Over-The-Water Bungalows Coming to St.Lucia

Over the water bungalows in St. Lucia say what?!?!?!?! That’s right and you heard it here 1st!!! As if Jamaica wasn’t enough (yes, bungalows in Jamaica too!! Read more about that in a later blog), they are now coming to beautiful picturesque St. Lucia!! If you follow anything travel related then you know that they have been saying and we have been waiting for years….. Well I’m happy to report that it’s finally happening!!

Sandals Resorts is introducing a new version of their Luxury Included Experience and introducing 9 NEW Over-The-Water Bungalows! Where exactly in St. Lucia will these breathtaking bungalows be located? They are coming to Sandals Grande St. Lucian on the calm Caribbean Sea waters of Rodney Bay! I couldn’t think of a more superb location if I tried 🙂 So what’s Sandals have to say about these beauts??

“These gorgeous over-the-water bungalows convey an intimate connection to the Caribbean Sea and deliver complete immersion of the fine turquoise waters and rich marine life below. Glass floor panels and lit water ensure you can enjoy undersea views at any time. Couples can also admire the beauty of the ocean from their private outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub for two or over-water hammocks. Every bungalow captures the height of luxury with hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, custom crafted king-size beds adorned with soft linens and plush pillows for the ultimate sleep experience. Inside, each bungalow is also equipped with a smart TV and a large ceiling fan to stay cool while enjoying fresh Caribbean breezes. The bathrooms are equipped with his and hers sinks, a large backlit mirror adorned with mosaic tile, and a walk-in rain shower. Outside, your private patio is also equipped with an extended sun deck, outdoor shower, sun loungers, and a bistro set for two. Butler Elite service, which handles every detail of your vacation with unobtrusive grace, and 24 hour room service are included to complete your over-water vacation”.

Impressed? So am I!!! And if these are anything like the bungalows they debuted in Jamaica (which are almost booked solid for the next 2 years), these are going to book out equally as fast! Are you ready to be one of the 1st to experience over the water serenity in St. Lucia?

✔️Complementary Travel Planning
🌴Contact Jennifer at:
📧LifesATripTravelInc@gmail.com
📞(815)210-7596
💻www.facebook.com/lifesatriptravel13

 

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New Nonstop Flight Service

With big announcements from both American Airlines and United Airlines this summer, I am almost feeling like instead of Friday or December 18th, today should be called “National New Flight Service Day”! These great new flight options will not only allow us to get you to the Caribbean easier then ever but also quicker then ever!

First up- American Airlines begins its Nonstop flight service from Los Angeles to Montego! Such exciting news for the West Coast!!

Next up- United Airlines beginning December 19th will launch Nonstop flight service out of Chicago to not only Providenciales, Turks & Caicos but also St. Lucia!

Make sure to contact Life’s A Trip Travel  for more information on these great new flight options!

#AmericanAirlines #UnitedAirlines #MontegoBay #Jamaica #Providenciales #TurksAndCaicos #StLucia

Silent Party

Ok so I have to talk about this Silent Party they held at Sandals Whitehouse. I have to be honest, up until Star Awards, I had never even heard of a Silent Party. So I see all the manager’s start walking around and handing out headphones and I was like what are these for? And they were like the Silent Party. Until it started I kept thinking this is so weird why do they want us to wear headphones and be silent, shouldn’t we be talking and networking with the best of the best? So I kept asking why and kept getting the response- wait for the instructions!

About 5 minutes later DJ Bryan (resident DJ for Sandals & Beaches Resorts) takes the stage and starts with the instructions “Tonight you get to be your own DJ, there will be 3 of us DJ-ing on stage tonight spinning Reggae, EDM and Hottest Hits. The only way to hear what were spinning is by wearing your headphones and using the switch on the side to change the channel. The LED lights on the headphones will change from Red to Green to Blue and indicate which DJ you are tuned into”.

So I’m still standing around waiting for this to start and still thinking this is just so strange! Then DJ Bryan gives the 3-2-1 count down to switch the headphones on and BOOM…. I hear Run DMC- Jump Around pop on! Kristen and I start “jumping around” and look to our left and there’s whole other group of people doing the Macarena! We spent the next 3 hours laughing, dancing and flipping stations! At one point I had to keep reminding myself to stop singing out loud because anyone at the bar would take their headphones off to order drinks and chit-chat (I am quite certain they would not want to hear my singing, lol)! It may have taken a bit for me to catch on but this was hands down one of the best parties I have ever been too!!

Click here to check out the Silent Party Video!

#IGuessTheyForgotNotToSingOutLoudToo #TBT #ThrowBackThursday #SilentParty #SandalsResorts #SandalsWhitehouse #Jamaica

Sandals Grande St. Lucian debuts it’s 3 New Discovery Dining Options today!

Just in time for the holidays and meeting their December 15th construction deadline as promised! Sandals Grande St. Lucian Resort opened to doors to their 3 Brand New Discovery Dining options!

The Bombay Club (pictured below) features Indian Style Cuisine!

Kimonos (pictured below) features Japanese Teppanyaki Hibachi Grill style dining!

Soy (pictured below) features made to order Suchi bar style dining!

The completion of these 3 restaurants brings Sandals Grande St. Lucian’s total to 12 now! However guests of staying at any of the 3 Sandals Resorts in St. Lucia will also benefit by the addition of these new dining options thanks to Sandals exclusive “Stay at 1 & Play at all 3” complementary exchange program! Contact Life’s A Trip Travel for more details on these new quality inclusions!

1st look at #SandalsResorts #SandalsGrandeStLucian #BrandNew #Restaurants! #DiscoveryDining #AlwaysIncluded #NeverExtra! That Makes 12 restaurants at one resort #WhoElseDoes! #ICanGetYouThere #TravelTuesday #Travel #Vacation #Honeymoon #StLucia

Sandals & Beaches Resorts Star Awards Video

We invite you to take a peek into Jennifer’s whirlwind of an amazing weekend at Sandals & Beaches Resorts 14th Annual Star Awards!

An event held to honor the top Travel Agents in the WORLD!
This years Star Awards was hosted at Sandals Whitehouse European Resort & Spa located on the beautiful untouched south coast of Jamaica!!
​
Jennifer spent 4 days partaking in the festivities and
put together this great video for us to share with all of you,
along with being one of the select few Travel Agents to receive the Rising Star Award!!

​#SandalsStarAwards #StarAwards2015 #SandalsResorts #BeachesResorts #SandalsWhitehouse #Jamaica

Sandals Star Awards Video 

Sandals Star Awards 2015

I cannot even begin to put into words how I feel as I write this post coming home from one of the most AMAZING weekends in my life!

Like I always tell my clients, I have had the pleasure of visiting Sandals Resorts before ever getting into travel as a career. Since day one as a consumer I have always been WOW-ed! Over the past few years I have dealt with many resort chains/hotels sending my clients off all over the world! However, not all resorts/hotels are treated equal! Every time that I have the pleasure of sending my clients to Sandals or Beaches Resorts I have NEVER received a compliant on their properties! That speaks volumes to me! In todays economy we all work too hard for our money and life is just too short to take crappy vacations!

I remember my first trip to a Beaches Resort, I met another agent and asked him why he liked Sandals & Beaches so much. So he began to tell me about his first trip to Beaches with his wife and daughters. One night during their stay they went to bed and woke up to find their daughter missing. Hearing this story as a parent your heart automatically sinks and panic sets in. What was even scarier is that she has down syndrome. So, the family frantically starts searching for her and about 20 minutes later they find her. The resort staff caught her sneaking out of the room wondering around, so they took her to breakfast and colored pictures with her etc… While management tried to contact her family to let her know where she was and that she was safe! I was so amazed when I heard his story.

I have so many stories, the resort staff building board walks onto the beach to accommodate guests in wheelchairs so they could be seated on the beach for wedding ceremonies with their family and friends, managers going off property to buy specific bottles of alcohol because I have told them one of my clients really prefers a particular brand, the resort managers greeting my clients upon their arrival- handing them their cold towel and glass of champagne… Nothing makes you feel more like a VIP then having the hotel GM do this! I have even had one of the GM’s find out my mom was staying on property and he went out of his way to find her to tell how lovely I was and a great asset to the company!

Or the proposal setups- I remember this one story of a client who wanted to propose to his girlfriend on the beach at sunset. Unfortunately, it was raining all day and the weather wouldn’t break. So resort staff told the guest not worry, to give them his room and they would handle the rest. That evening when they returned to their room, all the living room furniture had been removed, sand brought in, candles and rose petals everywhere! They literally brought the beach to them so he could give her the most amazing sunset proposal! I could go on for days with stories! This is what sets the bar, creates a level of excellent service and I can tell you there are no other resorts/hotels doing this!

When I first learned what Star Awards was all I kept thinking is one day I hope to receive the honor of being invited! Only the best of the best, Top Travel Agents in the WORLD get invited! To be seated at dinner with the Chairman, CEO and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller (who, by the by has been recognized as one of the top 10 most powerful women in the world)- Life Changing Moment for sure! Then the icing on the cake as if all of that was not enough, I was one of the select few agents to receive the Rising Star Award- Career Changing Moment!!! I am so grateful to all of the Sandals & Beaches Resorts staff, Managers and Business Development Managers (Especially my BDM) for all of their hospitality, kind words and support!

I am even more grateful to my clients! You have trusted in me, supported me, referred your family and friends to me and it’s because of YOU that I made my goal of being invited! I am so thankful to you and keeping my fingers crossed for 2016!!!

#SandalsGameChanger ~Our Girl Is On A Winning Streak!

Life’s A Trip Travel recently attended the Chicago #SandalsGameChanger 2015 Unveilings. An event where Sandals & Beaches resorts invites a select number of travel agencies and their agents to come meet with their executive team. We learned all about the future of the brand and how they are gearing up to “Change The Game” in the all-inclusive industry!

There was also an awards ceremony held during the #SandalsGameChanger to acknowledge a select number of their top travel agents. Of course at no surprise to us, our girl was at it again… 1st winning the #LEGENDSOFLOVE contest for writing about how she first fell in love with Sandals Resorts and then being awarded the “Chairman’s Outstanding Sales Achievement Award”! Keep up the amazing job you are doing and Congratulations to Jennifer, our little Sandals Queen!

*Pictured- Jennifer & Stuart Levy -Business Development Manager for Sandals & Beaches Resorts/ Jennifer & Mr. Gary Sadler -Sr. Vice President Sales for Sandals & Beaches resorts.

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS GOES OUT TO OUR TOP SANDALS & BEACHES RESORTS TRAVEL SPECIALIST- JENNIFER EMERSON! ​

Jennifer received an personal invitation to attend Sandals Resorts Rising Stars Event hosted at Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa located in beautiful Castries, St. Lucia. An awards ceremony was held towards the end of her stay to acknowledge the top 5 “Best of the Best” Rising Stars. 

Unbeknownst to Jennifer, she was called on stage and awarded “TOP WEDDING PRODUCER” out of all of her peers! Jennifer has also retained the title of “Preferred Sandals/Beaches Specialist” for the 3rd consecutive year in a row! Bringing our agency from “Certified Sandals/Beaches Specialist” to the higher more coveted preferred status!

We are so proud of all that Jennifer has accomplished in such a short time and happy to have her as part of the Life’s Trip Travel Family!
 

*Pictured above- Jennifer & Andre Wade- Director of Industry Relations for Sandals & Beaches Resorts

3 Things To Know About Your Travel Professional

#TravelAgentAwareness Week!

Romance Travel By Shannon

Back in the day (not that I am that old wink wink)  travel agents were basically the only way people were able to book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and vacations.  Storefront agencies were all over.  People would walk in, sit at the desk and tell the “agent” they want to go to (fill in the blank with your favorite destination).  Then the travel agent would get up and go to the “brochure rack” and  hand them to the client to look at. They would book airline tickets and PRINT them , call up Disney world or a Cruise line to book the reservations.  This was kind of like going to a “record” store and buying a new album.  Wow, have times changed.
Fast forward 25 years, the internet is here, there is an APP for everything.  There are people out there that have never heard of a travel agent!  There…

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Beaches Resorts -Beaches Negril

The aftermath of hurricane Joaquin followed me to Jamaica starting things out a little rough! My 3 hr 50 min direct flight turned into almost a 5 hr direct flight so we could fly around it! Having an amazing flight crew helped! We made a giant Southwest Birthday cake, all the brides & grooms to be got veils and crowns made out of peanut bags & napkins, extra snacks for all, did air exercises that really turned into cleaning out back seat pockets for garbage but was a good laugh! And our pilot, WOW, I didn’t feel the wheels touch the ground when we landed ‪#‎HeGotAHighFive‬

Customs/Immigration was a breeze in part due to our late arrival and with the new kiosks I cleared that bad boy in less then 30 minutes (woohoo)!! Something tells me this will not be the case when I return in December (wink wink Club Mobay)! My transfer to property was immediately ready, thanks to Perry our awesome tour guide/driver, we had a beautiful smooth ride with 2 awesome honeymooning couples (1 of the couples from Australia, over 20 hrs in flights to get to MBJ made my flight look not so bad)!

Upon arrival at the resort, I was greeted by the GM and Sales Managers smile emoticonEveryone in Club Sandals was like who is that girl and I’ll tell ya, this trip I was a photographer, nurse, school teacher, hehehe!!! Then off to see my gorgeous and gigantic room which could have easily slept 8 comfortably! Then I headed to the beach and I have to say in all of my travels to Jamaica I have never experienced weather like this, strong winds (to the point I was actually a little chilly), the beautiful calm caribbean sea was no where to be seen, wish I had a surf board (or could surf for that matter) because those waves were no joke! And then there on the sand, the demon haunting the caribbean in abundance had finally showed its ugly, smelly face in Jamaica- SEAWEED!

But it did not stay for long due to the top notch GM at Beaches! He was right out there with his staff clearing the beach for guests to enjoy. The next morning I woke up at 5 am (not sure why but I can’t sleep in the caribbean, afraid I will miss something, lol), so I head straight to the beach and there the GM is again, helping clean that beach! In between all of that he was hosting myself and 2 other agents! And he is the social media king, Facebook, twitter, instagram but I gave him a run for his money 🙂 I truly am not sure when this guy sleeps but by the end of day 3 his efforts had paid off, the weather calmed and the beach was back to its beautiful self!

Sorry for the long post! So grateful to Mr. Whitehead and his team for their hospitality! I swear Jamaica gets more beautiful with each visit! More to come and tons of beautiful pictures to go through! And a BIG thank you to my clients for their patience and understanding when I travel! Also, my mom for helping with my babies and doggies!!!

#BackToTheGrind

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