Sea Turtles, Cenote Symphonies, and Carnival of the Senses: Caribbean Resorts Go Hyper Local
A new generation of Caribbean resorts is delving deep — sometimes literally — into the nature, culture and traditions of their destinations to go far beyond the beach and offer experiences that truly deliver on the promise of ‘a sense of place.’ Three new and returning resort experiences in Mexico, The Bahamas and Saint Lucia illustrate the shift towards hyper-local coastal resorts. They’re answering the call from visitors for experiences so rooted in their destination they couldn’t be duplicated anywhere else. Here...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Transformed Waldorf Astoria Returns as Beacon of NYC as Sister Hotels Open Globally
New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel is one of just a handful of hotels around the globe that’s a household name synonymous with luxury, society and history. After closing in 2017, the legendary hotel has resumed its place at the apex of New York and global hospitality following a transformational restoration of ballrooms, suites, dining venues and more. The Waldorf Astoria, named after one of America’s first ultra-wealthy families, the Astors, pioneered luxury hospitality innovations. It was the first modern hotel in...