Royal Caribbean Group Buys 50% of Sandals Resorts- A Game Changer for the Caribbean and Global Cruising?
Caribbean cruising - and beyond! - may have changed forever. Royal Caribbean Group -which also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea - and Sandals Resorts International announced that the cruise company has purchased 50% of the Caribbean all-inclusive resort chain. It's a deal worth 3 billion USD, and it's sending a tidal wave through both the cruise and all-inclusive resort worlds. Here's why it's a gamechanger for any cruise traveler on Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, or Silversea. Or people who love high-end, all-inclusive...
Baroque to Biohacking: the New Wellness Scene in Vienna's Luxury Hotels
Vienna has spent centuries perfecting the art of living well. Coffee and cake in chandeliered cafés. Music, art and architecture on an imperial scale. And, increasingly, some serious pampering behind the doors of the Austrian capital’s luxury hotels. But these days, “wellness” during your trip to Vienna can involve much more than a massage.The city’s luxury hotel spas still deliver plenty of old-school indulgence, often in spectacular historic surroundings. At the same time, a new generation of wellness centers inside luxury...
2 New Openings Continue to Redefine All-Inclusive Resort Vacations
Two new Caribbean resort openings show travelers just how far the concept of the all-inclusive holiday is stretching, with lifestyle hotels translating their unique identities into all-inclusives and focusing less on buffets and the beach and more on wellness retreats, culinary travel, and immersive cultural experiences. In Cancun, Mondrian is taking its famously design- and culture-driven hotel concept all-inclusive for the first time. Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, the new adults-only Hyatt Vivid Punta Cana puts wellness, flexibility, social connection, and local...
Four Seasons Opens 2nd Resort in Greece; 3rd on the Way
Greece’s ancient coastlines, history and modern lifestyle retain evergreen travel charm; no wonder Four Seasons has opened its second Greek resort - and its first on a Greek island. Four Seasons Hotel Mykonos is a tranquil beachfront retreat just 20 minutes from the island’s lively town and its renowned social lifestyle. Set above Kalo Livadi Bay, the new cliffside hotel features contemporary design, a private beach, dining with sea views and immersive island experiences.The Four Seasons Hotel Mykonos’ elevated location unfolds over...
3 Sandals Resorts Get $200 Million Glow Up in ‘Great Jamaica Comeback’
A trio of storied resorts on the island where Sandals was born is being reborn as part of Jamaica's comeback. A new name, new dream-inspiring accommodations, new dining venues, new menus, and new experiences celebrate Jamaican culture, cuisine, and natural beauty across the three properties. Sandals Royal Caribbean is being renamed Sandals Caribbean Cay. Plus, the first Sandals ever, as well as Sandals South Coast, are all part of the $200 million re-imagination project that brings beloved resorts – and...
New European Hotels in Landmark Historic Sites to Inspire your Next Trip
London. Venice. Lisbon. Each powerhouse travel destination already has its share of iconic hotels. But new properties opening in 2026 give visitors the unique ability to live inside the history and culture of these storied cities, not just peer at them from the outside. LONDON Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch One of London's most recognizable landmarks is now one of its most exclusive places to stay, offering access to ordinary people for the first time ever. Commissioned as a memorial to Queen Victoria...
Discovering the Future of Wellness Travel in Sweden
Recently in Sweden, I experienced ancient wellness practices intertwined with new science and artistic sensibilities. In many ways, Sweden wrote the book on wellness as a way of life and a travel destination. And my stays at two sister hotels in Stockholm proved the country is in the vanguard of redefining wellness travel again. In case you missed it, in 2025, Sweden became the first country where doctors can prescribe travel for wellness. The global leader in quality of life, renowned...
Jamaica Asking Visitors to Return as Island Reopens Following Hurricane Melissa
Visitors are crucial to local communities as they recover following October’s Hurricane Melissa, the strongest ever recorded storm to hit the country, with devastating results. The focus now is rebuilding Jamaica’s tourism-based economy and getting people back to work. That’s where we come in. Jamaica is back open for business this winter. So you can plan a tropical, Caribbean escape to the island just when you need it most - and Jamaica needs us most. Maybe even give the gift of travel this...
Swap Stress for Serenity this Season with Locally-Inspired Wellness Escapes in Latin America
Marriott hotels and resorts are inviting you to escape and unwind in the Caribbean and Latin America through personalized treatments, healing rituals, therapies using natural ingredients, immersive sensory experiences, and holistic lifestyle activities that help you balance body, mind, and spirit. Reset, rejuvenate, and relax in coveted destinations, relying on modern wellness experts who also tap into local, regional and sometimes ancient practices you can’t experience anywhere else. COSTA RICA At W Costa Rica in Guanacaste, nature-lovers can practice shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art...
Bali Beyond Beaches
Indonesia’s most storied island, Bali, has been a symbol of uniquely tropical Asian exotic culture, romance and adventure for centuries. A generation of backpackers and surfers brought Bali’s beaches to ever greater fame, but today, Bali’s being reborn as a bucket list travel destination that’s so much more than beach culture. Beaches: Surf, Serenity, and Sea TemplesEven Bali’s beaches are more than sand and sun. Uluwatu is the surfer’s mecca, where pros chase glassy barrels below a cliff-top temple where Kecak dancers...