I can’t believe it might be even close to time to considering a holiday gift guide but it is. As we consider items we want to recommend to everyone this year, Travel is my number one. Yes, it’s a little complicated to give travel but it can be done. It just takes a little creativity. And we have a list that we want to share with you of different locations for different kinds of people.

Here is our Travel Location Gift Guide

For the Theater Aficionado: A Broadway weekend at Sofitel New York. This stylish midtown Manhattan hotel’s partnership with Broadway.com means tickets can be purchased directly from the hotel website. Add a room with a view of the city skyline and pre- or post-theater dinner at Sofitel’s Gaby Brasserie Française, and you’ve got a gift any Broadway buff would give a standing ovation. Presentation idea: mock up a Playbill with a photo of the recipient and the headline: “A Whirlwind Trip to NYC, Starring [name].” Inside put the theater tickets, hotel reservation and flight details.
For the Underwater Adventurer: A dive into paradise at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa. This all-suite resort on Florida’s beautiful Singer Island offers a Capture the Moment package that includes the gift of a GoPro Hero4 Waterproof Action Camera to capture underwater action plus complimentary nonmotorized water sports and beach chairs and umbrella. Located on its own private sandy beach, the resort is right next to Blue Heron Bridge, one of the top diving destinations in the country. Presentation idea: flip flops, beach towel and beach cover-ups, all ready to pack, with the trip details buried in a jar of sand.

For the Fitness Fanatic: A peak hike experience at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. The Hike Tech package at this boutique Scottsdale resort puts fitness-minded guests on a guided hike along Camelback Mountain’s challenging trails, complete with a GoPro Hero Session (theirs to keep!) to document their adventure. The package also includes a two-night stay for two, daily breakfast, and a 60-minute spa service per person at the exclusive Sanctuary Spa – the perfect reward for a day on the trails. Presentation idea: a pair of new hiking boots or a reusable water bottle with a bag tag attached reading “Destination: Camelback Mountain.”

For the Frequent Flying Golfer: Pebble Beach Resorts’ XOJET Luxury Experience. For the golf traveler who’s been there, done that, up your gift-giving game with a private XOJET luxury jet charter from Los Angeles or New York for up to four guests to Pebble Beach Resorts. They’ll arrive in style via chauffeured Lexus SUV for a three-night stay in a Fairway One Cottage Suite, where they’ll enjoy “First Off” tee times for two rounds on the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links, private lessons at Pebble Beach Golf Academy, and a private chef wine-tasting dinner in their cottage. Guests fly into Monterey Airport and will have access to a Lexus vehicle throughout their stay. Presentation idea: tickets tucked into a new set of golf clubs in a Pebble Beach-logoed golf bag, or logoed headcover.

For the Snow Lover: A winter wonderland for two at Whiteface Lodge. This all-suite Adirondack resort’s Rustic Romance package sets the mood with chocolate-dipped strawberries and Champagne in-suite on arrival. A Tandem Massage in the award-winning spa is perfect after a morning of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or ice skating on the resort grounds (all equipment complimentary) or a ski day à deux on nearby Whiteface Mountain. Furnished private lean-tos with firepits can be reserved for an evening under the stars complete with cocktail service. Presentation idea: a cozy cashmere wrap or set of snowshoes.

For the Life of the Party: A last-minute New Year’s Eve escape to London or Edinburgh. Whisk that spontaneous someone across the pond to ring in 2019 with CIE Tours International’s Weekender Collection. Five days of adventure in a choice of London (Fireworks and Fun) or Edinburgh (Tartan and Toasts) put visitors in the heart of each city’s New Year’s celebrations. Both tours include hop-on, hop-off tour bus passes to top attractions, and London guests also enjoy a Thames River cruise.  Presentation idea: Sparklers with a tin of English tea or a package of Scottish shortbread cookies.

For the Post-Holiday Deals Shopper: A downtown-to-downtown weekend getaway. Big Apple bargains are just a train ride away with a weekend stay at the brand-new Residence Inn by Marriott Stamford Downtown. Opening in late fall 2018, just in time for the holidays, the hotel offers apartment-style accommodations in the heart of downtown and free shuttle service anywhere within city limits (including the Amtrak station to whisk guests into New York City in less than an hour). Presentation idea: carryall bag with a department store gift card and Amtrak train tickets.

For the Pampered Pooch: A dog’s best life in Boston. Even dogs deserve a vacation, and as one of Boston’s most dog-friendly hotels, Aloft Boston Seaport District has an Arf Program that treats Fido to the perfect holiday getaway with his human entourage. Complimentary amenities for man’s best friend include a dog bed, food and water bowls, treats, toys, and maps for dog-friendly trails. Presentation idea: matching bandanas wrapped around trip details (for the humans) and a squeak toy (for Fifi).

For the Adrenaline Junkie: A ride along at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Put a thrill seeker behind the wheel of a real stock car, dragster or Indy car. Nothing will compare to strapping in and speeding off like the stars at Charlotte Motor Speedway and zMAX Dragway, both in North Carolina’s Cabarrus County. Add to the experience with stops at NASCAR race team shops like Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing. Time the trip with the holidays to enjoy the Speedway’s bonus light show, with more than three million lights, a Christmas Village, and drive-in movie nights. Presentation idea: trip details tucked into a pair of race driving gloves.

For the Low-Key Explorer: Adventures on tap in Syracuse. A new day is dawning in this Central New York renaissance city, as historic buildings find new life (with Marriott Syracuse Downtown in its 1924 landmark building a triumphant example). Visitors are finding Syracuse offers plenty of urban appeals on a more do-able scale and at more affordable prices than a big city getaway. And Marriott Syracuse Downtown is just a short stroll from the city’s top attractions, from Broadway shows at Landmark Theatre and sporting events at the Oncenter to the Historic Armory Square District, Museum of Science and Technology, Everson Museum of Art and ice skating at Clinton Square in winter months. Cap off a day on the town with a local craft beer at the hotel’s own Eleven Waters or Shaughnessy’s Irish Pub, from Beak & Skiff Cider and Ithaca Beer Company to Saranac and Southern Tier. Presentation idea: A copy of “The Soul of Central New York,” with a luggage tag and Saranac-branded bottle opener.

For the Treasure Hunter: Unique finds at Unclaimed Baggage Center. Scottsboro, Alabama might not be the first destination that comes to mind for a once-in-a-lifetime retail experience, but one million adventure shoppers from across the world prove that wrong each year with a pilgrimage to Unclaimed Baggage Center. The one-of-a-kind store is home to 40,000 square feet of unclaimed items airlines have not been able to reunite with their former owners – everything from clothing, musical instruments and electronics to a full suit of armor and an over-the-top showcase item (the current showcase piece is a $42,000 gold and diamond bracelet.) As many as 7,000 new items arrive daily, all discounted from retail prices. Within an hour’s drive are the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, and natural wonders like Ruby Falls.  Presentation idea: plane tickets tucked into a new wallet with a credit card prepaid gift card.

Ok, so just this title makes me want to sign up right away so let’s take a look at the details. Palace Resorts is wanting to fly you to their resort and back now that is All-Inclusive to a new level, they call it an “awe”-inclusive Palace Resort.

Palace Resorts is a company that sets the standard in five-star, all-inclusive resort accommodations and Palace Resorts is pleased to announce Fly Me To The Moon, an exclusive promotion for guests traveling to Moon Palace Jamaica, a AAA Four Diamond resort.

Palace Resorts is taking the all-inclusive concept and making it truly AWE inclusive, Fly Me To The Moon includes two round-trip airline tickets from anywhere in the U.S. to Jamaica, when booking a stay of six nights or more*.  (See below for extra details on that)

Moon Palace Jamaica is Palace Resorts’ first property outside of Mexico and Jamaica’s most luxurious all-inclusive resort. Since opening, the property has already achieved the esteemed recognition of being named a AAA Four Diamond resort. The family-friendly property offers guests the opportunity to experience 17-acres of ivory sand on the longest stretch of private beach in Ocho Rios. The resort features the only FlowRider® Double wave simulator in Jamaica, lavish swimming pools, a kids water park, multiple dining destinations and bars, a gourmet corridor, an ultra-chic nightclub, NOIR, and signature AWE Spa®, the largest spa in Jamaica.

The resort also offers an array of off-site activities such as: kayaking, paddle boarding, or even taking a scenic catamaran ride through the clear waters of Ocho Rios. Guests have access to complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, CHI hair care products and unlimited long distance calls to the United States. Moon Palace Jamaica is on track to becoming one of the Caribbean’s top entertainment destinations with world-class performances by OMI, Shaggy, MAGIC!, Sean Paul among others. 

*Flights can be out of any airport in the Continental U.S. and must have an arrival destination to Montego Bay Sangster International Airport.  Transfers to and from the airport will also be included. All reservations must be made approximate 60 days prior to the preferred travel dates.  This promotion is available for immediate booking through August 31, 2018, for travel beginning September 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019. Blackout dates are November 17, 2018 – November 24, 2018, December 24, 2018 – January 3, 2019, and April 14, 2019 – April 20, 2019.

We spent an extended weekend at Semiahmoo Resort as a family and we had a blast. From the moment we arrived, we felt like VIP, now we were VIP, because we received one night free and two more nights at a media rate but everyone was treated as a VIP. I watched how the Semiahmoo staff interacted with everyone. At check in, Semiahmoo offers you free VIP parking service. At first we were going to say no, but then we thought, why not use it. They also have free electric vehicle charging, which was awesome!

Another thing that happens when you check in is the Semiahmoo staff goes over all the events you can try out. For example they have Wine Nights, Seafood Boils, and BBQ nights. Some of these events includes games and live music. They also have movie nights and nightly smores. The wonderful thing about Smores night is that they will start smores night at whatever time is convenient for your children. Yes they schedule it at 8 but let’s say you want your kids in bed by 8 then they will start them early.

We were only supposed to stay there for two nights, but we ended up adding on a third because of how amazing our stay was. Staying at Semiahmoo makes it very easy to be unplugged and enjoying yourself as a family. We have come up with a list of 10 things you can do at Semiahmoo, and  this isn’t everything.

10 Things to Do At Semiahmoo Resort

1. Bike Riding, Kayaks and Body Boards – for guests at the resort you can get 1 hour of bike riding free per day of your stay. You can rent the bikes for longer. You can also rent kayaks and body boards. My son wouldn’t relax until we took him for a bike ride and it was so fun.

2. Trail Hiking – We decided one morning that we wanted to talk to the Semiahmoo Golf Course for breakfast. We were told it was just over, 2 miles and thought we can do that. So we went for a walk, it ended up being over 3 miles so we took the hotel shuttle back. We had a blast walking because the trails along the road were quite nice. We even came upon an Bald Eagle. He was in the trees right above us and his wings were so loud. I’ve never been that close to an Eagle. He startled us at first because he was so loud, but as he flew away, that was when we realized he was an American Bald Eagle.

3.  Enjoy the Beach, Ocean, and Tide – My son and I got up every morning and walked the beach. We like to talk and enjoy a few moments of the day before my husband and daughter get up. He collected shells and found different kinds of sea life. One morning before we left the resort, the tide was down super low, so low it looked like we could walk to Canada. My family didn’t make it but they had fun trying.

4. Enjoy Excellent Food – Semiahmoo resort was full of different amazing food options. We had breakfast at the golf course, and all our other meals at the resort. They have two different sides to their restaurant and each one serves mostly the same food, they just have different feels.

5. Feel Like a VIP – The staff here are amazing. Anything you need if it is within their power to provide for you they do. They have such excellent service and I can’t stress this enough. We had a few issues, like a broken thermostat, and a fridge that wasn’t working. They quickly fixed both with no questions asked. I never felt like, oh no, here comes the blogger that wants everything perfect. Because really, I don’t. I like seeing how the staff responds to things and this was beautifully.

6. Play Golf – Semiahmoo resort includes a golf course a few miles away. We aren’t golfers so we didn’t try it, but we did walk along the golf course and it was glorious.

7. Enjoy the Family Room & Games – Past the fireplace and to the left there is a family room. The family room includes games and activities you can do as a family on a rainy day. There are also a few books to choose from. So grab a game and have some fun. During the day, the family room also offers a children’s program, a glorified day care if you will. We used the service one day and the kids spent three hours making different arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor. It gave my husband and I some time to have some alone time.

8. Outdoor Games – I can’t believe how many different outdoor activities are included with your stay at this hotel. They have a chess set, a volleyball net, and horse shoes. They have a sand box and plenty of shovels and buckets. They also have this wooden box of all kinds of balls, rackets and frisbees. We never ran out of things to do.

9. Movie Night – We were so busy doing other things we never participated in movie night. But on both, Friday and Saturday night they shoed a movie in their theater. You can reserve the theater and order room service and enjoy a movie from a list of about 300? I can’t quite remember the exact number but it a lot to choose from.

10. Enjoy the Spa, Pool and Gym – We loved getting a couples massage. It was unlike anyone I’ve had before because it was very deep. It was lots of pushing and rubbing instead of what I’m used to but it was still good. They also have a sauna, a steam room, and a gym. While we didn’t use the workout room, we used one of the indoor courts to play basketball and tennis. We also enjoyed the outdoor pool. It has a very tiny portion of the pool covered but not enough in my opinion to call it an indoor pool. They have a hot tub to enjoy too if you think the heated pool is too cold for the day. We found the pool to be the perfect temperature and we even swam in the rain.

oh and the spa dog.

In conclusion: I would have to describe this hotel as pure joy.