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The Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach on the scenic west coast of St Lucia took first place for Favorite Overseas Hotel in the Americas and Caribbean at the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards announced in London yesterday.

The resort, which is undergoing a $100 million enhancement that will see the property re-branded and re-launched as The Tides Sugar Beach next year, was also named at number 25 on the readers’ list of the top 100 Places and Hotels in the World—the first time The Jalousie Plantation has been afforded such accolades.

Located in the Val des Pitons (Valley of the Pitons), a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach has a spectacular setting with over 100 acres of virgin rainforest and the only white sand beach in the south west of the island—a fact that obviously impressed readers.

According to the October issue of Conde Nast Traveller magazine (UK), there is “no leisure hotel in The Americas and the Caribbean that readers would rather stay than The Jalousie Plantation on St Lucia.”

Readers gave the resort a top score of 92.49 for its location. They also rated it above 90 for environmental friendliness and service, giving Jalousie an overall score of 91.87 and a place in the World’s top 25.

Earlier this year, Conde Nast Traveller asked readers to vote for the things they really liked about travel, from business hotels to destination spas, airlines to specialist tour operators. They were then asked to rate their choices according to various criteria, such as service and value for money. From these responses, the magazine calculated the average mark on each criterion, and used this to provide the overall satisfaction percentage figure in the league tables and The World’s Top 25.

“We are delighted to have achieved such recognition and would like to thank the readers of Conde Nast Traveller for their clear endorsement of The Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach,” the resort’s General Manager, Andre Boersma said.

“This is particularly gratifying bearing in mind that The Jalousie Plantation is in the midst of an extensive enhancement project and is very much a property in transition. The fact that we have been voted the best in the Caribbean and the Americas shows that we are on the right track and we are excited about what the future will hold as we are getting even better every day,” he added.

“Rest assured we won’t be resting on our laurels, but working hard to ensure the same levels of service and attention to detail that helped us to achieve the support of Conde Nast Traveller readers.”

The Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach was the only resort on St Lucia to make the World’s Top 25.

A new Hard Rock Cafe will open at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa before year’s end, bringing Hard Rock’s classic American fare, authentic rock atmosphere and live music to what is already Tampa’s leading entertainment destination.

“We are thrilled to extend our legendary Hard Rock Cafe experience to Florida’s most successful casino,” said Hamish Dodds, president and CEO of Orlando-based Hard Rock International. “Hard Rock’s vibe and atmosphere will be a perfect complement to this amazing entertainment complex.”

Expected to become one of Tampa Bay’s premier dining and entertainment destinations, the 17,500 sq. ft. Hard Rock Cafe Tampa will be constructed in the northwest corner of the existing casino complex, nearly doubling the 9,000 sq. ft. space formerly occupied by Floyd’s restaurant and nightclub. Employees of Floyd’s, which closed 10 days ago, have been kept on the payroll for positions at the casino or the new cafe. In addition, managers of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino expect to hire additional employees for the cafe at a fall job fair.

“This is a win-win-win for the casino, for our employees and for Tampa residents and visitors, who will have yet another renowned dining and entertainment option at the Seminole Hard Rock,” said John Fontana, president, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. “We’re making a multi-million dollar investment that will generate a significant economic impact throughout the Tampa Bay region.”

Three primary entertainment areas will make up the exciting design of the new 350-seat cafe. At one end, table seating will surround an elevated stage, to be the site of regularly-scheduled performances. Opposite the stage, the main Hard Rock Cafe bar will be highlighted by a dramatic multi-media canopy, arched over the bar and thrusting out to the main restaurant seating area, which will occupy two levels in the center of the cafe. An open display kitchen will include a “burger bar” area where beef will be ground into hamburger and formed into patties. A Rock Shop featuring Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise, such as clothing, gifts, pins and more, will open as part of the new cafe, which will also feature a new outdoor patio and bar.

Hard Rock Cafe Tampa will feature rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from Hard Rock’s unmatched collection. Innovative technology will give guests touch screen access to Hard Rock’s memorabilia and merchandise and even allow them to vote on what music video plays next in the cafe. Hard Rock International plans to beta test new products and presentation equipment at the Tampa cafe before rolling it out to Hard Rock locations worldwide.

“The new cafe includes many of the most forward-thinking entertainment concepts available today,” said James Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming. “It draws from the considerable expertise of Hard Rock International executives in Orlando, who are partnering in the project with senior managers at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.”

Hard Rock Cafe Tampa is being designed by Klai Juba Architects, Las Vegas, with interior designs by 555 Design Fabrication Management of Chicago. Artist’s renderings of the new cafe are expected to be released soon.

Hard Rock Cafe Tampa will open before the end of 2010 at I-4 and Orient Road, 10 minutes east of Tampa and 45 minutes west of Orlando. It will be sixth Hard Rock Cafe in Florida, joining others in Miami, Key West, Orlando, Destin and at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

Powered by DogParkUSA.com, the new Dog Park Finder Plus iPhone App compiles photos and reviews to give you all the information you need for a quick trip to the dog park or for a vacation across the country with your pooch. The Dog Park Finder Plus app displays local dog parks and search results in both map and list pages. Park details include user ratings, fenced and un-fenced markers, on-leash rules, hours and days of operation and many other features.

DogParkUSA.com is committed to the promotion of happy and healthy canine friends by advancing the awareness of responsibly maintained public dog play areas. “With so many dog loving people out there who want to know about new dog parks and news about current parks, we thought we should let people know about all the pets in need at shelters, so we contacted Adopt-a-Pet.com,” said Greg Holsclaw, member of the creative team who designed the app.

DogParkUSA.com is donating 15% of their proceeds to Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit homeless pet adoption website, to support them in their mission of helping to find a happy home for every homeless pet. Adopt-a-Pet.com, which displays 155,000 pets for adoption at over 9,200 animal shelters across North America, is sponsored by Purina and Bayer Animal Health.

“When I saw the app and realized it had over 5,000 listings for dog parks, dog friendly beaches and hiking trails, I just thought it was a very useful and fun tool for new pet adopters. We are thrilled that Dog Park Finder Plus will help promote pet adoption and let more people know about our free service, so that we can help get great pets into loving homes.” says Adopt-a-Pet.com President and co-founder, David Meyer.

The Dog Park Finder Plus App can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Says Holsclaw, “Through the use of innovative new tools, we hope to broadcast new dog parks and news about current parks to loving pet owners through our improved Dog Park Finder Plus, and we’re very excited to benefit homeless pets while we do so that every dog can be lucky enough to enjoy a day at the park.” There is also a free version of the app, Dog Park Finder that offers half the number of listings and does not include further information such as restrooms and bench availability in the parks.

Back by popular demand, the award-winning travel experts at Down Under Answers (www.duatravel.com) are offering several “I Love Aussie” travel deals that break down any barriers between a much-needed vacation and the Great Barrier Reef.

These 10 new Australian vacation deals start at the incredible low price of just $1,399 per person (including airfare and accommodation, based on double-occupancy). Interested travelers should hurry, as the sale ends September 30, 2010. These limited-time offers are good for travel between October 11, 2010 to November 23, 2010 and from January 30, 2011 to March 22, 2011, with the option to travel until March 31, 2011. Contact DUA experts to book directly at (866) 792-5458 or visit http://www.duatravel.com/luvpr

“After the response from those who went last year, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to send more travelers to our favorite Australian destinations, and our partners, V Australia and Tourism Australia, couldn’t agree more,” says Kirk Demeter, President of Down Under Answers.

During the “I Love Aussie” campaign, customers can expect huge savings on customizable itineraries such as:

* For a taste of Australia, look no further than Luv Sydney & Cairns (8-night air and land inclusive, from $1,399 per person/double occupancy). Spend the days exploring the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House, and famous Bondi Beach.

* Enjoy the city and the islands with Luv Sydney, Hamilton Island & Cairns (10-night air and land inclusive, from $1,699 per person/double occupancy.) Enjoy two cities bursting with Australian culture—Sydney and Cairns—plus the luxury of a Great Barrier Reef island stay.

* Experience a little of everything from Luv Sydney, Cairns, Tangalooma & Brisbane (12-night air and land inclusive, from $1,899 per person/double occupancy). Discover iconic favorites such as Sydney and Cairns, plus two nights’ stay at Tangalooma Island Resort and a wild dolphin feeding.

* For the ultimate Australian vacation enjoy Luv Sydney, Rainforest, Noosa, Fraser Island & Brisbane (10-night air and land inclusive, from $3,389 per person/double occupancy). Bounce along with kangaroos in the wild, explore Sydney and Queensland’s best-kept secrets, relish the resort life, and explore Australia’s largest subtropical rainforest and the world’s largest sand island.

For a complete list of all 10 packages, click here.

Each package can be purchased as-is, or the travel gurus at Down Under Answers can help customize a vacation. Even with add-ons, deals abound. “Guests can upgrade the Luv Sydney & Cairns package to higher rated hotels for just $130. That’s a savings of $1,300,” Demeter says.

Thanks to the opposite seasons of the Southern Hemisphere, springtime in Australia means returning to the beach. Each of the ten options allow travelers as much—or as little—time as they want to soak up the sun, while still having time to delight in the best Australia has to offer. Those ready to trade the dreary cold of fall and winter in the States for spring and summer in Australia can book their vacation with Down Under Answers by calling toll-free at (866) 792-5458 or visiting (http://duatravel.com/luvpr).

Founded in 1992, Seattle-based Down Under Answers is the industry leader in travel to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Dubai. Repeatedly voted Best Travel Wholesaler by Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Australia specialists, the company employs seasoned destination specialists to customize tours—ranging from unique, experiential holidays tailored to suite style, taste and budget, to pre- and post-cruise itineraries, shore excursions, escorted tours, destination weddings and honeymoons, private tours to groups of any size and much more. New for 2010 is the launch of Africa Answers. For further information email info(at)duatravel(dot)com, or call (800) 889-1464.