If the “Swift-lift” taught us anything this year, it’s that seeing a favorite artist perform live in a different city is prime motivation to book a trip. That was one of the findings in our second annual music survey, results below.  Music Matters to These Travelers As expected, music is a big part of the respondents’ lives. More than half (54%) rated their interest in music a 10 (out of 10) and 86% rated it an 8 or above, roughly the same as last year. Of the 1081 respondents, 95% have taken a trip specifically to see live music, and “seeing my favorite artist in a different city” was ..read more

This story was first published in The Hotels issue (#6) which hit stands in March 2024. The Siren was named to our first-ever Greatest Hotels Ever list. Detroit had been beckoning me since I touched down in Barcelona last summer to check out Ron Wood’s suite at the El Palace hotel. The Rolling Stones’ legendary strummer designed his room, and if there was a big screen on the wall, I never noticed, because front and center sat a whirring chrome Wurlitzer 1900 stacked with 52 of the globetrotting guitarist’s own 45s, and the Motown sound stretched from Marvin Gaye’s “Rockin’ After Midnight” (A13 ..read more

It was only yesterday you were planning that ski vacation that never materialized, but, would you look at that — summer travel season is almost upon us. The hotels that opened this spring are already on it and offer all sorts of summery fun. For instance, there’s a tennis-themed Aloft in Florida, and a primetime seaside escape in Newport, R.I. You can also post up by the Pacific in a sea otter suite, or delve into the Deep South at old mansions in New Orleans and Savannah. The hottest new American hotels of spring are ready to make your summer getaway actually happen. Aloft Orlando Lake Nona ..read more

It wasn’t all that long ago that motor lodges defined America’s travel scene. These mom-and-pop operations were ubiquitous places for weary travelers to rest after a long day on the road. According to Mark Okrant, author of “No Vacancy: The Rise, Demise and Reprise of America’s Motels,” at their peak in 1964, more than 61,000 lined the country’s scenic highways and iconic routes. But after interstates went in throughout the middle of the twentieth century, motels across the country suffered. Some shuttered forever, some became by-the-hour situations and some limped on with fewer and fewer gues ..read more

This story was first published in The Hotels issue (#6) which hit stands in March 2024. McMenamins Kennedy School was one of the hotels named to our first-ever Greatest Hotels Ever list. The McMenamins company is, in a way, quintessential Portland. It’s at the same time peculiar and charming, eccentric and unique. The eclectic chain of family-owned businesses has a strategy that seems to be guided by only investing in cool places where people will want to hang. These include breweries and music venues, theater pubs and hotels. They’ve transformed hollowed-out buildings into hotel and dining ex ..read more

New York City’s Central Park and other urban green spaces like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park or Boston Common are well known names known the world over, but, despite what movies and TV would lead you to believe, they’re hardly the only great city parks in the country. Many civic gardens offer the same respites in manicured wilderness, often with their own museums, restaurants and other attractions. Here are 11 superb city parks you may have overlooked, from the shores of San Diego to the plains of South Dakota. Forest Park, St. Louis, Mo. Picture of the Bandstand in Forest Park in St. Louis ..read more

This story was first published in The Hotels issue (#6) which hit stands in March 2024. ‘Alohilani Resort was one of the hotels named to our first-ever Greatest Hotels Ever list. It’s not news but worth repeating over and over: Travel accounts for a chunk of the world’s carbon emissions. It’s around 8-11%, and 90% of travelers look for sustainable options when they’re planning trips, according to a 2022 report from Expedia Media Group.  ‘Alohilani Resort, one of the many hotels along Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach, fully opened itself to those environmentally concerned bookings when it began ro ..read more

We can scream until we’re blue in the face about natural beauty and college football teams, but nothing solidifies a state’s identity quite like its food. A homegrown dish is the one thing a local can point to and say, “We do that here better than anywhere else.” Better might refer to the dining experience — just ask anyone who has had a lobster roll within earshot of the ocean in Maine — or it might refer to a local ingredient that’s hard to come by anywhere else, like moose liver in Alaska. And while some of these regional foods have gained popularity nationwide, they always taste best in th ..read more

If you’re looking for a hotel that has stellar amenities, well-appointed rooms, quick access to local attractions and doesn’t break the bank, you may feel a bit like Goldilocks — it’s hard to find the one that’s just right. Fear not. Here we’ve gathered some of the coolest hotels, from winery-region pads to cozy mountain town lodges, where you can find nightly rates for less than $200. Aloft Lake Nona Lake Nona, Florida; Rates starting at $162 The closest hotel to the largest tennis sports facility in the world, Aloft Lake Nona pays homage to the great Althea Neale Gibson, the first Black ten ..read more

From hearing the crack of the bat to the smell of buttery stadium popcorn and the temptation to try every kind of hotdog, baseball is a game best enjoyed live and in person. However, for many of us, a day in the stands, root, root, rooting for the home team requires a trip and an overnight stay. Whether adorned with memorabilia from baseball’s history, offering unparalleled views of iconic stadiums or providing unique amenities tailored to fans, these hotels bring the excitement of the game out of the stadium and into the entirety of any baseball sojourn. Here are five of the best hotels ..read more