A script, perfume, a tablet…Tell us what you think stars pack in their suitcase and win a fantastic suitcase Samsonite.
How to play:
1- You have to follow Iberostar_eng on twitter
2- Send tweets with the things you think a star will pack in their suitcase. You will have to add the
Hash tag #starsuitcase
3- Ask your friends and users to to retweet your tweet.
User with the most re-tweets wins a fantastic suitcase Samsonite.
Good Luck!
Let’s start out the week with a bang (or at least a song)! Yes, we’re belting out a new travel contest, this time on Twitter, so that for the next seven days you guys can boogy to the beat of our #MusicalDestinations. the first thing you’ll need to do is follow us on Twitter (if you already do so, big thanks, you rock!). Then the idea is to tweet song titles relating to destinations with Iberostar resorts, including the hashtag #MusicalDestinations, the destination – and of course don’t forget to mention us, @iberostarusa.
Every tweet that includes a correct song title and accurate destination along with the hashtag and @iberostarusa mention will be entered in a random drawing on random.org to win a flight and stay for two at one of our resorts.
To give you an even better idea, here’s an example:
#MusicalDestinations @iberostarusa Jamaica “No Woman, No Cry.”
No sweat, right? So get crooning and tweeting – the more you do, the more chances you have to win! Check out the contest rules here.
First of all, we’d like to thank all of you for your enthusiasm! Participation in this contest totally rocked. There were so many bonbons pouring in, if we had to actually eat them all we’d be in a sugar coma! :-S But seriously, folks, on this one we can honestly say you were all LoveStars.
But we could only pick one top winner, and we’re sure you want us to get right to it. The lucky gal, chosen via random.org, is none other than Rita Sams. We’ll be in touch with Rita via email to get her details so we can issue travel documents. If we don’t hear back from Rita within 4 days, we’ll contact the first runner up, Kristen David, and if she doesn’t answer in four days, the second runner-up, Susan Ellen. In the unlikely event we can’t reach any of these folks, we won’t be able to award the prize, so please check your e-mails!
As for the rest of you, as we always say, don’t give up – you just know we’ve got plenty more contests on the way! In fact, we can tell you that the next one starts this coming week. But it’s a whole different ballgame – for starters, it won’t be on Facebook but on Twitter. So sure, we’re definitely looking forward to the weekend – but even more so to next week. How about you? 
Valentine’s Day is around the corner! We celebrate it on February 14, but not all countries do – in Brazil, for example, it’s June 12. But why do we celebrate this holiday at all?
The holiday’s origin isn’t completely clear. Some trace it back to the ancient Romans, which prayed and made offerings to the famous god of love Cupid, with his bow and arrow, asking him to send them their ideal mates. Others hold that the idea of Valentine’s Day comes from northern Europe, where birds begin to mate around this time of year. Then, of course, there’s the day’s namesake himself, Saint Valentine, a Christian priest who married couples in still-pagan 3rd-century Rome (on the down-low, of course).
Wherever it came from all those centuries ago, here in 2012 we’re going to celebrate by looking for our LoveSTAR, because that’s what we’re calling our latest Facebook contest! It’s simple: just fill out your box of chocolates with your friends’ names, and each time one of them accepts your invitation, another bonbon gets added to your box. You’ll need at least 10 candies in order to qualify to get entered for our prize drawing – but don’t stop there, because the final winner will be drawn from a group of whoever racks up the most pieces of candy.
And what is that prize, you’re wondering? The girl or guy who becomes our winning LoveSTAR gets a trip (for two, of course) to our Royal Cupido resort in Majorca, Spain (if the winner lives in Europe), or the Iberostar Bávaro in the Dominican Republic’s beautiful Punta Cana resort area (if the winner lives in the Americas).
Sweet…
We know that inquiring (and anxious) minds want to know! Antonio Banderas has that effect when he’s onscreen – but we also happen to think that in this case it has a little something to do with another star – the gorgeous new Iberostar Cancun. We’ve heard you – you love it!
Before we get to the actual winner, here are the answers to our contest’s six questions:
Q: In Desperado, Banderas plays a tough guy with a guitarist past. Which Iberostar country is the character from?
A: Mexico (ay, chihuahua, kind of a no-brainer, eh?)
Q: Which European city was the backdrop for the film version of Evita, in which Banderas starred with Madonna?
A: Budapest (site of Iberostar’s newest property, the Grand Hotel Budapest, covered in our blog when it opened last summer)
Q: The lead characters of The Mambo Kings (one of which is of course played by our redoubtable Antonio) left this, their native country, to make it in the States. Which Iberostar destination is it?
A: Cuba (Ricky Ricardo, move over!)
Q: In his latest, the animated Puss in Boots, Banderas voices the fearless feline. Where’s this kool kitty from?
A: Spain (finally, Antonio’s home country – not to mention Iberostar’s!)
Q: Antonio and Angelina Jolie make an explosive pair in 2001′s high-octane Original Sin. Where’s this one shot (so to speak)?
A: Mexico (again – hey, what can we say, it’s an exciting place)
Q: Black Gold casts Banderas as an oil-fevered emir in Arabia. In which country (with ten Iberostar hotels) was it filmed?
A: Tunisia (no oil, but oh so lovely beaches and cool historic sites)
So, did you get ‘em all right? Seems like we’ve got a lot of Banderas and Iberostar experts out there, because almost half of you did. But unfortunately there could only be one winner, chosen by random drawing, of our all-expenses paid trip for two to the new Iberostar Cancun. A hearty congratulations to Robin Seeger! You could say this is one blockbuster of a prize, Robin, and we hope you’ll tell us all about your trip!
And the rest of you, don’t despair, guys. Stay tuned, because we’ve got a lot more cool contests coming up, starting next month…
Antonio Banderas is widely known and loved as a movie star, but today the hunky Latin lover brings you a totally different stellar experience: Another opportunity to win a luxury Iberostar getaway for two, with our “A Suite for Banderas” contest. We’re talking 6 nights and 7 days at our new Iberostar Cancún, including flights!
As most of you know, on December 1 we’re opening our latest Iberostar property in Mexico: The Iberostar Cancún. We’ve invested more than $100 million to renovate and make the resort even more spectacular. As part of our celebration, we’re launching a fun new contest centered on our friend Antonio Banderas, brand spokesman for Iberostar, who will attend our inaugural festivities in early 2012. During his stay, he will bunk in the very suite that one of you will name, so be creative: What would be a fitting name for a luxury suite where a star of Banderas’ magnitude will stay?
We never stop coming up with ways to make you feel like “stars,” so if you want to be the star of this particular contest and win a trip to the Iberostar Cancún in Mexico, go to our “A Suite for Banderas” tab on our Facebook page to enter. Just tell us what you would name the suite where the actor will stay, and ask your friends to vote for you, as only those entries with more than 20 votes will be considered by our panel. Good luck to all our Stars!
No question about it: There’s some serious culinary talent among our fan base! Our poor beleaguered IberostarChef panel reports this was one of the toughest assignments of their lives, selecting just one winner among such a mouth-watering smörgåsbord of offerings. Put yourself in their shoes: how could you possibly choose between Sunita Bassra’s adobo shrimp tacos with goat cheese, and Kate Hochstein Rivas’ crème brûlée with a dollop of coconut whipped cream? Patricia George’s roasted red pepper and herbed-chèvre swirls, topped with jumbo shrimp made all our heads spin, and don’t get us started on Priya Sethi Malhotra’s alluring Do Not Disturb! cocktail!
But in the end, rules are rules, and the panel had to choose but one. After much angst, deliberation, and some serious hunger pangs, John Kwan’s fire roasted foie gras with stuffed cornish hen on a bed of caviar and wild mushroom risotto won the day. His tantalizing prize: round-trip flights and an all-inclusive 5-night stay for two at Iberostar’s Paraíso Resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya*, during which he and his companion will have the opportunity to sample this sublime dish, prepared by one of our talented chefs. How’s that for a mouth-watering prize?
For the rest of our contestants, our “heartiest” thanks for tempting us with your culinary creations. We’re still in a mood to hand out great travel prizes, so do stay tuned and keep an eye on Facebook in the coming week! Bon appétit!
*Not including the Grand Hotel Paraíso.
#Startrip is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get, but it’s always something good. One day it might be a fabulous trip to the Riviera Maya with a group of fun-loving travel bloggers, another time it might be a Twitter contest with great prizes, like the ones we’re about to announce today. Without further ado, the nine winners of our discount vouchers are:
And the lucky winner of the tenth prize, who gets a five-night trip for two including flights with the person of their choice, is none other than @odiomivida! Please join us in wishing @odiomivida a hearty bon voyage (for those of you unwise in the ways of Spanish, “odiomivida” means “I hate my life” – here’s hoping that this incredible opportunity to enjoy an Iberostar resort will change that!) 
Winners, we’ll be in touch over the course of the coming week, so please be patient: your prizes are nigh. We hope you all enjoy your stays in our hotels, and that you’ll share pics when you come back. As for those who didn’t win this time, we feel your pain, but there are more chances to win: have you tried our IberostarChef contest yet? If you haven’t, do it right now, as the contest expires on Monday. And as always, stay tuned, as we have many more surprises up our sleeves!
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! At long last, we have the names of the lucky winners of our Fake Trip and Fake Trip SMS contests. If your name is among those published below, bang some pots, kiss the dog and tell your friends you’re going to party with Iberostar! Without further delay:
The 5 intrepid travelers who embarked on a Fake Trip and won a real one are:
And the Fake Trip SMS winner is:
Congrats to all! We’ll contact you individually via email within the next few days, so don’t stray too far from the inbox. We truly hope you all enjoy your stay with us, and trust that upon your return you’ll make us all jealous with your fab pictures on our Facebook wall!
If you didn’t win this time, don’t despair! We’re cooking up lots more opportunities to win free vacations. In fact, if you’re on Twitter, make sure you try our #Startrip travel contest by November 17th for a chance to win great discounts and a glorious trip for two including flights.
And if you’re following us on Facebook, don’t be a stranger: we’ve got more cool surprises up our sleeves. Thanks to all for participating!
How’d you like to win a luxury all-inclusive stay on Mexico‘s fabulous Riviera Maya? Well, you’re in luck today, as we’re launching our Fake Trip Facebook contest! It’s fun, it’s easy, and the prizes are truly worthy of a star: Five five-day all-inclusive vacations for two at the IBEROSTAR Paraíso Resort on spectacular Paraíso Beach!*
How to Play
Here’s the deal: All you need is a Facebook profile, to be a fan of Iberostar’s Facebook page (if you aren’t already!), and a webcam. If all the Iberostar Connection videos of people having a blast at our resorts have been making you just a wee bit jealous, here’s your chance to send a cool video message to friends/family/partner/colleague, whoever you choose. The catch? It’s totally fake! But that’s just part of the fun, and with a little luck, you could be one of the prize winners and eventually send a video from a real vacation! Now, in three easy steps:
1. Go to the Fake Trip tab on our Facebook page.
2. Select background image and recipient.
3. Position yourself in the cutout and record the message.
That’s it! Be original, have fun with it, and make sure to ask your friends to pitch in and help you bag the prize, because we’ll pick the winners from among the ten most-voted videos. Good luck to all!
*Not including the Grand Hotel Paraíso.
