12 Ways Fairmont Hotels are Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas and More
Take a break from planning Christmas festivities and shopping and treat yourself to Christmas cheer, Fairmont-style. Get into the spirit of the season with a dozen merry programs at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts throughout North and Central America– from ugly sweaters to a Thirsty Elf, a Home Alone tribute in New York, and Holiday Hula in Hawaii. In a nod to the 12 Days of Christmas, 12 of the family of hotels and resorts have devised their own unique ways to make the holiday bright for guests this season: Have Dinner Inside a Life-Sized Gingerbread House at Fairmont San FranciscoFor more than a century, Fairmont San Francisco has enchanted guests with joyful holiday festivities and exuberant seasonal ambience. Back this year is... more
Beach Vacation Tip: What You Need to Know About Reef-Safe Sunscreen
Most of us are pretty careful about sun exposure when we travel on beach vacations these days. It’s hats and sunscreen all the way to protect our skin from the sun’s rays. But how about protecting the ocean we love to visit from the chemicals in our sunscreens? The rise of "reef-safe" or "reef-friendly" or “ocean-friendly” sunscreen claims has a lot of travelers puzzled about what sunscreen to pack that protects skin without harming the aquatic environment. The Origin of Reef-Safe SunscreensA few years ago, Hawaii passed legislation banning sunscreen products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. This move by one of the most famous beach destinations was prompted by research suggesting that these chemicals could harm coral reefs. Oxybenzone, also known as benzophenone-3,... more
Four Seasons Opening A New Resort in Another Caribbean Destination
The newest Four Seasons resort will change the face of one of the Caribbean’s most popular islands. Famous for affordable, all-inclusive beach resort vacations, the Dominican Republic’s latest resort will put it on even the most discerning luxury traveler’s map. The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Dominican Republic at Tropicalia is underway on 60 acres of pristine beachfront of Playa Esmeralda on the country’s northeastern Samana Bay. Scheduled to open in 2026, the 95-room resort will lead the way for a new era of sustainable tourism and luxury in the Dominican Republic. It’s being developed in partnership with the family who owns the property, which is currently a private estate. The new resort will maintain the estate’s diverse eco-system of white-sand beaches, crystal... more
And the Top Tourism Attraction in Europe This Year Is...
Not the Eiffel Tower. Not Rome’s Colosseum. Or even Barcelona’s magnificent Sagrada Familia cathedral by Gaudi. The attraction voted Europe’s best in awards dubbed the “Tourism Oscars” also earned the title of Europe’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience 2023. Ireland’s Guinness Storehouse is one of the highlights of a visit to Dublin, and walks visitors through the history and the making of one of the world’s most beloved beer brands and Irish cultural icon. Who doesn’t have a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day? And who would miss having a pint of Ireland’s most famous beer at the source? The Guinness Storehouse is located in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties, the neighborhood famous for the city’s brewing and distilling heritage. Inside,... more
Black Friday Travel Deals that Let You Give the Gift of Travel this Holiday Season
Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to book travel – for more than one reason! Not only will you find some of the best deals of the year, but they allow you to give one of the most precious gifts to your loved ones during the festive season. Break free from giving things that become worn out, obsolete, forgotten or worse – landfill! – and think about how the gift of travel will enhance your relationship with the person you travel with or give travel.No stores, no lineups, no parking chaos… giving the gift of travel makes checking family off your list easy. Step Away from Devices…Study after study shows that what we remember and cherish are... more
CERN in Switzerland Opens New Gateway for Visitors to Get Their Science On
If you thought CERN, the renowned particle physics research facility in Geneva, was just for Nobel laureates and PhD’s, think again. The facility has inaugurated Science Gateway, a new, visionary hub with free admission for anyone from 5 to 95 to get involved in the next generation of human understanding of the universe at what may be the world’s most famous science facility. CERN’s Science Gateway is an architectural achievement as well as providing a new level of access to the high degree of high science at CERN beginning in the fall of 2023. Designed with tubes that appear to be suspended in space evoking the cutting-edge CERN particle accelerators, Science Gateway is both a real and a symbolic bridge between visitors... more
This All-Inclusive Resort is Expanding Included Dining: OFF-Resort Restaurants
It’s the best of both worlds. Part of the appeal of luxury, all-inclusive resorts is the array of dining options on the property where you can enjoy effortless, delightful dining you’ve already paid for. But what about getting a taste of the local restaurant scene on the rest of the island? And how about supporting other local businesses? Sandals Resorts has come up with the perfect answer in its immersive, “Island Inclusive” dining program that now invites couples at two of its all-inclusive luxury resorts to savor local flavors around two islands. The program debuted in 2022 with the opening of Sandals Royal Curacao. Now, it’s expanded to Nassau for select guests at Sandals Royal Bahamian, giving them access to some of Nassau’s... more
VIDEO: Dramatic Sailing Through One of the World’s Largest Fjords in the Arctic Aboard Seabourn Venture
“The best morning of my life.” That was a cameraman’s reaction to filming in one of the hottest cruise destinations today. The Arctic’s icecaps, glaciers, icebergs and fjords are drawing intrepid cruise travelers who want to experience some of the most remote, pristine, – and epic – scenery in the world. You may have already cruised to Alaska and experienced some of the wilderness along some of its Arctic and Pacific northwest coast. But that doesn’t even begin to touch the scale of Greenland’s fjords. They are some of the largest on the planet – and the least accessible or traveled. On one, unforgettable early morning during our expedition cruise on Seabourn Venture, our camera crew got the call: we’d be transiting through... more
A New Nature Reserve and More Hotel News From Aruba
Aruba’s hotel and resort scene is more alluring than ever. The Dutch island in the south Caribbean is known for its desert environment, perpetual tradewinds that shape its iconic divi divi trees, colorful, colonial town, and a famous beach that’s been named best in the world, where most resorts are found. News from three resorts highlights new experiences to give travellers reasons to return to Aruba or visit for the first time. A New Nature Preserve by Bucuti & Tara Beach ResortAruba’s premiere adults-only boutique hotel on the shores of Eagle beach isn’t just celebrated for being one of the most romantic hotels in the world. Image: Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is headed by a celebrated... more
Digital Fasting: Why You Should Go Device-Free on Your Next Holiday
Word this summer of the introduction of the world’s first phone-free tourist resort island in Finland highlighted a growing holiday trend: digital fasting. You read that right. Wellness travel has offered vacationers opportunities to undertake juice and other fasts on retreat trips to benefit their physical health. Now, with growing awareness of the benefits of unplugging from our devices, we could be seeing more opportunities for digital fasting on our vacations. “We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus their senses on nature rather than on their phones. This is a great initiative that could be implemented in other nature and recreational destinations, too,” Joel Heino, Manager, Outdoor Recreation and Visitor Management at Parks & Wildlife Finland, says. “People are... more
Christmas Markets, NYE, Ice World and Gala Balls: Why Visit Vienna in the Winter
Don’t wait til spring or summer to visit Austria’s capital. Some of its most unique experiences take place during the frosty months, where one-of-a-kind local events warm your heart and reveal a side of Vienna you can’t see any other time of the year. Viennese Christmas Markets:Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a magical time in Vienna, with the historic city center and shopping streets in their festive best. The city’s most beautiful squares, streets and parks are transformed into Christmas markets, each with its own distinct atmosphere. The largest, and considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, is the Wiener Christkindlmarkt (Viennese Christmas Market), combining romance and nostalgia. There’s a popular Herzerlbaum (heart tree) for you... more
These Resorts have been Named Top in the Caribbean for the 30th Time at the 30th World Travel Awards
30 times in 30 years. That’s an incredible vote of confidence in the resort chain named “The Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand” for the 30th time at the 30th annual World Travel Awards. It wasn’t the only win for Sandals Resorts International, either. It scored 13 more prestigious awards. Sandals Resorts International is the parent company of two luxury, all-inclusive resort chains: couples-only Sandals resorts, and family all-inclusive Beaches resorts. In addition to the company as a whole winning top honors, individual resorts also brought home the gold. The all-new Sandals Dunn’s River (pictured), which opened its doors in May of 2023, celebrated its first wins as the Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort and Caribbean's Leading New Resort. You need to experience Sandals’ newest Jamaican resort to... more
Air France Celebrates its 90th Anniversary with - What Else? High Fashion
Ever since it was inaugurated in October, 1933, Air France has been flying high as an international beacon of the uniquely French art of travel and art of life. 90 years later, flying to France on the airline remains the best way to become immersed in French “savoir vivre” and elegance before you even touch French soil. Since its creation, the company has been celebrating excellence, French-style, a “je-ne-sais-quoi” recognized around the world. So, to mark its 90th anniversary, the airline asked Xavier Ronze, head of the costume design workshops at the Paris Opera ballet, to create a collection of five iconic dresses embodying the company’s legendary history. Each dress is a unique interpretation of the different hallmarks of the airline – aircraft... more
The Best Way to Experience the Most Romantic River in Europe
It is extraordinarily charming to cruise any of the rivers of Europe, but they call it “The Romantic Rhine” for a reason – at least three reasons! And on my most recent sailing on the Rhine on a Viking river cruise, I was reminded of why the Rhine is one of my – and many seasoned river cruisers’ – favorites. On 'The Romantic Rhine,' you can see, taste, and listen to a perfect tapestry of Northern European culture. And a river cruise is the very best way to experience it. It’s one of the most popular river cruises for new-to-river-cruise travelers, and also one that many experienced river cruisers return to, time after time, in different seasons, including Christmas market season! Unpack... more
Ports of Call You Can't Miss in the Eastern Mediterranean’s Newest Cruise Hub
The Mediterranean is full of ancient maritime cultures, but some seaside countries are just recently becoming popular cruise destinations. One up-and-coming cruise hub in the eastern end of this historic sea offers the best of Mediterranean, modern European, and Middle Eastern cultures and lifestyles. Not to mention the spiritual attractions of the home of Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. And the best news is that more and more cruises are calling in Israel’s ports and also embarking and disembarking from Israel, allowing for pre- and post-cruise explorations of this bucket-list country. Here are Israel’s two main cruise ports – and their top attractions, although many attractions of Israel are accessible from either port, especially if you have overnights in port, cruise-tours, or... more
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