|
|
|
|
Property News: Why a Club La Costa resort is top choice on Tenerife for TV's Jennie | 25-May-10
Well known and much liked TV celebrity Jennie Bond has just enjoyed a spring holiday at one of her favourite places, Club La Costa's Monterey Royale resort on Tenerife. During her stay, she spoke to award-winning travel journalist Joe Cawley, who lives on the island.
Did the recent volcanic ash crisis have an impact on your travel plans?
To pack, or not to pack... that was the question. My husband and I were due to fly to Tenerife on the 23rd of April and all that week our friends were saying, "You're not going to go are you?" Thankfully we did and we were only delayed about an hour and a half.
Were you aware that Club La Costa helped members and guests stranded in Tenerife with free accommodation and onward travel arrangements during the ash crisis?
Yes. I rang Club La Costa beforehand to check if it was still okay for us to go. They said they still had some people stranded but were taking care of them and it was fine for us to come. Most of those stranded had managed to fly out the day we arrived, but one couple were there for three or four more days. Fortunately, they'd been told they could stay on free of charge. I thought that was really sweet. I met quite a few people who had all been treated brilliantly. I just think it's so good for a company to do that and let people stay on for free. It's generous of spirit and entirely correct.
You've obviously travelled a great deal during your career and stayed in lots of high class hotels. With your critical eye for standards how does Club La Costa compare?
Superb as always. It's our second time here and we remain equally impressed. It's a lovely quality of accommodation with little things that make it easier to just 'transfer your life' over here, like a dishwasher and washing machine. I wouldn't have ever expected such great entertainment on a self-catering holiday, either. Last night sitting up here on the terrace having a glass of wine and thinking about jumping in my hot tub, I could hear the wonderful tones of a saxophonist wafting from below. It was fantastic. The food has been lovely too, Mexican night was great, tonight is Flamenco and last night was Italian, which was excellent. I haven't used the gym yet, though I have been using the steps rather than the lifts! It's nice to have the two pools here as well.
You must get recognised all the time at the resort. How do you deal with this?
People are very nice to me. Nobody has yet to come up to me and say, 'You're a pile of rubbish'. They say they like my programmes or something, so I'm just polite back. I find it quite amusing because I can recognise all the signs. I walk past and see the man, or the woman, going nudge, nudge, nudge... then someone turns round, and so I usually give them a wave. They don't interfere; they just want a little chat, which is fine because I like chatting as well.
This is your second holiday in Tenerife, third visit if you count a brief cruise stopover. What made you choose Tenerife again over any other destination?
One of the biggest attractions is that it's only four hours by plane. There are so few places you can go in winter or spring with sunshine and warm weather pretty much guaranteed.
Last time you were here you ticked off two personal firsts - going on a submarine excursion and getting up-close-and-personal with whales and dolphins on a boat trip. What else have you done this time and what other plans do you have while you're here?
Over the past few months I've been very busy travelling up and down the UK so this is an absolute chill party. Having said that, my husband and I are going on a catamaran to see the whales and dolphins again. And I wanted to see the north of the island so we went to Taganana in the Anaga Mountains. It was fabulous to see the lush vegetation. It's so different, as gorgeous as Jamaica or any other Caribbean island.
What TV projects are you currently working on?
I've been having such fun! Angela Rippon and Gloria Hunniford are two of the other presenters of Cash in the Attic and I think between us we've done about 76 episodes, plus Cash in the Celebrity's Attic which has also taken off quite well. It's about the fourth series we've filmed. I've also just done a new series of Great British Menu which is on air right now. Periodically I get asked to do comedy shows or whacky programmes. One is called Scream if you know the Answer! I went with other so-called celebrities to the UK's Thorpe Park, where you're then paired with a member of the public. You go on all these rides around the theme park with this camera positioned to capture all your facial expressions. You're whizzed around up and down and have to do a challenge while terrified out of your head and trying not to throw up. Another one is called, The King is Dead, where along with X-Factor's Louis Walsh and Chloe Madeley (Richard and Judy's daughter) I had to vie for the job of King by doing all sorts of whacky things. They're just such fun, I love them.
What's been your most memorable travel experience?
I've had some lovely holidays, and I do love Club La Costa, but I think my honeymoon in Sri Lanka in 1982 was pretty special. My husband was making a programme about birds so we ended up in some of the weirdest places. I spent much of my honeymoon running around rainforests at 5.30 in the morning holding a parabolic reflector, 'catching' the sounds of birds, but it was fun and we did plenty of mad things like staying in a mud hut.
What other travel plans does the future hold?
We live in such a beautiful part of the world so I'm going to try and spend summer in England and then maybe go to the Caribbean in November. It would also be very hard to say no to another trip to Tenerife, possibly in February... That's if my daughter will let me because she loves Monterey Royale just as much as we do and will no doubt want to bag the apartment again!
Jennie Bond stayed at the hillside Club La Costa Monterey Royale, one of four Club La Costa resorts on the sunshine island of Tenerife. For more information about Club La Costa please visit www.clublacosta.comProperty News: Duchally Country Estate retains Silver Award for 'Green' Tourism | 07-Apr-10
Keeping the business 'green' is very much part of central policy for the Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels group, which owns and manages 22 resorts across Europe.
The approach has paid off handsomely as their Scottish resort at Duchally Country Estate in Perthshire has recently been successful in retaining their Silver Award under the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS). This success follows hard on the heels of the GTBS Silver Award achieved last year at Trenython Manor, one of Club la Costa's two resorts in Cornwall.
At Duchally, where the first Silver Award was achieved in 2007, GTBS inspectors applied the recently revised and more rigorous 'version IV' standards and were particularly impressed by developments made since their last visit.
High scores were achieved in the 'compulsory' section - covering commitment to sustainability, management, information and green policy - as well as in 'waste minimisation' and 'nature & culture'.
Areas targeted for future development included equipment efficiency, lighting and energy controls and sourcing of eco-friendly cleaning and household products.
Resort Manager Graeme McDonald said, "A lot of hard work has gone into maintaining Club La Costa's green plan and we are thrilled that Duchally has again been recognised as a contributor to Scotland's green tourism strategy. Better efficiency reduces our costs, which makes commercial sense, and our customers enjoy the holiday benefits of a better natural environment."
Meanwhile, the good work goes on and while the resort continues to 'go green' they hope to also 'go gold' when the GTSB inspectors return in two years' time.
About the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS)
Members must operate in accordance with relevant environmental regulations and show that a commitment to sustainable tourism, with minimal environmental damage. Each site must meet minimum standards across a range of indicators and is audited by a qualified professional to ensure standards are maintained. They must also demonstrate a commitment to providing at least a reasonable quality of service between 1 and 5 stars. Audits are conducted every two to three years, sustainable development standards are regularly updated and the GTBS investigates all complaints about the environmental performance or commitment of members.
For more information, go to
www.green-business.co.uk
www.clublacosta.com
www.duchally.co.uk
www.trenython.co.ukResorts and Hotels News: Costa holidays just got better | 25-Mar-10
Visitors to Spain are pleasantly surprised to find that their spending money goes further than anticipated.
British holidaymakers, with the £ at virtual parity with the euro, are happy to discover eating out is not as prohibitive as feared.
Bars, restaurants and cafes have introduced recession busting offers, a trend also seen at Club La Costa resorts on the Costa del Sol and in Tenerife.
Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels has four resorts on Tenerife. At Sunningdale Village an €89 half-board option for five days is available, choosing either breakfast or lunch plus dinner, dessert included, from the restaurant's á la carte menu.
"Our members react extremely favourably to this incredible offer and it's proving very popular, not surprisingly as there is such a great choice of dishes coupled with the added flexibility of choosing either breakfast or lunch," said Graham Wilding, Club La Costa's Commercial Manager, Tenerife.
At Club La Costa Paradise "fantastic offers" are being created for the duration of the World Cup, which should please 'footie' fans and their families, and discounts of up to 50 per cent on drinks prices are already offered two nights a week.
Meanwhile at Club La Costa Monterey and Monterey Royale, a new summer menu for informal dining offers economic choices in a family menu that ranges from homemade burgers through to the resorts' popular surf & turf platter and Aberdeen Angus steaks.
"Apartments are self-catering but many parents don't want to stay in and cook on their holidays, they prefer to be out and about enjoying the resort, so we want to give them affordable options," said Mr Wilding.
At its Costa del Sol resorts, Club La Costa menus have been refreshed with a big emphasis on lower prices, while maintaining quality, with many dishes priced at around €10. Children dine for free before 7pm* at certain times of the year.
"This was especially well received over the school half-term period and by combining the offer with Team Marina evening mini-club for youngsters, made for a highly enjoyable holiday experience," said Aine Leahy, Commercial Manager, Malaga.
Of course, members will want to 'row the boat out' occasionally. And when they do the company has a special couples' promotion for a 'His 'n' Hers' beauty salon treatment, followed by a romantic dinner in the exotic Safari Restaurant.
Gordon Gourlay of First Rate Exchange Services has said that lower tourist prices across the eurozone is good news for millions of UK holidaymakers planning to return to traditional holiday destinations such as Spain and Portugal this year.
*Terms & conditions apply.
www.clublacosta.com
|
|
|
|
|
