Vacation Ideas

One of the most common questions asked of the travel consultants at Dream Vacations is “When is the best time to travel” This can easily become a loaded question as many times the best time to travel depends on each individual travelers needs. Travel can easily be broken up into seasons that may easily help you and your family figure out the best time to suite your needs.

Peak Season:

Peak Season is considered Thanksgiving-mid April. As the air in the U.S. Cools down and the snow heads in, most of us start getting the travel bug and are ready to bury our feet in some silky sand. For the best prices during peak season ALWAYS avoid the Holidays. Christmas, New Years Eve, Presidents weekend and Easter offer days off from school making it easier for family travel, however due to their popular nature prices will be higher during these times. Avoiding the month of March and the first couple weeks in April will also help to lower cost as this month and a half time frame is considered the “Spring Break” season when many families head to the Caribbean or Mexico.

Late Spring/Summer Vacation:

Summer Vacations season usually starts in June so traveling in May can help with your budget as well. Typically June and July will be the most expensive months during Summer to travel, however your budget will stretch much farther than during the peak months of travel. Summer travel is perfect for the vacationer looking for the warmest weather possible to enjoy your vacation.

Hurricane Season:

Hurricane Season in the Caribbean and Mexico is June-November. Typically the most active months for hurricanes are August-November so planning an early summer vacation is not necessarily a hurricane risk. Prices will usually be lowest August, September and October. We recommend always taking insurance on your vacation regardless of the season, however during Hurricane Season cancellation insurance is a must, as it will help you and your family avoid large headaches, change fees, late departures, etc due to weather.

Regardless of your season of travel, flying on weekdays like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will typically help with flight costs as Fridays and Saturdays are usually the more expensive days to fly.

If you have any questions about your choice of travel season, give us a call today and we can help you find your perfect Mexico or Caribbean vacation!

The Gran Bahia Principe Coba is a favorite among Apple vacationers traveling in the Riviera Maya.  This hotel features 1080 superior junior suites with a Jacuzzi tub and a private balcony.  This property opened in 2005 and holds a 5 Golden Apple rating!!

Staying at the Coba, you will also have access to the rest of this mega complex.  The two other hotels include the Gran Bahia Principe Tulum & Gran Bahia Principe Akumal. Both hotels also boast a large number of rooms which add another 921 more.  All together you have your choice of 15 total restraunts and 25 bars.  Here you will also find the new Dolphinarium that provides swimming with the dolphins on site and nightly entertainment including live music! If that doesn’t sound like alot of fun, I don’t know what does.  But no worries about getting around this huge tropical resort.  The hotel provides a trolly that will take you from place to place as desired.

The Coba ranks very high according to Trip Advisor, #1 hotel in Akumal out of 20.  Here is what one of our seasoned travelers had to say about the Gran Bahia Coba:

I finally got a chance to go to Aruba.  A friend and I stayed at The Occidental Grand and we had a wonderful time.  I have been to most islands in the Caribbean and we were really looking forward to this trip.  The transfer from the airport to the Occidental was quick and easy.  Aruba is very easy to get around and has a wonderful cab service.

The hotel check in was a breeze and we were upgraded to club level.  The room was wonderful.  It had a separate bedroom and a living area with a sofa and a table with 4 chairs.  The bathrooms were marble with all glass shower doors.  This was a great room it is hard to find a Junior Suite with a closed/separate bedroom.  I did not have a chance to see all the room categories but I highly recommend the club or concierge level.

The hotel had a small Casino with a Big service level.  I am somewhat of a rookie gambler but all the dealers were very patient and helpful.  I was amazed at how anxious they were to help me lose my money!  All kidding aside I have never had the dealers at a casino be so friendly and personable.  The casino closed around 1 am so if you want to gamble into the early morning you need to head downtown to the public casino’s not the hotel casinos.

The pool here was great but a little small when compared to some other all inclusive hotels.  They had a really cool swim up bar sort of built into a rock or a cave.  The pool is definitely not crowded because everyone is on the beach.  Palm Beach is special!  It is as wide of a beach that I have ever seen with gorgeous fluffy white sand.  The waves were subtle and the views were beautiful.

I was very impressed with the quality of food in Aruba.  At the hotel the food was excellent and we really enjoyed several of the restaurants downtown.  They speak English in Aruba and they take American currency.  If your looking for awesome beaches, great food with world class casinos then book a trip to The Occidental Grand Aruba.

Congratulations to Am Resorts on their Grand Opening of the Secrets Huatulco! On December 2nd the resort welcomed their first guests, Mr. Pedro Zamora and his wife Maria de la Luz Martinez Carballido who were celebrating their family reunion. The guests participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony and joined the resort’s employees for a champagne toast. To commemorate the occasion, the couple received a five-night return stay certificate to the Unlimited-Luxury resort.

The Secrets Huatulco is an Ultimate-Luxury property of unique design and contemporary Mexican decor featuring 399 oceanfront suites all with spectacular views of Tangolunda Bay from your furnished balcony or patio.  Select suites will offer a terrace jacuzzi or swim-out pool access option. There are two main swimming pools, six bars, eight reservation-free gourmet restaurants, fitness center and close access to the world-class Tangolunda Golf Course, a par 72, 18-hole championship course, considered to be Huatulco’s most popular.

Along with pleasure, you can also conduct business at this hotel as well.  This property’s meeting space includes a business center with computer stations, and 7,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and function space with capacity for up to 770 people.

Staying at the Secrets Huatulco, you will also receive complimentary access to the facilities, restaurants, and bars at the nearby Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa. Located just 25 minutes from the Huatulco International Airport.

If you are like Mr. Zamora and his wife Maria looking for an amazing adult only getaway, the Secrets Hautulco would be a great choice! Secrets Resorts specialize in honeymoons, anniversaries and weddings offering the highest level of service in the industry. Give us a call to get started planning your special occasion vacation!

The NEW Occidental Grand Nuevo Vallarta will officially open in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on December 15th, 2011 following an extensive renovation and rebranding.  The hotel, previously known as the Allegro Nuevo Vallarta, will now reopen as a brand new, Occidental Grand resort offering a plentiful amount of amenities and superior service.  I have had the pleasure of staying at a few of the Occidental Grand hotels and they are wonderful. This hotel is located on beautiful, Banderas Bay, in Puerto Vallarta and it is only 30 minutes from the airport.  This is a fairly small hotel with only 270 completely renovated rooms.  The hotel does offer a Royal Club with Mini bar daily replenishing, Private check-in and check-out, Personal Concierge Service, Pillow menu, Nightly turndown service, Preferred seating at a la carte restaurants and Complimentary high speed Internet.  All the rooms have been renovated and look wonderful. The Occidental Grand is a family friendly hotel and has a highly regarded kids club.  The kids club offers a selection of games and recreation carefully organized by a team of experts.  They also have a Fun Club to help keep everyone active. Duriong the day, select from water sports, horseback riding, snorkeling, volleyball, tennis, or diving.  At night, enjoy sports bars, discos, live stage entertainment, or head to downtown Puerto Vallarta for world class nightlife.  Come and enjoy a great vacation at the New Occidental Grand Nuevo Vallarta.