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Phyllis Stoller has a BA from Tufts University, an MA from New York University and a Finance Degree from the University of the South Bank, London England. Phyllis Stoller founded and managed for 16 years, the largest tour operator for women in North America. She was voted top in women’s travel by Travel & Leisure Magazine,the first to receive this honor. Phyllis has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, Lifetime TV for Women and others. She is a consultant on marketing to women.
Phyllis now resides in New York City and London, England and is affiliated with ECPS Consulting Corporation in New York. She prides herself on her family: husband, Eric, a ‘keeper’, sons Nick (comedy writer and director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Matt , a progressive political strategist who works with liberal Democratic candidates. Phyllis can be reached at Phyllisnycity@gmail.com.
Past Articles
TRAVEL TIPS FOR TOMATOES
For more great tips, visit Phyllis at the Examiner.
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Getting a Bargain, by Learning to Read Between the Lines: Mexico and a great spa for Women
Find yourself the Mexican vacation deal of the year by learning to read between the lines. 1. List areas where violence in Mexico takes place and you will find seedy, drug selling corners mainly in 4 border towns. 2. Count how many people have become sick from swine flu--you will be more concerned about your next winter cough. 3. Study what your tax dollars support: The US State Department notes on Mexico which tells you it is safe to go. 4. Follow the Peso which is dropping against the dollar.
Flights are cheap due to low fuel surcharges and taxes. Airlines are competing for passengers and new ‘Jetblue” types are springing up: Volaris.com for instance will code share with SW Airlines in 2010. Service on Mexican airlines is closer to the customer-friendly European model: Mexicana still serves meals in economy class and Delta offers endless free movies.
What many Americans do not know is that Mexico goes from 11,000 ft. mountains to sea level. Much of the central plateau is a Summer Destination: spa village Ixtapan de la Sal, for instance, at 5400 ft. is cool in the summer and moderate in the winter. UNESCO Heritage Site, San Cristobal, in Chiapas and Copper Canyon up north are only summer/fall destinations.
The Peso has fallen to 13/1 and this means more silver, more pewter, more ceramics, more hand embroidered jewelry and carpets and more margaritas. Mexico is known for other than those awful hats coming home on the person you least want as your seat companion. For fine products try Oaxacan vegetable dyed carpets, ‘Castillo’ silver inlaid with semi precious animals, hand painted Talavera pottery. At 13/1 these fine items are affordable.
Gourmet food: tacos are fun but you are really missing it if you do not try gourmet Mexican food. Presentation is lovely as in the national dish: a green poblano pepper stuffed with walnut vegetarian filling, covered with white sauce and sprinkled with red pomegranate seeds : red/white and green are the national colors! Surprises to tourists are how mild some of the dishes can be, how fresh are the breads, and how amazing local Oaxaca cheese. Try it grilled over vegetables, breakfast eggs, and tacos in lieu of pasta. Cactus when topped with shrimp and cheese and grilled is a must. And this is the home of vanilla and chocolate, nuff said.
Hotels and spas in Mexico offer the pampering you rarely give yourself. Some of the best known spas are sold in this country by a service called SpaFinders. These range from deluxe like Rancho de la Puerta from $2800++ a week, to Rio Caliente a moderate spa from $1200 off season. Many hotels have spas on site but costs will always be extra from the room: a good but outdated list is on Gomexico section of About.com. Before you fly away to any mystery overseas hotel, google it, check prices with agents and with internet bookers and make sure at least some of them have sent clients there. Other things to do are ask how many treatment rooms the spa has ( this will tell you if it is really a spa), what products they use, what hours the spa is open ( destination spas give appointments as late as 9PM), and whether or not people wear robes to meals (in hotels with spa facilities, this is a no no; but in destination spas, this is frequent dress). Doctor on site? Robes and slippers supplied? Spa cuisine on a separate menu?
When I was a women’s tour operator, we sent 100’s of women to www.spamexico.com and as a result I became the US rep for the resort. Lucky me.
Ixtapan Spa Hotel and Golf Resort is in the lovely mountain village of Ixtapan de la Sal Mexico-www.spamexico.com. For $1175 pp dd. (a Summer special is 20% off that price) + tips and taxes you get 7 nights with 21 treatments massages, facials, nail and hair treatments, loofah, fango , plus fitness classes and walks in the California-like terrain. 4 nights / 5days in Ixtapan is currently the Special 20% rate: $616 double and only $80 more single. All meals are included.
So read between the lines, folks and you are set for the perfect recession proof treat. And if you have 10 friends who want to go to Ixtapan with you, a group discount awaits all year around.
Notes: I am a client and also the marketing representative for Ixtapan Spa Hotel and Golf Resort. My friends are going in a group in November, tell The Three Tomatoes if you want to join us!
Mexico is THE vacation deal. Short flights into modern airports . Scenery: cool mountains and hot beaches. Low Peso: at 13/1, jewelry shopping is like a candy with no calories. Gourmet food to eat or to bring home (pure vanilla or fresh oily beans are one of Mexico’s surprises). Hotels quite unaffordable in the US. And spas with services to reach every nerve in your system.
