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Go Travel Stl named winner by The Knot Best of Weddings 2018!

September 29, 2018 By Susan Robson

GO TRAVEL STL NAMED WINNER IN THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS 2018

Twelfth Annual Best of Weddings Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Across America

Chesterfield, MO, September, 2018—GO TRAVEL STL is pleased to announce they have been selected as a 2018 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, the #1 wedding resource. This is the 4th year GO TRAVEL STL has been selected for The Knot Best of Weddings.

Winning The Knot Best of Weddings is a BIG deal! To determine the winners, The Knot assessed almost one million reviews from real couples across the various vendor categories—venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more. The Knot Best of Weddings 2018 list showcases the highest- and most-rated vendors across all regions and planning categories. Check out this year’s Best of Weddings winners to start your wedding /honeymoon planning and see all the top vendors in your area, including florists, wedding planners and everything (yes, everything) in between.

“This is an honor to be recognized by our clients, for 4 years in a row, as the winner of this prestigious award – Go Travel Stl.”

For more information about The Knot Best of Weddings and a complete list of winners, please visit www.TheKnot.com/BestofWeddings

GO TRAVEL STL

Meet The Owner – Susan Robson…Most of my life career was spent teaching children. After I retired, I combined my love of teaching, with another love…TRAVEL! Working with couples who are soon going to be married, is so exciting and invigorating. It is wonderful to be able to share their enthusiasm and the joy of a new life together. My role is to make their first Dream together come true!

If you would like to get started now, go to www.GoTravelStl.com, to complete the much talked about

“Perfect Honeymoon Finder”, a Go Travel Stl exclusive! Thank you!

Susan

Luxury at it’s finest – Hyatt Ziva Cancun – A Must see!

August 11, 2018 By Susan Robson

This is a resort that I’d been wanting to see for some time, so on this trip to Cancun, it was a must! And, WOW…what a WOW factor! The resort is expansive, modern & impeccably clean, 17 bars and restaurants, breathtaking oceanfront views, and exceptional service provided by every staff member.

Entering the property and walking through the lobby, your eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful azure & turquoise blue waters of Punta Cancun’s peninsula. The water is warm & calm, and the sand is soft and kid-friendly! Because of the resort’s position on this peninsula, guests see spectacular beach Everywhere! The beach area right in front of the resort is smaller, but the “Club” Tower section has it’s own “private beach”, which is way more expansive with plenty of chairs, umbrellas & cabanas in both areas. 3 infinity pools, private piers for romantic dinners, unlimited room service, and 11 ala carte & international dining/buffets are all available on this property.

Between the standard rooms and the “Club” suites at this resort, the “Club” rooms definitely have more space and come with more amenities and well-appointed features. The rooms come with 5 full bottles of liquor- sparkling wine, scotch, tequila, vodka, and rum, along with various other snacks and candies. The views were amazing! I can’t stress that enough! These were spectacular! Since they are so high up, there a total view of our

surroundings. However, most rooms have awesome views of the ocean, but maybe not as superior a view depending on how high up the room is located. It didn’t matter if you were looking out from the balcony (which included a hot tub), from the room, or fromthe bathroom, all provided picturesque views of the resort and the peninsula.

The main pool/quad area is accessible right off the lobby, and boasts several levels of pools, with some areas covered by awnings. There is also a poolside bar that provides drinks and refreshments. Music, performances or cookouts took place at different times of the day. Directly in front of the Club Tower, is another pool area with tiered levels of pools, with consistent water depth throughout each tiered level. A poolside bar available in the patio area of the Club Tower. There is also adults only rooftop pool and bar, which has some totally captivating views, and a kids club, that has a kiddie waterpark along with slides and other activities, for children ages 4-12 only.

The service and dining at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun definitely went above and beyond a normal hotel/resort stay. The resort has 7 ala carte – actual sit-down dining restaurants serving different themed cuisines. Totally 11-12 “food options” available to guests. There is also 24-hour room service, so your “food options” are truly unlimited. La Bastille – French restaurant, El Mercado – buffet, Moongate – contemporary Asian, Tradewinds – grill & steakhouse, 24 Hours – snacks & finger foods, Lorenzo’s – Italian, Habeneros – beach/pool grill, Chevy’s – Classic diner, Pasteles – ice cream fountain, Casa Del Café – coffee shop, Tres Cervezas – sports bar, Club Tower Lounge – snacks/finger foods, Room Service – the best!

The service and dining at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun definitely went above and beyond a normal hotel/resort stay. Truly truly, this resort would provide an amazing and enjoyable time! Guests can FULLY relax here, as almost all of the small details are taken care of. All you have to do is be there… and enjoy! I can’t wait to visit and enjoy the wonderful Hyatt Ziva Cancun again someday! If you or your family would like to check this out, be sure to contact me…Susan@GoTravelStl.com Coming next…Hyatt Zilara! Thanks! Susan

Love Mexico is all about it!

April 3, 2016 By Susan Robson

Love Mexico is all about it! It is a unique educational and networking event, held yearly, developed through a partnership with the Mexico Tourism Board. Love Mexico’s purpose is to showcase Mexico as a premier destination for weddings, honeymoons and romance. The event was packed with seminars, meetings with resorts, appointments with special suppliers, photographers, resort site visits and real experiences of Mexico. I’m proud of my new “Love Mexico Specialist” recognition and designation, that I earned by attending the events and seminars.

Several resorts were part of the Love Mexico experience for me: Royalton Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway, Playacar Palace, Grand Velas, and Secrets Akumal. We spent a day doing site visits and learning about each property’s wedding offerings.

Playacar Palace, a family friendly property, is a part of the Palace family of resorts…and what an aawesome destination resort experience it offers! Location, location, location is an understatement here. Situated on a great stretch of beach with plenty of walking and swimming possibilities, makes it one of the best choices in Playa del Carmen. And, speaking of Play del Carmen, Playacar Palace is just steps away from the vibrant shopping experience travelers seek in Playa del Carmen – the renowned Playa del Carmen 5th Avenue and the Cozumel Ferry Dock. So, consider Playacar Palace a little”Palace” unto it’s own. “It is a trendy beachfront resort situated in the heart of Playa del Carmen, and it’s easy to see why we “Love Mexico”.

With 201 fabulous rooms, 3 restaurants, and 4 bars, this resort is considered the perfect spot to relax during the day and enjoy the nightlife and charms of “Playa” at night. It is perfect for families, couples, weddings, Honeymoons, and group Getaways. Add to all of this, guest can get up to $1500 in resort credits for excursions, spa, romantic dinners, and even the jewelry store. There is a max. that can be spent at any one time, like $300 in the jewelry store. Guests using resort credits must also pay a tax of 15% for any resort credits used, at check-out. Example: if $1000 is spent in resort credits, there would be a tax due of $150 – still a really good deal! Playacar Palace is due for a mega-renovation, to begin very soon. Once this is complete, the resort will be showing it’s best!

“Akumal”, or home of the tortugas (turtles) is located on Akumal Bay, an area between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, is yet another reason to Love Mexico. Secrets Akumal, the latest AMResorts resort opening, is located in an area of white sand beaches and in the calm, clear waters of Akumal. This stunning new resort offers Adults (only) a charming, picturesque and exceptional Unlimited-Luxury experience. The resort offers 434 luxurious guest suites, each featuring a king, or two double beds, private balcony or terrace, in suite jacuzzi for two, complimentary mini-bar & WiFi, unlimited connectivity, 24 hour room service (fabulous, by the way), and concierge services. Guests can choose from six gourmet, ala carte restaurants, a grill, 1 buffet, and a cafe – all of which do not require reservations. The resort offers so many fun activities, you’ll never have time for them all: 1. soak in the sun at one of the 3 amazing pools or beach 2. workout in a state of the art fitness center 3. kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, and windsurfing 4. live shows nightly 5. outdoor jacuzzi’s 6. ping pong 7. basketball & volleyball 8. beach & pool volleyball 9. Euro bungee 10. dance lessons 11. water aerobics 12. Hobie cats 13. paddle boards 14. water polo 15. water bicycles 16. golf, deep sea fishing, scuba and sportfishing *extra fee. This resort’s personality is social, active, fun-loving, and vibrant. There is a constant presence of snorkelers, kayakers and paddle boarders in the ocean (because it is just so good). Even tho there are also quiet pool areas, the main pool is busy with volleyball, basketball and drink matting (social drinking around a swim mat). The employees and staff at Secrets Akumal are very welcoming, helpful and friendly. They go out of their way to do their best and provide outstanding service to their guests!

If you would like more information or pricing about any of the resorts that I saw on this trip, or others, please contact me – Susan@GoTravelStl.com. Or, if you would like me to complete an analysis for your Dream Honeymoon, just go to my website, www.GoTravelStl.com to complete my well-known “Perfect Honeymoon finder”. It’s easy and fun!

Susan

GO TRAVEL STL NAMED WINNER IN THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS 2016

March 12, 2016 By Susan Robson

GO TRAVEL STL NAMED WINNER IN THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS 2016

Tenth Annual Best of Weddings Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Across America

Chesterfield, MO, March, 2016—GO TRAVEL STL is pleased to announce they have been selected as a 2016 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, the #1 wedding resource. This is the 2nd year GO TRAVEL STL has been selected for The Knot Best of Weddings.

In 2016, only 2% of the 250,000 local wedding professionals listed on TheKnot.com have received this distinguished accolade. In its tenth annual year, The Knot continues its longstanding tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2016, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot assessed almost one million reviews from real couples across the various vendor categories—venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more. These winners represent the best of the best for wedding planning professionals that a bride or groom would want to consider order to inspire, plan and pull off their own unique wedding.

“This is an honor to be recognized by our clients, as the winner of this prestigious award – Go Travel Stl.”

The Knot has helped inspire and plan more than 25 million weddings. With a rich history of providing quality content and inspiration to couples, The Knot is making it easier for couples to connect with just the right wedding professional to create a wedding that is unique to them. Eight out of 10 couples come to The Knot where they can be connected to any of 250,000 local wedding professionals across the country. The Knot marries great technology with trusted content–and a little love–to make planning for the most important day of a person’s life easier and more enjoyable.

For more information about The Knot Best of Weddings and a complete list of winners, please visit www.TheKnot.com/BestofWeddings

GO TRAVEL STL

About The Knot: The Knot is the nation’s leading wedding resource with a marketplace that seamlessly engages, matches and connects couples with the right local vendors, products and services they need to plan and pull off their wedding. The trusted brand reaches nearly every bride in the US through the #1 wedding website TheKnot.com, its mobile apps. The Knot national and local wedding magazines and The Knot book series. The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that is uniquely them. Please visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

If you would like to get started now, go to www.GoTravelStl.com, to complete the much talked about “Perfect Honeymoon Finder”, a Go Travel Stl exclusive.

Susan

Go Travel Stl receives Bronze WeddingWire Rated Badge

March 7, 2016 By Susan Robson

Go Travel Stl Receives Bronze WeddingWire Rated™ Badge

Chesterfield, MO – March 7, 2016 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Go Travel Stl has received the WeddingWire Rated™ Bronze badge for excellence in Destination Weddings and Honeymoons.

The esteemed WeddingWire Rated™ program recognizes wedding professionals who have received positive newlywed reviews about their business on WeddingWire. The program recognizes businesses across more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and requires a minimum of three wedding reviews and an average rating of 3.5 stars or higher.

Within the WeddingWire Rated™ program, there are seven different levels that wedding professionals can reach based on the number of wedding reviews they receive (3, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500). The WeddingWire Rated™ Bronze badge is awarded when a business receives ten or more quality reviews.

As a member of WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews, Go Travel Stl’s achievement of Rated™ is an impressive milestone and an indication of the positive experiences expressed by their past clients. As a recipient of the Bronze badge, Go Travel Stl is highlighted on WeddingWire, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Click here to view badge and award.

“With the growing importance of online reviews, WeddingWire is pleased to celebrate the successes of the wedding professionals who have received positive reviews on WeddingWire,” said Sonny Ganguly, CMO, WeddingWire. “We are honored to recognize Go Travel Stl for their impressive work within the wedding industry.”

“Go Travel Stl is thrilled to have achieved the WeddingWire Rated™ Bronze badge for Destination Weddings and Honeymoons in Chesterfield, MO. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire; it means so much to us and our business to have received the positive feedback that helped us earn this badge. We are dedicated to providing excellent service to our clients and look forward to increasing to the next Rated™ level in the near future.”

For more information about Go Travel Stl, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront at: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/go-travel-stl-chesterfield/51afbe4bb0da1fa3.html

WeddingWire®, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource.designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge.

For planning your next Destination Wedding or Honeymoon, check out the “Perfect Honeymoon finder” on Go Travel Stl.

Susan

Want to Get Married…in Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, or the Dominican Republic?

December 8, 2014 By Susan Robson

Many couples ask me…How do couples get married in Mexico, Jamaica, or the Dominican Republic? It turns out, Destination Weddings are as easy as P.I.E.S. (popular-inexpensive-easy-stress free). Because of the romantic, tropical and sea beauty of the Caribbean, it is a popular and favorite choice for destination weddings. But, brides and grooms do need to know the two kinds of ceremonies, and then make the best choice for themselves.

What type of ceremony? There are two types offered…legal (civil) or symbolic.

Symbolic ceremony – I’ll start with the easiest of the two. Picture this ceremony as a “performance”, and remember that it doesn’t change anyone’s marital status. Most couples decide to “legally” marry in the USA prior to their destination wedding celebration, primarily because of the foreign requirements to have a legal ceremony (these will follow). The resort the couple chooses will: 1. tell them how many days they need to be present to assist and direct planning, 2. give the couple wedding package choices, and 3. coordinate & orchestrate the wedding. Couples can “individualize” their wedding by including wedding traditions, and stylizing every aspect to suit their personalities and likes. All of this is coordinated via email & phone calls through the travel agent, wedding coordinator, and the couple.

Civil or Legal ceremony – Generally, there are basic requirements in all foreign countries that remain somewhat consistent, but they will vary depending on the country. For purposes here, generalizations will be given and every couple should contact the Consulate in that country for specifics and to verify all facts and details.

1. Pre-wedding blood tests & possibly chest x-rays done in the wedding location. Documentation: 1. notarized copy of birth certificates and letters stating single status – these need to be translated in the language of the country. 3. 1 – 3 business days waiting period & 2 – 4 witnesses with valid id’s (varies by country). 4. Copies of any divorce decree or death certificate of a previous spouse. 5. Passports & copies.

The legal ceremony is conducted in Spanish by a Judge and translated into English by the wedding coordinator. The wedding certificate translation is at a cost of about $150. In the USA, the State Dept. requires that all wedding certificates from ceremonies in foreign countries, have the Apostille Seal. This can be completed by the wedding coordinator (boy, this person is busy), and is then sent and delivered to a U.S.A. address approximately 90 business days after the ceremony. Registration of the marriage certificate in a couple’s home country should be done once it is received. A wedding planner can be hired in the destination to assist with getting all of the required documents and paperwork complete. Often, a resort’s wedding department can provide information, as well. There are many details to this legal ceremony, so consider contacting the Consulate in the country of the destination wedding. Another general listing of the needed documents and waiting/preparation days for legal weddings:

Documents Needed Waiting/preparation days

Passports and birth certificate Bahamas – 1 day Dominican – 3 days
single status proof Mexico – 2 days
At least 2 witnesses Jamaica – 1 day
registration fee – approximately $300

Do you still have questions? Your travel agent and wedding coordinator can assist you to find the right answers. If you are now ready to begin looking at and planning your destination wedding, please go to www.GoTravelStl.com and begin by filling out the Perfect Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Analysis.

Look for my next blog…Planning a Destination wedding.

Susan