Wasting away

Texas' first beachfront Margaritaville Resort drifts onto South Padre Island

All rooms have Gulf views.

Photo courtesy of Margaritaville Resort South Padre Island

Dallas Parrotheads have a new coastal destination for frozen concoctions and cheeseburgers in paradise: Margaritaville has debuted its first-ever Texas beachfront resort on South Padre Island.

Opened June 12, it's the second Margaritaville Resort in Texas. The first, in landlocked Lake Conroe north of Houston, opened with much fanfare in covid-y 2020. There's also a Camp Margaritaville RV resort in the Galveston area.

According to a release, the family-friendly Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island is located just off the causeway in SPI, and offers all-ocean view rooms, several eateries, a spa, direct access to the beach, and the largest beachfront hotel pool on the island.

“We are thrilled to bring Margaritaville to the South Texas coast, allowing locals, guests, and visitors alike to experience a one-of-a-kind oasis,” says Rone Middler, the resort's general manager, in the release. “An easy drive or plane trip from the major metro areas of Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston and convenient access to Mexico, Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island provides the perfect getaway for guests of all ages looking for fun, relaxation, and adventure.”

Highline Hospitality Partners invested more than $30 million to transform the old Pearl Hotel South Padre into the new, bright turquoise Margaritaville Resort.

Highlights include:

200 guestrooms and 50 beachfront condos with one-, two-, or three-bedroom configurations featuring rainfall shower, plush bedding, 55-inch TVs, mini fridges, St. Somewhere bath and body products, and more.
three restaurants and bars: LandShark Bar & Grill, with indoor and outdoor patio seating overlooking the Gulf of Mexico; the Salty Rim Bar & Grill, a swim-up bar mixing signature cocktails and bar noshes; and Joe Merchant‘s Coffee & Provisions, a grab-and-go spot for coffee and quick bites.
the largest hotel beachside pool on SPI, heated and surrounded by private cabanas and a separate kids' zone.
Hammock Row, featuring hammocks that swing and sway in the Gulf breezes under sky-high palm trees.
Sapphire Spa, with a menu of luxe treatments, a full hair and makeup salon, and fully equipped fitness center.

The resort concierge desk can arrange numerous beachside adventures, they say, from windsurfing and parasailing to offshore fishing and dolphin watching. Onsite beach chairs and umbrella rentals are available, and live musical entertainment is offered nightly.

They'll also host destination-meetings, special events, weddings, and more in their 8,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor event space.

And, in a fun South Padre twist, space enthusiasts can witness thrilling views of Space X activity on nearby Boca Chica Beach, without even leaving the hotel.

The resort is opening with a number of special packages that throw in fun extras like dining credits, cabana rentals, and more. According to the website, rates start around $275 per night.

Margaritaville Resort South Padre Island texas vacation hotels

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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