05.21.13
We all know New York is the city that never sleeps—and now that means the director of personal shopping at Bergdorf Goodman, thanks to a new collaboration with The Mark Hotel. Up at 4 a.m. with the realization that you left the outfit you have to wear in 7 hours at home? Have no fear—a new ensemble is just a phone call away. Complimentary messenger services are another benefit of this 24/7 service.
Brooke Porter is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter at @brookeporter1.
Photo courtesy of The Mark Hotel
05.21.13
This month, Travel + Leisure announced the 61 hottest new hotels of the year in our 2013 It List. In celebration of these splashy properties—from the Amanzo'e resort on Greece's Peloponnese peninsula (pictured) to Tuscany's rustic Monteverdi—we’ll be hosting a one-hour Twitter chat to discuss the latest in hotel tech, design, and industry trends. Our expert panel of luxury travel agents and T+L editors will share their secrets on maximizing your hotel stay and where to travel next.
Join the conversation on Wednesday, May 22nd from 2pm to 3pm.
The Hosts
Clara O. Sedlak, T+L special projects editor, @csedlak1
Jennifer Flowers, travel news editor, @JennFlowers
Nikki Ekstein, editorial assistant, @nikkiekstein
The Panel
Sara Chapman, Vacationist.com, @GoVacationist
Bobby Zur, Travel Artistry, @travelartistry
Kendra Thornton, Room 77, @Room_77
Jared Simon, HotelTonight, @HotelTonight
Dawid Grausch, Design Hotels, @Design_Hotels
Tiffany Dowd, Luxe Social Media, @LuxeTiffany
Stacy Small, Elite Travel International, @EliteTravelGal
Shane Mitchell, T+L special correspondent, @shanegoesforth
Heidi Mitchell, T+L contributor, @heidismitchell
Andrew Sessa, T+L contributor, @SessaSaysWhat
How does it work?
1. Log in to Twitter any time from 2–3 p.m. ET and be sure to follow the chat host: @TravlandLeisure.
2. Use the hashtag #TL_Chat to follow.
3. To keep up with the chat in real time, head over to tweetchat.com/room/TL_Chat.
4. We'll pulse out some questions for our expert panel to answer, but feel free to post your own answers to our questions. Or ask your own questions!
All tweets are subject to our social media terms and conditions and may be used in any and all media including editorial. See full social media terms and conditions.
Maria Pedone is a digital editorial intern at Travel + Leisure.
Photo courtesy of Amanzo'e
05.21.13
To help with summer travel planning, Microsoft is releasing a special edition, travel-themed OneNote template. And T+L is excited to be part of it—we wrote the travel tips and packing lists featured in this new, free, release.
You’ll find advice from our editors on the summer’s trendiest destinations, activities for everyone in the family, must-try dishes from around the world, and essential items to pack, whether you’re battling the humidity or enjoying the water (or both).
OneNote is available with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium. Check it out and bring it with you on your next summer adventure.
Photo credit: OneNote
05.20.13
Big news from Viking River Cruises: they’re launching an ocean-going line. Viking Ocean Cruises’ first vessel, the 928-passenger Viking Star, sets sail in 2015. A few on-board perks we’re looking forward to? Verandas in every category of stateroom; an infinity pool cantilevered off the stern, and a Scandinavian spa, replete with a (yup) “snow grotto.”
In other cruise news, Windstar Cruises' new all-suite yacht, 212-guest Star Pride, has just released its 2014 itineraries. On the docket: the Aegean, Adriatic, Black Sea, and French Riviera. Needless to say, my bags are packed.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter @ThePluckyOne.
Photo courtesy of Viking Cruises
05.20.13
Family members have planned a private burial service for Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of slain civil rights activitist Malcolm X, in Hartsdale, New York tomorrow. He was beaten to death in a bar fight on May 9 in Mexico City. But in the widespread news coverageof the killing, one fact has been curiously underplayed: Shabazz was the unwitting victim of one of the oldest scams in travel.
Read More
05.17.13
Book now on Vacationist, and you can stay in some of your favorite hotels and resorts for up to 45% off.
Sale ends in 5 days!
Jewel Runaway Bay - up to 45% off
Runaway Bay, Jamaica
Runaway Bay's white-sand shores are blissfully less crowded than those of nearby Ocho Rios. Private beaches, a championship golf course, and daily children's programs make the recently rebranded Jewel Runaway Bay an all-inclusive retreat for the entire family.
Sale ends in 2 days!
Portofino Beach Resort - up to 41% off
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Kick back on the white sandy beaches of Ambergris Caye. This 17-room resort is located right along the water, less than an hour boat ride from the legendary, 200-mile-long Belize Barrier Reef.
Sale ends in 9 days!
Ellington Hotel Berlin - up to 29% off
Berlin, Germany
Built in 1928, this Art Deco hotel around the corner from Berlin's popular KaDeWe department store still retains touches from its 1930's jazz-era past, including its name.
Vacationist.com is brought to you by Travel + Leisure and LuxuryLink.com.
Photo courtesy of TJewel Runaway Resort
05.17.13
This month, travel to Machu Picchu and the Peruvian Andes is almost in full swing: if you’re headed to the region and haven’t already asked an outfitter to wrangle your Inca Trail passes, you may be out of luck this season. Luckily, there are plenty of other delightful ways to reach Machu Picchu, which we outline in our Trekking, Walking, and Hiking guide (May 2013). Here’s one of our favorites:
SALCANTAY TRAIL
Best for: Creature comforts.
Known as the back door into Machu Picchu, Salcantay is also the area’s highest path (it reaches 15,200 feet). Mountain Lodges of Peru, a string of stone-and-timber inns along the trail, is the only lodge-to-lodge way to reach the lost city of the Incas: take this route on a trip with Wildland Adventures (11 days from $3,800).
Jennifer Flowers is an Associate Editor at Travel + Leisure and part of the Trip Doctor news team. Find her on Twitter at @JennFlowers.
Photo courtesy of Mountain Lodges of Peru and Wildland Adventures
05.17.13
Can you guess where this clock tower is? Hint: You might find it in our slideshow of beautiful clock towers. Do you know which one it is? Head over to our Facebook page and leave your guesses there. Check back on Monday for the answer!
Lyndsey Matthews is an assistant digital editor at Travel + Leisure.
Photo Courtesy of Lyndsey Matthews
05.17.13
Enterainment Weekly's Sara Vilkomerson lives out the dream of millions of tween readers by spending the weekend at the Key West home of Judy Blume: Are You There God, It's Me, Judy Blume. (Matt Haber)
Super aggregator Jason Kottke presents some wonderful color footage of London from 1927. (M.H.)
Think we’re making progress in lightening our footprint on this planet? We've got a long way to go. Emily Badger of the Atlantic Cities reports on a project involving NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, Google (of course), and other organizations to turn 30 years of satellite photos into timelapse videos of anywhere on earth. The resulting GIFs are sobering. Don't miss the map tool that lets you zoom into any location to see the change over time. (Amy Farley)
Google Maps just blew everyone else out of the water, unveiling new apps for Android and iOS (coming to an app store this summer) that integrate all the content, innovations, and intelligence of its varied recent acquisitions, as our friends at Skift report. Apple, your move. (A.F.)
It really is the week of Google news: as the Verge reported on Thursday, the company has officially unveiled a redesigned Google+ that automatically retouches the photos you upload (or that are automatically uploaded from Android phones everywhere). Creepy, cool, or just a last-ditch effort to get people to care about Google+? You decide. (Nikki Ekstein)
Unearthing the culture of a destination fascinates me. To get a true look into a Hawaiian local's perspective, pick up Kristiana Kahakauwila's new short story collection, This is Paradise. Her writing is as captivating as the politics behind it. (Maria Pedone)
With the Cannes Film Festival in full swing, local hotels become home-base for countless celebs and their entourages. On its blog, the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez published a fascinating infographic that reveals exactly what goes on in the star-studded hotel during the festival. Want 220 pounds of caviar? You've got it. (Peter Schlesinger)
And last but not least, in Berlin, a new Barbie Doll Dream House has opened to the delight of many fans and the horror of many feminists. Protesters see the plastic doll as an unworthy role model that reinforces strict gender roles, and formed the group Occupy Barbie Dream House, as detailed by Mark Johanson from the International Business Times. See pics of the pink palace on this BBC slideshow. (P.S.)
Got a recommendation? Tell us in the comments.
Photo: iStock Photos.
05.16.13
Listen up, airlines—it’s time to start playing Adele’s Someone Like You on the PA as you’re boarding your flights. According to research launched today by music service Spotify, the song is the perfect tune to settle travelers’ jittery nerves, thanks to its ideal tempo (67 bpm) and harmonious tones. About one in four fliers suffer from some sort of travel-related fear, says the study by London-based anxiety psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman, who helped Spotify identify characteristics in songs that are most de-stressing (see the full recommended playlist here). But tuning in is just the first step: breathing in time to the rhythm, listening on headphones, and closing your eyes will all work together to theoretically lower your heart rate and blood pressure, stimulate both sides of your brain, and calm your mind. Fly on, frazzled road warriors, fly on.
Nikki Ekstein is an Editorial Assistant at Travel + Leisure and part of the Trip Doctor news team. Find her at on Twitter at @nikkiekstein.
