JZW Travel Blog

Antigua Captured My Heart

These past four days I have spent on the beautiful island of Antigua. I toured numerous resorts each day and am here to tell you my one favorite. Wait…I can’t. Each resort was more beautiful than the last. From boutique resorts to the well-known Sandals Antigua. Antigua has a resort for everyone. Let me take you on a brief tour of my favorites….

Galley Bay Resort & Spa is an adults-only all-inclusive resort with 98 rooms, all but 14 are ocean front. The 14 that are not are absolutely beautiful with their own plunge pools. When pulling up to this resort, there is a very unassuming front desk and a view of their lagoon. You take a golf cart to get to your room and this resort takes you back in time with an actual key – no key cards here. Many of their rooms are updated though some of their rooms have yet to be updated but they are large, clean rooms with amazing views. They have a beach grill, 2 restaurants and one restaurant with an upcharge of $45 per person. While they do not have room service, you can request the day before to have breakfast in your room. This property also has 4 bars, a Rum Bar, non-motorized water sports, coffee and gift shop, nightly entertainment, yoga in their pavilion overlooking the beach, a gift shop, a Diamond shop (many ladies have been known to take their men to the Rum Bar to drink then the Diamond shop to purchase). Coming to Galley Bay, you are on an absolutely beautiful stretch of beach and you feel the authentic vibe of Antigua. The service is wonderful. This is for a traveler looking for tranquility.

Hammock Cove Resort & Spa was one of my favorites – absolutely beautiful. This adults-only all-inclusive luxury hotel is the one of the newest hotels in Antigua. Here you will find fine dining and premium liquors in their 2 restaurants and 2 bars. Every night of the week there is a special food category on their menu such as Thursdays being Oysters and Prosecco and Saturdays serving Caviar. Their 41 villas are either water front or water view and has a plunge pool. Each villa is assigned their own ambassador (butler) for their every need. Guests are given a cell phone to connect with their ambassadors. While the beach isn’t large, it is powdery white sand and the guests are able to go next door to The Verandah’s beach. There is also a 3 tiered pool as well. Absolutely beautiful resort.

The Inn at English Harbour has only 28 rooms and has an English vibe. This luxury resort has traditional Colonial decor. The check-in as well as a restaurant and bar are set on a hillside while all of the rooms are down by their spectacular beach and pool. This resort has 2 restaurants, 2 bars and 1 pool. They have a water taxi which will take guests to Nelson’s Dockyard. Being at this resort made me long for my days in England. Kids 10 and over are welcome here but the vibe is more for adults-only. This resort is not for someone looking for modern amenities but for someone looking for peace, a beautiful beach, amazing service and to get away from it all.

Cocos Hotel (not to be confused with Cocobay) is an adults-only all-inclusive resort with 43 cottages set on 2 beautiful beaches. This is a very hilly resort. If you do not like the hills, you can stay in their standard rooms by their one pool but otherwise, this is not a resort for you if you can’t walk hills. If hills are an issue, check out their sister resort Keyonna Beach Resort which is very similar for couples and no hills. Cocos has 2 beach grills and 1 restaurant which the menu changes daily. Their rooms are beautiful with their dark wood but if you are a TV watcher, this resort is not for you as there are no TVs in their rooms. They have nightly entertainment. Overall, this is a stunning luxury rustic resort.

Hodges Bay Resort & Spa is a newer family-friendly luxury resort. This resort which is only 5 minutes from the airport has 79 rooms and offers either a European or an all-inclusive plan. I was lucky enough to eat at this resort in one of their 2 restaurants and the food was phenomenal. I also had to sample a drink at one of their 3 bars and it was not a watered down drink that you find at some resorts – it was just perfect. They have beautiful artwork around this modern resort. While their beach isn’t the largest, you can take a boat out to their beach island. At this resort you will find nightly entertainment, non-motorized watersports and a Kids and Teens Club. All of the rooms are beautiful with their modern style and you have a choice of a 1, 2, 3 or 4 bedroom. The 4 bedroom is absolutely gorgeous with a large living and kitchen area, beautiful ocean views in the bedrooms, an outdoor shower in the Master bedroom and it includes a butler.

Royalton Antigua pleasantly surprised me. It was a beautiful, clean all-inclusive family-friendly resort with modern rooms, and a wide variety of food choices at their 8 restaurants. This 294 room hotel that opened in 2018 also has 5 bars and 5 pools and a beach with beautiful views. You can upgrade to their Diamond Club for more amenities, rent a Cabana for $110 a day with its own plunge pool or do any of their non-motorized water sports. There is both a Kids and Teens Club here as well as many activities for adults. Traveling with kids in your room but you don’t want 2 double beds? Here they offer 2 queen beds instead. And really looking for luxury? Stay in one of their 6 over the water bungalows.

Other luxury family friendly resorts I visited, which were all amazing, were Carlisle Bay (best dinner I had in Antigua), The Verandah Resort & Spa and Blue Waters Resort and Spa. One note is The Verandah is a very spread out hilly resort but they have golf carts ready to drive you around. These all were modern resorts and each had their own uniqueness to them.

The most well-known resort in Antigua is Sandals Grande Antigua. With its 373 rooms, 11 restaurants, 7 bars and 6 pools and its beautiful wide beach, there is something here for everyone. You can choose between the high rise Mediterranean village a bit further from the beach or the Caribbean village closer to the beach. There are 21 room categories here including luxury rooms, club level rooms and butler rooms. It has a lively atmosphere and anywhere you look, you see people smiling.

I highly recommend taking a boat ride while in Antigua so you can see all of the beautiful beaches from a different view. This island is breathtaking and has definitely captured my heart.

I would love to help you plan your Antigua vacation. Contact me at 610-466-5560 or jodi@jzwtravel.com. Jodi of JZW Travel

Thank you Tropical Adventures Antigua for a glorious boat ride though I could have done without the rain

Why Are Travel Advisors Charging Fees?

Travel advisors get paid commissions on their bookings so why should they charge fees? Since Covid began, more travel agents have started charging fees. They could range from $100 up to $1000 and more depending on the number of travelers, if it is group travel, the destination and so many more factors.

Why do travel advisors charge fees?

Most of our work is done on the front end. We spend hours researching a vacation for a client as we want the perfect vacation for them. Then many times we get ghosted by the client. They take what we give them and think they could save a penny or two and book on their own. Those are the first people to contact us when their flights get canceled and they need help. By charging a nominal fee, that shows the travel advisor that these clients are truly interested in working with them and they understand the value of the travel advisor.

What is that value?

We not only look for the best pricing but we are also your “concierge” before, during and after the vacation. We know the resorts that will Covid test on site for your return to the States. We know which resorts will quarantine you on site should you test positive for Covid. Picture testing positive the day before you are supposed to leave for the US and the hotel tells you that they don’t allow travelers testing positive for Covid on their grounds and you need to find another place to stay. Yes that has happened and until the US drops the return Covid test requirement, that is something travel advisors think about it and offer you the resorts that allow you to quarantine on site.

Some more reasons for fees, if you book with the travel advisor and cancel the trip, all those hours of work are for nothing as the travel advisor does not get paid their commissions. So that nominal fee assures that the travel advisor will receive some compensation for their time.

You are paying for their expertise. Anyone can go on the internet and book travel but these advisors have been to the resorts/hotels or have extensively researched them. Just as paying for an accountant’s expertise rather than doing your own taxes.

We know that many people work all year to save for one week of vacation. It is a time for you to unwind and relax. If you book on your own and there are flight delays/cancellations or issues at the hotel, do you want to spend your time on the phone trying to rectify the problems? Or do you want to contact the travel advisor to handle everything for you? If you are spending thousands on that vacation or if you are hosting a destination wedding, that nominal fee by the travel advisor may just be worth it.

A Weekend Getaway

Last year our friend group was supposed to be away for my birthday but due to Covid, that never happened. This year we decided on just a girls getaway for a long weekend. After debating on locations, we decided on Charleston and couldn’t be more pleased with our decision.

We were to stay at The Cottages on Charleston Harbor for 3 nights but due to a mixup, we stayed 2 nights downtown at Emeline and 1 at the Cottages. It was a perfect mix of two days of hours of walking and exploring an absolutely beautiful city, and one day of lazing around the pool and then going to a beach club overlooking the harbor for food and drinks. To cap the night off, we went back to our cottage and rocked in the rocking chairs and talked the night away.

After visiting Charleston three previous times but never staying downtown, I highly recommend a stay in the downtown area. Charleston is a walkable town and there is so much beauty everywhere. Walk by the water, see the colorful Rainbow Row houses, read all the historic plaques by houses and learn some history, and there is no shortage of shopping or dining . For dining, we started with Henry’s for some food and cocktails then walked the city for hours, had a drink in the Courtyard at Emeline and finished with dinner at Poogan’s Porch which I have been to before and feel the same way…super nice server but unfortunately average food. The next day we strolled The Charleston Market and brought home some souvenirs for us and our family. We went on a horse drawn carriage ride with Palmetto Carriage Works followed by shopping on King Street and drinks at the Citrus Club, the rooftop bar at The Dewberry. At night we ate dinner at Anson Restaurant (She Crab soup and the Grouper were excellent) then ended the night dancing at Henry’s. We stayed at Emeline which was perfectly situated for a few days in the city and was a gorgeous hotel with excellent staff. If you can indulge, I highly recommend staying there. And don’t forget trying a piece of 12 layer Coconut Cake from The Peninsula Grill!

Our third day we packed up our bags for a quieter and morerelaxing day and night at The Cottages of Charleston Harbor. I was a bit wary prior to coming here as I have seen 3 star reviews. Not sure who those reviewers are but I would give this a solid 4 star rating. We stayed in Cottage 9 named Grace. Plenty of room for 6 people, beautiful view, pool just a short walk away and about a 5 minute walk are a few places to eat and drink. We loved it so much that we canceled our reservation at Shem Creek and stayed just where we were, overlooking the beautiful harbor. What’s great about the Cottages too is it’s right by the water taxi so you have this option if you wanted to go into Charleston without driving and finding parking. Also, Lisa, the GM of the cottages, could not have been more gracious to us.

We packed a lot in during our three days and we made many memories. Whatever your budget can afford, try and travel. It could be a one night hotel stay in a town near you, a day trip to a park, a quick weekend getaway or a vacation with your best girlfriends. Whatever you choose, travel and make memories.

Traveling in 2021

This past year has been surreal. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on this world. There was sickness, deaths, layoffs, depression and so much more. We are slowly coming out of that darkness. As I market my travel business or book trips for clients, I have conflicting thoughts. Part of me feels shallow for doing so while people are suffering, part of me needs to do whatever it takes to keep my business going, and the big part of me feels that traveling makes memories. You don’t have to go far or spend a lot of money. Be together with your spouse, kids, family, friends and enjoy each other’s company. Explore a new place. Or just take the time to decompress.

Last week I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico. It was part work as I wanted to see firsthand what my clients are experiencing with the Visitax, health questionnaire, Covid tests to get back in the States, and I also had site visits at numerous resorts. There was also a little downtime too. My 50th birthday was May 5, 2020 and I was planning to visit Austin, Texas with a group of friends but thanks to Covid that was canceled. So I wanted a redo of my 50th and instead spent my birthday (Cinco de Mayo) in Mexico.

My husband and I stayed at Secrets Maroma Beach and I chose that resort to stay at, not only because it is a 5 star resort but also because I am certified with their parent company AM Resorts and received a travel agent rate. I wanted to support AM Resorts as they were one of the first resorts to offer free Covid testing on site and a free quarantine of up to 14 days if a traveler tests positive. On January 26th, when the law changed that everyone entering the US would need a Covid test, it was anxiety ridden for travel agents trying to figure out how to get their clients tested while on vacation. AM Resorts also owns Dreams, Zoetry, Now, Breathless, Reflect, Alua and Sunscape Properties.

Secrets Maroma is on a gorgeous beach and is a very walkable resort. I have to admit that when I first got there, I was a bit underwhelmed and I couldn’t figure out why but maybe because I like a bit more greenery and the main area is very open. After walking the resort the next morning, I realized that I shouldn’t have been underwhelmed as it was a beautiful property and was one of my favorites – I can’t wait to stay there again! What sets Secrets Maroma apart is their staff. Everyone was just fantastic! Special shout out to Sharon who just started working there in the entertainment department and Daniel who is a bellman. As for food, we loved the French restaurant, the breakfasts were great and I loved the shrimp tacos while sitting by the pool. There are four Now properties in Mexico and one in the Dominican Republic.

While in Mexico, we also visited Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun and met with the wedding planner Ramon, as our clients are getting married there in November. Walking into the resort is beautiful, seeing their open air lobby. It is a great family resort with a large pool, a kids club, water slides, a preferred club adults-only pool, and beautiful landscaping. It is also a short 15 minute drive from the airport.

If you are open to a longer drive, I absolutely fell in love with Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. And I realized from visiting there what I was missing at Secrets Maroma. While Secrets Maroma is absolutely beautiful, I loved the vegetation and flowers at Secrets Akumal. They have a relaxation pool which is a quiet pool. Their main pool and beach are beautiful as well. The drive from the airport is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes but I think it’s worth it!

We toured three other resorts: Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa, Sunscape Akumal Beach Resort & Spa, and Barcelo Maya Riviera. Dreams Tulum was not one of our favorites but it did have Mexican charm and a beautiful chapel on site. Sunscape Akumal is a budget resort that is good for families. We had the most delicious lunch there prepared by the chef who previously worked at Secrets Akumal. Barcelo Maya Riviera was our last stop and I was hot and tired. I didn’t expect to like it as it has 850 rooms there but is part of a larger Barcelo complex which has over 3000 rooms. I ended up loving Barcelo Maya Riviera. It is an adults-only resort, very hip, beautiful pools and beach, and the restaurants are gorgeous. Whoever designed them did a fantastic job. I haven’t been offering the Barcelo to clients as they do not Covid test for free. However, they do Covid test on site and I found out it is a nominal fee for the antigen test.

I will be returning to Mexico in June to visit other resorts – that trip will be all AM Resort properties. I have to give credit to Mexico and their Cancun airport – they did a great job with their processes for Covid. And props to all of the resorts that we visited – they are doing a great job with their safety precautions.

If you are ready to travel, we are ready to help you. Travel and make memories.

ROAD TRIPS MAKE MEMORIES

Some of my favorite memories with my family are taking road trips in the summer. Thanks to COVID-19, that may be the new way to travel for many. My love of road trips started because I wanted to see what the US had to offer, and because we are a family of five and couldn’t afford to fly all of us to our destination. The main reason our road trips started stemmed back from us living in London for three years.

Our family moved to London when our children were all under the age of four. Every day that we lived there was an adventure. On the weekends, we would search what was going on in the city and we set off to explore. We traveled a lot while we were there. We went to Ireland, Spain, Canary Islands, Switzerland, Scotland and France. We took advantage of the cheap airfare between countries. Luckily, we had a car while living there so we were also able to drive and see so much of beautiful England, such as the Cotswolds, Dorset, Bath, and Windsor just to name a few places.

While traveling all through England and loving all that their beautiful country has to offer, we questioned ourselves why we never traveled the US like that as a family. We would rent a condo in Avalon, New Jersey with the kids prior to us moving to England. And while Avalon is beautiful, we wanted our kids to explore other states. Of course we did take the kids to Disney one year, and they were lucky enough to visit Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris) when we were in Paris.

When we moved back to the States, our summer vacations started with a map. Our family is not one to just sit on a beach, they like to explore as well. So if we were going for a beach vacation, we made sure that there was a city to explore too. We went to Tybee Island, outside of Savannah. Such a beautiful beach to relax on and only a 25 minute drive to Savannah. Savannah has so much rich history to explore. One of our favorite days was a simple day. We purchased delicious sandwiches from Zunzi’s and sat under the gorgeous Southern Live Oak trees having a picnic. Another location we visited was Isle of Palms, outside of Charleston and we loved it so much that we visited there another summer too. It was such a relaxing vacation. We rented a golf cart and explored the island, which was so much fun for the kids. I conquered my fear of heights (thanks to the amazing staff at Tidal Wave Water Sports) and went parasailing. We then went into Charleston, took a horse-drawn carriage tour and learned so much about Charleston’s history. And of course whatever city that we go to, we eat…a lot! We love frequenting local restaurants and trying local food. My daughter and I usually veer off, leave the boys and shop. King Street in Charleston was a lot of fun and we may have stayed a little too long at The Impeccable Pig shopping.

We have rented a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and then drove to Nashville, where my mom’s family is from, and enjoyed the music, the food (loved Monell’s) and seeing family. We also have rented cabins in Virginia and West Virginia. We’ve stayed at a beautiful resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We’ve driven to Cooperstown, Canandaigua Lake, and Ithaca, all in New York. We’ve gone and stayed in hotels in New York City and saw musicals on Broadway.

A few more road trips that we have done were based on where our son would travel. He is a musician, and in high school he went on many tours with School of Rock, a music school. We visited North Carolina, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut to name a few. Our favorite trip to watch him play was seeing him play at the music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago. My husband and I felt much cooler than we really are at that festival! I had never been to Chicago before that trip and what a town it is!

These are just some of the road trips that we have taken, and so many memories have been made. We also have flown to California, Jamaica and London with our kids. Everywhere that we go, we learn something new, find another beautiful part of the US and have family time, and that is the most important part of our vacations. Spending time with the family. Making new memories. Laughing. Eating. Drinking. Having fun.

I can’t wait to pull out the map again and see where our next journey will be.

Jodi Whoriskey – travel agent, wife, mom of 3 children and a Shih-Tzu (her favorite child) and on her way to being a breast cancer survivor

JZW Travel | jodi@jzwtravel.com | 610-466-5560 | http://www.jzwtravel.com

KEY WEST

Being at home these days has me dreaming of sunnier days on vacation. One of my favorite vacations was going to Key West for my friend’s 50th birthday. There were four couples on the trip and I have to admit, I was a bit nervous traveling with others. I am not a late night person, and I also like being on my own some and not always with a group. I didn’t need to worry at all! Key West was the most laid-back and fun vacation. I didn’t have to worry that I wasn’t dressed up enough or out late enough. Anything goes in Key West.

I truly believe where you stay makes all the difference. We stayed at The Marker Waterfront Resort which was beautiful, and located right at the Key West Historic Seaport. It’s walkable to shopping, food and bars. The hotel has beautiful pools, but what really struck me was the decor of the hotel, and the spa-like aroma as soon as you walk in the doors. So relaxing!

Crowded bars aren’t really my thing. I’m more of a dinner and glass of wine girl. However, we had to go to Sloppy Joe’s and check out the other bars as well. We had fun going out to dinner every night, eating everything from bar food to seafood. For a special dinner, we took a boat to Latitudes Restaurant for a truly upscale dining experience. The views of the sunset were AMAZING! When we walked into the restaurant, the sunset looks like a beautiful photo in the restaurant….it was so perfect. Latitudes did not disappoint as far as the food or beverages. It was a perfect 50th birthday celebratory night. My favorite breakfast I have ever had in my life was the Lobster “BLT” Benny from Blue Heaven and I’m not sure any breakfast will ever top that.

There were other great moments. A Catamaran sunset cruise in which we saw a couple get engaged. Tour of The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. Renting electric cars and driving to the Southernmost Point. Having drinks and watching more beautiful sunsets at Mallory Square. There were so many other great moments, but the best part of the vacation wasn’t where we went or what we did. It was truly the feeling of being 100% relaxed. Now isn’t that a perfect vacation?

Jodi Whoriskey – travel agent, wife, mom of 3 children and a Shih-Tzu

JZW Travel | jodi@jzwtravel.com | 610-466-5560