Beach : 23/10/2007
07/05/2008 : 15 reasons to love this beach
The Surf Hotel in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, was engulfed by a major fire late last night, which also affected adjacent buildings.
WBZ-TV reports that the Surf Hotel was destroyed in the fire, but no one was hurt, as it is closed for the winter.
The Surf Hotel's official Web site described the hotel as a small family-owned operation “situated in the middle of all beach activities … directly opposite the Atlantic Ocean at Hampton Beach, NH.”
The area is about an hour north of Boston and a popular tourist destination.
The AP reports that Hampton Beach has a history of major fires, including incidents in 1915, 1923, 1950, and 1999.”
Five buildings in all were destroyed by the fire, per Boston.com, which also adds the following details about the blaze:
A fire alarm activated at 295 Ocean Blvd. shortly after midnight, said Hampton Fire Capt ain David Lang. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire on the first floor of the wood-frame hotel and thick smoke billowing from the building.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There are typically three reasons people go on vacation: they want to experience a climate different from their usual (at least for the time being), they want to eat without counting calories (guilt comes later, of course), and they want to leave work behind (ahhh, no stress).
Vin (my boyfriend) and I did just that this past week. Our destination: Mazatlan, Mexico. We'd like to say that we carefully picked the vacation spot, but we'd be lying. We didn't care where we went, we just wanted to fulfill those key causes for leaving the Northeast. And, success! We accomplished our intentions, and Riu Emerald Bay, the all-inclusive resort where we spent seven days, met our expectations.
Here's what we discovered…
Hello, Mazatlan!
When one travels outside of their comfort zone — usually to a foreign territory — you can't help but feel a little suspicious. Upon our arrival to the Mazatlan International Airport, we were greeted by gorgeous weather and friendly faces. Weirdness came a little later when finding a taxi became a recruitment session to lease a timeshare. Luckily, we were not prime candidates — we were under the age of 30 and unmarried. (If there was ever a good reason to lie about your marital status and age, keep that in mind if you ever visit Mazatlan).
Once we nabbed a taxi without an agenda, it took about 30 minutes — with a little bit of traffic — to get to Riu Emerald Bay. At check-in, we were given cool, fruity beverages, as well as plastic bracelets to wear at all times to indicate we were resort guests. Okay, so the bracelets were a little reminiscent of those pesky things you'd wear around your wrist at under-21 dance clubs, but we were too mesmerized by the hotel's beautiful lobby and great scenery to react.
We escorted ourselves to our oceanfront jacuzzi suite (you can also have a bellboy bring you if you desire), dropped our bags, and headed off to explore the food that awaited us.
Buffet, Anyone?
Although typical dining options are offered at the resort's Mexican restaurant and steakhouse whereby you order from a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts, Riu Emerald Bay thrives on being plentiful. By that, I mean endless selections in a buffet style.
Unlike the all-you-can-eat restaurants you sadly might be familiar with — quantity over quality, spooky salad bars, unidentifiable dishes — the buffet options at Riu Emerald Bay exhibit some finesse and sophistication. Yes, there's a wide variety, and sure, some dishes might be too exotic to recognize, but quality was made a priority (and luckily, everything is labeled).
For breakfast, stations await you where you can order anything from poached eggs to a custom omelette — feel free to add some delicious salsa at your leisure. Lunch provides scrumptious specialties like paella and empanadas. And, carving stations that serve proteins like lamb, duck and ribeye sprout up at dinnertime. There are also chefs available on demand should you want steak, pork loin or pasta made to order (just to name a few).
Of course, the menu doesn't just end there. The options were vast and the food was quite tasty, that by day three of our weeklong trip, we were wishing we brought sneakers and exercise clothes to make use of the resort's modest gym, or at the very least, do some cardio on the beach.
Ahhh…
In between stuffing our faces, however, we took full advantage of the sun. We lounged on the beach in the morning located just steps from the resort's backdoor, at one of the three swimming pools in the afternoon with occasional dips in the refreshing water, and in our 19th floor suite's balcony jacuzzi to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
FIY, each guest is only allowed one beach towel at a time. You can trade wet ones in for dry ones throughout the day, but come nightfall, you have to bring yours back in exchange for a card to use the following day. Although it might seem a little cumbersome, we actually loved the rule as it discouraged annoying lounger savers and towel wasters.
On our last day in Mazatlan, we took in a couple's aromatherapy massage at the Renova Spa, located on the resort's premises. Before or after treatments, guests can take a dip in the spa's lavish indoor jacuzzi, sit in the saunas located in gender-specific locker rooms, or just enjoy some tea on a lounger.
The only snag? Although robes and hand towels were readily available, there were no large towels in sight! We looked everywhere, and finally had to ask spa attendants for a couple to dry ourselves off from our dip in the jacuzzi. Minutes after use, they disappeared. Were there other patrons desperate for big towels? Or, are their spa attendants just that quick to tidy up? We'll never know.
By week's end, it was apparent — the towel limitations, trying bracelets and guilt-ridden eating frenzies were no match for all that this all-inclusive resort had to offer. We'd gladly come back for the glorious weather, tasty food, luxurious amenities and the kind hospitality of the Riu Emerald Bay staff alone. It's a small price to pay for paradise.
Source : m3i upgrade
