The Signature at the MGM Grand is 3 years old and they’re celebrating birthdays!  Rates are from $129 per night for a Jr. Suite and include a $100 beverage credit.  In addition, if you are celebrating your birthday, you will receive a complimentary upgrade to a one-bedroom suite.  Call (425 821-4100) or email Sandi@totemtravel.com to book your Las Vegas package.

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As a Sandals Specialist for Totem Travel- a Sandals preferred Agency, I try to get to see at least a few Sandals all inclusive resorts every year. This year I was in Jamaica and saw, Sandals Negril, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay. My info today will be about Sandals Negril, but check back to my travel blog in the future for more information about the other two resorts.

Sandals Negril sits on the west side of Jamaica known for the 7 miles of white sand called Seven Mile Beach. It is a beautiful beach, the sand is pale and smooth and perfect for walking and the resort and activities center around the beach.

It’s a bit of a kick-back resort, you won’t find couples running around crazy trying to do every activity available, nor will you find staff members bugging and begging you to “join in the fun”. What you will find is a beautiful beach, swimming pools, quiet coves with hammocks for 2 and many beach chairs to soak up the sun in.

Don’t get me wrong here, there are plenty of activities to join in, such as scuba, snorkeling, hobie cats, windsurfing, water skiing, banana boats, glass bottom boats, kayaks, water trikes and paddle boats. Then there are the other requisites such as tennis, fitness center, racquetball, squash and more. You will see the ‘playmakers’ encouraging you to join the activities but they are never obnoxious or pushy. It’s YOUR vacation or honeymoon; you get to choose what you do! And it’s all included!

There are 6 restaurants including Italian, Caribbean, Asian and Seafood as well as least 5 bars, again it’s all included. Some of the rooms even offer room service, so if that’s important, please ask. There is entertainment of some kind every night such as Steel Drum bands, limbo experts and fire eaters or newly-wed games, Karaoke and talent shows. They offer a chocolate buffet usually once a week and there is usually a beach BBQ at least once a week as well where you’ll find jerk chicken and pork, yum! And remember, because Sandals is all-inclusive resort you just choose your restaurant and go, you can eat at 2 restaurants a night if you want! It’s all included!!

With all the room categories at Sandals Negril your could choose a Premium room, bump up to an ocean view or beachfront, opt for an upgrade to a concierge level where you’ll find a full bar in your room as well as robes and a dedicated Concierge desk to help plan your tours and makes spa and dinner reservations or you can go all out and have your own private butler who will wait on you hand and foot if you choose or just make your stay very pleasant. It’s your choice.

There is room for any budget at a Sandals resort and Sandals Negril is no exception. So when you are ready to plan your honeymoon or vacation at a Sandals resort please give me a call at 800-321-7907 or shoot me an email at jennefer@totemtravel.com and we’ll get going on making your dreams of a Caribbean all-inclusive get away a reality.

I just returned from Jamaica where I visited all of the Sandals, Beaches, Royal Plantation and Grand Pineapple Resorts.  During my stay I met with the long time resident Hotel Manager for Sandals Montego Bay and verified that waterskiing is definitely offered free of charge at Sandals Montego Bay.

Unfortuately the main Sandals brochure was printed showing only Sandals Whitehouse and Sandals Negril offering this sport on the island of Jamaica.  But that, my water sports fans, was an error!  Waterskiing, wake boarding and tubing are offered at Sandals Monetgo Bay and that means that guests at Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Inn can also take advantage with their free resort hopping privileges.

Other updates from Sandals MoBay include renovation of the last Bay Roc Villa, one of the butler suite categories, and the addition of a Beachfront Walk Out room category.  Yeah!

I’ll post more resort reviews and pictures over the next few weeks so check back and call or email one of  Totem Travel’s 3 Sandals Specialists for help choosing the best Sandals Resort for your honeymoon or all inclusive vacation.   You can also book online if that’s more convenient, but be careful,  there are many confusing room categories and you can get our expert help at no extra cost.

We’ve been to all the resorts, go back every year and get fantastic support from Resort Management because we are a Preferred Sandals Agency and recognized by Sandals as “Best of the Best“.

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I am lucky to travel a lot as an agent of Totem Travel and when I do travel London is one of my favorite cities to visit. Since I’ve been a few times already I was looking for new and unusual things to see and do and I’ve listed them below.

From London Bridge to just past Tower Bridge, the Pool of London offers some of the more unusual and intriguing things to see and you don’t have to travel far to find them. This fascinating destination is one of London’s oldest neighborhoods with many maritime, historical, architectural and bloody connections with London’s history.

1. All Hallows, situated next to the Tower of London, is the oldest church in the City of London, with parts of the building dating from 675 AD. Beneath an original Saxon arch, a Roman pavement was discovered, evidence of city life on this site for over 2000 years. Open all year round, this wonderful church is steeped in history and continues to minister to a community of workers and visitors.

2. Join actors dressed in period costume aboard the Golden Hinde, berthed at St Mary Overie Dock to discover what life might have been like sailing around the world in a boat slightly bigger than a double-decker bus. The Golden Hinde is an exact scale, operational reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s 16th century galleon that sailed around the world 1577-80. This floating museum is open all year round.

3. If you thought you would have to travel to Arizona to see the original London Bridge, look no further than the magnificent church of St Magnus the Martyr. Inside, you can see a wooden model of the old London Bridge as well as the remnants of the foundation stones in the quiet churchyard outside.

4. Walk over the uniquely designed footbridge to see the unusual garden barges moored near St Saviours Dock, just downriver from the Design Museum on Shad Thames.

5. The yacht marina at St Katharine Docks, located beside the Tower of London and Tower Bridge offers visitors a haven from the frantic pace of the city. Once a working dock, it now boasts an attractive waterside retreat with a mixture of shops, restaurants, offices and luxury apartments as well as yachts and motorboats. When the sun is shining, you could be mistaken for thinking you aren’t in London.

If you’re ready to start planning your time in London, contact Jennefer at jennefer@totemtravel.com, I am the Europe Expert at Totem Travel and would love to help you make the most of your time in London.