Where's the Best Place to be on National Cake Day?
If it isn't on your calendar already, get out a red pen and mark November 26. That's National Cake Day, and although we don't need any excuses to enjoy the star of any birthday, wedding, or Tuesday afternoon, it got us thinking: where is the best travel destination for a day dedicated to celebrating cake?Our conclusion: Austria, with not one, but two flagship cakes.Linzer TorteLinz is the home of Linzer Torte. Since it's said to be the world's oldest cake recipe,...
Searching for 'Hygge' in Copenhagen - and Happiness at Home
It's a global buzzword and cultural phenomenon. And today, more and more of us are in need of Denmark's signature recipe for happiness: 'hygge'.Danish 'hygge' (pronounced 'HOOG-uh') is sweeping the world – everyone wants in on Denmark's famously convivial way of life. The Danish are the happiest people on the planet – even during the long, dark days of winter - and it's all about hygge.So much so, hygge has actually been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. It might be the...
Champagne Vending Machine at this NOLA Hotel Makes Every Day New Year's Eve
The motto of New Orleans is 'Let the Good Times Roll'. Nowhere is that more true than at the local Ritz-Carlton, which now boasts the area's first permanent champagne vending machine.This classy, tongue-in-cheek interpretation of lobby fixtures in sadder hotels holds 320 'piccolo' (mini) bottles of liquid celebration, and blends right into the hotel's festive seasonal décor and events.A nearly life-sized gingerbread NOLA streetcar dominates the lobby, with festive gingerbread making and decorating events throughout advent for the young and their...
You Can Dive into Cousteau Legacy at this Luxury Eco-Resort in Fiji
Pristine Fijian ecosystem at land and sea, romantic and evocative South Pacific vistas and lifestyle… no wonder a trip to one of the world's top exotic tropical destinations is on nearly every travel bucket list.For diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, it should be at the top. 'Cousteau' is possibly the most renowned name in diving, oceanography and advocacy for our planet's oceans. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji continues the fabled marine and conservation Cousteau legacy. Located on 17 pristine acres on the second-largest...
5 Stars and Social Consciousness; A Paris Hotel Creates the Future of Luxury Cuisine
The first luxury hotel to win 5 Michelin stars is putting its money where its guests' mouths are. And committing to the cause of tomorrow's food and cuisine.The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris has three restaurants. Between them, they've earned record recognition by Michelin. 3 stars for Le Cinq, 1 star for Le George (pictured, top) and 1 star for L'Orangerie. It's put this historic landmark Parisian hotel on the top of many foodie travel lists.Now an historic garden is where...
Video: This Hotel Has the Top Views of Edinburgh
There are a few important things on our check list of a great hotel: alluring architecture and design, lifestyle, dining and sipping... and if possible, an amazing view.The Balmoral Edinburgh has it all. This storied hotel in Scotland's capital is located at 1 Prince's Street. It's an unrivaled position overlooking some of the best views of the city: Edinburgh Castle, Prince's Street, New Town, even Arthur's Seat, the park on the remnants of an ancient volcano rising out of the...
'Glamping' in Laos: Luxury Tented Villas are a Rosewood Resort First
Laos may be one of the last, best-kept secrets in South-East Asia. Now, travelers looking for an immersive vacation in the unspoiled environment, unique culture and French-Laotian heritage of Laos have the perfect ultra-luxury destination: the tented villas of the new concept Rosewood Luang Prabang.It's Rosewood's second resort in Southeast Asia – and its very first world-wide to feature tented villas. It's a dream 'glamping' (glamorous-camping) destination. Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of Laos,...
Video: The Most Photographed Hotel in the World Celebrates 125 Years
How does a hotel become the most photographed in the world? Many hotels have spectacular architecture, magnificent and dramatic settings... but very few hotel silhouettes define the destination. Fairmont's Chateau Frontenac is to Quebec City what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. The hotel not only evokes the grace and elegance of the French castles that inspired it. It is literally the high point of this historic, 400 year old city's UNESCO world heritage site. Although it appears to rise from...
7 Places Not to Miss in Indochina
Two hundred years ago, Europeans started referring to the region between India and China as Indochina.Already, it was recognized as one of the most beautiful, exotic, culturally unique destinations on the planet. With its very strategic position, Indochina was also center-stage in some of the defining conflicts of the 20th century including the Pacific theater of WW2 and the Vietnam War.Fast-forward to today, and the legendary countries of South-East Asia - SEA for short - are magnets for travelers by land and...
What Happens to Worn-Out Hotel Sheets? A Good News Story
How many times can your hotel sheets be slept in once, then washed, and slept in again before they're too worn to use one more time? We don't know.But we do know that there's now a better end story for used sheets than landfill or being tied together to form an escape route out the back window in a romantic comedy. Westin Hotels has decided that there's more to their famous 'Heavenly Bed' sheets than thread count. In fact, their...