Denise Alevy

Official Club Med Representative at Beneath The Sea

Beneath the Sea – The Largest Consumer Scuba & Dive Travel Show in America
March 27-29, 2015 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, New Jersey
Club Med & Seafari Booth 731

WORLD-CLASS DIVING AND WATER SPORTS AT CLUB MED

For a great all-inclusive scuba diving vacation or to discover new water sports, Club Med is perfect for you. Scuba dive, sail, windsurf, waterski and wakeboard. Turquoise waters and pristine beaches await…To plan your Club Med dive trip to Columbus Isle, Bahamas or Turkoise, Turks & Caicos call 212 592-1312

COLUMBUS ISLE BAHAMAS RESORT HIGHLIGHTS

An idyllic resort on the island of San Salvador, where Columbus first set foot in the Americas.
Set out across the waves atop a powerful jet ski to explore the island’s virgin coastline.
Sail off into the sunset on the calm, blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Let Club Med’s dive masters introduce you to vibrant sea life at one of the Caribbean’s top wall diving destinations.
Relax at the new spa by L’Occitane®.

TURKOISE TURKS & CAICOS RESORT HIGHLIGHTS

Stroll along the stunning shores of Grace Bay, on the island of Providenciales.
Discover a breathtaking, secluded resort exclusively for adults comprised of colorful bungalows perched along a 12-mile beach.
Challenge and thrill yourself with scuba diving, sailing and flying trapeze lessons taught by expert instructors.
Enjoy live music and dancing under a night sky filled with stars.
Find your way to a secluded beach, by kayak or waverunner.

Where to Go Next?

VirtuosoTrip.com

We understand the needs of today’s leisure traveler. Savvy travelers turn to us for their travel plans. We take care of the details, so our clients can make the most of their vacation.

Tours – Access More Than Just a Destination
What makes a good tour? Who are the best tour guides? Our access to exciting tours and the best tour guides, allows those who seek to explore and expand beyond normal expectations. It is a priceless opportunity to travel to a unique destination. From excursions, ballooning expeditions and luxury train rides to the Grand Tour, we arrange customized, individual and group tours as for that special and uncommon experience.

Hotels, Resorts & Villas
As a result our strong relationships with distinctive hotels around the world, our clients are entitled to exclusive privileges like room upgrades and special VIP service amenities and availability.

Cruises
We are knowledgeable about all cabin and suite categories and have personal relationships with cruise line CEOs. We have categorized the cruise lines we work with by type and class – leisure, expedition, river and liveaboard diving from value to luxury. Draw upon our firsthand expertise and have us guide you in determining the best cruise for your vacation plans and budget.

Airlines
Our in-house airline rate desk is staffed by tariff experts and supervised by former airline veterans.

Family Travel
Beyond providing stress-free, top-of-the-line getaways for you and your family, we focus on delivering a memorable experience to last a lifetime. Whether you are traveling with your immediate or extended family, family travel is made seamless and exciting.

Insider Access

We provide our clients with the highest level of personalized high touch travel service. We share our breadth of knowledge and deliver unique value-added services available for all travel needs.
We maintain high-level, quality relationships with innumerable hotel and airline executives globally throughout the industry.
Unlike most travel agencies, we exceed expectations by creating exclusive itineraries that are truly inspired and personalized.

Concierge Services
Attention to detail is the hallmark of our Concierge Services that include:

Airport Meet & Greet Services
Private Guides and On-Sites
Exclusive Reservations
VIP Treatment
Private Access to Luxury Venues, Tours, etc.
Customized One-of-a-Kind Experiences
Escorts through check-in and security, where possible.
Passport, Visa and Global Entry services in our midtown office

Event Planning
A romantic dream honeymoon. A golden anniversary. A 75th birthday. A family reunion. A retirement party. Your child’s graduation. Once in a lifetime celebrations that you want to relish forever. This type of travel usually requires transportation by trains, planes, buses or automobiles – let us lessen the stress.

Destination Weddings
Dreaming of a wedding on a beach in the Caribbean? Or, perhaps on a vineyard in Napa? What about at a villa in Tuscany? Don’t know where to start or how to pull it off? We can make it happen. Let us arrange your destination wedding for you! Services that we provide include:

Site Research of destination and hotel
Hotel room block
Air tickets and other transportation
Personalized website
Guest activities (golf, sailing, spa, wine tasting, etc.)
Liaison with property wedding coordinator (setting, food & beverage)
Liaison with your wedding planner when applicable

Meetings
Our complete range of services covers every aspect from logistics to execution and post-event follow-up. Whether it’s a meeting for 10 or a convention for thousands, local or across the globe, we have the knowledge, resources and vendor relationships that make for a flawless meetings, incentives or special events.

Contact Us
We are located in New York, with clients worldwide.

Connect with us by email: contactdenise@me.com or phone: 212 722-5959 to plan your next trip today.

Crosby Street Hotel – Boutique Luxury Hotel in New York City

Crosby Street is a boutique hotel with a great location in New York’s SoHo. The furnishings, chosen by Kit Kemp, are colorful, cozy,and fun. Rooms are large and bright with floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel is Gold LEED certified. During the warm weather you can even find chickens being raised alongside its rooftop garden.

On the side of the lobby is the Crosby Bar, warm and inviting with an outdoor garden. The bar has an extensive cocktail menu. On the other side of the lobby are guest-only drawing rooms and a sculpture garden.

Introducing Quantum of the Seas Royal Caribbean’s Newest Ship

PREPARE TO BE WOWED. With newly designed staterooms, innovative features, and transformative venues, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, takes cruising to an entirely new level. The ship is packed with more “firsts” at sea! Like skydiving, bumper cars, and the North Star, which takes you 300 feet above the sea for amazing views. Learn to fly while you cruise! Introducing RipCord by iFly, the first skydiving experience at sea only onboard! Sailing Fall 2014 from Cape Liberty, NJ. Call today 212 722-5959 for info!

St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Over-the-top luxury, fabulous resort, excellent value – a must on your bucket list

Loved this modern, sleek, contemporary resort. No expense was spared to make the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort a showpiece. The lobby was gorgeous with fabulous furnishings and chandeliers. Guests are welcomed with Arabian dates and coffee as you enter the hotel lobby. We stayed 10 days and did not want to leave.

The room was very spacious with fine decor, furniture and linens. The marble bathroom was huge with a separate rain shower and a deep egg-shaped soaking tub overlooking the sea. The towels and toiletries were first-rate. A personal butler attended to our needs; packing/unpacking and serving coffee, tea and snacks. The view from our room was gorgeous, overlooking the grounds and the sea.

Butler unpacking our clothes

There were three pools; adults only, family and lap. The design of the adult pool was exceptional with shaded cabanas, water lounging chairs and a jacuzzi area in the pool. Pool service was excellent and prompt. Plush towels were readily available.

Adult pool private cabanas with sofa, chairs and table, ceiling fan and electric outlets.

The restaurants were outstanding with the finest foods and attentive service. Non-smoking and smoking sections were available. Breakfast, served in Olea, was terrific with exotic fruits, fine quality meats, fish and an extensive selection of hot and cold dishes. There were chefs at each station for noodles, egg and specialty dishes. Everything served was the finest quality, delicious and fresh. The restaurant was both indoors and outdoors with a panoramic view of the ocean. The Southeast Asian restaurant, Sontaya, also had indoor and outdoor seating. The decor was Asian modern with views of the beach and pools. The satays, summer rolls and noodle dishes were perfect. Turquoiz, the beach restaurant and 55th & 5th The Grill are also excellent places to dine at the resort.

Dessert spread at the Olea

A lifeguard monitors a marked beach swimming area. The resort has an expansive beachfront with comfortable, padded, shaded lounge chairs. The water was amazing – it was warm, clean and great for swimming or hanging out. Towels and reef walkers were available at the waterfront if you wanted them. The beach goes on for miles and is a beach strollers delight.

Fine white sand beach with shaded lounge chairs

The Iridium spa decor was dazzling in a mix of cream, beige and black. The spa rooms and treatments were awesome. Guests have access to the St. Regis Athletic Club which was fully staffed and fitted with the latest equipment. The naturally lit club was clean and state-of-the-art. The Sandcastle Kids Club offers indoor and outdoor activities for the 1 to 12-year-old guest, making the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort a great choice for families.

This resort was superb, can’t wait to return to this find!!!

To book your trip call Denise at 212 722-5959.

Mondrian, Doha, Qatar

New Ultra-Luxury Hotel Coming Soon to Doha

Experience Doha, the fast-developing Middle East destination with cultural attractions, the spectacular Islamic Art Museum, impressive Corniche, Singing Sand Dunes, historic forts and the headquarters of Al Jazeera. Located on the Arabian Sea, the capital city of Doha is a vibrant cultural, commercial and tourist destination with ultra-luxury hotels.

A new addition to the glittering skyline will be arriving in 2014. The Mondrian Doha will bring the up-all-night intensity, energy and Sunset Strip vibe of the original Hollywood Mondrian to Doha’s West Bay Lagoon. Mondrian’s famous lobby scene will recreate the see-and-be-seen vibe of the original and will be the place to meet for intense mingling. The 270 room and suite Mondrian will feature innovative restaurants with regional and international cuisine, an indoor/outdoor rooftop pool bar, ultra-modern meeting and conference venues and a world-class spa.

Doha offers numerous activities and attractions for the leisure traveler and is a great place to spend time before or after conducting business. The following are must-see attractions of Doha:

Designed by architect I.M. Pei, The Museum of Islamic Art is a synthesis of ancient Islamic design and modern architecture. The extraordinary cream color limestone exterior changes in light and shade as the day progresses. The interior is magnificent and eye-catching. A curved double staircase emerges from the main floor swirling to the floors above. An ornate metal chandelier hangs above the main floor repeating the curve of the staircase. The museum displays Islamic art from three continents covering more than 1,400 years. The Museum is also houses IDAM, Alain Ducasse’s first restaurant in the Middle East. The restaurant serves French Mediterranean cuisine with Arabic influences in a sophisticated atmosphere provided by Philippe Starck’s unique design.

Souk Waqif, is a bustling modern Arabic market. It is the place to eat, hang out or shop for spices, textiles and traditional items. The area where they sell falcons is a must-see. Whether souvenir shopping or smoking shisha one can spend hours here. Restaurants specializing in cuisines from around the world and different parts of the region are located all along the souk. Doha has a diverse population so there is a large variety of cuisines, including Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Korean and Middle Eastern food.

The Corniche is a seven kilometer long seaside promenade curving around Doha Bay and faces the Arabian Gulf. One can stroll or jog for exercise, view Palm Tree Island or people watch. At the south end of the Corniche is a large Oyster and Pearl Fountain, symbolic of Doha’s pearling heritage.

Katara Cultural Village is the largest cultural project of Qatar. Over 1 million square meters in area, Katara has a 5,000 seat Greco-Islamic style amphitheater, opera house, cinema, beach, handicrafts souk and book stall, as well as international restaurants and cafés. It is a place where people come together to experience the cultures of the world.

If you want to get out of the city, the desert awaits. A 4-wheel drive car will pick you up from your hotel for an exciting day of Dune Bashing in the Qatar desert. Afterwards relax in Bedouin style tents at a campsite facing the inland sea. There you can enjoy the beach, play volleyball, go sand-boarding on the dunes while your chef prepares a barbecue and a bonfire is lit.

The Singing Sand Dunes of Qatar are one of 30 places in the world where sound is naturally produced by wind and sand. Marco Polo described the low-pitched desert sounds over 700 years ago.

Plan to make the scene at the Mondrian Doha and experience for yourself the instant gratification, the perfect provocative moment, perpetual possibility and confident cool that Mondrian is known for worldwide.

Contact Denise Alevy to book your trip.

The Westin, Bali, Indonesia

Great value, top choice for a family beach holiday

The Westin is a great value for the price. Good family vacation spot in Bali. The hotel is situated on a prime beachfront location in Nusa Dua. The beach is wide and clean and gentle breezes make for a pleasant experience. Numerous comfortable padded beach lounges are available as well as shaded pod chairs. Private gazebos are reasonably priced and can be reserved for 15 dollars a day. At night the beach is illuminated with colored spheres which provide a unique backdrop for the beach bar. At night there is a DJ at the beach restaurant. The Westin Kids Club is an added benefit and provides children many activities during the day. The swimming pool is huge and perfect for families. Breakfast was very good with a terrific selection of fresh fruits, hot and cold dishes. There are also chef stations for eggs, noodles, french crepes and waffles. Very good attention to food handling, gloves were worn and we did not see any flies or bugs on food. Non-smoking and smoking sections are well separated so we were not bothered by people smoking. High tea in the air-conditioned lobby was complimentary for SPG Gold and Platinum members and service was great, with fine quality Jing tea and hors d’oeuvres. A terrific pianist entertained during the high tea. The room was clean and modern and the Westin Heavenly Bed was super comfortable. Housekeeping came twice a day to service the room with evening turn-down service. The toiletries were first-rate and were freely replenished. The room was stocked with complimentary water and a coffee and tea maker were also provided. Beach bags and beach slippers were also complimentary. A beautiful selection of exotic welcoming fruits was in the room. For my birthday I was surprised with a delicious cake and bouquet of flowers which was a very thoughtful gesture. The staff was very helpful and friendly and service was very attentive and given with a smile. Nusa Dua is a great area in Bali to stay because the hotel is part of a complex of many international hotels all connected via a beachfront paved walkway which is lit at night. Security personnel staff the path. Therefore, you could take a pleasant and safe stroll after dinner. This pathway allows guests to visit the other hotels and the Bali Collection on foot. The Bali Collection is a huge outdoor mall and entertainment and restaurant complex. The Westin also had a complimentary shuttle to the Bali Collection and the DFS Galleria mall. Great value for money. Kids club very good for families. We were a couple without children and enjoyed our time at this hotel because it was such a good deal for a beach vacation.

To book your trip contact Denise Alevy

The Laguna Luxury Collection, Bali, Indonesia

Wonderful hotel in Nusa Dua, stunning grounds

The Laguna is a great value for the money. The hotel is on Nusa Dua beach in Bali with an extensive beachfront location and beautiful tropical grounds. The grounds include numerous statues, fountains and waterfalls. There is also a Balinese temple surrounded by a koi fish pond. The swimming pools meander around the property providing many different environments to relax. Some of the freshwater pools have sandy beaches which were a great hit with the many young children staying at the hotel. Numerous shaded, padded lounge chairs are available at the beach and pools. Towels were freely available. If you want privacy and space at the beach you could rent a gazebo for about US $15 for a half-day. Cigarette smoking at the beach and pools is common among the guests. In dry season there are no mosquitoes which enhances the outdoor living experience. The rooms have been updated and are spacious with a nice balcony with a table and two chairs. The bathroom has a large soaking tub and nice amenities including great slippers to wear to the beach. The staff is very accommodating and go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. Everyone is extremely pleasant, personable and caring. Arwayna restaurant is in a breathtaking setting facing the beach with tablecloths and lighted lanterns for decoration and great chill-out music plays. The music is selected by a DJ daily so you will not be bored listening to repetitive music during your stay. Chef Oka Yadnya prepared delicious food each night with a wide selection of Indonesian and Western dishes. The assistant restaurant manager Yudhi Suryawan provided exceptional service and wine suggestions. There is another restaurant on the property as well as a deli and a beachfront bar that serves food. There is a lack of designated outdoor non-smoking sections at the restaurants so it made it tough for non-smokers. The spa was very nice and the services were first-class. Nusa Dua is a great area in Bali to stay because the hotel is part of a complex of many international hotels all connected via a beachfront paved walkway which is lit at night. Security personnel staff the path. Therefore, you could take a pleasant and safe stroll after dinner. This pathway allows guests to visit the other hotels and the Bali Collection on foot. The Bali Collection is a huge outdoor mall and entertainment and restaurant complex. The hotel also had a complimentary shuttle to the Bali Collection every hour. The hotel is a good deal.

Contact Denise Alevy

Indonesia – Where to Go?

Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world

The country offers a wealth of tourist attractions from beaches, temples and artisans to scuba diving. The Indonesian people are a mixture of many different cultures, religions and customs.

Bali, the country’s major tourist attraction, is a diverse landscape of beautiful beaches, verdant hills and rice terraces. Visitors to the island are greeted by the deeply spiritual Hindu population making their daily sacrifices at Bali’s countless temples and shrines. Accommodations range from budget to ultra-luxurious villas and most major international hotel chains have a presence in Bali. The area of Seminyak is the happening spot with trendy restaurants, designer boutiques and great night life. The town of Ubud is known for art, gamelan music, architecture, traditional dance and is great place to purchase unique artisanal souvenirs and batiks.

If you want a laid-back holiday, then the island of Lombok, with its natural beaches and low-key atmosphere is the perfect tropical hideaway. Central Java’s cities are colorful and vibrant and home to the ancient sites of Prambanan and Borobudur. Candi Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple compound is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and one of the biggest in Southeast Asia.

Borobudur is a Buddhist stupa and temple complex dating from the 8th century, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of world’s great ancient monuments, it is the single largest Buddhist structure in the world. Visitors cannot help but marvel at the scale and detail of the construction. It was buried by volcanic activity until it was rediscovered in 1814.

For those seeking nature and adventure, Sumatra’s jungles are home to the orangutan and unique flora and fauna. If you want to see the world’s largest living reptile, typically 9 feet in length and over 150 lb then head to Komodo National Park which is named after the Komodo Dragon. Komodo dragons are formidable predators but attacks against humans are rare. For the diver or snorkeler more than 70% of all fish species that live in the western Pacific Ocean can found among the beautiful coral reefs in marine parks such as Bunaken Marine Park off the island of Sulawesi.

The sheer variety of activities and sights makes Indonesia a great destination choice when planning your holiday.

Contact Denise Alevy