If you live and breathe tennis and cannot imagine a week without it, or you just want to work on your game, why not base your next vacation around the sport you love?
Tennis Resorts Online (www.tennisresortsonline.com) is a one-stop shop of a website that provides unbiased reviews of hundreds of tennis camps, resorts and hotel complexes throughout the world, although predominantly in the United States and the Caribbean.
The site (TRO) allows you to search by a variety of selection criteria including location, prices, additional amenities, court surfaces, traveling circumstances (i.e. singles or families) and amount of court time required. It also gives a Top 100 list (rated by website users) to inspire and influence your decision, listings and web links to tennis-specific tour companies plus a calendar of tennis events. One of the site's best features is its discounts and specials section that gives site users dozens of options to save hundreds of dollars on accommodation and packages.
Here are a few of the current smashing specials, which may appeal to your forehand. Just mention Tennis Resorts Online when you make your bookings.
The luxury Buccaneer Resort (tel. 800-255-3881; www.thebuccaneer.com) in St Croix (US Virgin Islands) has a TRO special from now until December 19, 2005. The Buccaneer is offering five-nights in an ocean view room, ten hours of court time, and breakfast daily for $695 per person, double occupancy (children under 18 are free if sharing a room with adults). The court time alone is worth up to $200 as the resort charges $16 per hour of court time by day and $20 per hour at night.
At the Fairmont Orchid (tel. 800/845-9906, www.fairmont.com/orchid) on the Kohala Coast in Hawaii, the special deal for TRO readers includes unlimited court time, a one-hour private or semi-private tennis lesson, 10% of pro-shop purchases and two activity passes for access to the hotel's sports, fitness and wellness activities valued at $60. Rates start at $359 per room per night with a three-night minimum. Set in a stunning location with 10 K-Swiss tennis courts, this will be a tennis vacation with many added extras. Use the booking code 1U8TAC.
If you prefer something local and you are on the East Coast, the Sea Colony Beach and Tennis Resort (tel. 302/539-4488; www.resortquestdelaware.com/bethanybeach/index.do) in Bethany Beach, Delaware has two exclusive TRO weekend specials, which are valid until mid-May. Their "Singles Spectacular" package includes a weekend clinic with ten-hours of instruction, match play, a tournament, a one-hour massage and lodging for two-nights (Friday to Sunday) in a one-bedroom condo for $600. For two people, the "Double the Fun" package includes the same as above but in a two-bedroom condo for $850 for two people. See the Resort's website for other specials including pay for five-nights and stay for seven.
A special not listed on the TRO website but worth considering is at The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort (tel. 800/282-1138; www.colonybeachresort.com). This private island retreat on Longboat Key, is just a drawbridge away from Sarasota, Florida. With 21 courts where court time is always free, it was named the number one tennis resort in the U.S. by Tennis Magazine for eight consecutive years, Their "Privileged Players Silver Tennis Package" includes accommodation in spacious all-suite rooms, daily breakfast buffet, two hours of tennis clinics per adult, per day, a tennis Happy Hour (Fridays), Colony tennis T-shirts, and 10% off in the Sports Shop and the Colony Spa. From April 17 to May 29 and September 30 to December 22, 2005, a one-bedroom suite is $320 per night ($425 for a two-bedroom). From May 30 to September 29, 2005, a one-bedroom suite is $275 per night ($350 for a two-bedroom). Its "Gold Package" is only $65 more per night and includes all the perks of the Silver package but with an extra two hours of tennis clinics per day.
For a more comprehensive listing of specials including tennis camps in South Carolina, New York, Vermont, Colorado, California and everywhere in between, see the Tennis Resorts Online Website.
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