International superstar Madonna has partnered with her manager, Guy Oseary, to open an international chain of mega-gyms called Hard Candy Fitness. The first Hard Candy Fitness to open is a 30,000 square foot space in the exclusive Bosques de las Lomas area of Mexico City. Madonna is scheduled to attend the grand opening on November 29th.
Madonna and Oseary have partnered with New Evolution Ventures, whose chairman is Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness clubs, to design Hard Candy Fitness but Mastrov states: “Hard Candy Fitness will be a reflection of Madonna’s point of view and will reflect her input on every detail including music space, light and other design cues. Madonna’s touch will be everywhere,” in the official Hard Candy Fitness press release.
Madonna has been a long time advocate of maintaining a physically fit lifestyle and during her touring career, she has worked out in hundreds of gyms across the world. Hard Candy Fitness Centers will offer the latest in physical training courses including: Zumba, Latin Moves, Cardio Kickboxing, new programs designed specifically for Hard Candy Fitness; and studios for Bike training, Mind Body, BarWorks, Sculpting, Capoeira, and the latest of Yoga trends.
The locker rooms are expected to be lavish featuring saunas and steam rooms, and Hard Candy Fitness centers will also also include healthy juice bars.
Ten other Hard Candy Fitness centers are reported to open in Madonna’s favorite tour locations in Russia, Brazil, Argentina and throughout Europe and Asia in the near future.
For those who live in or travel to Mexico City often, you can find more information about purchasing membership at the enrollment center at Bosque de Duraznos 47, Bosques de las Lomas or by calling +52 55 5245 7550. Journey Mexico is working to offer our clients traveling to Mexico City day passes to the new Hard Candy Fitness. Stay tuned for updates!
On Oct. 12th of this year, the Journey Mexico staff visited the Puerto Vallarta AGAPE, which is a local shelter for young ladies in need run by JM trip planner Karina Huet‘s mother, Katalina Huet. After Mrs. Huet gave us a tour of the orphanage, JM president, Zachary Rabinor, gave a speech to the young ladies about the experiences and opportunities of Mexico that inspired Zach to start Journey Mexico and move into the country. Following, we showed the girls Willy Sousa’s inspiring video, “Visit Mexico,” and then outlined an activity which is shown in the video re-cap (below) of the day. More information about the shelter can be found at www.agape.com.mx.
A new effort in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime in Mexico is set to take affect in September of this year, and understanding the new regulations should help you make the most of your future travels to Mexico. These new regulations only affect CASH transactions – all other forms of payment will remain unaffected by the new law.
As of September 14th, 2010:
Hotels, money exchange booths, and local banks are permitted to exchange a maximum of $1,500 USD cash per person, per month into Mexican Pesos. (Previously, there was no limit).
Businesses (including restaurants, shops, and tour and travel companies) are permitted to accept a maximum of $100 USD cash per transaction; however, there are no restrictions on the number of transactions an individual can make. IE: If a vacationer wants to purchase a snorkeling tour (for example) that costs $150 USD, the individual will only be permitted to pay $100 of the amount owed in USD – the remainder must be paid with another form of payment such as a credit card, Mexican Pesos or wire transfer.
Certain businesses may not accept USD cash at all, only Mexican Pesos (we do not have specifics as to what types of businesses will be restricted in this manner at this time).
Airlines are advising future passengers that within Mexico after Sept. 14th, they will only accept Mexican Pesos and credit cards for any and all fees including but not limtited to the purchase of new tickets, baggage fees, and change fees.
The new regulations will help in the fight to reduce money laundering and the illegal trafficking of drugs, arms, people and other contraband that has been the cornerstone of President Felipe Calderon’s administration. It is important to take the appropriate measures to ensure that your travel in Mexico is as enjoyable as possible. Journey Mexico recommends that you check with your credit card company and banks that your credit cards will work while aborad and that you are able to withdraw cash from Mexican automated tellers (in our opinion the easiest and cheapest way to secure Mexican Pesos). In addition, you can find out from your bank if there are any partner banks that charge less or no fees for automated teller transactions.
Each year, the Journey Mexico team holds its annual retreat to connect, get inspired and strategize about ways to improve the travel experiences that we provide. From budget and HR to Sales and Operations, we spend an entire week working together both in and out of the office. Included in these activities (and a staff favorite) is the JM day of adventure, where we close the office for a day and set out to enjoy the incredible Mexican paradise in which we live – Puerto Vallarta! This year, we embarked on an Outdoor Adventure which took us across the bay and down the coast on a high speed boat ride, up mountainsides on mules, flying through tropical forests on ziplines, and down waterfalls via state of the art repelling equipment.
In true Journey Mexico style, we collaborated with Vallarta Adventures to create a unique experience that you won’t find packaged on any website. After our adventures in the jungle, we boarded a private, high speed zodiac to Las Caletas beach for an incredible lunch, swam with tropical fish in crystal clear waters, and enjoyed afternoon siestas in hammocks gently rocked by the ocean breeze.
After a perfect afternoon on the beach, we returned back to Puerto Vallarta on a leisurely afternoon cruise and relaxed with tropical cocktails, music, and incredible views of the Bay of Banderas and the dramatic tropical mountains that descend into the crystalline sea. You can find a video re-cap and a photo slide show of the day’s adventures below.
For those looking to ad some adventure/private luxury to their travels, this custom day trip is the perfect addition to any vacation to Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s pacific coast!
Earlier this year, the tourism board of Mexico launched a five month, $32 million ad campaign in North America under the slogan: “Mexico: The Place You Thought You Knew.” The campaign, which is still running, promotes the cultural destinations of Mexico and is intended to re-brand Mexico as more than just a “sun-and-sand” vacation destination.
According to an article published in the Dallas News on Monday, The Place You Thought You Knew campaign along with recent coverage in several major travel publications seems to be paying off. Tourism to Mexico grew 27.5 percent in July of 2010 over July of 2009. August also saw an increase in international air travel to Mexico of 6 percent over August of 2009.
Pullout Guide to Mexico
Travel Weekly quotes the Mexican Tourism Board as saying that “the goal is to simultaneously double arrivals and triple earnings, growing by double-digit percentages annually over the next eight years. The growth goal for 2010 alone is 20%…We have a very specific goal in mind: We want to take Mexico into the top five [travel destinations] by 2018.”
Journey Mexico has been excited to work with the Mexican Tourism Board and other organizations and publications to collaborate on ways to promote the culturally rich travel destinations of Mexico. Recently, Conde Nast Traveler features a 16-page pullout guide to Mexico for their Oct. 2010 issue, which is currently in news stands and is an excellent resource for those interested in unique cultural, natural, adventure and luxury travel experiences through Mexico. You can find Journey Mexico mentions on pages B4 and B12 of the pullout.
The Dallas News published an article on Monday titled: “Mexico’s Violence Not Keeping Tourists Away,” which contains many interesting statistics about the way in which travel to Mexico has increased over the past year despite the relentless negativity published in American Media.
We at Journey Mexico are always eager to sharpen our expertise, enrich our knowledge base, and to stay on the forefront of new developments in Mexico. Three of our staff members recently completed Destination Ventures‘s Magic of Mexico course, sponsored by the Mexico Tourism Board.
Greg Custer of Destination Ventures’s program was awarded by readers of Agent@Home Magazine as the best tourism board training program for any Latin American destination! It also received the coveted Magellan Award from Travel Weekly as one of the top trip planning tools in the industry!
Through this training program, Journey Mexico team members studied new statistics about travel in Mexico, learned about new developments in all areas of the country, and proved their knowledge against the many required tests of the program. Upon completion of the course, Chase Buckner, Jenniffer Celis, and Rene Rivera were all awarded diplomas certifying them as Mexico Specialists by the Mexican Tourism Board and were able to share what they learned from the course with the rest of the Journey Mexico team.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the largest international network of adventure travel companies and organizations, has announced that in 2011, their annual World Summit will be held in Chiapas, Mexico!
The ATTA’s decision to hold next year’s Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas speaks volumes to the quantity and quality of adventure travel opportunities in Mexico. While often lauded for its beaches, Mexico has not been on the radar for many travelers seeking adventurous holidays. Mexico offers first class adventure activities such as hiking in the Copper Canyon, mountaineering in Puebla, snorkeling and SCUBA diving in the bio-diverse waters of the Sea of Cortez, swimming with whale sharks in the Caribbean, whale-watching in Baja, ziplining, mountain biking, rafting, surfing – the list goes on and on!
This announcement comes on the heels of another important, international conference, the 2010 Virtuoso Luxury Travel Network Symposium, which was chosen to be held in Mexico City earlier this year. Both the ATTA and Virtuoso’s choices to hold their annual events in Mexico in combination with the two new World Heritage Sites awarded to Mexico by UNESCO earlier this year illustrate the significance of Mexico as a world-class adventure, luxury, and cultural travel destination.
Contact Journey Mexico to come experience the incredible nature, culture, adventure, and luxury opportunities of Mexico that have earned the country so much recent recognition!
Each year, Journey Mexico runs several scouting trips throughout different regions of Mexico to find and inspect new hotels and resorts, discover new adventure opportunities, and to create new friendships with locals eager to share the beauty and warmth of Mexican culture with our clients. Team members Zachary Rabinor, Matteo Luthi, and Jennifer Celis have recently returned from a tour of Colonial Mexico, Baja California and the Copper Canyon, and we’re excited to add their findings to our trips to those regions and share their experiences with our clients.
The 17 day Journey Mexico 2010 Colonial Mexico/Baja California/Copper Canyon FAM Trip began in Mexico City where we unwound after their flights at Las Alcobas, the new and elegant boutique hotel strategically located in the hippest and most vibrant section of the city.
Over the next 6 days, we explored Mexico’s Colonial Heartland, a destination for inquisitive and sophisticated travelers, in search of authentic contact with Mexico’s rich and multi-layered history, culture, and people. From the pre-Columbian past through the colonial era and on to modern day integration of the old with the new, the colonial heartland boasts a deep cross section of Mexico’s engaging and colorful history.
On this journey into the heart of Mexico’s independence and revolutionary past we shared an intimate experience with the history and lore of the colonial heartland. We began with unexpected explorations of the highlands of Michoacán where the independence movement intertwines with Purépecha traditions and handicrafts that are coveted worldwide. We delved into pre-Columbian times in Morelia and Pátzcuaro where the friendly locals were glad to share a smile and invite us into their workshops to browse the rich crafts traditions that have continued unchanged for generations. Through out the Heartland, we was welcomed into subtle luxury at exquisite properties such as Villa Montaña Hotel & Spa in Morelia, Casa de la Real Aduana and Casa La Siranda in Patzcuro, Villa Maria Cristina in Guanajuato and Casa de Sierra Nevada in San Miguel de Allende; we also made the most of our time inspecting many other hotels in each destination.
Then it was back to Mexico City and the gorgeous St. Regis Mexico City overlooking one of the city’s most beloved landmarks La Diana Casadora. The following day, we transferred to the Mexico City airport for an internal flight to Los Cabos where we inspected Ventanas al Paraiso, Capella Pedregal, before enjoying a memorable and lavish dinner and evening with the enchanting staff of Esperanza Resort before retiring for the night in our spacious suites.
Leaving Los Cabos, we traveled to the “Pueblo Mágico” of Todos Santos where we had lunch at the Hotel California, inspected the Todos Santos Inn and then arrived to the newly opened Guaycura Boutique Hotel, which is now without a doubt the best hotel in this lovely town. Our gracious hosts invited us to a rooftop cocktail at the newly finished lounge and prepared an exquisite dinner; we all enjoyed an amazing night’s rest. Shooting across the peninsula to La Paz, we took a boat ride to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Espiritu Santo Island to explore the unfathomable turquoise water and myriad bays, and snorkel with sea lions in the Sea of Cortez, which Jacques Cousteau called, “The World’s Aquarium.”
From La Paz, we boarded in a 13 seater Cessna Caravan 208 to Los Mochis in Sinaloa state where we stayed for the night in the Hotel Santa Anita. The following day after exploring the bustling markets full of everything from beef to boots and cowboy hats to ostrich skin boots, we on to the colonial gateway of the Copper Canyon and newly named “Pueblo Magico” of El Fuerte to inspect the Hotel el Fuerte, and the newest hotel and certainly the most elegant, the Hotel Torres del Fuerte. Inspection work was followed with some fun on an El Fuerto River float trip and a visit to some petro glyphs of the area before an inspection and check in to the historic Posada del Hidalgo where we spent the night after dinner and some dancing with Zorro (native of El Fuerte)!
From El Fuerte, we boarded the world famous Chihuahua al Pacifico 1st Class train and began our adventure through dozens of tunnels and over the countless bridges of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The first stop was at the Posada Barrancas Mirador for breathtaking views and a site inspection. The group continued on to Creel stopping at the best look out points in the area including Piedra Volada & Mriador la Escalera, where they will be opening a cable car and a series of adventurous zip lines with a projected opening of the end of the year.
Next, the group explored the Valley of the Mushrooms and Monks as well as the Arareko Mission and Lake followed by a visit to a local crafts cooperative and a sight inspection of the Quinta Mision Hotel and The Lodge at Creel. On Sept. 15th, we took a switchback ride through the mountains to the timeless, wild-west, canyon bottom pueblo of Batopilas where we celebrated El Grito, the kick off to Meixco’s Bicentennial celebration of independence.
The following day, we explored the impressive “Lost Cathedral of Satevo” and took an aerial tour of Copper Canyon via a small, private plane; arriving to the cozy and rustically charming Sierra Lodge, we ventured of on a hike to the Cusarare Waterfall before relaxing with a roaring fire, one of the best meals of the trip and some lovely music in the peaceful pine forests of the High Sierra of the Tarahumara. Awaking in the peaceful lodge, we headed across the high plains to the capital city of Chihuahua for inspections at the new boutique hotel Casa San Felipe Real, the Hotel Soberano, and the Hotel San Francisco.
The Colonial Mexico/Baja California/Copper Canyon FAM trip was a huge success, and Journey Mexico would like to thank all of our partners who made the trip so memorable. Below is a brief description of the hotels that we stayed in during the trip:
The St. Regis Mexico City – A commanding presence within the city’s center, The St. Regis Mexico City is ensconced in the sleek, 31-story Torre Libertad. It overlooks the Paseo de la Reforma in the heart of one of the city’s most exciting zones.
Esperanza an Auberge Resort – At the end of a continent lies this tranquil Cabo resort retreat, where the body is healed, the soul is revived, the senses are awakened, and the spirit soars to new heights. In the finest Auberge tradition, Esperanza hotel offers accommodations that deliver the utmost in comfort, style, and atmosphere.
Guaycura Boutique Hotel & Spa – The Guaycura experience combines a totally personalized quality service with an astonishing architectural design, exquisite décor, and unique art work. Our location is privileged; we offer the best view in town toward the verdant palm trees of a colorful oasis and the sea beyond it. The Guaycura Hotel has a special style and personality that blend with its variety of facilities and services.
Posada de las Flores La Paz – A place reserved for those people who are always looking for the best. An exclusive ambiance which blends the comfort of this era with the luxury and tradition of an Antique Mexican House. Every detail has been carefully chosen with the basic elements of the Colonial – Mexican decoration. It is an excellent example of a boutique hotel.
El Angel Azul – El Angel Azul is a La Paz landmark with more than 140 years of history and is considered by the INAH as an historic monument. This B&B-Hotel is quietly secluded in central downtown La Paz, in short walking distance to the waterfront, restaurants, shops, and museums.
Hotel Santa Anita – When visiting los Mochis, don’t stay just anywhere. Santa Anita is a modern hotel with 110 air conditioned & cable TV/Internet rooms and suites, known for its comfort and elegance. The Santa Anita Hotel offers the quiet and awesome splendor of the Copper Canyon Mountain Hideaways.
Posada del Hidalgo – Posada del Hidalgo is a beautiful colonial mansion. This attractive structure was built in 1890 by Don Rafael Almada, a wealthy and influential “alcalde” (mayor) who spent five years and 100,000 gold pesos on its construction. The “Casa Vieja” section has 12 beautiful rooms with thorough modern amenities in the colonial design, surrounding tropical garden and a beautiful ramada. The newer style rooms face the spacious and breathtaking garden, typical of the old tropical colonial houses.
Hotel Mirador – The Mirador Hotel is located near the highest point of the Copper Canyon. It holds unique distinction that all rooms have a private balcony overlooking the canyon featuring awe-inspiring scenery from the rim of the Canyon. This hotel is surrounded by pine trees and appears to be “etched out” of the natural rock itself; each of its 48 rooms and suites has a private terrace where you can enjoy one of the finest views of the Copper Canyon.
Best Western Lodge at Creel – Formerly the Pension Creel, this fully renovated and modernized lodge gives you rustic charm and relaxing comfort in the frontier logging town turned burgeoning tourist hub of the Copper Canyon Creel. With 15 years of service, the Best Western Lodge at Creel is the only international chain in the Copper Canyon.
Real de Minas – The Riverside Lodge is a fascinating 100 year old hacienda that has been modernized. Situated in the heart of Batopilas, it is an island of tranquility with multiple Riverside Lodge courtyards overflowing with bougainvilleas and rooms filled with antiques. Located near the town’s plaza, this hotel has 8 rooms with private baths, and a handsome courtyard.
Sierra Lodge – Right on the Continental Divide, at 7,600 feet, nestled against the side of a small pine-scented valley with a stream rushing by the front door, is the beautiful 22 room Sierra Lodge – a rustic jewel built of rich-toned varnished logs. Located just about 25 minutes outside of Creel, the lodge is in the heart of some of the most beautiful Copper Canyon country we’ve traveled!
Quality Inn Hotel San Francisco– Located in the heart of Chihuahua´s downtown area (right next to our beautiful Cathedral), our hotel is literally surrounded by Chihuahua´s most important historical, financial and commercial area with convenient access to business community.
Villa Montana – Rising over Santa Maria hill, Villa Montana is located in an uptown area only 15 minutes from Morelia Historic Center. Its 36 luxury secluded villa-style suites, colonial designed with antiques, feature stunning views and gracious gardens and patios – a truly remarkable experience.
Casa de la Real Aduana – This small luxury boutique hotel is located in the heart of Colonial Patzcuaro. This stylish hotel is housed in a 16th century manor that has been designated a historical landmark, close to Patzcuaro’s celebrated lake, surrounded by Purhepecha Indian villages, pre-Hispanic pyramids and Colonial convents.
La Siranda Casa Hotel – This traditional colonial house in the heart of Patzcuaro’s historic center was recently transformed into a beautiful “Casa-Hotel” with five suites and breathtaking exteriors. It combines tradition, refinement, and tranquility with a sense of exclusivity, and its origin dates back to the 18th century when it was built as part of what were orchards of the Convent of Santa Catalina of Siena.
Villa Maria Cristina– Fine taste pervades this hotel with impeccable attention to detail, offering the cozy and stylish atmosphere of an aristocratic home. Its 13 spacious suites with wooden floors and marble bathrooms are decorated with French furniture, creating an atmosphere of elegant intimacy.
Casa de Sierra Nevada – This luxury boutique hotel and cooking school in the heart of historic San Miguel de Allende caters to the most discriminating world traveler. Its charming suites offer the ultimate Mexican experience, and its cooking school, Sazon, offers the finest instruction in traditional Mexican cooking!
Las Alcobas Mexico City– an aesthetic marvel designed by renowned power duo Yabu Pushelberg in the fashionable Polanco district of Mexico City – warmly welcomes an international business and leisure clientele. Our upscale property provides premier in-room spa amenities and personalized services to our guests, ensuring that your stay at our Mexico City hotel is not just comfortable but artfully enthralling.
Travesias is Mexico’s premier Luxury Travel & Lifestyle magazine, dedicated to those addicted to travel and staying on the cutting edge of the luxury travel lifestyle. Travesias has chosen Journey Mexico as Mexico’s Best Operator for 2010, which is an extreme honor as everything printed in Travesias is written by those who have actually experienced the narration first hand. We are honored that such experienced experts have chosen Journey Mexico as Mexico’s best operator!
Journey Mexico President, Zachary Rabinor and his wife, JM Co-Founder Rebecca Scotti, and Director of Operations, Matteo Luthi and his wife Fabiola, and Journey Mexico’s lead guide in Mexico City, Juan-Carlos, were all present last night in Mexico’s capital for the presentation of the award.
Again, all of us at Journey Mexico would like to extend sincere thanks to the undeniable beauty, the rich culture, and the incredible people of Mexico who have made all recent achievements possible!
The International Cervantino Festival – This cultural festival began in 1972 and was born from a tradition of the students of the University of Guanajuato in which the students would gather in the plazas of Guanajuato and perform the plays of Miguel de Cervantes.
Today, the Cervantino Festival is considered a “cultural buffet” where the entire city becomes a living theater and museum. Each year several countries are chosen from around the world to represent their cultures through music, theater, dance, visual arts, street performance and more.
The event attracts thousands of young art and culture lovers from around the world. This year’s festival begins October 13th and will run through November 7th. The schedule of events is truly massive and can be found here (in Spanish but there is an English translation button at the bottom).
Elton John in Leon – Coinciding with the beginning of the Cervantino Festival, Elton John will be playing at the Fox center in the city of Leon (about an hour outside of Guanajuato), making this concert an easy addition to a trip to the Cervantino Festival. All proceeds from the concert are being donated for the benefit of Mexican education.
Travel + Leisure recently published their Atlas Industry Review, which presents some interesting and encouraging figures in regards to travel and travel to Mexico.
International tourism to Mexico surged 35% in June of 2010 and continued to rise another 28% in July, when 899,172 international tourists visited the country.
From Jan to July of 2010, more than six million tourists flew to Mexico, which is a 20% increase from the same period in 2009.
International tourism in general has been steadily climbing for nine straight months and the number are up 7% since Jan. of 2010. Although figures are expected to level out for the second half of the year, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide are estimated to reflect a 3-4% increase from Jan.-Dec.
Central America specifically saw a 9.1% increase in international tourism, dominating many areas of the world, save for the Asia-Pacific which saw double digit figures of growth.
Each year, Travel + Leisure evaluates thousands of the world’s best travel agents and tour operators and narrows them down to a list of what they consider to be the best of the best, the Travel + Leisure A-List. We are excited to announce that 2010 marks Journey Mexico’s debut appearance on the A-List as the only tour operator selected for Mexico.
Zach with Travel + Leisure VP/Publisher J.P. Kyrillos and Deputy Editor Laura Begley Bloom
printed in the October addition of Travel + Leisure Magazine, which hits newsstands on September 24th. You can also view JM President Zachary Rabinor’s profile on Travel + Leisure’s website. If you know and/or have worked with Zach and would like to leave a comment on his profile, it’d be much appreciated 🙂
In being selected for the A-List, making the Inc. 5000 list, and being selected by Conde Nast as a Word’s Top Travel Specialist, 2010 has been an important year of continued growth and recognition for Journey Mexico. We would like to acknowledge Mexico’s people, culture, and natural beauty which have made our success possible, and we would like to thank the entire team of Journey Mexico and all of our partners on the ground and abroad working together to promote, sell, and deliver world-class, cultural, natural, and experiential travel in our beautiful country.
Viva Mexico!!!! To celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day, Rebecca surprised the office with an array of delicious tamales, which we happily devoured. Included flavors were: rajas (green pepper), pollo (chicken in a spicy red sauce), and costilla (pork rib in spicy red sauce).
From everyone in the office, muchas gracias Rebecca!
Journey Mexico Travel Planner, Jennifer Amezcua, Director of Operations, Matteo Luthi, and President, Zachary Rabinor, are currently on the Discover Baja and the Copper Canyon Tour researching ways to bring even more local knowledge, insider access, and authentic travel experience to your next trip to Mexico. Below are some pictures Jenny sent over from the trip. For more information about traveling to Baja and the Copper Canyon, contact Journey Mexico today!
“Creating my family’s itinerary was a collaborative and exciting process. The team at Journey Mexico understood what I was envisioning and created a customized, two week itinerary for us I couldn’t wait to experience. It covered all of the special highlights of the Yucatan – Mayan ruins, haciendas, cenotes (natural sinkholes commonly found in the Yucatan where you can swim), colonial cities and a stunning island called Holbox, where we ended our trip and vowed to make a return visit soon.”
International superstar Madonna has partnered with her manager, Guy Oseary, to open an international chain of mega-gyms called Hard Candy Fitness. The first Hard Candy Fitness to open is a 30,000 square foot space in the exclusive Bosques de las Lomas area of Mexico City. Madonna is scheduled to attend the grand opening on November 29th.
