05.22.13
You know me: Always complaining about excessive fees aimed at travelers. I've kvetched about the worst rental car rip-offs. I've bemoaned the world's most outrageous hotel fees. I've griped, groused, growled, and grumbled about airline surcharges here and here and here. But before I have to rush back to my thesaurus again for another way to say complain, let me acknowledge that there are some travel companies that are doing it right: They're giving stuff away, free. May I just say, yay.
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05.22.13
Set on 210 yucca- and cedar scrub-dotted acres in Texas Hill Country, Travaasa Austin has 70 streamlined guest rooms, an 11-room spa and infinity pool, an equestrian center, and two miles of hiking trails. This June, the resort will debut a three-and-a-quarter-acre farm anticipated to produce a whopping 30,000 pounds of food in its first year.
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05.22.13
Need inspiration for a summer road trip? Look no further than The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue, by T+L contributor Daniel Vaughn. The new release is jam-packed with over 200 pit stops throughout the Lone Star State—as well as a guide to the different style of Texas ‘cue and the stories behind the pitmasters. To execute this true labor of love, Vaughn clocked an estimated 10,000 miles—but with chapters devoted to individual regions, it offers plenty of smaller itineraries that’ll ramp up your appetite. Need extra persuasion? See the Austin-based, BBQ-obsessed trip that Vaughn created for T+L right here.
Nikki Ekstein is an Editorial Assistant at Travel + Leisure and part of the Trip Doctor news team. Find her at on Twitter at @nikkiekstein.
Photo courtesy of Anthony Bourdain/Ecco
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.
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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
