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THE WOODLANDS, Texas March 20, 2018
Gemstone Collection and Benchmark Resorts & Hotels this season highlight limited-time getaway offers at a selection of properties in spring travel-worthy destinations across the U.S. Embracing both portfolios' emphasis on promoting a wanderlust culture, BENCHMARK®, A Global Hospitality Company’s distinctive collection of resorts and hotels introduces packages that appeal to a range of travelers – from those looking to immerse themselves in culinary and wine, bond with family, or those interested in staying active while on the road. Among Benchmark’s spring getaway offers are the following:
Gourmet dining takes center stage at Vermont’s culinary resort and spa in Burlington: The Essex Resort & Spa. This Gemstone Collection property stirs things up with their Escape to The Essex package that includes two seats at The Essex’s Cook Academy for hands-on instruction on prepping a range of dishes and delights; a two-hour private tour in the Burlington area (wine and chocolate tour, anyone?); daily spa access with a $250 spa credit per stay; spa lunch; $100 credit toward dinner for two at the resort’s AAA Four Diamond-rated Junction restaurant; breakfast at The Essex’s more casual dining outpost, The Tavern; plus accommodations in their culinary-themed guest rooms (read: décor inspired by textures and colors of food) or in a larger studio or suite.
Spring in San Antonio, Texas calls for a little outdoor exploration – and wine. Guests checking into Benchmark Resorts & Hotel’s Hotel Contessa on the city’s famed river walk can break from the pace of the downtown area and head north to the region’s Texas Hill Country wineries via Hotel Contessa’s Texas Wine Experience package. Those who book will enjoy luxury suite accommodations, a bottle of Becker Vineyards Viognier to sip in-room or back home, and a Fredericksburg Wine Tour in partnership with San Antonio’s Cottonwood Wine Tours. This nearly full-day tour will visit two Hill Country wineries (wine tastings included) with a 90-minute stop in historic Fredericksburg, Texas. Hotel Contessa keeps things simple with easy pick-up and drop-off for the tour directly at the property.
Families can pack in some extra bonding time at The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, another Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property. This Walt Disney World area-resort offers 40% savings on four-night stays at the all-suite hotel that just unveiled its new on-site Surfari Water Park in March. Both kids and adults can slip and slide their way through Surfari with two twisting tube slides, an activity pool with additional slides and water features designed just for smaller guests, nearly 700 feet of winding lazy river, and a FlowRider® Double surf simulator for body boarding and stand-up surfing. The Grove’s residential-style accommodations keep families comfortable back in the room: two and three-bedroom suites with multiple bathrooms, full kitchens, washer/dryer, living and dining areas, and screened patios or balconies.
The Winter Olympics may have wrapped in South Korea, but spring is an ideal time to vacation like a champ in Olympic City, U.S.A. – Colorado Springs, Colorado. At Gemstone’s wellness-centric Garden of the Gods Collection, guests will find themselves at the heart of the nation’s athletic training community. The resort’s Explore Olympic City, U.S.A. package gets guests close-up to the action with a three-hour VIP tour of an iconic Olympic City facility plus lunch at the Athlete Cafeteria. Back at the resort, fitness-fans will score a one-hour personal training session at Garden of the God’s International Health and Wellness Center and sweat through a spin class lead by the 2000 official triathlon coach, Michelle Blessing. An athletic award-themed welcome amenity will await back in the resort’s luxury mountain view accommodations that feature private patios and fireplaces (perfect for warming sore muscles!). A $200 resort credit rounds out the offer, helping guests enjoy the resort’s additional amenities.
Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains are calling this spring and The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center answers with its Roanoke Mountain Adventures package. Guests visiting this historic Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property can relish in a scenic escape that gets them up close and personal with all the area has to offer: rivers and creeks for kayaking, standup paddle boarding, and canoeing; bird and wildlife watching; hiking trails with panoramic views and challenging road and mountain biking trails. Through the Roanoke Mountain Adventures package, guests can secure an Adventure Pack with bottled water, an energizer drink, granola bars, trail mix, bananas, and a local guide to the valley. Plus, guests earn 20% off their choice of a guided trip to explore the sites, equipment rental, or trail shuttle service.
