FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HIGH GAS PRICES AND A WEAKENED ECONOMY CREATE DEMAND FOR SHORT-TERM, NEARBY GETAWAYS Travelers Seek Respite in Their Own Backyard Hardyston & Vernon, NJ – With the cost of gas skyrocketing and the economy at a low point, weekend travel is gaining in popularity, as families prefer quick getaways and more frequent trips. Leisure stays for a week or more are declining. According to PhoCusWright*, long weekend trips (defined as a three-night stay away from home) are now the most popular type of leisure travel. Travelers are currently taking more than twice as many long weekend trips than they do week-long vacations during the year. It comes as no surprise, since the average family now has both parents working full-time while constantly juggling their children’s activities. This type of schedule leaves little or no time for families to genuinely relax. Additionally, sitting in traffic on the Long Island Expressway or Garden State Parkway for hours on a Friday afternoon is becoming more costly, as well as time consuming. With regard to destinations, a study conducted by TIA Research found that visiting small towns was favored by 26% of travelers, second to visiting cities. Mountain areas, beaches and lakes were also among the choices, but to a lesser extent. Another study by conducted TIA, with a sampling of 1,500 U.S. adults, concluded that 54% of travelers were interested in going to a spa to relax and rejuvenate - good news for the spa industry.** Just 47 miles from Manhattan is a premier multi-property resort that caters to both couples and families who wish to take a mini-vacation close to home. The Resorts at Crystal Springs, with hotels in both Hardyston and Vernon, New Jersey, offer world-class sports and recreation facilities in a preserved mountainous setting. The new Grand Cascades Lodge in Hardyston features 250 spacious guest rooms with gourmet kitchens, balconies and outdoor fireplaces, in addition to the four-star Restaurant Latour with its Wine Spectator Grand Awardwinning wine cellar and chef’s garden. A distinctive Biosphere indoor pool features a translucent retractable roof that allows for a natural year-round tan, and includes an underground aquarium, vortex pools and caves set amidst tropical foliage. The Lodge’s 14-treatment-room Reflections Spa, scheduled to open summer 2008, will offer a full menu of spa services and therapies in a glamorous yet tranquil setting. Sister property Minerals Resort & Spa in Vernon offers attractive comfortable accommodations, ideal for family-friendly getaways. Highlights include Minerals Sports Club, which includes seven indoor/outdoor heated nature pools, 6,000-square-foot fitness center, a family-oriented golf center, multiple sports courts and an indoor running track. The luxurious Elements Spa offers pampering treatments infused with bounties of the earth,
including indigenous regional mineral sources. Guests at both resort properties can enjoy the 7 championship golf courses at Crystal Springs, highlighted by Ballyowen, the #1 ranked public course in the state. Other local area attractions such as Mountain Creek Waterpark, horseback riding stables, numerous state and federal parks, wineries and charming antique shops can readily be visited. With new travel trends in mind, these overnight choices in the New York Metro area provide convenient escapes at a budget that won’t break the bank. For information and reservations, call 973.827.5996 or visit www.ResortsCrystalSprings.com. For information on all the attractions in the New Jersey’s Sussex Skylands, visit sussexcountychamber.org. *The PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey, June 2007 **TIA Research - TIA/Synovate Voice of the Traveler Survey, May 2006
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The Resorts at Crystal Springs, located in Vernon and Hardyston, NJ, is an upscale residential resort complex which includes: • Hotel accommodations at the luxurious Grand Cascades Lodge and family-friendly Minerals Resort & Spa • Seven award-winning golf courses • Four-star Restaurant Latour with its Wine Spectator Grand Award-wining 54,000 bottle wine cellar • Elements Spa at Minerals Resort and Reflections Spa at Grand Cascades Lodge (opening Summer 2008) • Sophisticated venues for meetings, weddings and catered events • 1,000+ elegantly designed homes For more information, visit www.ResortsCrystalSprings.com
Media Contact:
Natasha Wright The Resorts at Crystal Springs nwright@resortsofcrystalsprings.com (973) 827-4185