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Play it again Sam…

marzo 14th, 2013 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in THE WORLD OF IBEROSTAR - (0 Comments)

 

 

THE CASABLANCA CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

 

Here is the perfect recipe for a scintillating soirée.  We suggest a champagne or cava cocktail in the purest style of Rick’s Café in Casablanca, along with some small details to transform your evening into an immensely glamorous experience.

Ingredients

Champagne or Cava

1 shot of Brandy or Cognac

3 drops of Angostura bitters

1 sugar lump

And also…

Strawberries

A piano

Candles

Preparation

Preparing the champagne cocktail is quite simple. Place a sugar lump in the bottom of a champagne glass and add three drops of Angostura bitters. Add the shot of brandy and then fill the rest of the glass with champagne or cava, always cold.

It is important to use a sugar lump, as you will see a beautiful array of effervescent bubbles as it dissolves. For this reason, serve it immediately so that it can shine in all its glory.

Such a glamorous cocktail deserves a suitable ambiance. Use candles and soft lighting to create an intimate atmosphere and make the champagne bubbles shine with all their splendor. If you accompany the drink with strawberries, you will achieve the necessary exotic and romantic touch. As for the soundtrack to the perfect evening, if you have a piano and know how to play it, this is your moment. If this is not the case, you can always put on some music by, say, Petrucciani. Or indeed the theme music to Casablanca, “As time goes by”, which will transport you to a world of stars…

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Los Bandoleros: Vin Diesel in the Dominican Republic

abril 10th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

fast & furious

Short movies

Those of a certain age might remember when a trip to the cinema usually involved two movies: the one you’d paid to go and see and a short film, usually no more than 15 minutes, that was quite likely a director’s first attempt at getting noticed by a wider audience. Those days are long gone, but look closely and you will find the occasional short film still being produced, often being added as a bonus on a DVD and telling a back-story to the main feature.

Fast and Furious

One such example is the 20 minute movie Los Bandoleros, directed by the one and only Vin Diesel and shot in the Dominican Republic. Action movie buffs and fans of  Vin Diesel films will be familiar with the five The Fast and the Furious films, in which Vin Diesel and friends race a whole array of fast cars, carry lots of bank notes in suspicious sacks and spend most of their time in the company of the type of beautiful girls your parents probably warned you about.

Los Bandoleros served as a prequel to Fast and Furious, the imaginatively-titled fourth installment in the series. At the start of Fast and Furious Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his crew are hijacking fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic, but the reasons for them being in the country are not so clear. This is where Los Bandoleros helps to fill the gap in the story. The short story tells the tale of how the gang reform in the Dominican Republic and includes the small matter of a jail break to get everyone back together.

Perhaps the best thing about short movies such as Los Bandoleros is that they can be watched free of charge and without any fuss. In fact the whole movie is available on Youtube in two installments. The producers are presumably happy for it to be distributed widely as it helps promote the main movie.

The Perfect Beach?

The Dominican Republic also comes out well from Vin Diesel’s short movie. He is a self-confessed admirer of the country and it was no surprise it was chosen as a filming location. Check out the final scenes played out on the stunning Caribbean beach with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez; you may just want to drop everything and find your own way to this tropical paradise.

Photo: riccardodivirgilio on Flickr

If you ever decide to drop everything and find your way to this tropical paradise, stay at one of the Iberostar Hotels in  Dominican Republic.

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License to Snorkel: James Bond on the Yucatan Coast

marzo 1st, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

IslaMujeres

Looking back at the 22 James Bond movies made so far, it’s hard to pick one that is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be the best. The chances are that License to Kill is unlikely to be too many people’s favorite: Considered to be one of the weakest movies by the critics, Tom Hibbert of Empire described Timothy Dalton’s performance as “quite hopeless” while Entertainment Weekly slammed the movie’s Bond girl Pam Bouvier as “a nagging pest”. Others however have defended the movie, claiming it is one of the most faithful to the Bond in Ian Fleming’s novels.

The production of License to Kill was fraught with problems from the beginning. While every previous Bond film had been produced at UK studios, a change in tax laws had meant that it was no longer feasible to use the British Pinewood studios and so an alternative had to be sourced. The problems continued post-production with the original name for the film, License Revoked, considered a poor choice in the US. As a result all marketing materials had to be re-created to reflect the change of movie title.

Isla Mujeres

Much of Licence to Kill was set in Mexico, with Mexico City playing the part of the Republic of Isthmus. Underwater filming meanwhile took place around Isla Mujeres near Cancun on the Yucatan coast. The island, although undergoing much development in recent years, remains a charming retreat from the busy coastal resorts it faces on the mainland.

For those on a Mexican vacation Isla Mujeres is an easy day trip from Cancun, with visitors able to visit Dolphin Discovery or take Whale Shark tours in the summer months. Renowned for its clear waters and excellent snorkeling and scuba diving, it is no wonder that the production team chose to film their water-based sequences on Isle Mujeres.

A Bond Farewell

License to Kill was something of a watershed for the James Bond story. It was Dalton’s final appearance as Bond before being replaced by Piers Brosnan. Others, too, made their Bond farewell in this film, including Robert Brown as ‘M’ and Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny.

Whatever the merits of the movie, however, few can argue that one of its stars was the stunning Yucatan peninsula and its underwater marvels.

Live your own James Bond adventure at Iberostar’s stunning Yucatan resorts… or just veg on the beach. With a plethora of fun activities for kids and adults alike, it truly is up to you.

Photo | Ezarate

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‘Our Man in Havana’: A Most Unlikely Spy

febrero 21st, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

While the Caribbean may have provided a backdrop to the world’s most famous spy, it was also home to one of the most unlikely heroes in the world of fictional espionage. Written in 1958, only a few months before Fidel Castro seized power in the Cuban revolution, Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana presents a damning picture of comical incompetence at the top levels of the British intelligence services.

An Unwilling Spy

Jim Wormwold may not match James Bond for his glamorous life as a secret agent, but Greene’s character makes the most of a difficult situation to become a big player in pre-revolutionary Havana. A modestly successful vacuum cleaner salesman, Wormwold is unwillingly recruited to keep an eye on activities in Cuba for the British government. At first unhappy to get involved, he soon sees the opportunity to provide for his demanding daughter the lifestyle she so craves. When he has nothing to report, he soon lets his imagination go wild and the resulting excitement he creates in London and Havana soon spins out of control.

Havana Bar

Like all good novels by Graham Greene, the main action takes place in a series of seedy bars and involves lead characters whose lives are often dominated by the need for their next drink. As the plot unravels we are taken through many of Havana’s well-known watering holes, including some of the same ones previously frequented by that other famous Havana drinker, Ernest Hemingway (like the Floridita pictured above, birthplace of the daiquiri).

It is remarkable that Greene wrote this story so close to the Cuban revolution. What is yet more surprising is that in 1959 he was given permission by the newly formed Castro regime to make the movie of the book. It was a time of chaos and with the regime not yet aligned with the Soviets, the film producers were given free rein to do as they pleased. As a result, Our Man in Havana remains one of the few outside productions shot freely in communist Cuba.

Cuba Today

Visit Cuba in 2012 and you’ll find plenty of references to Hemingway in the bars of its capital city. You are of course unlikely to find Wormwold’s vacuum cleaner shop, although if you do you might want to speak quietly as you pass by. After all, spies do come in the most unlikely of guises.

Photo | Wagner T. Cassimiro “Aranha”

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Who Won “On the Set With Banderas”?

enero 20th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (1 Comments)

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…

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Pirates of the Caribbean: The True Story

diciembre 29th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Under water Ship Wreck

A little over 300 years after it was scuttled and left to lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the Quedagh Merchant was recently discovered just off the coast of the Dominican Republic. This famous shipwreck is now being opened up to the diving public as an imaginative new attraction, the Museum of the Living Sea. The story of how it got there is a real life tale of Pirates of the Caribbean and one of which Captain Jack Sparrow himself might be proud.

The Rise and Fall of Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd had arrived at Catalina Island in 1699 in the Quedagh Merchant, a ship he had recently ‘acquired.’ Kidd worked for the English government as a privateer, his task being to keep the seas clear of pirates to allow the Crown’s trading to carry on safe from attacks. Unofficially his task was also understood to include taking possession of enemy ships and it was this element of the job that landed him the prize of the Quedagh Merchant. Having been a successful privateer for many years he saw the treasures on the ship as just reward for his hard work.

His exploits by this time had caused anger and concern back in London, and having left his newly won treasure at Catalina Island he was arrested and taken to London for his trial. Despite his defense that he was only carrying out his duties, Captain William Kidd was convicted as a pirate and hung in 1701, with his corpse left on display in an iron cage for several years as a warning to others.

Shipwreck

With Kidd out of the way, the ship was quickly stripped of its gold, silver and other precious materials and cut loose to break up and fall to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.  It sailed barely 70 meters from the shore of Catalina Island before sinking, yet for some reason it lay undiscovered until 2007. Several cannons and anchors were still attached, and while the marine life had grown around the wreck it was still easy to identify it as the Quedagh Merchant.

Living Museum of the Sea

The government of the Dominican Republic has collaborated with Indiana University to open up this unique underwater museum.  Visitors can follow plaques that guide them around the wreck and offer information on the rare corals that are found at the site. It seems that after a three centuries-long pause, the Quedagh Merchant is attracting interest once again.

Photo | SeRVe Photography

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Mel Gibson and the Mayan Ruins of the Yucatan

septiembre 14th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Mayan Ruins Yucatan
When Mel Gibson created and directed the movie Apocalypto in 2006 he wanted to bring to the big screen the story of the Maya civilization and how it came to fall. Along with his team he traveled far and wide throughout Mexico and Central America, visiting many of the Maya ruins in the Yucatan peninsula and beyond in order to best understand how people lived in that era and how such a mighty culture allowed itself to fall from greatness.

The movie depicts a society that displayed both ingenuity and brutality. The building skills and medical knowledge of the Maya were highly advanced, though after their fall did not really progress until after the European conquest. The use of human sacrifices and ritual killings on the other hand betrays a culture where life could be cut short at any moment; even the ball game resulted in the loser often being sacrificed.

Mayan Ruins, Up Close

Gibson went to great lengths in his search for authenticity and he would no doubt have been helped by the huge mass of research that has been carried out in trying to unearth the Maya’s secrets. As visitors to this region we can learn about the lives of the Maya in a surprisingly accessible way at any of the major sites. In the Yucatan peninsula, for example, visitors can explore the ruins at Chichen Itza or Tulum and see first hand how the society built its living quarters and places of social importance such as ball courts and temples.

Interpretative displays and on-site museums provide valuable insights into the lives of the residents of these ancient cities at the time of their greatest influence, while selected archaeological findings allow visitors to see the utensils and decorations that were used over a thousand years ago.

Both Tulum and Chichen Itza are easily accessible from the main coastal resorts, with Tulum lying on the eastern Yucatan coast just south of Playa del Carmen and Chichen Itza about an hour inland of this. Both can be seen in a very rushed day but to give them the time they deserve and to allow ample opportunity to explore these very different sites, a day at each is highly recommended.

Watching the movie Apocalypto before heading to Mexico to visit these Maya sites will add depth to your experience. Watch the movie after your visit and you might question some of Gibson’s direction!

Photo | Andy Jarosz

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Salvador da Bahia: Charming, Colonial and Oh So Warm

agosto 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Moon Over Parador

“Moon over Parador” is a little-known but deeply entertaining film starring the amazing Richard Dreyfuss and the beautiful Sonia Braga. The movie tells the story of a failed actor forced to take on the role of a dictator who had recently passed away and whose right-hand man was not willing to lose his privileges. Thus obliged to make this role his life, Dreyfuss’s character transforms into the dictator, wins over the heart of his lover and lives in a never-ending loop of situations that are as funny as they are tense.

As the backdrop of this story, set in a small, fictitious Latin American country called Parador, the production team chose, among other locations, the Brazilian city of Salvador da Bahia, capital of the state of Bahia. This city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the third largest in the country and a wonderful blend of beautiful colonial architecture and tropical beaches where you can sit back with a cold beer or one of Brazil’s specialty drinks under the shade of rustling palm trees.

The primary tourist attraction in Salvador da Bahia is truly the happiness of its inhabitants, but one can also enjoy a romantic walk through its streets, live music everywhere, and (of course) shopping. No wonder Jack Noah and Madonna, the characters played by Dreyfuss and Braga, end up falling in love, as there’s not a human being in the world who could spend a few days in this city without falling under its spell (yes, it’s a cliché, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!).

The best part of Salvador, though, is the climate. It’s summer nearly all year long, and when temperatures fall, it’s never below 53ºF (12ºC). Short sleeves are required, and coat manufacturers are simply out of luck in this city. If you’re the type who seeks warmer temperatures for your vacations and likes going home with an envy-inducing tan without the tedium of a tanning bed, Salvador da Bahia is definitely the place for you.

Image | Universal Pictures

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Jamaica’s Blue Lagoon Thrives, Minus Brooke Shields

agosto 9th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

The Blue Lagoon, Brooke Shields

If we were to take a look back at the last couple of decades of film, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find movies like “The Blue Lagoon” in terms of the nature of the story lines and the care taken with the plot, as well as the success of something so simple, sweet and childlike, but that still managed to win over more than one generation with the gentleness of the characters, the candidness of the protagonists and (why not include this in the list of reasons for success) the wonder of the film locations, where anyone in their right mind would love to be stranded.

A Travel Film, Starring Nature

“The Blue Lagoon“ is not just the name of the film that catapulted the gorgeous Brooke Shields into fame: It’s also the name of one of the most beautiful lagoons in Jamaica, with incredible coloring that changes throughout the day from jade to an unreal turquoise, plus amazing coral reefs and a tropical underwater fauna that Jacques Cousteau himself did not want to miss, let alone not share with the world.

This spot, one of the most visited on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, was originally called the Blue Hole, but after the movie was filmed in 1980 and the destination grew as one of its leading tourist attractions, the name was wisely changed and it was made clear once and for all that if you’re 15 years old and dreaming about disappearing to a desert island, this was the place you should go.

To Swim or Not to Swim

Before you start to dream of a cool swim in the beautiful lagoon, however, be aware that access to it as a swimming area has been closed off. You can now only enjoy its waters from one of the boats the locals make available to tourists so they can at least get their hands wet in such an idyllic place. There was a time when you could access the lagoon from a beach restaurant, which also served as a dock, but it was wiped out by a hurricane years ago and never replaced. Some even claim that it was a way of protesting against the excessive number of tourists who made the lagoon a poorly respected attraction. There’s no question that the characters in the film never expected to find a place with a kitchen so close to the water.

Photo | Columbia Pictures (now Sony Pictures)

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