Your beach awaits: Plan now for spring break

What to plan for, what to do this March at Galveston, South Padre Island, Corpus Christi

Helen Anders photos AMERICAN-STATESMAN

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The primary beach-goers on South Padre Island right now are gulls, gulls, gulls. But that'll change come spring break, when some refurbished and new attractions open.

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By Helen Anders

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 12:10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011

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This time of year, Texas beaches are populated primarily by gulls, gulls, gulls along with a flock of Winter Texans, better known in some quarters as snowbirds.

But in March, that scene makes a dramatic shift as thousands of families and vacationing students storm the beaches. The week of March 14 is especially intense, because that's when most Texas colleges and school districts are on spring break.

Now's the time to start thinking about where you want to go. A quick check shows that most beach hotels are trying to book rooms for between $130 and $230 . If traffic won't support that, rates will drop, so I'd suggest you look for something on the low end or wait a while to choose your room. Remember that in addition to hotels, there are numerous condos. It's important to ask about fees up front. Cleaning fees are normal, but I've also seen booking fees and homeowners association fees, both just ways of making you pay more without giving you anything extra. Read everything carefully and ask questions.

Compare rental agency prices against those on sites such as homeaway.com , where you can sometimes deal directly with an owner and avoid some fees.

Here's an update on what you'll find this spring break at the biggest three Texas beach areas:

Galveston

The Strand is fully back in business, with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars this year. Hurricane Ike did a number on the downtown area, where many businesses didn't have insurance. But more than two years later, it's thriving once again. The restaurant getting the most buzz right now is Black Pearl Oyster Bar & Grille at Post Office and 23rd streets.

The beaches look good, especially the refurbished beach along the Sea Wall. The 61st Street Pier, which collapsed during the hurricane, reopened in August, bigger and better than ever.

Driving is nice and smooth on Sea Wall Boulevard and Broadway now that both state-owned roads have been repaved. But watch out for the drop off onto city streets, many of which are still full of cracks and potholes.

The big hotel news is that the over-the-water Flagship Hotel, which had sat since 2008 with a gaping hole in it, should be entirely down by March. The pier is owned by the Landry's empire, and the plan is to put an amusement park on it like the one on Santa Monica Pier in California.

Hotel Galvez (2024 Seawall Blvd. ) is celebrating its 100th birthday and will probably have some concerts and other special events. Keep tabs on it at galveston.com/galvez/.

"Dora and Diego" will be showing at the 4D theater at Moody Gardens (1 Hope Blvd., moodygardens.com ), which also has a spectacular aquarium and other attractions. Next door, you can now book a ride in the open cockpit of a vintage plane such as a B-52 bomber at the Lone Star Flight Museum (2002 Terminal Drive, lsfm.org ). Schlitterbahn (2026 Lockheed Road, schlitterbahn.com ), which is open year round in Galveston because it has a roof, will have a new ride this year but won't tell us what it is.

More information and a good hotel-booking page are at galveston.com.

South Padre Island

The biggest difference between the South Padre Island spring break experience now and five years ago is that Mexico is now out of the equation. The trips to Matamoros that once lured students are now dangerous because of drug violence. Don't even think about doing that.

Spring break now takes place entirely on the island, which is 30 miles north of the border and has not been affected by border problems. The biggest security difference you'll notice is an increased presence of state troopers and immigration officers on the way down. So don't speed.

The recession did hurt some island businesses. Club Pelican West, unquestionably the most city-like club on the island, is closed. So are some restaurants, including the one (it was there so briefly that I can't remember its name) that moved into Denny's, which remains vacant.

But there are good, new places to try, including the mid-priced Cafe Kranzler (2412 Padre Blvd. ), which has an ambitious global menu, and the more upscale Wild Fork Italian Bistro (3305 Padre Blvd. ). For basic (mostly fried) seafood, Blackbeard's, which has a lot of new, cheap lunch specials, feeds crowds well at 103 E. Saturn Lane (at Padre Boulevard). McDonald's has been torn down, and a new McDonald's is on the rise at 840 Padre Blvd.

The new hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn (hiltongardeninn.hilton.com ), and it also has the best spring break prices right now, starting at $87.20.

At Coca-Cola Beach, where a stage and other activities are set up on the sand behind Isla Grand Hotel (500 Padre Blvd. ), students bury kegs in the sand and make a day of it. (Yes, there are plenty of portable potties.) The stage will be up March 6-23.

There's a new parking rule. The mid-island residential area is off limits to everybody but residents. There are "parking by permit only" signs, but they're easy to miss if the area's crowded. All hotels are within walking distance of the beach, but if your hotel's far from Coca-Cola Beach and you're aiming to park near it, stick to Gulf Boulevard.

Inertia Tours provides room-and-meals packages at a number of hotels. The price varies depending on how many people you want to share a room with. Check it out at intertiatours.com.

South Padre's big lure is its expansive beach, and most breakers go there to hang out on the beach, unwind, eat and enjoy the odd margarita or vat of beer. But there are activities if you have a family, including horseback riding, wind surfing, riding a big banana-shaped boat, birding or taking a dolphin watch cruise or dinner cruise on the Laguna Madre (the bay). More at springbreak.sopadre.com.

Corpus Christi area

The Corpus Christi area comprises several distinct destinations: There's Corpus itself, which offers a variety of accommodations — including upscale hotels — along with lots of good restaurants. Over the bridge across Aransas Bay, there's Mustang Island. The north end of it is Port Aransas, where you'll find a funkier experience with motels, seafood spots and a beach you can drive on. On the south end, Mustang Island State Park offers a pristine beach. Farther south is the North Padre Island area and a long stretch of pristine beach at Padre Island National Seashore, beyond the hotels.

The news from Corpus Christi proper: Omni Bayfront Hotel (900 N. Shoreline Blvd., omnihotels.com ) and Holiday Inn Emerald Beach (1102 S. Shoreline Drive, holidayinn.com ) are both undergoing renovations and should be in top form for spring break. Both are just a few minutes' drive away from two big attractions, the Texas State Aquarium (texasstateaquarium.org ) and USS Lexington (usslexington.com ).

In the Corpus Christi marina, Harrison's Landing, formerly known as the Yachting Center, has a new restaurant called Tavern on the Bay. At the landing, you can rent a kayak or arrange a boat ride.

On North Padre Island, Bob Hall Pier (bobhallpier.net , 15820 South Padre Island Drive ) and its Ozone Bar & Grill are being expanded to the tune of nearly half a million dollars. A pavilion is being added to the north side and should be ready by spring break. You can rent horses on the beach there.

I'm told more activities specifically for spring break at both Corpus Christi and Port Aransas will be announced later. Track them at thecoastalwave.com.

handers@statesman.com; 912-2590

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Island businesses happy with Spring Break '09

Aaron Nelsen
March 23, 2009 - 5:58 PM
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND —

Chad Hart's voice is hoarse after a 34-hour shift organizing Spring Break events on South Padre Island for his business, Inertia Tours.

Inertia offers seven-night Spring Break packages that include lodging, meals and a schedule of parties for $400 per person.

With several of the Island's largest hotels closed and others struggling to fill rooms by late February, the early indication was Spring Break 2009 would flop, but you wouldn't hear such talk from Hart.

"I won't rest until the end of April," Hart said. "And right now I have a group of spring breakers in front of my office waiting to check in." Hart says he won't know until this year's sales are counted, but he expects to top 5,000 packages sold, up from roughly 4,000 in 2008. In fact, Inertia sales for Texas Week, usually the busiest week during Spring Break on SPI, surpassed 2008 sales.

"My sales are up 35 percent," Hart said. "It seemed there were true people here on vacation instead of people just doing laps on the strip." In February, the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau indicated that it was anticipating a weak economy would take a toll on students.

The CVB projected 40,000 college students would take their Spring Break vacation on SPI, down from 60,000 in 2008.

On Monday, an upbeat Dan Quandt, executive director of the South Padre Island CVB, said while the overall number of visitors doesn't look like it will surpass the CVB's early estimate, Spring Break 2009 should be considered a success.

"Of course, there are some students who've yet to arrive," Quandt said. "But all in all I'd say we did pretty good, probably better than last year."

Prior to the arrival of students, many Island businesses were concerned what affect the economic recession at home and escalating violence on the border with Mexico would have on students.

Hotel occupancy numbers, sales tax totals and liquor sales won't be published until April. Until then most seem content with this year's turnout even if there were fewer spring breakers.

"It went OK," said Daniel Salazar, general manager of the Isla Grande Beach Resort, formerly the Radisson Resort. "We had about 90 percent occupancy for Texas Week. That's a little down from last year, but nothing drastic."

The Isla Grande Beach Resort features one of the Island's biggest attractions with the Coca Cola Beach, which pulls daily crowds between 12,000 and 18,000.

The Coca Cola Beach wraps up later this week, but Salazar and his staff have already turned their attention to conventioneers.

"The mood is still Spring Break, but I've done a 180," Salazar said. "The posters have come down and most of the students are gone. My focus is now on conferences."

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Textbook vacations

Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 20, 2005
by LYNN BREZOSKY
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas --

Sure there's Cancun and Florida, but when it comes to the college crowd's annual quest for sun and fun, the good ole fashioned road trip to South Texas seems hipper than ever.

And folks here are getting ready -- fixing the bungee jump, painting the emcee stands, dusting the strobe lights and waving goodbye to the legions of Midwestern retirees who leave this strip of aquamarine shoreline just before the craziness rolls in.

Sometime during the past few decades, spending Easter break someplace warm with a gang of college buddies became part of Americana.

For the frigid campuses of the Midwest, that meant South Padre Island, with the exodus starting with a trickle in early March and becoming a monsoon when Texas colleges let out en masse for "Texas Week," this year March 14 to 18 for many campuses in the region.

South Padre, once a desolate barrier island populated mostly by pelicans and migratory birds, grew up with the trend, and continues to embrace as it co-markets itself as a family resort and upscale retirement haven. Now the island is a stretch of campy novelty shops against a backdrop of high-rise hotels and multimillion-dollar condominiums. And while March is the peak time for college-age visitors, waves of other tourists come throughout the spring, from families to sports enthusiasts. A "kiteboard rodeo" is scheduled for April 9 and 10, and a windsurfing competition will be held April 30 and May 1.

Right now, however, after a few lackluster years post-Sept. 11, travel bookers say college kids are calling with money to spend on the most upscale debauchery they can find.

"Higher-end beachfronts are really what's going," said Chad Hart of Inertia Tours, one of several agencies that specialize in spring- break packages. "They're just saying, 'What's awesome? That's what we want."'

While the Internet has allowed students to book their own hotels and research their own activities, he said plenty of students go for package deals that include meals, club passes, an evening cruise and a jaunt to the Mexican border -- particularly the girls.

"Girls like to have a real full package, they don't want to take chances. A lot of guys, it's still, 'Let's just load into my dad's SUV and sleep in a tent."'

During the past decade, the island's popularity waned against the competition of package deals to foreign destinations, especially Southern Mexico. But parents have grown warier of sending their kids outside of the country, and each year the area is seeing more East Coast students arrive on $900 weeklong packages. Those students on tight budgets are saying they'd rather pitch in for a couple of tanks of gas than spend hundreds of dollars on airfare to a destination outside the United States.

If You Go

south padre island

ABOUT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND: Located on the Gulf of Mexico at the tip of the Texas tail, South Padre is 7 miles long, 1/2 mile wide, at roughly the same latitude as Miami.

THINGS TO DO: In addition to lounging by the pool or playing in the sand, activities include water sports, bird-watching, fishing trips, dolphin tours and jaunts to nearby Mexico. For details, click on the links for attractions and recreation at the Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site, www.sopadre.com, or call (800) SOPADRE.

GETTING THERE: Harlingen's Valley International Airport -- www.iflyharlingen.com -- is about 40 minutes from the island. Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport -- www.flybrownsville.com -- is about a half-hour away. Both sites have maps and information about car rentals and shuttle services. Drivers can take Interstate 37 south from San Antonio to U.S. 77, then east on Texas 100.

GETTING AROUND: "The Wave" is a free shuttle that circles the island every half hour between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nightlife options are within walking distance of most hotels, and there are taxis. However, the island is fairly compact and traffic can be at a standstill during spring break.

TRIPS ACROSS THE BORDER: The U.S. Department of State has a travel warning for northern Mexico due to gang violence, so visitors are advised to go with groups and stick with well-known bars, restaurants and shopping districts. For guided trips for an evening, a day or longer, contact Inertia Tours, www.inertiatours.com, Go... With Jo! www.gowithjo.com, Leisure Tours International, www.leisuretours.com, Valley Transit Co., (866) WEGO-VTC, or Original Tour Company at (888) 296-3522. A driver's license will suffice for trips just across the border.

TIP: Many a spring-breaker has gotten a ticket for failing to slow down while driving through small towns on the way to South Padre Island.

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Bookings show Texas shores hot for spring break

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) --
By Joe Hermosa, AP

Sure there's Cancun and Florida, but when it comes to the college crowd's annual quest for sun and fun, the good ole fashioned road trip to South Texas seems hipper than ever.

Turn island upside down: Debauchery reigns on South Padre during spring break.

And folks here are getting ready — fixing the bungee jump, painting the emcee stands, dusting the strobe lights and waving goodbye to the legions of Midwestern retirees who leave this strip of aquamarine shoreline just before the craziness rolls in.

Sometime during the past few decades, spending Easter break someplace warm with a gang of college buddies became part of Americana.

For the frigid campuses of the Midwest, that meant South Padre Island, with the exodus starting with a trickle in early March and becoming a monsoon when Texas colleges let out en masse for "Texas Week," this year March 14 to 18 for many campuses in the region.

South Padre, once a desolate barrier island populated mostly by pelicans and migratory birds, grew up with the trend, and continues to embrace as it co-markets itself as a family resort and upscale retirement haven. Now the island is a stretch of campy novelty shops against a backdrop of high-rise hotels and multimillion dollar condominiums. And while March is the peak time for college-age visitors, waves of other tourists come throughout the spring, from families to sports enthusiasts. A "kiteboard rodeo" is scheduled for April 9 and 10, and a windsurfing competition will be held April 30 and May 1.

Right now, however, after a few lackluster years post-Sept. 11, travel bookers say college kids are calling with money to spend on the most upscale debauchery they can find.

"Higher-end beachfronts are really what's going," said Chad Hart of Inertia Tours, one of several agencies that specialize in spring-break packages. "They're just saying, 'What's awesome? That's what we want.'"

While the Internet has allowed students to book their own hotels and research their own activities, he said plenty of students go for package deals that include meals, club passes, an evening cruise and a jaunt to the Mexican border — particularly the girls.

"Girls like to have a real full package, they don't want to take chances. A lot of guys, it's still, 'Let's just load into my dad's SUV and sleep in a tent.'"

During the past decade, the island's popularity waned against the competition of package deals to foreign destinations, especially Southern Mexico. But parents have grown warier of sending their kids outside of the country, and each year the area is seeing more East Coast students arrive on $900 weeklong packages. Those students on tight budgets are saying they'd rather pitch in for a couple of tanks of gas than spend hundreds of dollars on airfare to a destination outside the United States.

Part of South Padre's allure has always been that it's near the Mexican border, where the drinking age is a loosely enforced 18. Buses are on hand to run the spring-breakers back and forth to a neighborhood of bars in Matamoros, Mexico, only a block across the border but fully in another country.

No one here thinks the current U.S. Department of State travel warning about violent drug killings in northern Mexico will stop kids from going.

Dan Quandt, head of South Padre's Convention and Visitors Bureau, said bookings on the Mexico buses are up 30% from last year, but the island's message about Mexico hasn't changed.

"We've always urged students that if they're going to go to go on one of those vans, go in a group, stay with people," he said. "If you don't know where you're going, don't go there."

For those with the energy and the money, South Padre offers many alternative diversions to lying in the sun.

It is one of the best spots in the world for kiteboarding, but lessons are pricey — a three-hour class for two runs $225 a person at South Padre Island Kiteboarding. Groups can spend a morning or a day deep-sea or bay fishing. Dolphin tours are delightful, and with prices typically well under $20 a ticket, relatively inexpensive. There are personal watercraft rentals, or one can parasail or ride the waves in a banana boat.

The U.S. Army will be erecting a climbing wall on the beach, and visitors can try out for — or just watch — the filming of "National Lampoon's Greek Games," a televised parody of the Olympics with competitions such as the handsfree Salisbury steak toss, a keg toss, and female strip wrestling in Velcroed cheerleading suits.

But locals also know that it's important to make sure their college-age visitors remain safe. The Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site has a page on "How to Avoid Getting Busted," reiterating the local drinking age and zero-tolerance policies against drugs and drunk driving. There are also safety warnings for students under 21 who cross the border to party.

Stormy Wall, a former college athletics coach who manages the Padre South hotel, said he's ready to take on the killjoy role of making sure kids who drink too much don't fall of balconies or walk through glass windows. He's threatened to throw kids out for flouting his rules and once chased a local drug dealer out of his hotel and down the beach.

In the end, he said, his guests seem to understand that safety is as important as having fun.

"I have guys calling me on the phone, saying, 'Dude, I'm coming back. Remember me? We're the guys that gave you a hard time.'"

IF YOU GO:

Activities: In addition to lounging by the pool or playing in the sand, activities include water sports, bird-watching, fishing trips, dolphin tours and jaunts to nearby Mexico. For details, click on the links for attractions and recreation at the Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site, www.sopadre.com, or call (800) SOPADRE.

Getting there: Harlingen's Valley International Airport (www.iflyharlingen.com) is about 40 minutes from the island. Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (www.flybro wnsville.com) is about a half-hour away. Both Web sites have maps and information about car rentals and shuttle services. Drivers can take Interstate 37 south from San Antonio to U.S. 77, then east on Texas 100.

Getting around: "The Wave" is a free shuttle that circles the island every half hour between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nightlife options are within walking distance of most hotels, and there are taxis. However, the island is fairly compact and traffic can be at a standstill during spring break.

Trips across the border: The U.S. Department of State has a travel warning for northern Mexico due to gang violence, so visitors are advised to go with groups and stick with well-known bars, restaurants, and shopping districts. For guided trips for an evening, a day or longer, contact Inertia Tours (www.inertiatours.com), Go... With Jo! (www.gowithjo.com), Leisure Tours International (www.leisure tours.com) or Original Tour Company at (888) 296-3522. A driver's license will suffice for trips just across the border.

Tip: Many a spring-breaker has gotten a ticket for failing to slow down while driving through small towns on the way to South Padre Island.

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Spring Break in November?

For one tour company its never too early to start planning
Maggie Denney
Island Breeze

Chad Hart of Inertia Tours, acompany responsible for bringing large numbers of spring breakers to South Padre Island, has come up with a new idea in a bid to bring even more revelers to the Island.

But this time he isn’t worried about what is commonly referred to as “Texas Week,” the busiest week of Spring Break when most of the big schools in the state take a hiatus. Rather, Hart is concentrating on the weeks before and after Texas Week and that means wooing an entirely different crowd.

“During Texas week we’re at 75 percent occupancy, but the week before and after that, its only 25 percent,” he said. “Why have only one good week when we could have three? Or even a month?” So Hart is taking aim at college kids outside the state of Texas.

He decided a good way to get out of state campuses buzzing about SPI would be to treat some of their students to a weekend here in order to show them what the longest barrier island in the world has to offer.

And who better to spread the word than the editors of the college newspapers?

“We brought about 30 of them down and gave them tours of all different kinds of properties like Isla Grande, Saida Towers and Peninsula to Travelodge and Best Western,” said Fernando Melina, a local resident helping Hart with the project.

“They were treated to some of the best food on the Island by Pier 19, Louie’s Backyard, Las Olas, Steamers and Palm Street Pier and they got to experience a kite board demonstration by Air Padre, fishing with Captain Murphy’s and a dolphin watch with American Diving.”

Nicole Smith, an editor at Minnesota State University, said she enjoyed her first visit to the Island.

“It’s been great,” she said. “After seeing the kite boarding demo, we want to come back for Spring Break and try it.”

University of Wisconsin editor Cailley Hammel said she would definitely recommend SPI to fellow students.

“I’d tell them to come here for Spring Break because of the laid back atmosphere, the great weather and because it’s a lot of fun,” she said.

Sunday afternoon, as the editors slowly made their way to the airport and planes waiting to whisk them back to their campuses, Hart and Molina discussed the success of the weekend.

“In the travel industry what we did for these editors is called a familiarization trip and they always work,” Hart said.

“You can’t experience a place looking it up online. Going there is the only way. By doing this we put SPI on the radar.All those articles they’re going to write will be published online, not to mention just the word of mouth alone before they even write an article,” he said.

Hart said he chose SPI to start his tour business in 2002 because after 9/11 people were hesitant to travel outside the country and air fares were skyrocketing. But Padre provided a more affordable vacation and the ease of driving to a destination.

“With this economy a lot of students don’t have $1000 to spend just getting to Mexico,” he said.

“But I offer a four-night trip with meals included for $250 and according to our exit interviews, the average guests spends a total of around $1000 while they’re here.”

“That’s huge for this economy because let’s face it, there are only four good months on the Island. SPI depends on those months to keep the lights on the rest of the year. There’s just no getting around it, the Island needs Spring Break.”

Hart is adamant he strives to bring a quality crowd to the Island for Spring Break, not the typical kids who destroy hotel rooms.

“A lot of people don’t like Spring Break here, but even if you don’t agree with it, you have to admit the businesses here depend on it,” he said.

“The reason you can go out to eat at your favorite restaurant in the winter months is partly because of the revenue Spring Break brings in.”

The city agrees with Hart. His familiarization tour for the college editors was supported by the Special Events Committee of the CVB and approved by Mayor Pinkerton who met with the students personally.

Part of the revenue for the trip came from the 13 percent occupancy tax fund, a large portion of which is generated during Spring Break.

“These college kids are going to graduate and be in the largest demographic that travels,” Hart said.

“When they have kids, they’re going to remember coming to the beach on SPI and they’re going to come back with their families. If you can get someone to come to your destination once, you have a 95 percent chance of repeat business. That’s huge.”

With one event complete, it was already back to work on his next endeavor to lure college crowds to the Island.

Hart has extensive advertising campaigns with Google Ad Works and Yahoo Search Market.

He also has two road shows that travel to all the sororities and fraternities in 13 states to get the word out about SPI. Hart personally funds the road shows himself.

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Spring breakers choose unlikely destinations this year

KRT Campus / News service

The sky is slightly overcast and there’s a cool breeze, but you’d never guess it from “Coca Cola Beach,” where hundreds of swimsuit-clad college students are drinking beer, dancing to music and throwing around footballs.

Some brave souls even venture into the surf.

“It’s 20 degrees where I’m from,” said Evan Lowry, a senior at Penn State, who was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. “I’m getting a tan.”

Tour operators say this is the best spring break season in four years, though business isn’t back to the peak levels of 2000. Part of this year’s optimism stems from the calendar, which puts Easter immediately after Texas week.

The stronger economy and less fear around airline security have also helped.

“People feel better about spending money this year,” said Chad Hart, president of Austin-based Inertia Tours LLC, which will send 5,000 students to South Padre Island this year. “We’ve been sold out since January.”

South Padre Island officials spend about $100,000 a year on marketing to college visitors, money they say translates into around $40 million in spending.

It’s an important economic shot in the arm for the destination after the slow winter months. But South Padre Island is one of the last U.S. college hot spots still marketing to spring breakers.

Dan Quandt, executive director for the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that marketing also helps plant the seed in young travelers’ minds early to visit the South Texas beach town.

“We have visitors who come with their families because they remember coming for spring break in college,” Quandt said.

Many of the traditional Florida destinations, such as Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach, have pulled away from advertising to college students in favor of more moneyed travelers such as families.

Another spring break hot spot, Panama City Beach, Fla., is also planning a different strategy. The city’s biggest night spot, Club La Vela, is slated for demolition later this year. And many of its older, inexpensive properties are being replaced with high-end condos and resorts.

“Spring break will always be here,” said Jayna Leach, a spokeswoman with the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s just that it’ll be more students with their parents coming to say in a condo than the masses of students that we’ve seen in the past.”

Other popular U.S. spring break destinations, including Lake Havasu, Ariz., and Las Vegas, leave marketing to individual hotels or attractions.

South Padre Island is considered an inexpensive getaway, compared to destinations such as Cancun, Mazatlan and Acapulco in Mexico, and Jamaica and the Bahamas. The city’s tourism officials market its proximity to Mexico, for students looking for an international day-trip.

The draw of South Padre hasn’t gone unnoticed by corporate marketers.

Coca Cola, which has hosted an event near the Radisson for a decade, isn’t the only corporate flag around, with promoters such as Sobe energy drinks, Bic razors, Trojan condoms, Close-Up toothpaste, Nintendo and Toyota’s Scion scouring city hot spots.

Arnie Creinin, managing director of the Bahia Mar Resort and Conference Center, launched an aggressive marketing campaign for college students this year, bringing in almost a dozen different promoters to create a more festive atmosphere.

“Our food and beverage sales are at least double,” Creinin said.

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SPI hopes for high turnout during spring break

January 17, 2009 - 8:00 PM
By CARL PHILLIPS, Island Breeze

March is quickly approaching and to most businesses on South Padre Island, the annual spring break migration to the beach is something to anticipate.

Spring break crowds have been declining over the past few years, according to South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Dan Quandt.

Still, he added, the activity to date indicates it will be an important part of the Island's annual business again. "We already have advance people checking us out," he said.

Inertia Tours, which brought down a substantial number of visitors to the Island last year, is back at work putting trips together for students, he said. "At this point we're hoping to have about the same numbers we had last year," he added.

The economy, he feels, will be one big reason for that statistic. Fort Lauderdale doesn't welcome them anymore, he continued, and travel to destinations outside the country will probably be curtailed because of tight money. "I think that positions us very well to at least hold our own," he concluded.

Quandt explained that each time the CVB gets an inquiry from a student or from a group naming specific dates they intend to visit his agency gets the information into the hands of hotel and condominium management people all over the Island.

They, in turn, respond to the inquiries with how many rooms they will have available at that time and how much the cost will be.

"We only have the one major hotel, Isla Grand [formerly the Radisson], that will be open and operational," he said. "The Sheraton and the Bahia Mar will still be closed."

As a result, Quandt said, condo management firms are expected to play a large part in spring break rentals this year.

Troy Giles, who owns the Palms Resort on Gulf Boulevard, said his hotel is about 80 percent booked. "We only take students 21 or older," he added.

"Continuing spring break is important to the island's future. I can't tell you how many people have moved here as adults after visiting during their spring break," continued Giles.

Christy Bernal, of South Padre Beach Houses and Condos, said she still has rooms available.

"We have most of our units reserved, but we still have a few open," Becky Bradley, of AACE Rentals and Management Services, said.

All in all, considering that it's only the middle of January, Quandt's prediction of a good spring break seems to be on target.

Hotel and condo managers are among those who hope he's right.

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South Padre Island: Flying high for spring break 2012

By Helen Anders

AMERICAN-STATESMAN Austin, Texas
Updated: 2:31 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011
Published: 1:58 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND —

This island's famous laughing gulls and brown pelicans have company in the sky this year helicopters, taking guests on tours around the island.

The helicopter rides are one of the new features you'll notice this March if you visit South Padre for spring break.

South Padre's tourism folks are hoping to lure more families, in addition to college students, for spring break this year. Families, of course, spend more money. Helicopter rides will be among the lures. These rides start at $65, and college students usually don't want to spend that much.

The week of March 12, spring break week for most Central Texas schools and public schools throughout the state, is also the week that the University of Texas and most other Texas colleges will be on spring break. So if you want to take your family to South Padre that week, you'll need to be comfy with a lot of company.

To have the best chance of dodging the college crowds, book a room or condo on the northern half of the island, stay out of bars (especially ones with names like Chaos) and either cook in your condo or eat in restaurants that charge more than a few bucks for a meal.

Check out sopadre.com for a information on activities such as birding, kiteboarding, horseback riding and surfing (waves are small, but surfable), along with boat rides for dolphin-watching, sunset-viewing and pirate fun. The helicopter rides (southpadrehelicopter.com, ) are available from 6 to 35 minutes, and you can bundle a ticket for the ride with one for parasailing, an eco-tour by boat and other activities.

The hottest new bar in town, without question, is Clayton's Beach Bar and Grill (6900 Padre Blvd. ), right on the beach at the north end of the island next to the La Quinta Inn. It's the biggest beach bar on the island, with lots of tables and, best of all, a huge parking lot. It's part of Clayton's Resort (so named with tongue in cheek), a redo of an old 1950s motel with very comfortable rooms around a courtyard pool — sort of a beachified version of Austin's San Jose. (You can't stay there for spring break, but on other occasions, rooms start at $89.)

On the south end of the island, the Sheraton Hotel has turned into the Pearl (310 Padre Blvd., pearlsouthpadre.com ; rooms start at $259 during March 12 spring break week, ); otherwise it's pretty much the same hotel. Its Beachside Grill serves good seafood. And there's a hotel — Suites at Sunchase (1004 Padre Blvd., suitesatsunchase.com) — inside Sunchase Mall. It feels a little weird staying in that mall building, but the rooms are really huge and upscale, starting at $300 spring break week. (Most South Padre hotels at least double their rates during Texas Week.)

On the island's bay side, the Wahoo Saloon has turned into Laguna Bob (201 W. Pike St.), but many of the same bartenders are there. It's a good place to watch the sun set.

The biggest food news is Calesa, a fine-dining spot in Sunchase Mall (1004 Padre Blvd.). The red neon "open" sign outside doesn't read fine dining, but the dining is fine — especially the sea bass. It's fairly expensive, and you bring your own wine. (Feldman's liquors is just a couple of doors down.)

On the other end of the scale: Denny's, which turned into something else briefly last year (nobody remembers what), is Denny's again at 1200 Padre Blvd.

For getting around on the island, don't forget the free public transportation, the Wave, which runs up and down the island until 7 p.m.

College students can find low-cost packaged tours to South Padre such as those offered by Inertia Tours (inertiatours.com) that include hotels and meals. The party beach is set up behind Isla Grand Hotel, 500 Padre Blvd. Alcohol is allowed on the beach. Have your ID handy; the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission floods the island during spring break.

Three important tips: First, law enforcement is thick on the roads between Austin and South Padre every day of the year, and that's even more true in March, so don't speed.

Second, don't stay across the causeway in Port Isabel during Texas Week if you're planning on drinking, because during that one week — and only then — the Wave and taxis will not take you across the bridge. It's just too time-consuming for them.

Third, remember the new parking rule that started last year: You can't park in the residential area in the middle of the island. Small residents-only signs are easy to miss, and you'll get towed if you park there. The good news is that the island considered installing parking meters for beach parking along Gulf Boulevard this year but decided against it.

For more about South Padre island activities, lodging and dining, visit sopadre.com.

handers@statesman.com; 912-2590

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Are you a member of the media looking for an expert on spring break travel? Our Company President Chad Hart is available for phone, web, or in person interviews about a variety of student travel topics. Involved in the college spring break travel industry since 1993 and holding a Masters Degree in Businessfrom the University of Wisconsin, Inertia’s main Party Dude is here to assist you with your newsworthy story. Email Chad directly at: chad@inertiatours.com, or toll free 800.821.2176 x 1 at the Inertia Tours office.

ONLINE PRESS ROOM & MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION

Corporate Media Contact Person
Chad Hart
President
Inertia Tours Inc.
800 821 2176
chad@inertiatours.com

Chad has over 15 years of continuous spring break & student travel experience. He holds a MBA from the University of Wisconsin, & is available typically within (24) hours for press interviews with a wealth of knowledge & information
Need print quality or web quality logos for your story? Email tripinfo@inertiatours.com and let us be at your service.

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RECENT CORPORATE PRESS RELEASES

Loans, Plastic, & Even Spring Break Travel Compound Mounting Student Debt Crisis

College students today face staggering debts from student loans, credit cards, and even luxury purchases such as spring break trips

AUSTIN, Texas/EWORLDWIRE --- On top of stress about debt, global warming, the mortgage industry, and Wall Street, says Chad Hart, President of Inertia Tours, "Every aspect of life seems touched by the financial markets, and many college students are already thinking, 'Who's going to hire me?'" He's convinced another mounting problem for the future of America is college students graduating tens of thousands in debt before they have even made a dime from their first real job.

Nellie Mae, the nation's funding source for the majority of student loans, found the average undergraduates hold $2,200 in credit card debt starting with their freshman year - even if they arrive on campus without debt. Nellie Mae determined that half of college students' credit card debt is not education-related but for small, impulsive purchases like fast food to bigger ticket items like spring break travel packages.

According to Youngmoney.com, 66.7 percent of students graduate with a debt average of $18,237 - a staggering number with the average recent college grad making less than $40,000 their first year, and their parents with dwindling home equity and debt of their own.

Hart asserts that many people are asking what steps they can take as a college student or concerned parent about minimizing debt and still having some fun, and he offers these tips:

- Get creative with companies offering "pay as you go" plans rather than plastic "We have a financing plan for our spring break trips which is much like a layaway program from the 1950's," says Hart with his Spring Break Travel Company Inertia Tours (http://www.inertiatours.com), "instead of a student slapping their whole trip down on a credit card, we take $100 down, and then spread the balance out over 3 or 4 payments before they go to make it affordable to pay for the trip with real money." Instead of skipping the Spring Break rite of passage, investigate options online.

- Live within your means and still have fun Rather than focusing on not spending money, substitute activities with going out. It's cliche to mention the walk in the park and museums, but what about swanky art gallery openings for a hot date? They are not only free, those who go score instant points with a special one. Getting creative is key. "We always hit the cliffs at the lake (Travis) to go swimming - we get tan, we get exercise, and it's free!" says University of Texas Senior Austin Gille.

- Don't be a hermit Stating, "I won’t go out any more to save money," or simply trying to keep from going out and having fun on Thursday night when everyone at campus will is unrealistic. This stance shouldn't stop one from being a smart shopper. Zac Layne, a Senior at Arkansas State in Jonesboro is a perfect example. "I looked online with my fraternity brothers at bars with great drink specials so we didn't have to spend a bunch of money – THE Wednesday Pint Nights for $.25 is it!" Use the Internet to shop the price of fun.

- Use cash or don't buy the little stuff While putting gas on a credit card and paying it off every month can make sense, Chapstick, People Magazine, and Red Bull can add $10 to every fill up, all at 19 percent interest that's compounding. Those who have the money in their pocket and can pay for the extras should by all means, but if it's being financed, pass. Consider backing off one or two of your convenience items and keeping as a treat. The trick is not being too hard on yourself or your plan to save money will eventually fail.

- Make some money and get experience Sure, studying and education take precedence - but why not get a job for a busy executive as their assistant to gain experience and money? Think “no one" is hiring in a specific field? Think again. Offer services for free to start off. How to get hired? Send a nice e-mail, a formal letter via US mail, and take the initiative to call that person. Sometimes it takes research to find the right person. "Smart executives across all industries take special note of the go-getters," says Perry Henderson (http://www.perryhenderson.com) one of the top real estate and eco-condo brokers in Texas. "This is exactly how I got started," says Henderson. Work for free for a period of time to demonstrate real value and employers will soon pay. The bonus: money during school, experience, and maybe a desirable career.

Austin-based Inertia Tours (http://www.inertiatours.com) focuses on college spring break travel, marketing trips for $500 and less. Inertia's President Chad Hart holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin, and he is an active advocate of providing affordable student travel alternatives.

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Corporate Media Contact Person
Chad Hart
President
Inertia Tours Inc.
800 821 2176
chad@inertiatours.com

KEYWORDS: Spring Break, Spring Break Travel, Spring Break Trips, Inertia Tours, student travel, Spring break company, Chad Hart

SOURCE: Inertia Tours

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Your beach awaits: Plan now for spring break

What to plan for, what to do this March at Galveston, South Padre Island, Corpus Christi

Helen Anders photos AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Enlarge Photo

The primary beach-goers on South Padre Island right now are gulls, gulls, gulls. But that'll change come spring break, when some refurbished and new attractions open.

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Published: 12:10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011

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