Hatching Hotels

Eco friendliness is now a deciding factor for many consumers in our world, whether it be cleaning products, transportation, recycling, saving animals, and now eco friendliness has found its way into hotels.

In an article posted on Travelweekly CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort, and their partner hotel JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa in the Caribbean have invited their guests to participate in a Turtle Protection and Release program by releasing hundreds of baby turtles into the ocean after they have hatched.

Thousands of turtles live off the coast of the popular vacation destination and since this program's release, Marriott hotel staff and guests have saved over 3,000 sea turtles. Staff members find a mother turtle who is ready to nest and protect her while she lays her eggs, which are moved to the CasaMagna to be incubated, then the hatched baby turtles are released into the ocean by staff members and guests.

"We feel it is important to demonstrate to our guests the way in which our individual actions can make a difference in the lives of these endangered animals," said Christopher Calabrese, vice president of both the CasaMagna and JW resort. "Participating in a turtle release -- watching over and protecting turtle hatchlings as they make their way to the ocean for the first time -- is one of the most important and profoundly emotional experiences we offer our guests."

The resort staff work with biologists from the Department of Natural Resource Ecology in Quintana Roo, undergoing a training program once a year to learn to relocate sea turtle nests into safe areas.

 Photo by Kevin

It would be curious to find out if this factor actually brings more guests to the hotels, or if some think of it as unneeded.

No more whining about expensive dining in Toronto

Foodies will rejoice over Dishcrawl, a taste of some of Toronto's best restaurants, and for only a fraction of the cost it would be to go to four different eateries and sample their best dish.

For only $39, drinks not included, patrons of Dishcrawl can sample small meals from mystery restaurants around Toronto.

The popular Dishcrawl started in the U.S. and has made its way over to Ottawa, Montreal and now Toronto.

Dishcrawl promotes social dining and lets foodies to bond over great food.

“The idea is to connect the people of Toronto with their city through various restaurants – from fine-dining, to local hot-spots.  People will have a chance to experience the many exciting and unusual flavors our city has to offer.  And, they’ll meet fellow foodies, and discover new parts of the city,” said Gretchen Wilson, Toronto Dishcrawl Organizer in an interview done by the OCTA (Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance). http://ontarioculinary.com/events/dishcrawl-toronto

Instead of having transportation between each restaurant, customers will walk in groups, which is good for some who want to enjoy the food, rather than become too full.

Dishcrawl's tickets are sold out and are usually sold out within an hour of being posted, but keep checking their website for more details about this years crawls.
http://www.dishcrawl.com/toronto/

Photo by Carly Maga

Cajun Cuisine at Big Daddy’s Bourbon Street Bistro & Oyster Bar ends one of the first Dishcrawl nights.