Resort Spotlight-Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall

No comments

Jamaica, the island with vibe. Located in the Caribbean Sea and the third largest island amongst the Greater Antilles, Jamaica has always been a favorite of mine. I can’t get enough of the joyful feeling and love that is given from the people of this country. For me, there is no bad day in Jamaica.

This last trip I tried the Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, located within the realms of Montego Bay.

It is an adult-only all-inclusive resort connected to its sister family property Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall. The combined spread of the properties makes for an ideal vacation escape for families, friends, couples, and groups. In fact, during my stay there I met honeymooners, a couple destination wedding groups, anniversary couples, but the majority were birthday groups. It made for fun celebrations day and night around the pool bar and entertainment stage.

There are over 600 rooms total combined between the two properties with your choice of either a standard room or suite category. The rooms are then divided by their view of the brilliant blue waters and pristine beaches. One of the nice aspects was how the shore was protected which allowed for nice swimming access, particularly on the family side. You can be rest assured your toddlers could splash the day away without being toppled and taken by a wave. Speaking of water, all the non-motorized water sports are included and we saw many on catamarans and windsurfing given the breezy weather we were enjoying.

Both sides had spectacular pool areas and beaches for those who sun worship. And of course, service with a smile from your beach or pool butler that kept your beverages coming. However, if you wanted to venture from your chair, each pool had a swim-up bar for your imbibing pleasures as well as organized activities from the amazing Z-crew throughout the day. Jenga, bingo, line-dancing, water aerobics, trivia, and more were available for fun and getting to know the other guests. I don’t know about you, but part of the memories made on vacation are the new friends you connect with.

And I would be amiss if I didn’t tell you about the food. You are going to want or even need to partake in those daily activities or make a trip to the gym during your stay. The food was some of the best, if not the best I have had in Jamaica. Amongst the dining options were French, Italian, Asian, Brazilian, and Jamaican. It is the only resort I know that actually has a Jamaican themed restaurant. There was a main buffet restaurant open for all 3 meals offering American fare options for the less adventurous or the children. Most restaurants were sit down and no reservations were needed. There were always a variety of options available throughout the day or you could try some of the what I refer to as quick serve. We tended to choose this for lunch grabbing nachos from the nacho bar, a flat bread pizza, or making our way to the Jerk Shack for some jerk chicken. You can’t go to Jamaica and not have the jerk.

Of course each evening there was entertainment provided. Some of the pleasures we saw were a steel band, a Michael Jackson impersonator, and my favorite which I never experienced before were the synchronized swimming dancers. It was a truly spectacular show. If you are a late owl, then after the show head to the sports bar, Union Jacks. It’s open until 2am offering music, drinks, and good vibes.

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive escape that has it all to offer, then consult your travel agent about the Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall or Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall. Discover not only all that Hyatt has to offer, but all the things that make Jamaica special. Feel the vibe!


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslResort Spotlight-Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall
read more

Passport for Your Palate-Black Pearl

No comments

Black pearls for dessert?

Yes, in the islands of Tahiti. French Polynesia and her islands are known for their cultured black pearls, which of course, you will want to buy. Many shops even allow you to create your own one of a kind piece of jewelry, which I did take advantage of while on Bora Bora. However, before I reached Bora Bora, I was introduced to a very different kind of black pearl. One of the chefs at the Hilton Moorea came up with a dessert named after this pretty gem.

Like the pearls, it is indeed dark, dark because it is made of dark chocolate. If you are anything like myself, the mere mention of chocolate already has you ordering before the waitress can even explain. The best part about this dessert is it comes with a bit of a surprise. Just like when prying open an oyster shell to find that beautiful gem, the black pearl dessert has its own inner gem.

To see a peek at the surprise, check out this short video… Black Pearl at the Hilton Moorea 2014.

Now it’s been a few years since I was at the Hilton Moorea, but reaching out to my contacts with Tahiti Tourisme and the Hilton, we were able to get the hotel to send us over a rendition of what I tried and found so delectable.

Here is the recipe…..

Black Pearl Dessert

Ingredients (for 4 spheres) :
Dark chocolate 70% 500 grams for 8 silicon molds (half-spheres with 6cm diameter each)
Fresh raspberries 10 grams per sphere
Raspberry sorbet 15 grams per sphere
Popping sugar 6 grams per sphere
Raspberry coulis 200 grams for the 4 spheres

Preparation :

Tempering of the chocolate: melt the two-thirds of the chocolate in a bain-marie or the microwave when the temperature reaches 53°C/55°C
Add the one-third left to lower the temperature at 27°C/28°C, stirring regularly (it takes a few time)
Allow the temperature to 31°C – be careful; the temperature increases very quickly. If it exceeds 32°C, the chocolate won’t have a shiny aspect, and it will give a dull color with whitish marks!
With a brush, line the inside of the 8 molds with the chocolate and store them in a refrigerator to let the chocolate harden. Repeat the operation.
When the chocolate is well hardened, unmold the half spheres carefully and keep them in a cool place.
Place a half-sphere on a platter. Put the popping sugar inside the sphere, the raspberries pieces, and a finger of raspberry sorbet. Close with another half sphere.
Serve the plates and at the last moment, pour the hot raspberry coulis.

Many thanks to Tekura Kelley from Tahiti Tourisme, Erin Wigger, and Virginie Hanot, Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, to help me and pass the recipe on for use in this share.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslPassport for Your Palate-Black Pearl
read more

Destination Spotlight-Bonaire

No comments

Bonaire is the quiet sister of the “ABC Islands” (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and enjoys the same sunny climate and breezy trade winds.

Famous for its coral reefs and underwater natural parks, Bonaire is a diver’s haven for both certified scuba divers as well as snorkelers who can access many reefs from the shore. On land, Bonaire is relatively undeveloped, and still maintains a laid-back island feel. In the southern region, sea salt is “farmed” in miles of salt flats, which also doubles as wildlife preserves for thousands of pink flamingoes. The island offers a number of eco-adventure options such as kayaking, hiking, horseback riding and windsurfing. Average temperature is 82°F year- round.1
Bonaire’s economy is mainly based on tourism, taking advantage of its warm, dry climate and natural environment. The island caters to scuba divers and snorkelers, as the surrounding coral reefs are well preserved and easily accessible from the shore. Bonaire has been widely recognized for many years in the diving community as one of the world’s best shore diving destinations.2
Bonaire’s Marine Park offers a total of 86 named dive sites, and is home to over 57 species of soft and stony coral and more than 350 recorded fish species.3 Most resorts and hotels have an on-site dive shop, and other accommodations are affiliated with a dive operation. The license plates carry the logo Divers Paradise (in English).
Lac Bay, in the southeastern part of the island, attracts wind surfers from around the world to Bonaire. The shallow Bay is on the windward side of the island, so trade winds are strong and constant. A barrier reef across the mouth of the bay allows windsurfers of all skill levels to select wave conditions they like. Lac Bay is one of the stops in the PWA Windsurfing Freestyle World Cup and has hosted the Prokids IFCA Championship. Five of the PWA’s ten highest ranked freestyle windsurfers are from Bonaire: Kiri Thode, Amado Vrieswijk, Bjorn Saragoza, Tonky Frans, and Taty Frans.4 In the northern end of Lac Bay is one of the best preserved mangrove forests in the Caribbean, which is popular for kayaking and snorkeling.5
Bonaire is also a port of call for more than fifteen cruise lines who make more than eighty calls per season at the island. The total passenger capacity for cruise ships in Bonaire is about 185,000.6
Tourism infrastructure in Bonaire is contemporary and offers a variety of types of accommodations including hotels, full-service resorts, a few small bed and breakfasts, and self-catering vacation rentals of all kinds. Other tourist activities include kite-boarding, mountain-biking, hiking, sailing, charter fishing, boating, and bird-watching.7 All-in-all tourist expenditures in Bonaire are estimated at $125 million per year.8

Credits:

Travel Impressions Travel Agent Site
“Scuba Diving Top 100: Best Dive Sites for Shore Diving”. Scuba Diving.
“Bonaire Dive Sites”.
Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA). “PWA WORLD WINDSURFING TOUR: Freestyle Men”.
“Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
“Update on Cruise and Stay Over arrivals”.
http://www.infobonaire.com/activities.html
IVM Institute for Environmental Studies, The Tourism Value of Nature on Bonaire[permanent dead link], 2012

Men’s Journal.com (Diving picture)
Bonaire Tourism


Andrea Ward is an independent travel consultant of Boomerang Escapes, who is based in Wisconsin.

She has been planning vacation escapes for the company since 2013 and specializes in Caribbean Destinations. Her primary focus is on the all-inclusive vacation experience for adult or family getaways for individuals and small groups. Sandals and AMResorts are among the specialist certificates she holds.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Andrea WardDestination Spotlight-Bonaire
read more