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CNN Live Today
Interview With Heidi Mitchell of 'Travel and Leisure'
Aired May 30, 2003 - 11:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Summertime is vacation time, you know that, but you don't have to break the bank to have a good time. Bet you didn't know that. Well, there are some bargains out there, and Heidi Mitchell is an associate editor at "Travel and Leisure" magazine, who is focusing now on affordable vacations with us this morning.
Heidi joins us from our New York studios. Good to see you, Heidi.
HEIDI MITCHELL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE": Nice to see you, Leon.
HARRIS: All right. Let's start. We are going to tick down the list here. First one, London. Take us to London.
MITCHELL: Well, actually, Virgin vacations is offering a package that is round trip airfare from most U.S. cities and six nights in a hotel. If you can believe it, it starts at $739 a night...
HARRIS: For six nights?
MITCHELL: ... so it's really a good deal. For six nights. Yes. It's a great deal.
HARRIS: That is -- you're talking about 100 bucks a day. That's fantastic.
MITCHELL: I know.
HARRIS: I don't think I've ever seen one that low. That includes airfare?
MITCHELL: Exactly.
HARRIS: And the hotel is not a dive, right?
MITCHELL: You have your choice of various hotels, so you actually get to pick, even.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. All right, stateside now, let's go, say, Arizona. What do you have there?
MITCHELL: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona, has a package that is really great for families. It is called the Sonoran Splash, and it is about $139 a night, really inexpensive, and it includes Kids Club for the kids and they get free breakfast, and you get a room with a balcony, so you actually get quite a lovely suite, and it's really -- $139 a night not so bad. It's a little hot there, but that's OK. You can dive into the pool.
HARRIS: Yes. We saw the weather a little while ago. It is a little toasty out there, but that's OK. If you're on vacation, hit the pool.
All right. Next up, how about -- take us to -- let's see, the next one we have is Turnberry Isle Resort in Florida. Now, I have never heard about this one. Where is this at?
MITCHELL: This is in Aventura, Florida. It's really a haven for golfers, and they have a fantastic spa, so if you like to just lounge and have a massage, it is a great place to go. The weather's always great in Florida, and their package is about $219. You get the fourth night free, and you get a $50 credit to use anywhere throughout the resort, so it's really like paying $169 a night. So it actually is a great deal too.
HARRIS: Is that a great family place though?
MITCHELL: It's more for couples. Families can go there, but it really is about golf and spa.
HARRIS: OK. Leon will mark on that one. All right. How about Hawaii?
MITCHELL: Well, Marriott, the Waikoloa and Wailea Marriotts are both offering deals. You get a room at a discounted rate, and then you also get a rental car, and that is 229 to 269, which is 25 to 35 percent off of their regular rate, and Hawaii, you know, it is such a great time to go this time of year, and so 200 bucks a night is not so bad.
HARRIS: That is not a bad deal. Not a bad deal at all. I'm still amazed at the London deal, though: 739 bucks for six nights.
MITCHELL: I know.
HARRIS: That's incredible. Thanks, Heidi. Heidi Mitchell checking in right here from "Travel and Leisure" magazine, and give you four nice locations to choose from, folks, if you want to go hit the road and not spend a ton of money.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 30, 2003 - 11:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Summertime is vacation time, you know that, but you don't have to break the bank to have a good time. Bet you didn't know that. Well, there are some bargains out there, and Heidi Mitchell is an associate editor at "Travel and Leisure" magazine, who is focusing now on affordable vacations with us this morning.
Heidi joins us from our New York studios. Good to see you, Heidi.
HEIDI MITCHELL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE": Nice to see you, Leon.
HARRIS: All right. Let's start. We are going to tick down the list here. First one, London. Take us to London.
MITCHELL: Well, actually, Virgin vacations is offering a package that is round trip airfare from most U.S. cities and six nights in a hotel. If you can believe it, it starts at $739 a night...
HARRIS: For six nights?
MITCHELL: ... so it's really a good deal. For six nights. Yes. It's a great deal.
HARRIS: That is -- you're talking about 100 bucks a day. That's fantastic.
MITCHELL: I know.
HARRIS: I don't think I've ever seen one that low. That includes airfare?
MITCHELL: Exactly.
HARRIS: And the hotel is not a dive, right?
MITCHELL: You have your choice of various hotels, so you actually get to pick, even.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. All right, stateside now, let's go, say, Arizona. What do you have there?
MITCHELL: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona, has a package that is really great for families. It is called the Sonoran Splash, and it is about $139 a night, really inexpensive, and it includes Kids Club for the kids and they get free breakfast, and you get a room with a balcony, so you actually get quite a lovely suite, and it's really -- $139 a night not so bad. It's a little hot there, but that's OK. You can dive into the pool.
HARRIS: Yes. We saw the weather a little while ago. It is a little toasty out there, but that's OK. If you're on vacation, hit the pool.
All right. Next up, how about -- take us to -- let's see, the next one we have is Turnberry Isle Resort in Florida. Now, I have never heard about this one. Where is this at?
MITCHELL: This is in Aventura, Florida. It's really a haven for golfers, and they have a fantastic spa, so if you like to just lounge and have a massage, it is a great place to go. The weather's always great in Florida, and their package is about $219. You get the fourth night free, and you get a $50 credit to use anywhere throughout the resort, so it's really like paying $169 a night. So it actually is a great deal too.
HARRIS: Is that a great family place though?
MITCHELL: It's more for couples. Families can go there, but it really is about golf and spa.
HARRIS: OK. Leon will mark on that one. All right. How about Hawaii?
MITCHELL: Well, Marriott, the Waikoloa and Wailea Marriotts are both offering deals. You get a room at a discounted rate, and then you also get a rental car, and that is 229 to 269, which is 25 to 35 percent off of their regular rate, and Hawaii, you know, it is such a great time to go this time of year, and so 200 bucks a night is not so bad.
HARRIS: That is not a bad deal. Not a bad deal at all. I'm still amazed at the London deal, though: 739 bucks for six nights.
MITCHELL: I know.
HARRIS: That's incredible. Thanks, Heidi. Heidi Mitchell checking in right here from "Travel and Leisure" magazine, and give you four nice locations to choose from, folks, if you want to go hit the road and not spend a ton of money.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
