Hawaiian Airlines has Send a Friend contest

Hawaiian Airlines has launched a new Facebook contest that will fly two lucky
friends to any destination in its growing route network in Hawaii, North America, and the Pacific Rim. Anyone can enter Hawaiian’s “Send A Friend” contest through Dec.14, with the
winning friends selected just in time for a special gift giving this holiday season.

Entering the trip-giveaway contest is fast and easy. Go to the Hawaiian Airlines Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/HawaiianAirlines) to access the “Send A Friend” app, select one of your Facebook friends, choose a destination, and click “Publish” to enter. For answers to frequently asked questions, go to http://www.hawaiianair.com/specialoffers/pages/send-a-friend-faq.aspx.

The official contest rules are available at http://send-a-friend.hawaiianairlines.com/home/terms. If selected, both the person entering the contest and their selected Facebook friend will each win a trip for two anywhere Hawaiian flies (flights are subject to seat availability).

Hawaiian offers an enticing menu of 24 travel destinations to select from:
North America: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jos, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle,
Portland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and New York City (begins June 4, 2012)
Pacific Rim: Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka (begins April 16, 2012), Sydney, Manila, Seoul, Tahiti,
and American Samoa
Hawaii: Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island (Hilo and Kona)

Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.

Third night free at Napili Kai Beach Resort on Maui

Napili Kai Beach Resort, a deluxe resort situated on ten beachfront acres on Maui’s popular Napili Bay, is offering “A
Whale of a Deal” for selected dates in 2012. For stays from January
6-27 and April 14-June 15, every third night is free.

Reservations must
be booked by January 6 and the “Whale of a Deal” offer is valid for
stays in Ocean View Studios only. A minimum three-night stay is
required, with every third night free after two consecutive paid nights
at full rate.

For more details on terms and conditions applicable to
this offer, as well as other 2012 specials at Napili Kai, visit www.NapiliKai.com.

Napili
Kai is a family-friendly beach resort. There are no hidden charges or
daily resort fees at Napili Kai, and many complimentary services and
activities are offered to guests on a daily or weekly basis. Parking is
complimentary, as is the in-room high-speed internet service.

The resort
is made up of 163 hotel rooms, studios and one- and two-bedroom suites
in 11 low-rise plantation-style buildings on beautiful Napili Bay.
Studios and suites include kitchen facilities (hotel rooms do not have
kitchens).

Other amenities include a large ocean view whirlpool spa, two
putting greens (one for children, one for adults), shuffleboard courts,
fitness room, boutique day spa, and guest barbecue facilities.
World-class golf and tennis are available across the street from Napili
Kai in the Kapalua resort area. 

For reservations or information, call Napili Kai Beach Resort at toll-free 1-800-367-5030, direct (808) 669-6271, email stay@napilikai.com or visit the resort’s website at www.napilikai.com.

Universal Studios Hollywood adding 3D Transformers ride

Universal Studios Hollywood is adding two new attractions:
“Transformers: The Ride-3D” and a Southern California version of the
Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

“Transformers: The Ride-3D,” a dynamic, motion-based thrill ride
opening May 2012, will tell the “Transformers” story using original,
photo-realistic 3D-HD media, sophisticated special effects masterminded
by Industrial Light & Magic, and one of the most elaborate roaming
flight simulator ride systems ever created. “Transformers: The Ride-3D”
will set a new standard in the world of theme park attractions, and is a
partnership among Universal Parks & Resorts, Hasbro Inc. and
DreamWorks Pictures.

Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Parks and Resorts announced
a partnership to bring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the
enormously popular themed entertainment environment which debuted in
Orlando in June 2010, to Universal Studios Hollywood.The Wizarding World
of Harry Potter will be a fully immersive environment for the entire
family that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful
to the visual landscape of the films, including a majestic Hogwarts
castle to serve as the centerpiece of the themed environment. The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood will be
created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same level of
talent and resources as its Orlando counterpart. The Wizarding World of
Harry Potter at Universal Orlando has attracted more than 10 million
visitors since it opened.

www.universalstudioshollywood.com.

49 Hours of San Francisco: six ways to celebrate the holidays

The
ways to celebrate the holidays in San Francisco are as diverse as the
city itself.  To make the most of this special season, San Francisco
Travel
offers six themed itineraries at the “49 Hours of SF: Holidays”:
website,

www.49HoursofSF.com:

 

        
The Cheerful Caroler – The music lovers guide to the holidays,

http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Cheerful-Caroler.html

        
The Holiday Glutton – A curated list to satisfy all cravings,
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Holiday-Glutton.html

        
The Lover of Lights – Where to find the bright lights in the big city,
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Lover-of-Lights.html

        
The Theatrical Carouser – All the city’s a stage for comedy, drama, melodies and dance,
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Theatrical-Carouser.html

        
The Adventurous Merrymaker – Who can sit still when there’s so much to do?
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Adventurous-Merrymaker.html

        
The Shopping Elf – Special places to find just the thing for everyone you love,
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/shop/holidays/The-Shopping-Elf.html

 

The “49 Hours of SF: Holidays” program includes packages with deeply-discounted rates on hotels when booked at
www.49HoursofSF.com
These packages include a Westfield San Francisco Centre
VIP Passport to Savings for holiday shopping at Westfield San Francisco
Centre. Visitors who book a “49 Hours of SF: Holidays” package with an
American Express card also receive a $50 Westfield San Francisco Centre
gift card.    Packages must be booked by
Dec. 31, 2011, and are valid for travel through Feb. 29, 2012.

 

For
additional holiday savings, regional residents who sign up for PIER
39’s “Locals Only” program will receive 50% off at participating PIER 39
merchants
during the holiday season. 

 

Amtrak
is also putting a bow on the holidays with “Kids Ride Free” on the San
Joaquin and Capitol Corridor routes for up to two children under age
15 per adult through Feb. 29, 2011. Tickets must be purchased by
December 31, 2011.  Terms and conditions apply, visit
www.49HoursofSF.com
for details.

 

“We
know that 48 hours is just not enough time to experience all there is
to see and do in the City by the Bay – especially during the holiday
season,
said Lynn Bruni, San Francisco Travel’s director of consumer marketing.
”  That’s why we’ve named our new campaign “49 Hours of SF: Holidays”
with the goal of encouraging visitors to plan a 48-hour weekend getaway –
plus an extra hour.  The ’49 Hours’ theme
invokes everything from the spirit of the legendary 49ers who came to
San Francisco in 1849 seeking gold to the 49 Mile Scenic Drive that
winds its way through the city’s 49 square miles.”

 

The program is sponsored by American Express, Westfield San Francisco Centre, Amtrak and PIER 39.

 

The
San Francisco Travel Association is the official tourism marketing
organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For
information on reservations, packages, activities and more, visit
www.sanfrancisco.travel
or call 415-391-2000.  The Visitor Information Center is located at 900
Market St. in Hallidie Plaza, lower level, near the Powell Street cable
car turnaround.

 

Kamakana and the Five Fir Trees offered in Hawaii

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from now through December 24, visit Kauai’s annual Festival of Lights at the Historic County Building.
The holiday display features Christmas trees decorated with touches of
Kauai like sparkling rainbows, waterfalls, shave ice and dolphins, or
‘Surfin’ Santa’s Sleigh’ pulled by roosters. Other local favorites
include the ‘SPAM Can’, Hula Bear’, ‘Kilauea Lighthouse’, and ‘Peacock’
trees, and Kauai’s own Aloha Recycled Treasures made from plastic water
bottles. For more information, visit KauaiFestivals.com.

Experience Christmas in Polynesia at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from December 12-23. Guests will take a 25-minute canoe ride that winds through a live production of Kamakana and the Five Fir Trees, a local adaptation of a popular Christmas story, The Three Fir Trees.
Along the route, the grounds will be decked with elaborate Christmas
lights, life-size gingerbread houses, and of course the season’s iconic
Santa Claus. For more information, visit Polynesia.com.

Join the Maui Ocean Center for A Maui FISH-mas now through December 31.
Celebrate the holidays with special presentations, exciting children’s
activities, craft vendors, dining specials, and even a visit from Scuba
Claus. Daily Ocean Naturalist presentations will highlight the
aquarium’s unique marine animals named for their exceptional
holiday-themed appearances, including the Angelfish, Christmas Wrasse,
Snowflake Eel, Candy Cane Shrimp, and more. For more information, visit MauiOceanCenter.com.

Ice skating and snowfall at Hyatt Regency in San Francisco

Hyatt
Regency San Francisco is the city’s “home for the Holidays,” with a
host of holiday plans to entice revelers from near and far, including
San Francisco’s premiere ice skating package.

Ice Skating Package

            With
the Embarcadero Center’s holiday ice rink right outside the hotel’s
back door, Hyatt Regency San Francisco is featuring San Francisco’s
premiere ice skating package, with rates starting at only $179 for two
people.  In addition to a premium room, guests booking this
package will receive two ice rink tickets as well…so they can skate
themselves into the holiday mood. Valid through
December 30, room package bookings are available by visiting www.SanFranciscoHyattRegency.com and entering the booking code “SKATE.”


In
addition to the value priced ice skating package, Hyatt Regency San
Francisco will expect snowfall in its dramatic atrium lobby every day
through the Holiday Season.  Complementing thousands of cascading lights
and 45-foot tree, snow will fall three times a day in the hotel’s
lobby through December 31 at 1pm, 5pm and 7pm,
every day.  This is a new tradition for Hyatt Regency and has already
become one of the city’s most celebrated holiday trademarks, since
making its debut last holiday season.


Hyatt Regency San Francisco is located at 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA. Reservations are required for all holiday bookings, with the exception of breakfast with Santa, and can be made by calling (415) 788-1234.  Additional information and access to reservations are available by visiting http://sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com.

Newport Dunes lights up the bay tonight

 

56986-DunesLites.jpg

Newport

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort’s Lighting of the Bay will take place on Friday, Dec 2 at 6 p.m.  Santa Claus will officially kick off the holiday season by flipping a giant switch to illuminate more than 50 electric Christmas trees situated throughout the bay. 

The public is invited to participate in the free event that will include live musical performances, a Christmas carol sing-a-long, and assorted snacks for sale including the resort’s award-winning seafood chowder to warm the soul.

 Also, guests may pick out their Christmas tree from a lot right on property. Nobles, Nordmans and Grand Firs ranging from 3′ to 10′ will be available.

For more information about Lighting of the Bay, call 949-729-3863 or visit www.newportdunes.com.

 Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort is a 100-acre non-membership recreational area featuring a 386-site state-of-the-art RV park, 450-slip marina and a private waveless beach and playground that has been enjoyed by families since 1958. 

Newport Dunes is also is home to 24 mobile cottages that the public may rent. Visitors may rent kayaks, windsurfers, pedal boats, bicycles, and electric boats.  The Dunes is located at 1131 Back Bay Drive, in Newport Beach visit www.newportdunes.com.