Excellence Punta Cana renovations complete!

Berwick Travel is proud to feature Excellence Punta Cana. For Excellence Punta Cana photos and Excellence Punta Cana vacation packages, click here.

Excellence Resorts Invests $8 million in Renovations
Guests will experience new enhancements and amenities at Punta Cana property

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – April 3, 2008 – Excellence Resorts recently announced the completion of $8 million in renovations to its charming Excellence Punta Cana property, 2008 winner of the TripAdvisor® Traveler’s Choice award for the number one resort in the Caribbean among the world’s most popular destinations, best pool and most romantic in the Caribbean. Located on the East Coast of the Dominican Republic and resting on the shores of the azure Caribbean Sea, Excellence Punta Cana received a range of enhancements including new decoration of all guest rooms and partial renovations throughout the resort areas, as well as a new restaurant, state-of-the-art fitness center and many additional lavish touches.

Guest Room Enhancements – The Excellence Club features private swim-up suites for Club members with stunning views of the Caribbean Sea. The renovations to these already fully-equipped and lavish accommodations include new interior decoration, Bulgari toiletries and new lounging hammocks in the private cabanas.

Excellence Club suites have also been equipped for every digital desire with new 37 inch LCD flat screen TV’s and radio alarm clocks with i-pod connections. The Club suites’ mini-bars, featuring premium liquors, have been expanded to include wine and a variety of snacks, all freshly stocked every day. In addition to the Club suites, redecoration of all of the resort’s guest rooms has been completed. And, all guest rooms now include free wireless Internet access, as well as throughout the resort.

New Restaurant – Excellence Punta Cana created Oregano, its eighth restaurant option to enhance the current seven enticing international choices. Oregano features ítems like pizza and other tasty delights and offers flexible dining hours, including early and late evening availability. Additionally, the resort’s amazing existing seven gourmet restaurants have been completely redecorated reflecting their international themes which are: French, Mexican, Mediterranean, fine Italian, Asian, lobster specialties and grill specialties. All of the restaurant’s kitchens have been renovated to allow chef creations that delight the most discriminating palettes. Moreover, a healthy choice spa cuisine dining option is now available in all of the restaurants.

New Fitness Center & Recreation – In addition to its world-class spa, guests of Excellence Punta Cana will certainly enjoy the newly developed fitness center equipped with a large seperate space with state-of-the-art exercise equipment and a special room for yoga and fitness classes. Expert trainers are available to assist guests in attaining body, mind and spiritual well-being in the large fitness areas. Moreover, avid tennis players will appreciate the completely renovated tennis courts that allow guests to sharpen their tennis game on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.

Main Resort Areas - Additional resort areas that have been updated include the Excellence Punta Cana reception and lobby area, meeting facilities and theater. Enhancements include intricate interior design and sumptuous new furniture in the lobby and meeting spaces that reflect the colonial setting of Excellence Punta Cana. And new luxurious arm chairs in the theater will ensure a comfortable cinema experience.

Pool and Beach Areas – Guests of Excellence Punta Cana spend a considerable amount of time enjoying the amazing views and proximity to the Caribbean Sea. Therefore, renovations to the resort’s ideally situated pool and beach areas have been carefullly implemented and include elegant new lounge chairs and updated common areas.

The exquisite renovations at Excellence Punta Cana add to the property’s five-star amenities featuring diverse accommodations, enticing gourmet cuisine, world-class spa and meticulous service.

Excellence Resorts provides its adult guests with all-inclusive luxury in the most desirable locations including Excellence Riviera Cancun, Mexico; Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mexico and soon, Oyster Bay, Jamaica. The TripAdvisor® 2008 Traveler’s Choice Awards ranked Excellence Resorts’ properties among the best in the world, with Riviera Cancun elected as Mexico’s number one resort for luxury and romance; and Punta Cana recognized as having the best pool and being the most romantic in the Caribbean, along with the award of number one resort in the Caribbean among the world’s most popular destinations. Excellence Resorts is owned by The Excellence Group which is the resulting product of a joint investment of Medieval Times and Explotacions Turistiques de les Illes (E.T.I.).

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Secrets Maroma and Secrets Silversands construction

We're getting closer! Two brand new Secrets Resorts will be opening up this summer, and while it's difficult to get an idea of the finished product from construction site photos, we think they're really cool to look at! Secrets Maroma is scheduled to be opening in July, and we will begin taking reservations for arrivals August 1st and onwards; Secrets Silversands is scheduled for August, so we'll take reservations September 1st and onward.

Both resorts will be the adults-only, top notch luxury Secrets is famous for, and triple the number of Secrets properties in the Riviera Maya. Both are close to the airport (Silversands is barely 15 minutes away!) and are intimate in size, under 450 rooms each. Secrets Maroma is located on the famous Maroma Beach, voted Travel Channel's Best Beach in the World a few years back, and will feature very unique swim out rooms that you can literally step off your patio into the pool. Secrets Silversands is a much different decor and design; very much art deco and eclectic, very silver and white colored rooms and common areas.

We'll keep everyone posted about opening dates or new pictures, but if you're looking for a fall getaway with that someone special, here are two fabulous choices!

Ocean Coral & Turquesa

Ocean Coral & Ocean Turquesa's newest resort complex is located minutes south of Cancun, one of the first resorts you come to, so it's incredibly convenient, especially for anyone who's spent all day flying! Like the Princess resorts, this is technically two sections of one resort, but unlike Princess, Ocean has decided to market it as one resort (which makes life easier for us!) No difference in 'sections', and the buildings are arranged in horseshoe configuration, meaning most rooms have at least a partial oceanview.

Like Ocean Blue in Punta Cana, Ocean Coral & Turquesa has one of the best features an all-inclusive resort can have - the ability to have a family of five in one room. For all of you with three little kids wondering how in the world you can afford to book two rooms on your vacation, this may be your answer. All Junior Suites, and all have pull out sofabeds, so no need to worry about cost or hoping to get adjoining rooms!

Four a la carte restaurants, plus one main buffet and a beachfront breakfast and lunch snack bar, give plenty of variety. Four pools, one located in each 'horseshoe', each provide a different atmosphere (if you want pool volleyball, it's in one; if you want to read a book by the pool, head to another one.) Beautiful white sand beach, very similar to the sand in Cancun, and a very calm ocean make for enjoyable lounging and swimming.

Definitely a great choice for families because of (a) proximity to the airport, (b) full service Children's Club, and most of all (c) being family of five friendly, Ocean Coral & Turquesa could be your summer vacation destination. Dozens of Ocean Coral Turquesa pictures online!

Grand Riviera Princess & Grand Sunset Princess

Two resorts, mirror images facing each other across the main pool, with full exchange privileges, the new Grand Riviera Princess and Grand Sunset Princess could really be sold as one resort, but they have decided to split the names so each can be sold through different suppliers (don't ask us why...)

As with our very well-rated Bavaro Princess and Punta Cana Princess in Punta Cana, Princess Hotels has done it again with all-suite, all-inclusive, great value properties, this time in the Riviera Maya. Not too far from the airport (and only a few minutes from Playa Del Carmen), a Junior Suite is as low as $82 per person, per night in May, which quite honestly is unheard of in Mexico. That price level is where 2-3 star hotels price...we're still amazed at how great a deal these resorts are.

Again, the Princesses are all-suite properties, with upgraded suites that feature Jacuzzi tubs, direct swim out access to the pool, or even ones that sit on a man-made lagoon. The also have a Platinum category which offers 41" flat screen televisions, unlimited Internet access in the lounge, 24 hour room service, and much more.

Seven a la carte restaurants, two snack bars, a late night sports bar with snack service and an ice cream parlor means never having to go hungry. And if you're a pool person, this is heaven - 12 (yes, 12!) swimming pools (including four just for kids) are located throughout the property. Very large beach, one of the "deepest" we've seen, gives plenty of space for beach chairs.

Add it all up and you get a great value for your dollar - maybe something to think about when that tax rebate check comes in! Plenty of great pictures from the Grand Riviera Princess and Grand Sunset Princess on our site...

THE ROYAL Playa Del Carmen & THE ROYAL Cancun

Properties that underwent massive upgrades and renovations a little while back (essentially tearing down to the foundations and being rebuilt as luxury adults-only properties), the sister Royal Playa Del Carmen and Royal Cancun are remarkably similar in layout/amenities/rooms/dining, and also share a very unique feature most other resorts can't claim. Both resorts sit right in the middle of "the action" - the Royal Playa Del Carmen is literally right on Playa Del Carmen's famous Fifth Avenue, in the middle of the shopping/nightlife that 'Playa' is famous for, and the Royal Cancun is towards the north end of the Hotel Zone, located between two major shopping centers within walking distance of dozens of restaurants and clubs. That being said, both resorts are separated from that hustle and bustle very well, so guests within the resort stay in the five star luxury, while those who crave the activity only need to step outside the front gate.

Both resorts are all-suite, featuring in-room Jacuzzi tubs (true double size, not just a few jets in the bathtub!), television and CD/DVD player, and 24 hour room service. Guests in Royal Service rooms also have a feature available to them which is nearly unheard of in the industry - the ability to book the exact room location/floor/number they want, simply by logging on to The Royal's website 48 hours prior to arrival!

All this, plus a la carte gourmet dining with no reservations (except for the very unique Royal Chef's Plate, a special menu done by the head chef every night at an intimate setting, something to try out!) make for a truly five star experience at either resort. The only question is which city do you want, Playa or Cancun?

Valentin Imperial Maya - All New

Brand new, built from the ground up, and only 25 minutes south of Cancun's airport, the Valentin Imperial Maya is an adults-only, all-suite, five star luxury resort that is geared very heavily towards North American clientele. Before you even check in, you're greeted with a cold towel and welcome drink, a nice touch more resorts should adopt!

The Valentin Imperial Maya features seven a la carte restaurants, none of which ever require reservations (the best way to travel!), including Japanese with teppanyaki tables and a lobster restaurant, or order room service 24 hours a day. Plus, a very unique feature is the "One Touch" system - no need to dial one number for housekeeping, another for room service, another for concierge. Just One Touch and you're taken care of.

Suites are all equipped with hydromassage tubs, satellite television with DVD player, in-room Internet access, daily stocked minibar, and bathrobes and slippers.

A large lagoon-style pool runs down one side of the Valentin Imperial Maya, featuring a swim up pool bar and plenty of chairs. White sand beach, calm water, and a beach bar give you two distinct places to relax during the day.

The Valentin Imperial Maya is definitely one of the top luxury resorts in the Riviera Maya, so for those of you looking for a new destination for adults only, certainly one to consider.

Plenty of Valentin Imperial Maya pictures on our site from our agency tour in March!

EdenH Real Arena, Punta Cana

EdenH Real Arena is a brand new resort that just opened up in Punta Cana that we had a chance to visit while at Dreams for the Super Bowl party.

Very unique resort for the Dominican Republic - not the typical thatched roof, brightly colored buildings you'd expect to find here. EdenH Real Arena, the NH Hotels Group's first foray into all-inclusive resorts, looks like it belongs in an upscale art district, or maybe along the beach in Monaco.

Quiet music plays throughout, not the usual salsa beat, making for a very relaxed and laid back atmosphere, something you can see as soon as you enter the high-ceilinged modern lobby. Spacious rooms with flat screen televisions and Jacuzzi tubs with rain showers complete the modern feel. Even the children seem to be well behaved!

Four a la carte restaurants (no reservations needed) and 24 hour room service, all feature some of the best quality food in the Dominican Republic, something EdenH prides itself on. EdenH Real Arena has a large stretch of white sand beach (right on Bavaro Beach, and not too far from the airport) and a huge pool that runs down the center of the resort.

Believe it or not, this resort, even though it just opened in January, is completely sold out until May - not a room to be had. The good news is that they are offering some excellent grand opening rates (how does $82 per person, per night, sound for a 4.5 star all-inclusive in May sound??)

Plenty of EdenH Real Arena pictures on our site from our agency tour in February!

Couples Ocho Rios to Unveil New Hotel within Historic Walls

Jamaica’s Original All-Inclusive Hotel to Close While Undergoing $15 Million in Upgrade

Miami, FL – January 23, 2008 – Couples Resorts is pleased to announce plans for a US$15 million renovation of Jamaica’s first all-inclusive, couples only resort, Couples Ocho Rios. Nearly all areas of the 59 year old resort will be renovated as it is restored to its original Old World Jamaican charm, marrying tropical splendor with an updated, Grand Island style. The resort will close on April 1 and a new and improved Couples Ocho Rios will be unveiled on December 15, 2008. Nearly every aspect of the resort from the lobby to the spa to restaurants and pool facilities will be renovated with contemporary upgrades to ensure the romance, refinement and quality that Couples Resorts’ savvy guests have come to expect.

“We’ve been working on these plans for two years now,” explains Couples Chairman Lee Issa. “This well-orchestrated renovation effort is an example of our continued investment in Couples Ocho Rios and dedication to quality and guest satisfaction. Our guests are sophisticated travelers, who recognize superiority and style when they see it. We want to ensure they get what they desire – unparalleled beauty and romance.”

Originally built in 1949 as the Tower Isle Hotel and rebranded as Couples Ocho Rios in 1978, the resort will undergo extensive renovations that will include the addition of 20 accommodations – four suites and 16 rooms - all with ocean views, flat screen televisions in all rooms, new doors to guest room entrance and enhancements to the main pool (including leveling the depth to 5.0 feet throughout and creating a new water feature), lobby, piano bar, main dining room, main bar, and garden villa suites. Some bathrooms will feature zero edge walk-in showers.

Brand new amenities include a new wedding gazebo, veggie and juice bar, pool grill, spa with 10 treatment rooms, swim-up pool bar and new dive pool, gym, aerobics room, photo shop, gift shop, games room, and a floating dock at Tower Isle, Couples Ocho Rios’ own private island.

Guests already booked at Couples Ocho Rios during the closed period will be protected at one of our three sister properties (Couples Sans Souci, Couples Swept Away or Couples Negril) and will receive a certificate entitling them to two complimentary nights on a return stay at Couples Ocho Rios from April 1 – December 15, 2009. Guest who elect not to travel will be offered a full refund.

“It is common knowledge among our loyal guests that the staff at Couples Ocho Rios is what makes this resort so special. Several have been with the resort for nearly thirty years,” states Lee Issa. “We have offered a comprehensive and generous package to ensure that all valued employees will return to the resort for its grand re-opening in December.”

The First Dreams Resort & Spa Property in Dominican Republic Now Open in Punta Cana

Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa Offers Unlimited-Luxury®, first-ever Teen’s Club

Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa made its debut in December 2007 as the first Unlimited-Luxury® resort in the Dominican Republic. Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the former Sunscape The Beach Punta Cana became the latest addition to the Dreams-brand family of upscale hotels, treating couples and couples with children to opulent accommodations with stunning ocean views and first-class amenities and services. Located along the island’s east coast, Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa sits on one of Dominican Republic’s finest, most pristine beaches with blue waters stretching to the horizon.

“We are thrilled to introduce the Unlimited-Luxury® concept to Dominican Republic with Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa. We have implemented enhancements and installed brand new amenities to bring our guests a new and better way to have it all, and are confident this resort will exceed their expectations.”

All guest rooms have been enhanced with DVD players and MP3 docking stations with alarm clocks. Ground-floor rooms and suite terraces have been outfitted with hammocks. The walkways of the resort are now paved in beautiful stone, and by February of 2008 guests will also enjoy the convenience of wireless internet throughout the property, as well as access to a brand new business center. The theater will feature a new state-of-the art sound and lighting system.

Additionally, Preferred Club guests indulging in a higher level of service will enjoy upgraded guest rooms boasting new furniture and décor. The all-new, exclusive Preferred Club reception will also be completed by February 2008.

Overseeing Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa’s impeccable service will be General Manager Yann LeGuillou. A Dreams Resorts & Spas veteran since the brand’s inception in 2003, LeGuillou has held several significant roles within the company, including his latest position as Resident Manager for Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. LeGuillou graduated from the Institute of Hotels and Tourism in Québec Canada and has had years of experience in the hotel industry, working for widely recognized international hotels and resorts.

Currently, each of the seven restaurants at Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa are offering guests all-new menu selections, offering mouth-watering dishes that are sure to please the most discerning palate. In addition to new food items, restaurants Himitsu (Asian cuisine) and El Patio (Mexican fare) will also welcome diners to new furniture and décor. Bordeaux , a newly-branded adults-only restaurant offering French cuisine, has also been completely renovated. Da Mario, an ocean-front restaurant serving Italian dishes trattoria-style, is scheduled to open March 2008.

Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa provides the perfect romantic setting for a destination wedding with its elegant wedding gazebo and honeymoon suites boasting spacious living rooms, king-sized poster beds, and private terraces with Jacuzzis.

Couples with children will appreciate the resort’s Explorers’ Club, which is exclusively for younger guests ages 3 – 12 with fully-supervised activities. For teens, Dreams Resorts & Spas will also offer its first-ever Teen’s Club at Dreams Punta Cana. Around the clock sports and activities will keep teenagers happily occupied. Teen discos are also open nightly from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.

For those seeking relaxation, the spa offers a sublime atmosphere of pure indulgence combining hydrotherapy and soothing signature treatments featuring indigenous techniques and ingredients. Couples treatment rooms, multiple private massage rooms built over tranquil water, a lush outdoor garden, a hydrotherapy area featuring indoor Jacuzzis and showers, a plunge pool, sauna and steam bath, complete the stimulating and peaceful experience. The spa also features a full service beauty salon offering hair treatments, waxing, and manicure and pedicure services.

For Dreams Punta Cana vacation packages, click here.

Azure Divinity in Paradise

Excellence Riviera Cancun (a five star adult only, all inclusive resort)
by Karen Holly Berliner,
Travel Writer & Contributor to Berwick Travel

When you step through the threshold of the Excellence Riviera Cancun, relax and allow your breath to be stolen away. Forgive yourself as you should, the complete and shameless abandon of your New York City bustle. Drop your woes, Blackberrys and day planners off at the Cancun airport, just scant minutes away from this dreamy paradise. Enter this for adults only paradise and indulge in this well deserved vacation. Allow yourself to be captured. I did.

Stroll into the grand vestibule and submit if you will, to the sights, fragrances and sounds about you, as you feel your senses heighten and poise, ready to inhale every last drop of The Excellences’ wonder, in grand elegance and lush tropical splendor. Take in the powdered sugar lined beach front stretching for miles. Poke a toe into the aquamarine bath warm ocean, itself as vivid as a masterpiece painting. Marvel at the backdrop of rich peaches and cream castle like structures, peppered throughout with lazy hemp hammocks and lavish palm trees and gardens, bordered all the way around by a maze of pristine swimming pools. Be greedy for the first time in ages, as you see hear taste and smell absolutely everything and all for yourself, from the meticulously prepared gourmet fare offered in a diversity of cuisines, to the dirty blond thatch palapas, themselves whispering an invitation to your own private lot of sun kissed beach. Come lap in The Excellences’ signature luxury, as it fast dispels the myth of the cliché all inclusive resorts we all of us have come to expect. I did.

Excellence Resorts are five-star properties that boast a new standard, demonstrating in every detail and perk, their philosophy simply put and seamlessly delivered: “all-inclusive is luxury.” The Excellence resort is all about quality, not quantity.

My invitation to The Excellence Riviera Cancun allowed me to experience this resort in the spirit of a romantic getaway. While romance is as diverse as the hearts that beat it, The Excellence manages to offer every universal aspect of it, showcasing any given couple’s fantasy getaway, from honeymoon or vow renewals, to anniversaries and beach front weddings themselves, choreographed from start to finish on the resort premises. The Excellence offers private beachfront candlelight dinners complete with an enchanting harp player, strumming classical pieces while you dine, breakfast in bed delivered first thing in the morning with discretion and quiet finesse, a state of the art discothèque for dancing till the wee hours, 11 different drink spots including a Martini bar, appointed to concoct the cocktail of your dreams. Expect luxurious rooms and suites, many with both indoor and outdoor Jacuzzi’s, a walk- in shower room complete with teak wood bench, rose petals sprinkled playfully atop white towel doves upon your king sized bed. Find champagne chilling for a spontaneous toast and a top shelf stocked bar for a last night cap, later in the privacy of your room. Best of all, visit the Excellence Spa. Treat yourself to healthy hydrotherapy in the pool, a Swedish sauna or a deep tissue massage. Enjoy the afterglow of your treatments in this cavernous oasis and finish with some cleansing aloe juice. Sip a flute of champagne and nibble on a chocolate covered strawberry.

Beyond romance and relaxation, feel free to access the ample land and sea activities at arms reach, from scuba diving excursions to cooking tutorials.

Be a guest at all of the Excellence Resort locations, including Excellence Riviera Cancun, Mexico ; Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mexico; and soon, Excellence Oyster Bay, Jamaica. I did.

After all, sometimes don’t you just want to be swept off your feet?

New Sunscape Resort in Punta Cana

Okay, not new from the ground up, but newly-rebranded. Earlier in November, Playa Hotels (a major investor in Apple Vacations and AMResorts) announced the acquisition of the Allegro Punta Cana resort, with the intention to renovate and rebrand to Sunscape Punta Cana. The new Sunscape is due to open December 22nd.

Always good news when AMResorts (Secrets, Dreams, Sunscape Resorts) opens a new hotel, as they really do it right. Fully all-inclusive, minibars in each room, a la carte dining with no reservations needed, and a top of the line children's club at the Sunscape & Dreams Resorts, the Explorers Club.

The Allegro Punta Cana was a very popular mid-level resort, close to the airport (20 minute drive), with a huge free-form pool and a beautiful beachfront. They're putting the finishing touches on some upgrades to bring the Allegro in line with the Sunscape brand, and we have an all-new web page set up. We plan to see it in-person while our agency is in Punta Cana for Dreams Punta Cana's Super Bowl weekend, so we'll have our usual flood of pictures posted then.

Berwick Travel Announces 2007 Pinnacle Award Winners

The agency's five top rated resorts are awarded with the exclusive Pinnacle Award for outstanding service, staff, and amenities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CINNAMINSON, NJ - Nov 21, 2007 – Berwick Travel today announced their 2007 Pinnacle Award winning all-inclusive resorts. The awards are based on feedback from returning clients, agency site inspections of the resorts, and the luxury features and amenities that each offers to its guests.

Based on client surveys over a 12 month period, five all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico were chosen to receive the prestigious Pinnacle Award. Two of the winning resorts are in the Riviera Maya, Mexico; two resorts are in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and one resort is in Negril, Jamaica. All five resorts have earned top ratings from tour operators in the industry, and all are considered five star or above.

In the Riviera Maya, Mexico (just south of Cancun), the two winning resorts are Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun and Excellence Riviera Cancun. Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun, the recipient of the AAA Four Diamond Award and named TripAdvisor's Best Luxury Resort, is adults-only, featuring 24 hour room service, in-room minibars, and a quiet, laid-back atmosphere reflecting its Italian-style architecture and small intimate size. Excellence Riviera Cancun is also adults-only, and an all-suite property featuring 24 hour room service, in-room minibars, gourmet a la carte dining with no reservations needed, and a winding lagoon-style pool. It also offers the exclusive Excellence Club section for upgraded amenities and services.

In Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the two winners are Dreams Punta Cana (formerly Sunscape The Beach)and Excellence Punta Cana. Dreams Punta Cana is a family-friendly upscale all-inclusive resort with 24 hour room service, in-room minibars, and a top-rated lagoon-style pool, plus gourmet a la carte dining with no reservations needed. The resort is in the midst of an $8 million upgrade which will enhance the already-luxurious resort and push it into the 5+ star category of Dreams Resorts. Excellence Punta Cana sits on a massive stretch of white sand beach in the very secluded Uvero Alto area of Punta Cana, and like its sister resort in Mexico, is adults-only, all-suite, 24 hour room service, mini-bars, plus the Excellence Club.

In Jamaica, the lone winner and top-rated resort for the destination is Couples Swept Away, an adults-only upscale resort located on Jamaica's famous Seven Mile Beach. Newly expanded in 2006, the new Verandah section features in-room minibars and televisions, a departure from the original section with its quiet & secluded atmosphere, plus the new Great House with swim-up bar and two new restaurants.

“We are proud to be able to present these awards to our top resorts for 2007,” said Steve Umstead, Director of Marketing for Berwick Travel. “We have always received excellent reviews from clients returning from these properties, and we are confident in sending future guests to any of them. Each one offers a different experience, but all can be counted on to provide a top-of-the-line, luxurious, and enjoyable stay to the most discerning all-inclusive traveler.”

"We are very honored to be again awarded the Pinnacle Award by Berwick Travel,” said Matthew J. Mullen, Senior Director of Sales for AMResorts (parent company of Secrets, Dreams, and Sunscape Resorts.) “We strive to provide an 'Unlimited-Luxury' experience for all our guests, ensure high guest satisfaction and create a 'guest-for-life.' Our 'Welcome Home' philosophy at Secrets Resorts & Spas and Dreams Resorts & Spas strives to provide every indulgence imaginable and we are pleased that Berwick Travel has again singled out our resorts as exceptional."

“We are truly honored to be awarded with Berwick Travel’s prestigious 2007 Pinnacle Award for our Excellence Riviera Cancun and Punta Cana properties,” said Ignacio Fernandez, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Excellence Group. “Our long standing relationship with Berwick Travel has proven that they are as dedicated as we are in providing costumers with an outstanding level of service. We feel privileged to have been recognized by such a well-respected travel agency in the industry that mirrors the values we strongly believe in, and look forward to continuing that relationship.”



Berwick Travel's 2007 Pinnacle Award Winners
• Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun, Mexico
• Excellence Riviera Cancun, Mexico
• Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Dreams Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Couples Swept Away, Jamaica

About Berwick Travel
Berwick Travel (www.berwicktravel.com; www.berwickvacations.com) is a family owned and operated travel agency founded in July 2001, with the belief in giving Internet pricing and convenience with the service & knowledge one expects from a local travel agency.

Berwick Travel, unlike most agencies, focuses specifically on a small group of hand-picked all-inclusive resorts, so that each Travel Counsultant can be experienced and knowledgeable in the resorts. Each Travel Consultant has undergone in-house training on products and services, as well as industry training from suppliers. In addition, Travel Consultants regularly visit many of the properties for inspections and tours, along with meetings with on-site resort management staff.

Berwick Travel has achieved several industry awards:
• Travel Impressions' Best of the Best award for six straight years, including the prestigious Globe Award for the past five consecutive years.
• Apple Vacations' Golden Apple status for top-producing agencies, including Premier Level for the past three years.
• Couples Resorts' Platinum Level status for top-producing agencies.
• SuperClubs' Diamond Level status for top-producing agencies.

Berwick Travel has also qualified as AMResorts Master Agents, Disney College of Knowledge and Earmarked Agency, Universal Parks & Resorts Specialists, and is an official Affiliated Agency of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

For more information, contact:

Steve Umstead (pr@berwicktravel.com)
Director of Marketing

Berwick Travel Inc.
2108 Berwick Dr.
Cinnaminson, NJ 08077
(866) 278-8728
http://www.berwicktravel.com

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Latest from Excellence Playa Mujeres

We keep getting that same question - is Excellence Playa Mujeres open?

Yes, of course! Little by little it's becoming a complete resort - here's the latest update from our friends at the Excellence Group:

• The Excellence Club Lounge, X-Lounge at the beach & fitness center are opened from last week.
• The SPA is also opened from the second week, and the two higher floors will open this week.
• Beach looks better, but there is still the “nortes” - the sea currents that come from the north. These currents take all the seaweed to the beach, but we have people the entire day cleaning the beach with the tractor and by hand. The beach is clean, but not inside the water.

We have seen a difference already on the comments from the clients we have at the hotel right now, 99% positive. People can not believe the hotel opened just 2 weeks ago!

Latest Excellence Playa Mujeres pictures

Update on Excellence Playa Mujeres

This just in from the Director of Sales for the Excellence Group:

All the services are opened but the Flavor Market, which is scheduled for Friday the 16th or Saturday the 17th.

We have clients at buildings 9,8 and 7, and as soon as occupancy will go up, we will have clients in other buildings (it does not make sense to split the clients if we are at 30-40%).

Today the SPA is open at the ground floor, with all the hydrotherapy area, beauty parlor and some treatment cabins, enough for the demand they have today. Plus pool and beach stations.

The beach is very clean and looks very nice, but there are sea grass in the first meter inside the ocean like “floating”, but as soon as it comes out, we clean it. We hope this very bad sea will go, and be as it was before very soon.


Thanks to our great friends at the Excellence Group for all their updates! You can see Excellence Playa Mujeres pictures here.

Yes, Excellence Playa Mujeres is open!

Jammin' Cocktail of the Month!

Mojito Especial
Compliments of Sergio Roman, bartender at Excellence Playa Mujeres

• 2 ounces simple (sugar) syrup
• 1/2 lime
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup ice
• splash of bitters (optional)
• 1 1/2 ounce dark rum
• 2 ounces club soda
• 1 sprig of mint for garnish
• 1 lime wedge for garnish

Juice the 1/2 lime into a tall glass. Cut the remain lime into quarters and add them to the glass. Stir and blend the mint leaves with the lime and syrup (or sugar) crushing the leaves to extract their flavor. Add the crushed ice, rum, and club soda and stir well to blend. Garnish with the lime wedge and mint sprig.

For a tastier variation, use Bacardi Limon (or other citrus flavored rum)!