Where To
Meet: Los Cabos Convention Center
Los Cabos has a new convention center that offers 72,000 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 5,000 people for meetings and 3,000 individuals for banquets. The center is environmentally friendly and features solar panels. It is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Los Cabos International Airport and five minutes away from the major tourism zone and numerous hotels.
Eat: Ibarra Chocolate
Chocolate actually originates from Mexico’s Aztec cuisine and “table chocolate” can be found throughout the country. Ibarra, from the Jalisco region of Mexico, is the most popular brand. Not meant to be eaten like a chocolate bar, the best way to prepare Ibarra is to use approximately two wedges for each cup of milk or water. Heat the milk until it is near boiling, then blend the milk and chocolate in a blender until the chocolate is completely dissolved, and serve hot.
Play: Maya Museum
Cancun’s newest visitor attraction, the Maya Museum, opened at the end of last year. The $15-million venue is a tribute to the ancient civilization that once occupied this part of Mexico. The museum is next to the archaeological site of San Miguelito that recently opened as well. The Maya Museum features 350 artifacts, some which the public has never seen.
Mexican chocolate is in a class by itself
Mexico is famous for its beaches, tequila, and
mariachis, but that just scratches the surface of what the
country has to offer. There are Mayan archaeological sites,
five-diamond resorts, world-class golf courses, first-rate
spas, and unique activities like ziplining through the jungle
or speedboating through the mangroves, not to mention good
value for groups.
With more than 71 major convention and exhibition centers
around the country, you have an appealing meeting, convention,
and incentive destination. Plus, many of its beach destinations
that have been so popular for leisure group - including Los
Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Acapulco - have added the
infrastructure needed to service meeting and incentive groups.
Cancun is Mexico's No. 1 tourist destination, welcoming more
than 4 million visitors last year. There are more than 35,000
hotel guest rooms in the destination and two dedicated
convention centers.
Los Cabos was in the spotlight last June when it hosted the
prestigious G20 Summit Mexico. In preparation for the event,
the Mexican government invested more than $100 million in its
infrastructure, including the construction of the
56,000-square-foot Los Cabos Convention Center. Other popular
convention centers in Mexico are the 215,285-square-foot Puerto
Vallarta International Convention Center and the
95,400-square-foot Mazatlan International Center.
One Price Pays for It All
Meeting and incentive planners like the all-inclusive pricing
of many of Mexico's resorts, as they know up front what they
are being charged.
The Hard Rock All-Inclusive Collection includes two Mexican
properties, in Cancun and Nuevo Vallarta, with a third opening
at the end of the year in the Riviera Maya. All food, beverages
(including liquor), cocktail receptions, coffee breaks, meeting
space, function space, taxes, tips, gratuities, non-motorized
watersports, 24-hour room service, wireless Internet, and phone
calls to the Continental U.S. and Canada are included.
"As an incentive winner or while attending a meeting, you need
to stay in contact with your family, the office, and your
clients. The included phone calls have been a huge draw for
us," says Kevin Edmunds, vice president, meeting and incentive
sales, of the All Inclusive Collection. "Another selling point
for us is our included meeting and function space. The group
can literally have a meeting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. then have a
cocktail reception at 7 p.m., and a gala dinner at 8 p.m., and
that is all taken care of in the initial room rate. Therefore,
no money is coming out of the company's or participant's pocket
to enjoy a few little extra things."
Hotel News
In hotel news, Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, Palace
Resorts' signature property, is in the process of completing a
$55-million enhancement project. Highlights include
transformations of the resort's 2,400-plus guest rooms,
refreshed state-of-the-art meeting spaces, and newly redesigned
restaurants.
Le Blanc Spa Resort, the recent recipient of the prestigious
2012 Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Award for top resort
in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, is currently completing an
enhancement project. The resort recently unveiled a new lounge,
Stage Bar.
The Gran Melia Cancun has been transformed into the luxury,
all-inclusive Paradisus resort and reopened in December. The
678-room hotel is the newest property to open for Paradisus
Resorts, Melia Hotel International's luxury all-inclusive
brand. It includes 136 Royal Service Suites and 97 Family
Concierge Suites, eight restaurants, and four pools. The
Paradisus has more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and
convention space and a nine-hole, par-three golf course.
Palace Resorts has unveiled a new state-of-the-art spa at
Playacar Palace in Playa del Carmen. An 11,000-square-foot
oasis complete with six private treatment rooms, the new spa at
Playacar Palace offers a boutique experience of personalized
service and treatments on a grand-resort scale.
Additional offerings come from Fiesta Americana Grand Meetings
Mexico, comprised of Live Aqua hotels and resorts, Fiesta
Americana hotels and resorts, and Fiesta Americana Grand hotels
and resorts. Tied to the promise of offering the group and
incentives market "more choices and more options," Fiesta
Americana Grand Meetings Mexico is introducing the "City
Collection" to its portfolio of existing "Resort Collection"
hotels.
These 12 distinctive properties are located in Mexico's
historic areas and offer a unique juxtaposition to the five
group and incentive resort properties. Grupo Posadas, the
corporate group behind the hotel brands, is the fastest growing
hotelier in Mexico with more than 32 hotels currently in
development in addition to the 115 hotels in 56 beach and city
destinations already operating.