The Byron Hot Springs Hotel is an abandoned resort in northern California. Over the last century, it has hosted Hollywood celebrities, housed prisoners of war, and attracted worshippers from the Greek Orthodox church. But the building has been vacant for decades. Today, the hotel lures curious spectators, some of whom believe the property is haunted. …
Tag Archives: tourism news
I love the Beatles, and I took the ultimate fan trip to Liverpool. Here’s how to book it with Amex and Chase points.
The Beatles got their start in Liverpool, UK, which is home to a number of Beatles-themed venues and a Beatles-themed hotel. Chase and American Express points are perfect for a flight to the UK and accommodations at The Hard Days Night hotel in Liverpool, just a few hours by train from central London. You can …
I went on a 3-day camping and hiking trip led by REI’s travel company — here’s why I recommend REI Adventures to anyone
REI doesn’t only sell outdoor gear. You can also go on an outdoor adventure anywhere in the world through its travel company REI Adventures. REI Adventures offers more than 250 guided trips for a variety of activity levels, durations, and activities (hiking, camping, kayaking, backpacking, and more). Though trips can be pricey, you do get …
I compared the Away Bigger Carry-On bag to my Samsonite luggage, and it convinced me to switch to the newer, trendier brand
On a recent domestic trip, I tried out the Instagram-famous Away luggage for the first time. The company with a $1.4 billion valuation as of May 2019 offers a fleet of different luggage sets with lifetime warranties. I was thinking about purchasing an Away bag before my trip, but when I saw the price, I …
Hotel review: The consistently hip Ace Hotel in NoMad is a go-to base for creative types
The Ace Hotel New York is a consistently hip option for both out-of-town visitors and native New Yorkers who want a trendy base within an equally buzzy neighborhood. On-site offerings are as much of a draw as the hotel itself. Well-respected outlets such as The Breslin, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Black Seed Bagel, and all attached, …
Best Western rolled out a new boutique hotel in 2018 that promotes modern design and wellness. I spent $112 on a room in Kentucky — and it exceeded my expectations in more ways than one.
GLo is Best Western’s new boutique hotel brand, focused on “hip” design and wellness amenities. The first Best Western GLo opened in Texas at the end of 2018, and seven more have opened in 2019. I spent a night at a Best Western GLo on a recent work trip to Lexington, Kentucky, in a $112-a-night …
The top-rated hotel of 2019 is a swanky Beverly Hills spot that just dropped $22 million on a redesign. The manager says they’ve used 3 key strategies to capture millennial interest.
The SLS Beverly Hills was recently named the top-rated hotel by travelers in Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. The award comes on the heels of the 10-year-old hotel’s $22 million guest room renovation. Business Insider spoke to the general manager of the SLS, Christophe Thomas, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the …
95% of LGBTQ travelers report having hidden their sexual orientation while on a business trip, with the most common reason being safety
Allison Hope is a writer and native New Yorker who favors humor over sadness, travel over television, and coffee over sleep. You can follow her on Twitter. She identifies as a lesbian, and has been out for over 20 years. But she often hides her identity when traveling. Her job — in communications — has …
The best soft coolers
Soft coolers are great for keeping your food and drinks cold when you’re hiking, camping, fishing, or picnicking. While it may be overkill for some, the Yeti Hopper M30 is the best all-around soft cooler with its signature HYDROLOK zipper, big capacity, and rugged build quality. To the fisherman, a reliable cooler makes the difference …
My wife and I have dozens of travel credit cards, but we slowed down our applications to prioritize the Chase rewards we value the most
My wife and I have been using rewards credit cards to earn free travel for our family of eight since 2013. We’ve opened over 40 cards between the two of us to take advantage of sign-up bonuses and to maximize our spending. However, since issuers have introduced restrictions that limit how many cards you can …
Hotel review: Le Méridien San Francisco is a great option for comfort, value, and excellent last-minute deals
Looking for a last-minute solo stay in San Francisco, I selected for its combination of location, comfort, and relatively cheap price. Le Méridien is a renowned luxury brand within the portfolio, offering the chance to stay at a hotel that can typically be quite expensive while earning loyalty points. Despite my last minute booking, I …
5 of the best ways to fly to Japan on points and miles, so you can save your money for sushi and souvenirs
Japanese is a bucket-list travel destination, and with good reason. But it’s not cheap. If you want to visit, one way to cut down on expenses is to book your flights with points and miles. Luckily, it isn’t hard to earn enough points from top rewards credit cards to book a flight to Japan, especially …
Singapore Airlines’ luxurious new suites are like hotel rooms in the sky. Here are the strategies I used to score a $4,000 ticket with points.
Singapore Airlines’ new suites are more like hotel rooms in the sky than airplane seats. Luxurious leather armchairs, separate beds dressed in Lalique linens, and gourmet meal service on Wedgwood china are just a few of the treats in store for passengers. Booking with cash could cost you more than $12,500, but luckily you have …
6 culture clashes I had as an American woman traveling alone in Russia
This summer, I spent 12 days traveling through Russia for Business Insider. I went inside the Kremlin in Moscow, visited a diamond mine in Siberia, and spent two days riding the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. While my travels were mostly smooth sailing, I did experience some cultural clashes. At first, I thought most Russians I saw …
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Hotel review: The Chatwal, a Marriott luxury property in Midtown, commands a high price but offers a resplendent stay that’s classic New York
is a high-end hotel in Midtown Manhattan, housed in a landmark building with swanky Art Deco vibes. Set two blocks from Bryant Park and Times Square, The Chatwal is close to major New York attractions, but the refined, opulent interiors feel wholly removed from the crowds. Rooms start at $500 per night, though large room …
The best dopp kit
Dopp kits are grown-up, sophisticated travel bags that hold all your toiletries when you’re traveling on the go. Simplicity is the mark of sophistication, and the American-made Blue Claw Co. waxed canvas dopp kit has both in spades, thanks to its high-end build quality, spacious spill-resistant interior, and old-school style. Traveling can be fun, but …
Major hospitality chains are buying up independent boutique hotels, and it’s creating a new challenge that’s at odds with the main reason people travel in the first place
Independently run hotels are on the decline, Julie Weed wrote for the New York Times. Boutique hotels are joining or becoming affiliates of large hotel chains to benefit from bigger marketing and operational budgets, Weed reported. Marriott International, Accor and IHG are among the major hospitality chains purchasing collections of boutique hotels and assembling what …
The Uber credit card was already great for earning cash back, but now it’s even better for ride-sharers, with 5% back on Uber purchases
The Uber credit card from Barclays has been a strong cash-back credit card ever since it launched in 2019. One “quirk” is that it’s offered a higher cash-back rate on dining purchases (4% back) than on Uber spending (2% back), but that’s changing now. Barclays and Uber just announced some updates to the card. You’ll …
The best packing cubes
Packing is, frankly, a pretty awful experience that’s second only to unpacking. The eBags Packing Cubes make the entire ordeal more pleasurable by allowing you to fit more stuff into your luggage. See also: The best carry-on luggage you can buy I often think that I would enjoy packing for vacation a lot more if …
Air Canada was voted ‘Best Business Class in North America,’ but the two business class lounges we visited didn’t entirely live up to the hype
Air Canada has earned several awards, including being named the “Best Business Class in North America” during the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards. I flew the airline’s Business Class — Signature Class for one leg of the trip and standard business for the other — on a trip from Vancouver to New York to see …
I flew from Beijing to Shanghai on China’s domestic budget airline. It had strikingly good legroom, but the food was an odd surprise.
I recently boarded a two-hour flight on China United Airlines, a domestic budget airline that used to be a branch of the People’s Liberation Air Force in the 1980s. I was impressed by the shiny new Beijing airport from which I departed, the leg room, and the flight’s punctuality. However, my journey also involved drinking …
I spent 5 days in Monaco for the Monaco Yacht Show, and my favorite part of the city was the unassuming historical quarter, far from the glitz and glam of Monte Carlo
I recently spent five days in Monaco, an outrageously wealthy city-state on the French Riviera. It’s been called a playground for millionaires — and indeed, an estimated one-third of the population are millionaires. I attended the Monaco Yacht Show, toured luxury hotels, got on board a 365-foot superyacht, and spent hours traipsing around the city. …
The best toiletry bags
The ideal toiletry bag holds the essential items you need when you’re on the go without hogging all the space in your carry-on bag. The Sea to Summit Traveling Light Hanging Toiletry Bag is a lightweight travel bag that fits all the essentials — nothing more, nothing less. Packing is, hands down, the worst part …
The best duffle bags
If you hate checking a bag, you need a good carry-on-sized duffle bag. The Allpa 35L Travel Pack is our favorite duffle bag because its generous size lets you safely store up to 35 liters of your stuff, but it’s still airline-friendly. I’m the worst kind of packer — I save it until the last …
4 ways to use credit card rewards to save on last-minute Thanksgiving flights
Thanksgiving airfare — even prices in miles — can be off the charts, especially if you’ve waited till the eleventh hour to book. You can search for a ticket on an airline’s partner airline and often find it for fewer points or miles. Booking airfare through a bank portal, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel …
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I’ve lived in Seattle for a year and a half, and here are the 9 best cheap or free things to do when you visit
I’ve lived in Seattle for a year and a half, and while it’s anything but affordable, there’s still lots to do here on a traveler’s budget. From sampling fresh local seafood during happy hour at a sushi kitchen, to taking a bus to a nearby trailhead during the summer for less than $3, there’s lots …
I went to a Lucha Libre wrestling match in Mexico City, and it was even better than I imagined
On a recent trip to Mexico City, I went to a Lucha Libre match at Arena México. It was an incredible spectacle that blew away my already high expectations. It doesn’t matter if you’re into wrestling or not — I’m not! Lucha Libre is for everyone. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. A few …