children stay and eat for FREE!

Stay 2 Nights at Hyatt and get a Free Night

Families and travellers that find themselves staying at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts will be better off in 2,500 ways!

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announces today the launch of a new Hyatt Gold Passport™ bonus point promotion, which reinforces the Hyatt commitment to creating the world’s most generous welcome. From June 15, 2009 through September 15, 2009, Gold Passport members can earn 2,500 bonus points per stay when paying with a MasterCard debit or credit card. The number of bonus points that can be earned is unlimited and points never expire.

After only two stays, members will earn enough points for a free night or a room upgrade. With the newly redesigned Hyatt Gold Passport program, members can now take part in a wider range of exclusive privileges, including free night awards with no blackout dates, complimentary Internet access, suite upgrades and exclusive check-in areas for elite members.

“This unlimited promotion is designed to reward all of our guests, whether we have the privilege to welcome them every week or once in a while”, said Jeff Zidell, vice president, Hyatt Gold Passport. “It’s our way of demonstrating loyalty to our members and helping them reach their vacation goals more quickly than ever before.”

“Together with Hyatt we are proud to once again offer MasterCard cardholders who spend time on the road a compelling and valuable reward simply for choosing to pay with their MasterCard debit and credit cards,” said George Zilvetti, Vice President, Travel & Entertainment, U.S. Commerce Development, MasterCard Worldwide. “Whether a business road warrior or traveling for pleasure, a MasterCard cardholder can earn free nights to redeem for quality time with the people who matter most.”
To enroll in the promotion and begin earning bonus points, Gold Passport members can register at goldpassport.com. Guests who are not yet Gold Passport members can easily join at goldpassport.com and will be automatically registered.

With the opening of 30 new hotels in the past year, and 18 more properties slated to open in 2009, Hyatt Gold Passport members have more opportunities to experience Hyatt and the benefits of membership. A selection of the new and upcoming locations include:

• North America and the Caribbean – Seattle, Los Angeles, St. Louis, New York City, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Richmond, Charlotte, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Clearwater Beach, Lexington, Toronto, Curaçao
• Asia – Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau
• Europe and the Middle East – Istanbul, Dushanbe, Ekaterinburg, Moscow, Doha, Jeddah

Full terms and conditions for the Hyatt Gold Passport-MasterCard promotion are available at goldpassport.com. Reservations for any Hyatt hotel and resort worldwide may be made by visiting hyatt.com, calling (800) 233-1234 from the U.S. and Canada, or contacting the nearest worldwide reservations center.

Australian travellers will pay more to depart the UK

Australian Families and travellers that are departing the UK could be hit with a huge increase in departure taxes.

Australian travellers to the UK will have to pay more than double the current airport depature taxes under a planned increase, a move airlines are warning could see carriers drop British airports from their routes.

The British government’s decision to double Air Passenger Duty (APD) – up to £84 (A$174) for long-haul flights – could lead to record numbers of routes from British airports being abandoned, a private aviation company claims.

Read the Full Story Australians face doubling of departure tax in UK

Families will find luxury easier to reach at Hayman Island

Great news for families that are wanting to get to Hayman Island for their luxury family vacation. With Hayman amd Virgin Blue establishing a new fare to Hayman Island.

Hayman is the newest destination on Virgin Blue’s route network following a unique partnership between the airline and Hayman which allows Virgin Blue to offer luxury launch transfers direct from Hamilton Island to and from Hayman in conjunction with its flights from Sydney and Brisbane.

The new ‘through-fare’ to Hayman, connecting via Hamilton Island, is on sale from today for travel from 1 July 2009, giving Guests the convenience of combining their flights and luxury launch transfers in a single booking as well as having their baggage checked through to their final destination.

“Hayman presents world-class, 5-star luxury experiences and Virgin Blue’s service and style, including its Premium Economy offering, provides a natural fit in line with Hayman’s Guest expectations.”

On arrival at Hamilton Island, Virgin Blue Guests travelling to Hayman on the through-fare need only identify their baggage to ground staff and check-in for their connecting luxury launch transfer at the airport before departing on the one-hour journey to Hayman. Guests’ baggage will be delivered right to their room on the island.

In celebration of the new agreement Hayman will be offering luxury launch transfers complimentary for travel up until 31 July 2009 when booked in conjunction with a Virgin Blue flight. After the promotional period through-fares including flights and luxury launch transfers will start from:

• $254* (including flights and luxury launch transfer) per person one way on the internet between Brisbane and Hayman • $320* (including flights and luxury launch transfer) per person one way on the internet between Sydney and Hayman International travellers flying with Virgin Blue sister carriers Pacific Blue and V Australia will also be able to take advantage of the new arrangement when flying from New Zealand or Los Angeles.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, welcomed the partnership which will make travelling to Hayman seamless and very convenient for Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia Guests.

“By partnering with Hayman and including the luxury launch transfer into the flight booking we’ve simplified the process for travellers, giving them one less thing to worry about.” Hayman General Manager, Roger Wright, said, “We’re delighted to come on board with Virgin Blue to offer this through-fare to Hayman for our Guests.

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