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Deals to make Mom’s day

Treat your Mom to the gift of travel this year. These Mother’s Day getaways will make her feel incredibly pampered, many without blowing your budget.

The Inn on Fifth, Naples, Fla.

The Ladies’ Choice package at this luxury Florida property is the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Valid on stays May 10-17, this package includes two nights accommodation at Inn on Fifth, a spa treatment, breakfast in your room one morning, a salon appointment for hair and makeup application and dinner for two at Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House. Rates start at $294 per person. Visit innonfifth.com for details.

Acqualina Resort Spa Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

Treat Mom to an unforgettable getaway at south Florida’s Acqualina Resort. The “All About Moms” package makes the perfect gift. It includes daily continental breakfast and four 50-minute spa treatments. Rates start at $525 per night for visits through May 31. Visit acqualina.com.

Scandinave Spa, Whistler

Mom will love a spa escape in scenic Whistler. The Serenity package at Scandinave Spa includes a Swedish massage, access to Scandinavian baths, lunch at Scandinave Spa Cafe plus take home treats — a stainless steel bottle, nut mix, massage gel and sandals. Rates start at $179 per person. Visit scandinave.com.

Auberge Saint-Antoine Quebec City

Mom won’t be able to enjoy Auberge Saint-Antonie’s “Madonna in Quebec” package until September — but this luxe experience will be worth the wait! On Sept. 1, the original Material Girl will perform at the Plains of Abraham and any mom who is a Madonna fan will be thrilled with this deal, which includes two nights lodging, tickets to the concert, limo transport, dinner, plus daily breakfast. From $1,650 per person. Visit saint-antoine.com.

Stoweflake Mountain Resort Spa Vermont

The week after Mother’s Day, treat your mom to a weekend of personal wellness and pampering with Stoweflake’s Spring Wellness Open House, May 19-20. Guests will be treated to complimentary spa treatments and a session with a life coach. Rates for an overnight stay start at $119.50. Visit stoweflake.com.

Villas by Linda Smith, Jamaica

Pamper Mom with a private villa vacation on the island of Jamaica. Villas by Linda Smith represents dozens of villas on Jamaica’s north coast and is offering the “Give Mom a Week in Paradise This Year” package through Sept. 1. With the services of a private butler, housekeeper and chef included, your mom will feel like a queen during her stay. The package also includes a bottle of champagne and couples massage. Rates range from $133 to $550 per bedroom, per night. Visit jamaicavillas.com.

Trump International, Chicago

Make sure Mom knows she’s queen on Mother’s Day with the Trump Chicago’s Mother’s Day spa packages. The Spa at Trump offers several different options, featuring their signature aroma-infused massages, manicures and pedicures, facials and a mom-and-daughter package with champagne and pedicures. Prices range from $190 to $534. Visit trumphotelcollection.com/chicago for details on all Mother’s Day spa packages.

Fairmont Empress, Victoria, B.C.

Get baking at the Fairmont Empress this Mother’s Day. Expert chefs at the hotel will offer a special celiac pastry apprentice class one week after Mother’s Day, on May 20, where guests will learn to bake gluten-free treats. The class is $120 per person. See fairmont.com/empress.

US Grant Hotel, San Diego

Experience the romance, luxury and tragedy of the Titanic with your mom this Mother’s Day. In memory of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the US Grant Hotel is offering a “Legend Luxury” package through Sept. 30. Included in the package are two nights accommodation, welcome cocktails, a $100 food credit for The Grant Grill and two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at The San Diego Natural History Museum. From $299. Visit usgrant.net and use code LCPKG1 to book.

OneOnly Palmilla Los Cabos, Mexico

OneOnly Palmilla combines a luxury resort escape with the fun of a cooking class in the property’s lovely outdoor herb garden. A weekly culinary seminar includes a guided tour of the herb garden and its collection of indigenous chilies, followed by a cooking demonstration and food pairing of Mexican wine or tequila by in-house sommelier Manuel Arteaga. Room rates start at $650 per night. Cooking classes and demonstrations are complimentary to guests. Visit oneandonlyresorts.com.

Taylor Vixen Voted Twistys 2012 Treat of the Year

LUXEMBOURG—Twistys has crowned its March 2011 Treat of the Month, Taylor Vixen, as the 2012 Treat of the Year.

In a process that began April 16 and ended April 30, members of the exclusive paysite had the tough task of choosing a favorite among ten of 2011’s Twistys Treat of the Month.  

Twistys members voted by the thousands and, in the end, Vixen garnered the most votes. November Treat of the Month Brett Rossi came in second, while October Treat of the Month Eufrat placed third.

“I am so honored to become Twistys Treat of the Year for 2012 and that it was all voted by my fans,” said Vixen. “Twistys has been one of my favorite companies to shoot for because they bring out the best in me, and I can’t wait to give them the best this year!”

Vixen is heading to Hawaii at the end of the month for the official Treat of the Year shoot, where she will be joined by Brett Rossi and last year’s Treat of the Year, Emily Addison.

Twistys top executives will also be joining Vixen there to present her with her grand prize check for $10,000, and to kick off her title celebrations.

Vixen will receive the rest of her prizes throughout the year. The package includes the signature Twistys diamond necklace, a shopping spree, shoes for a year, a spa weekend, a makeup beauty bag, custom-made lingerie and a donation to a charity of her choice.

Welcome to Patch: The Salon and Day Spa, Sail Montauk

This week we saw a variety of business take hold of their listings on Patch, and we welcomed a bunch of new Local Voices to the site, as well.

On the blogging front, you’ll notice the following new names:

• Cynthia Loewen, artist
• Lynn Blumenfeld, a partnering the marketing, advertising and design firm of blumenfeld + fleming, based in Montauk.
• Gerard Giliberti, a technical writer living in Springs
• Lutha Leahy-Miller, a writer, artist and surfer

Here is a rundown of the services the businesses provide to the community. Please help welcome them to Patch by following the links below to leave reviews.

Sail Montauk: Providing sailing lessons and charters on its Catalina 22s, Sail Montauk is skippered by Captain Darius.

Nichol’s of East Hampton: A favorite restaurant in East Hampton Village, Nichol’s is located on Montauk Highway, just west of the village.

The Salon and Day Spa: Located in the Amagansett Square, the salon offers hair design, facials, massages, waxing, nail services and specialty services such as Japanese Straightening.

For easy-to-follow instructions on claiming your business listing in East Hampton Patch’s directory, check out this video. If you can’t find your business in the directory or you want to blog on Patch, too, email taylor.vecsey@patch.com.

Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace

She was besotted with one Edward Lane, doctor and proprietor of a health spa in Surrey, and her happiest moments were spent walking with him in the spa’s idyllic grounds; debating the issues of the day or discussing poetry and music.

However, there was little prospect of the two finding lasting happiness. Not only was Edward Lane married, so was Isabella; and she had three children. More to the point, the pair met in 1850, an era when a wife was nothing more than a chattel, when a judge could insist: “However harsh, however capricious the husband may be, it does not justify the wife’s want of that due submission to the husband.”

Following the success of 2008’s award-winning, best-selling The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, an account of a brutal murder in a middle-class home, Kate Summerscale has disinterred another true-life tale of Victorian scandal and intrigue.

Queen Victoria

She relates how Isabella described clinches with Edward in a sunny glade; in his study; even, on one occasion, a steamy episode in a horse-drawn carriage.

Isabella’s diary tantalises, though, leaving the reader unsure just how far the dalliance went (“I shall not relate ALL that passed, suffice it to say I leaned back at last in silent joy in those arms I had so often dreamed of”). Moreover, how much of her account was fact and how much fantasy?

Understandably, her husband Henry had no interest in such fine distinctions. Isabella was delirious, probably with diphtheria, when he heard her utter the names of other men (Edward was not the only man to catch her lonely eye) and, his curiosity piqued, he found her diary in her desk.

You needn’t waste any sympathy on mean, bad-tempered Henry; a man with a mistress and two illegitimate children. His main motivation in suing for divorce was to take full control of Isabella’s considerable fortune. It came as a great shock to the Lane family when Edward was named as Isabella’s co-respondent.

Divorce had hitherto been the preserve of the wealthy with only 325 divorces granted between 1670 and 1857. The Robinsons’ case was one of the first to be heard in a new secular divorce court, opened in 1858 to enable women to escape violent husbands and men to escape faithless wives.

As a result, Isabella’s private diary became public property, its contents dissected in court and greedily picked over in the press.

Where Kate Summerscale’s exhaustively researched book is most fascinating and disturbing is in laying bare contemporary anxieties about female sexuality. Isabella was widely assumed to be clinically insane. Why else would she risk her reputation by recording such unthinkable, sordid lust in black-and-white?

A string of doctors attributed her “madness” to everything from nymphomania to uterine disease which, they confidently declared, could be triggered by sudden sexual privation, by childbirth or the menopause. Among the recommended treatments was the application of leeches to sufferers’ shaven heads, their feet or labia.

Thankfully, as Dr William Acton declared in 1857, “the majority of women… are not very much troubled by sexual feeling of any kind”.

Debate about how closely the diary reflected the truth raged across the land with Charles Darwin concluding that:

“The unparalleled fact of a woman detailing her own adultery… seems to me more improbable than inventing a story prompted by extreme sensuality or hallucination.”

One commentator wondered whether women should be free to write at all.

Edward Lane, horrified and humiliated, insisted that in Isabella’s diary “fact and fiction were recklessly jumbled together… A loose rein was too frequently given to a prurient and diseased imagination…”

The only way to spare him further humiliation was for Isabella to claim that she was a sex maniac. Such was her public degradation that the outcome of the court case was almost irrelevant.

It was Isabella Robinson’s great misfortune to live in an age where women were bred for breeding, not happiness or fulfilment.

As Queen Victoria put it: “I think people marry far too much. It is such a lottery after all.”

MRS ROBINSON’S DISGRACE: THE PRIVATE DIARY OF A VICTORIAN LADY
4/5
Kate Summerscale Bloomsbury, £16.99

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Flat out in Fiji

Sheriden Rhodes samples some of the delights on offer in the ‘spa capital of the South Pacific’.

I’m lying on a massage bed in the ocean. My masseuse stands knee deep in the sea with a frangipani tucked behind her ear, delivering long powerful strokes as I stare at the intense colours of the tropical waters swirling beneath me.

Surrounding us is nothing but the Pacific stretching beyond Yadua Island to the Yasawas. A balmy breeze blows, and I figure this is possibly the world’s most heavenly treatment room.

Afterwards as I sip on a fresh young coconut on a sunlounger at the new five-star Tadrai Resort, watching the hues of the water deepen as the sun comes out to play, I think about how far Fiji’s spa industry has come in a short space of time.

Sure, you can still get a grass-roots bobo massage using freshly harvested coconut oil in a rustic bure, and let’s face it there’s something completely charming about that. But today’s discerning traveller also has access to world-class spa treatments in increasingly sophisticated and dedicated spa facilities, or delivered in some of the most striking locations.

With their unique mix of Fijian hospitality, laid-back charm and locally sourced products, from virgin coconut oil, seaweed harvested in the Yasawas, through to frangipani and tropical papaya, Fiji’s newly sought reputation as the “Spa Capital of the South Pacific” is gaining momentum.

Spas include Sofitel’s stunning Mandara Spa and Intercontinental Fiji Resort‘s 2000sq m new spa.

Matamanoa Island Resort offers the incredible cliff-top Veidomoni Spa overlooking the magnificent Mamanuca Islands chain.

Qamea’s Jungle Spa is the only Fijian spa built in a jungle environment, and is the only Guinot Institute-Paris Spa in the South Pacific.

Sonaisali Resort’s Frangipani Spa offers a simple, traditional two-bure spa, and Tokoriki in the Mamanuca Islands has just opened a new Asian-inspired Senakai Spa. Treatments range from a Bua Frangipani cleansing ritual, a four-handed Duavata massage, to having your treatment delivered in the ocean at the all-inclusive Tadrai resort on Mana Island.

Being flat out has never felt so good.

Most regular visitors to Fiji would have at least heard of Pure Fiji, a Fijian body product brand used at countless spas and resorts across the country. Scores of departing passengers can be seen stocking up on Pure Fiji before departing home.

Australian woman Debra Sadranu hopes her Senikai Spa brand and her own locally produced Essence of Fiji product will also become the name on every visitor’s lips.

Sadranu, who previously ran a beauty salon in Sydney, moved to Fiji more than 14 years ago and realised there was virtually nothing available in the spa and beauty line.

In 1998 she opened Fiji’s first Beauty Therapy training Institution, then her first spa. Since then, Senikai Spas has evolved to become the largest spa operator in the Pacific Islands.

As well as its own training institution, The South Pacific Academy of Beauty Therapy, Senikai has 13 spa locations and produces its own spa skin and body care range.

“When I first opened the school, I was approached straight away from resorts saying ‘thank goodness we now have expertise here’,” says Sadranu.

“It took a while for resorts to build stand-alone spas, Fiji traditionally lagged behind the rest of the world, but once it took off it happened very quickly”.

The therapists make Fijian spas unique, according to Sadranu.

“The local women have grown up with massage and natural healing and are very giving and passionate about their treatments.”

You can experience Senikai spa treatments on Vomo and Tokoriki.

On five-star Vomo in the Mamanucas, the two-hour Weleti Papaya Body Rejuvenation treatment will leave your skin with a gorgeous glow enriched with Essence of Fiji’s natural papaya products, which smell good enough to eat.

The simple two-treatment spa will soon evolve into a much larger and more luxurious purpose-built spa.

Across the way, Tokoriki’s new spa features three individual couples’ spa treatment bures with plantation timber shutters and high-pitched traditional Fijian bure ceilings.

While the design is Asian-inspired the feel is pure Pacific, right down to the gorgeous hibiscus flowers sprinkled in your footbath.

Designed by Tokoriki’s Australian owner Yvonne Turnbull, the spa features a weeping volcanic rock wall, outdoor showers, oversized stone egg baths in each treatment bure and calm, experienced Fijian therapists with wide smiles and nurturing natures.

On arrival, guests unwind in the open plan Spa Lounge with a relaxing foot ritual. They then follow the stepping-stones to their own treatment bure where they can experience therapeutic massage, pampering facials or one of the spa’s specially designed spa packages.

Over on Savusavu, in a simple ocean spa bure with the warm water of the Koro Sea lapping on the shoreline, I submit my weary body for a Duavata Massage, a signature four-handed Fijian massage at Jean Michel Cousteau’s Fiji Island Resort.

The treatment is memorable as two, sizeable Fijian women perform an almost dance-like massage, totally in sync with one another.

The resort recently started using Niu Health Fiji, a pure virgin coconut oil harvested at a local village. Torika, my warm, motherly therapist, tells me many guests use it for detoxing and to treat dry scalps.

On the main island of Viti Levu, inspiration for Spa InterContinental at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa on Fiji’s Coral Coast, has been drawn from centuries old South Pacific and Asian healing traditions which form the basis of spa products and treatments.

There are nine treatment rooms, a pre and post treatment relaxation lounge and a yoga deck offering complementary yoga for in-house guests. Arrive early as the Wai Water Zone located at the heart of this vast spa includes Fiji’s first ice room as well as a steam room and hydrotherapy pool, making it a first-class spa experience.

Back towards Nadi on Denarau Island, in a land where the coconut tree, tiare and frangipanis are almost sacred, Sofitel has conspired with its onsite spa specialist Mandara and leading luxury British spa and skincare brand Elemis to infuse these flavours into its menu of spa treats and therapies.

Try Mandara’s invigorating Thai Herbal Poultice Massage or the Elemis Exotic Coconut Rub and Milk Ritual Wrap. A soothing bamboo massage is also new to the menu at the tranquil village within a village, which offers nine private treatment bures, whirlpools, saunas, outdoor Jacuzzis and a healthy refreshment bar.

One of Suva’s best kept spa secrets is the Pure Fiji Spa, located in the heart of the capital and home of Fiji’s world-famous coconut and flower extract-based skin and hair care production company.

One of the country’s few top-notch day spas, the spa allows guests to experience Pure Fiji’s signature rituals and services in a lush, tropical setting. With flowers freshly picked from the company gardens and exotic fragrances emanating from the spa’s foyer, it’s a wonderful treat for the senses for fans of Pure Fiji, which include Hollywood celebrities including Tom Cruise.

Lastly, on the island of Taveuni, the Jungle Spa at the romantic, adults-only Qamea Resort and Spa (the only Fijian resort finalist by Conde Nast Johansens 2011 Global Awards for Most Excellent Spa), offers couples an amorous spa experience involving Fijian warriors, a candle-lit dinner and your own serenading string band.

Qamea’s Night of Decadence starts with a Fijian warrior escort to a decadent private spa experience involving tropical sugar scrubs, candlelit outdoor showers, signature massages or specialised Guinot facials.

It ends with a romantic dinner on the veranda of your bure, serenaded by your own Qamea Band.

If that’s not enough to convince you of how far Fijian spas have come, then you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.

TRAVELLERS’ TIPS

Getting there: Air Pacific offers multiple direct services between Auckland and Nadi. Island Hoppers offers seamless helicopter and plane transfers from Nadi Airport or Denarau to the Mamanuca Island resorts, Coral Coast and beyond.

Fiji’s Top 5

Moana McKeen of Botany Downs Flight Centre shares her top tips on things to do between spa treatments in Fiji:

1. Go on a cruise – there are some fantastic day trips available which include lunch and a local village tour. It’s a great way to make the most of the stunning beaches and islands.

2. Try your hand at some water sports, whether it’s snorkelling, surfing or a jet-ski safari tour, there is something for everyone. Most resorts have equipment available so you can kayak or catamaran at your leisure.

3. Adrenalin junkies should try zip-lining, racing through the jungle on lines that are up to 200m long and 30m above the ground.

4. Head to Jack’s of Fiji for authentic souvenirs. They sell a range of goods as well as the Pure Fiji soaps and hand creams which will remind you of your holiday long after it’s over.

5. Relax and enjoy the great range of fresh seafood and local entertainment while dining in Fiji. The Lomani Wai restaurant in Denarau is great for a special occasion – you dining table is positioned in the water.

* For more information on travelling to Fiji, contact Moana and the team at Botany Downs Flight Centre on 0800 427 555.

By Sheriden Rhodes

All-inclusive resorts have come of age

The design and decor of the Secrets Marquis Los Cabos exude high-end luxury. A dramatic open-air reception lobby, with an arc-shaped roof, frames an expansive view of the Sea of Cortez. Each of the 235 ocean-view suites and casitas has a balcony overlooking three infinity pools and the sandy beach. In addition to a 15,000-square-foot spa, the property boasts a museum-quality art collection of more than 400 pieces, with monumental bronze sculptures by leading Latin American artists in public spaces and original oil paintings in every guest room.

When the Marquis Los Cabos opened in 2003, the hotel drew a steady stream of honeymooners, families on vacations, and corporate incentive travelers. But as the global economic downturn arrived, occupancy rates and revenues spiraled downward. So the private owners (who also own Marquis Reforma Hotel Spa in Mexico City) took the bold step of relinquishing management responsibilities to AMResorts last November, rebranding it as the adults-only, all-inclusive Secrets Marquis Los Cabos. Since the changeover, occupancy rates have increased by nearly 300 percent.

“Today’s travelers are focused on getting the best possible value for their travel dollars,” says Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst with the Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. “Our latest survey of more than 5,000 US leisure travelers shows that 87 percent of travelers establish a budget for their trips. When looking to save money, 54 percent focus on lodging, versus 41 percent who focus on airfare. All-inclusive resorts offer travelers a way to manage their budgets.”

Beyond buffet lines

When Club Med began in 1950, it was aimed at fun-loving singles traveling on a shoestring budget. A typical vacation package included meals, soft drinks, some alcohol, use of resort facilities, and tips. In 1967, Mini Club Meds began sprouting up to accommodate guests with children.

Like the entire travel industry, Club Med suffered after 9/11 but weathered the recession by diversifying. Club Med now has more than 80 resorts worldwide, catering to singles, couples, and families, and is expanding its emphasis on children’s programming, themed vacations, as well as on luxury. Twenty-three of the properties offer Club Med’s “ultimate family vacation experience,” targeted to the upscale family travel market.

Particularly in Mexico and the Caribbean, there has been industry-wide proliferation of upscale all-inclusives. “According to our American Express Travel booking data, we’re seeing substantial year-over-year growth to destinations that are known for top all-inclusive properties,’’ says Ellen Bettridge, vice president of American Express US Retail Travel Network.

“In difficult times, people may not necessarily be looking for an inexpensive alternative, but like to know upfront what the vacation will cost,” says Bjorn Hanson, divisional dean of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at New York University.

Looking for luxury

Like its sister resorts (there are nine other Secrets Resorts spread across Mexico and the Caribbean), Secrets Marquis Los Cabos now offers an “Unlimited Luxury” package, which includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks each day; unlimited premium beers and top-shelf spirits; in-suite mini bars refreshed with soft drinks, bottled water, and beer; gourmet reservation-free restaurants; 24-hour room service and poolside wait service; live nightly entertainment; and a menu of daytime activities — all with taxes and gratuities included.

Brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, and Starwood are dipping their toes in the all-inclusive waters by offering packages at selected properties. The Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica, offers an “Escape to Luxury” package that includes unlimited beverages and meals at the resort’s dining venues coupled with a fifth night free.

Since last November, the Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, has experimented with an “Appetite for Luxury” package that includes 24-hour food and beverage service, children stay free, three hours per day supervised Kids Club activities, and several other amenities.

Late last year, Starwood announced the opening of its first two all-inclusives, the Westin Resort Spa, Playa Conchal in Cabo Velas, Costa Rica, and the Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort in Panama.

Finding their niche

With the increase in numbers, all-inclusives are seeking to distinguish themselves from each other by offering unique and memorable experiences. Here are a few examples:

Wellness and self-improvement: Located on Pink Gin Beach, Grenada, LaSource Resort recently added scuba yoga and a “sleep school” to its holistic offerings, which already included a rotating series of master classes on such topics as Tai Chi, meditation, Pilates, and Zumba.

Sustainability: The El Dorado Spa Resorts Hotels, Riviera Maya, have green initiatives to preserve the ecological richness of the Mayan jungle. These include a 70,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse growing herbs and produce; energy-saving air conditioning; solar water heating; and recycled water systems.

Environmental immersion: The spa and water pools of the 82-acre, eco-friendly Grand Velas Riviera Maya derive their inspiration from the surrounding jungle. A personal spa valet guides guests through a signature seven-step “water journey.”

Gourmet dining: Also at the El Dorado, Riviera Maya, a “Gourmet Inclusive” package allows foodies to select fresh fish from the catch of the day to be prepared for lunch by the chef; a choice of Italian, Mexican, Asian, and grill dining; and unlimited, premium-brand alcoholic beverages.

Personal service: Sandals Resorts, another pioneer in the all-inclusive world for the last 30 years, offers “Luxury Included” vacations. For a high-end experience, guests can stay in suites with private plunge pools served by butlers trained at the Guild of Professional English Butlers. Stays at the Sandals in Jamaica and St. Lucia include unlimited golf with complimentary greens fees.

The bottom line

Similar to when booking a cruise, it is important to find out what is included in the price of an “all-inclusive” vacation before you place a deposit. If you are unsure, check the website, speak to your travel agent, or call the resort.

“All-inclusive pricing is very competitive as compared with the costs of staying at a conventional property,” says Glenn Haussman, editor in chief of HotelInteractive.com. “The real difference is piece of mind.”

Guests are reassured knowing there will not be another charge for every activity, meal, and amenity, and there will not be a gratuity to be paid every time. “For many it is more an issue of convenience than cost,” says Hanson.

Irene S. Levine can be reached at irene@irenelevine.com.

Beachcomber Makeover: Day of pampering refreshes deserving mom

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FENWICK ISLAND — A day of pampering allowed CeCe Rodriguez to leave her many hats of mommy, server and wife at home and enjoy a relaxing day for herself.

The Beachcomber’s makeover team met the 40-year-old at Jimmy’s Kitchen in Fenwick Island just as her shift was wrapping up.

Rodriguez has been a server at the eatery for about five years and, as any server will tell you, breakfast is probably the toughest shift. Not only are you on your feet for many hours, you’re up early and the turnover is quick.

So, if anyone deserved this makeover, it was Rodriguez, said Jimmy’s Kitchen owner Jimmy Mourlas.

“She’s a hardworking mom of two young ones, she works hard for me here at the restaurant, she just deserves it,” he said. “Doing this job for such a long time, I’m sure CeCe will appreciate it, getting all pampered.”

For Rodriguez, whose husband was diagnosed with cancer in December, the experience couldn’t have come at a better time.

It’s not every day someone surprises you with a free day of pampering — this month made possible by Creative Day Spa and K-Coast Surf Shop in Ocean City — so she was looking forward to the opportunity, she said.

“(My husband) told me to go out and have fun,” she said. “I’m excited. Just having time to myself is nice.”

After whisking Rodriguez away, the makeover team — Beachcomber style expert Nic Cirillo and photographer Amanda Rippen White — headed to Creative Day Spa, located on 137th Street in Ocean City.

The transformation

With two children and a job that starts at 6 a.m., Rodriguez said her beauty routine is pretty basic.

“I get up, I pull my hair up, I brush my teeth, I wash my face — if I remember — and I roll out,” she said with a laugh.

And while she’s never dyed her hair, she was open to stylist Lauren Metro’s suggestions. Her only request was about the cut; she needed to be able to pull her hair back for work.

Metro decided to give her hair a good trim, add some layers and apply caramel and red highlights. Rodriguez has really thick hair, so Metro took out some of that weight, which gave her hair more bounce. Layers gave it some shape.

Man, juvenile charged in 2 Erie robberies

A homeless man, who was jailed Thursday on charges from a burglary in Erie in April, has been charged with committing a robbery and attempting another at two Peach Street businesses earlier this week.

Robert R. Davis, a homeless man, according to police, was charged Thursday night with attempting to rob Totally You Fitness, 1812 Peach St., on Monday night, and robbing employees of the Satin Health Spa, 2117 Peach St., on Tuesday night.

A 14-year-old boy also participated in the robberies and faces charges in Erie County Juvenile Court, police said Friday.

Davis, 20, was taken into police custody Wednesday and was charged with breaking into a residence in the 900 block of West Seventh Street on April 22. Police said Davis and a juvenile took items that included a TV and two laptop computers, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case.

At the time of Davis’ arraignment on Thursday morning, Erie police said he was being looked at as a possible suspect in several other crimes in the city, including two robberies.

Erie police Detective Sgt. Stanley Green charged Davis later that day with robbery, carrying a firearm without a license and recklessly endangering another person on allegations that he and the 14-year-old entered Totally You Fitness at about 10:35 p.m. Monday, pointed guns at an employee and demanded money.

Nothing was taken in the robbery, police said.

Davis was also charged by Green with robbery, theft, recklessly endangering and carrying a firearm without a license in the robbery at the Satin Health Spa at about 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Davis and the 14-year-old are accused of pointing guns at three employees and stealing $45, according to the criminal complaint.

Green also filed a hindering apprehension charge Thursday against Gregory J. Thompson, 21, of the 1000 block of West Fourth Street, accusing him of taking possession of the guns used in the two robberies, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said they are still investigating possible links between Davis and some other recent crimes in Erie. Davis was in the Erie County Prison on bonds totaling $125,000 Friday.

TIM HAHN can be reached at 870-1731 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNhahn.

Israeli hotels offer enticing vacation packages

Spurred by a record-breaking number of foreign tourists who visited the Holy Land during the first quarter of 2012, Israel’s burgeoning hotel industry is gearing up for a busy summer tourism season by sprucing up facilities and offering a variety of exciting vacation packages.

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, 752,000 foreign visitors entered the country between January and March 2012. That number eclipsed last year’s figures by two per cent. The first-quarter figures also represent a one per cent increase over 2010, which Israel’s Ministry of Tourism declared was Israel’s best year ever for incoming tourism.

Despite the generally optimistic picture, many hotel managers aren’t assuming that North American Jewish tourists will reflexively book a vacation to Israel, when there are a myriad of interesting destinations to choose from. In order to attract both veteran and new foreign tourists to their facilities, some of Israel’s best-known hotels have undergone a series of physical transformations in order to broaden their appeal, while others have focused on offering newfangled experiences to both couples and families with children.

“Both returning and new clientele are quite different from five years ago because of new technologies. Today’s tourists are more computer savvy. They can compare prices online in an instant from their computers and make a formal booking from their smartphones, so hotels must be prepared to offer more personalized services, as well as new experiences,” Ilan Brenner, the executive assistant manager of marketing and sales at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, said.

“Our staff knows our clients, and in a growing number of cases, we have literally grown up with entire families. So when a new generation emerges, we already have a good idea about their needs. Both returning and new tourists are always searching for and asking about upgrades, so we are constantly adding incentives, whether it’s a free car, a multimedia game room for youngsters, new spa treatments, trendy gastronomic experiences in the dining room, etc.”

The Dan Hotel chain recently completed a makeover at its historical King David Hotel in Jerusalem and at its venerable Dan Carmel Hotel in Haifa. Rafi Beeri, the Dan Hotel’s vice-president of marketing and sales, was enthused by the renovations, as well as the debut of a unique “hotel within a hotel” concept at the Dan Jerusalem (formerly the Hyatt Regency).

Beeri said, “We have invested heavily in upgrading these hotels in different ways. The King David has undergone a major makeover with a new section of rooms and suites. At the Dan Carmel, which debuted in 1962, we have completed a top-to-bottom renovation which includes new executive rooms, which overlook Haifa Bay and the Carmel Mountains. With the Dan Jerusalem, which we acquired in 2010, we realized that renovating this huge hotel [500 rooms] would have to be done in phases and feature some unique aspects.”

Beeri said that with the Dan Jerusalem’s unique “hotel within a hotel” concept, guests and groups can benefit from more personalized services and amenities. “It can be compared to an airline’s business-class environment.

We’ve upgraded a wing of 120 rooms [executive class], where guests or groups who wish to stay in this section will enjoy a separate check-in area, separate lounge and dining facilities, as well as a special staff that will cater to them in a more personalized manner.

“In addition, as the Dan’s chain is sponsoring Israel’s ParaOlympics team this summer at the Olympic Games in London, our popular Danyland Kids Club will highlight Olympic-style sports activities for youngsters at many of our hotels.”

The Ramada Jerusalem Hotel has acquired a stellar reputation among families with children who seek discounted long-term vacation packages (from seven to 21 days), with a variety of summer activities for adults and children. “Our annual We Love Kids summer program has been a hit with tourists from North America for several years,” Yacov Shaari, the general manager of the Ramada Jerusalem Hotel, said.

“If people are staying in the hotel over an extended period, we have to keep the kids entertained, so every day we offer something different, whether it’s a magician, petting zoo, etc. During weekdays, we offer complimentary shuttle-bus service to the Old City, which is an attraction for the parents.  And, our outdoor American-style barbecues out by the pool area during August always attracts a large audience of both adults and children alike.”

The growing Rimonim chain recently re-branded four of its upscale properties to create the “Royal Collection,” which includes the Royal Dead Sea, Rimonim Eilat, Ruth Rimonim Safed and Rimonim Galei Kinnereth.

Anat Aharon, Rimonim’s vice-president of sales and marketing, said, “During the summer months, the Royal Dead Sea will feature special spa packages that include the hotel’s new Royal Lounge. The Royal Serenity Indulgence Package features both a private VIP spa and private beach opposite the hotel. There is also a summer spa getaway at the Rimonim Galei Kinnereth in Tiberias. Guests who book our Ben-Gurion Suite package are pampered with a deluxe treatment in the hotel’s spa, unique amenities and special tastings of boutique Israeli wines upon arrival.

“At the nearby Ruth Rimonim in Safed (Tzfat), we invite guests to let their soul breathe amidst the mystic beauty of the hotel’s Galilean surroundings. The hotel also features a wine cellar, where you can sample the best Israeli wines. The staff at the Ruth Rimonim can also organize special walking tours through the colourful alleys and art galleries in the Old City, accompanied by klezmer music. In Eilat, we are offering summer Serenity and Action packages to romantic couples and families with children who seek a bit of adventure.”

At the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel, where North American, British and French tourists alike converge during the summer months, the accent will be on indulging kids and parents alike. “As a hotel, we are geared for families, providing dedicated areas for youngsters with computers, where they can connect with their friends on Facebook,” said Jean-Louis Ripoche, the general manager of the Sheraton Tel Aviv. “Last year we opened a children’s pool. This year, we will complement it with a guarded playground with games and toys, where families can relax and enjoy the pool, while their children are playing. We also are featuring our summer kids breakfast-buffet corner featuring a variety of yogurts, colourful cereals, a variety of chocolate drinks, pancakes, mini Belgian waffles, etc. There’s also a kids menu on display at the outdoor pool.

“During the summer, we will be extending breakfast hours in the dining room till 12 p.m., so couples and families alike can enjoy a longer, relaxed morning. After breakfast, we offer adults a free bicycle, so they can pedal around the seaside boardwalk area and beyond.”

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In many instances, Israeli hotels have not increased their prices since last summer, as general managers are aware that the price of airline tickets has increased by as much as 15 to 20 per cent during the past few months, because of the inflated price of oil, and families are looking to maximize their vacation experience without blowing their budgets.

Here is an abridged guide to some of the hottest summer deals across Israel.

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Inbal Jerusalem Hotel, www.inbalhotel.com

July rates begin from $150 per person in a double room, based on a minimum five-night stay. The hotel’s website features several unique summer deals.

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Dan Hotels, www.danhotels.com

Rates for July and August for guests who book Golden 7 Nights at the King David start from $480 per room (per couple) based on a bed/breakfast excursion. The Golden 7 special includes pampering amenities such as free round-trip transportation between Ben-Gurion Airport and the hotel. Guests who stay a minimum of three nights are entitled to a free voucher to the Dan Lounge at Ben-Gurion Airport on the day of their departure from Israel. At the Dan Jerusalem, guests who book a minimum of three nights in Deluxe Rooms will receive a free upgrade to Executive Rooms, which includes the use of the hotel’s new King David Executive Lounge.

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Ramada Jerusalem Hotel www.jerusalemramada.com

The hotel’s We Love Kids rates start from $198 based on a seven to 14 night stay, with two adults and one child in a room (including breakfast). Rates are discounted even lower based on stays exceeding 14 nights. Amenities include large indoor and outdoor pools, health club and sauna, as well as supervised summer children’s camps and a teen corner during July and August. This hotel offers kosher cuisine.

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Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel Towers, www.sheratontelaviv.com

The hotel is offering an early-bird package starting from $370 per person, with a minimum booking of five nights or three nights non-refundable. The charge for a child in the room under the age of 17 years old is $30 per child. There is no charge for children under the age of three. There is a limited promotion for guests who stay for a minimum of five nights between Aug. 5 and 25. They will receive complimentary tickets to the Cirque du Soleil, which will play Tel Aviv in August. Rates start from $400 a night based on double occupancy. This special deal can be booked direct via the hotel’s website.

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Rimonim Hotels, http://English.rimonim.com

 Various deals are available for guests who book directly via their website. Rates vary for midweek and weekend vacations. At the Royal Dead Sea, guests staying in suites and preferred room types will enjoy a separate check-in at the lounge and private breakfast and dinner, as well as snacks and  drinks during the day. Galei Kinnereth’s luxurious spa includes a domed Jacuzzi overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The Rimonim Eilat’s Serenity and Action package includes a choice of two hot attractions for the whole family – admission to the Imax theatre and the Eilat underwater observatory when reserving for a minimum of three nights. The hotel’s Romantic Serenity deal for couples features pampering amenities, including breakfast for two in your room, a gift dinner and a couples spa treatment, as well as a 45-minute pedicure and manicure.