Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to subscribe, please click here). This will also alert you to any other posts on the blog. Should you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the icon again and selecting ‘unsubscribe’.
Instagrammers fall ill at ‘idyllic’ lake that is actually a toxic dump
Instagrammers have got their mitts on a new beauty spot, turning up in droves to pose at a tantalising, turquoise Spanish lake. Unbeknownst to most of them, it’s not in fact a natural marvel, but rather a toxic dump. Monte Neme, in the northwestern coastal region of Carballo, is the remains of a Second World War-era tungsten mine and the azure hue of the water is the result of chemical contamination… [read more]
Hilton on track to open most luxury hotels in company history
Hilton President/CEO Chris Nassetta revealed that the company is on track to open more luxury properties in 2019 than in any previous year of its 100-year history, with seven hotels expected to open by year’s end—in addition to four openings earlier this year— across its luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts. Hilton’s current and projected luxury openings in 2019, which join the 65 existing luxury properties… [read more]
How to plan a luxury trip through the Canadian Rockies
One of Canada’s best attributes is its wide range of terrain. From sandy beaches to wintry tundras and almost everything in between, nothing beats the variety in Canada’s Great Outdoors — and seeing it up close is breathtaking. One of those world-famous spots is the Canadian Rockies, the majestic mountain range that stretches across British Columbia and Alberta. There’s no bad time of year to visit the Rockies, with a wide scope of things to do and see all year round. No matter your budget, you can creatively plan an excellent trip to the Rockies, but if you’re ready to treat yourself to a luxury vacation in the mountains, we’ve got you covered… [read more]
UK airport strike dates: how will passengers be affected at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick?
British holidaymakers face travel chaos this summer as strikes threaten to cripple London’s major airports. Workers at Heathrow and Stansted are set to take industrial action over pay disputes when the holiday season starts on July 25. Employees from two companies at Gatwick Airport are also balloting to strike in a move that would hit security gates and cleaning services… [read more]
Luxury cruises redefined: the future of luxury cruising
According to the Collins English Dictionary, luxury is “very great comfort, especially among beautiful and expensive surroundings”. That said, it can mean different things to different people. Some clients see it as sumptuous suites and 24-hour butler service. Others will define it as laid-back barefoot luxury in exotic destinations. Lines these days appreciate that luxury cruises are about choice and specific preferences, so there are high-end cruises to suit all tastes and different budgets… [read more]
We really enjoy hearing from our readers and would love to hear your views on any of these stories! Please click on the comments below and share your thoughts. Thank you.
Have a story you’d like to share? Please contact us for details.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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8 Comments
Somehow I have never got around to a great Canada trek through the Rockies. Equally, I have never done what could be classed as any of the Great Train Rides of the world, anywhere on the globe. Reading the piece makes me think that I could kill off two birds with one stone. I like the idea of windows as walls on the train.
As a humble hotel user with very little idea of the machinations within the hotel business I had no idea that Astoria, Conrad and LXR were all owned by Hilton. Though maybe it is better than I didn’t know. My experience of Hilton Hotels is that most of the ones that I have stayed have been perfectly acceptable 4 star properties. Hilton are probably quite right to keep their luxury brands with distinctly separate values. However, I might drop a hint to the people that book my corporate travel that it would be good to try some luxury brands every now and again if the budget permits.
I’m struggling to get a feel for how big the 4443 square foot Regent Suite on the Splendor liner is. I know it gets a bit cliched but I do like those big as “six soccer pitch” comparisons. I just want to know if that Suite is bigger than the footprint of my average-sized three bedroom detached house. I suppose I’m just going to have to do some Googling to get a sense of proportion.
Oh yes, I read about that lake in Spain! It looks beautiful because of how incredible the turquoise is, so it’s easy to see why Instagrammers have been so keen to get shots there. But if people are willingly ignoring signs, then there’s not much you can do about stupidity in the name of social media, like the other like in Russia that’s filled referred to as an ash pit but people go in regardless for the photo opportunity. Obviously if there aren’t enough warnings at this particular ‘Galician Chernobyl’ then that would be different.
I’m not sure how long they’re expecting the airport strikes to last, but I’ve seen in the news already some of the problems travellers are facing over the big ‘getaway’ weekend from Friday onwards this week already, and that’s before the strikes. A luxury cruise, however you define it, could be a very tempting alternative at times like this!
Luxury can so many things to so many different people. When I was a kid a day trip to Brighton from London and an ice cream on the beach was the height of luxury. Over the years I have been fortunate to stay in many five star establishments. The more luxury your experience the more you expect on your next luxury experience. I’m not a great cruise fan, partly because there are so many other guests around. Luxury for me on a cruise would be much more freedom and space. Larger suites would be very attractive for me.
It’s not easy been an obsessive instagrammer.. Wasn’t there a story recently about two instagrammers stumbling backwards to their death as they took a high risk selfie?
We live in interesting times. Last week I read somewhere of a proposal that to reduce congestion / depletion of resources / global warming etc that along with eating small portions of meat on just 3 days of the week we should only fly once every three years. Somehow I doubt that many people will be following that advice after reading of massive developments in Luxury Travel News. The Hilton Group’s largest ever expansion suggests that we will keep travelling for both business and leisure in the foreseeable future. Also people frequently fly large distances to link up with these luxurious cruises.
Strikes involving the airline industry are such a regular feature of summer travel news that I am very glad that I am retired and have so much control over when I can travel. However, I feel very sorry for parents who can only travel during the school holidays. For many of them this is their one holiday of the year. It must be so distressing when the holiday dream turns into the nightmare of cancelled flights or worse still frustrating days of waiting spent at the airport.
Instagrammers fall ill at ‘idyllic’ lake that is actually a toxic dump
Instagrammers have got their mitts on a new beauty spot, turning up in droves to pose at a tantalising, turquoise Spanish lake. Unbeknownst to most of them, it’s not in fact a natural marvel, but rather a toxic dump. Monte Neme, in the northwestern coastal region of Carballo, is the remains of a Second World War-era tungsten mine and the azure hue of the water is the result of chemical contamination… [read more]
Instagrammers fall ill at ‘idyllic’ lake that is actually a toxic dump
Instagrammers have got their mitts on a new beauty spot, turning up in droves to pose at a tantalising, turquoise Spanish lake. Unbeknownst to most of them, it’s not in fact a natural marvel, but rather a toxic dump. Monte Neme, in the northwestern coastal region of Carballo, is the remains of a Second World War-era tungsten mine and the azure hue of the water is the result of chemical contamination… [read more]
Hilton on track to open most luxury hotels in company history
Hilton President/CEO Chris Nassetta revealed that the company is on track to open more luxury properties in 2019 than in any previous year of its 100-year history, with seven hotels expected to open by year’s end—in addition to four openings earlier this year— across its luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts. Hilton’s current and projected luxury openings in 2019, which join the 65 existing luxury properties… [read more]
How to plan a luxury trip through the Canadian Rockies
One of Canada’s best attributes is its wide range of terrain. From sandy beaches to wintry tundras and almost everything in between, nothing beats the variety in Canada’s Great Outdoors — and seeing it up close is breathtaking. One of those world-famous spots is the Canadian Rockies, the majestic mountain range that stretches across British Columbia and Alberta. There’s no bad time of year to visit the Rockies, with a wide scope of things to do and see all year round. No matter your budget, you can creatively plan an excellent trip to the Rockies, but if you’re ready to treat yourself to a luxury vacation in the mountains, we’ve got you covered… [read more]
UK airport strike dates: how will passengers be affected at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick?
British holidaymakers face travel chaos this summer as strikes threaten to cripple London’s major airports. Workers at Heathrow and Stansted are set to take industrial action over pay disputes when the holiday season starts on July 25. Employees from two companies at Gatwick Airport are also balloting to strike in a move that would hit security gates and cleaning services… [read more]
Luxury cruises redefined: the future of luxury cruising
According to the Collins English Dictionary, luxury is “very great comfort, especially among beautiful and expensive surroundings”. That said, it can mean different things to different people. Some clients see it as sumptuous suites and 24-hour butler service. Others will define it as laid-back barefoot luxury in exotic destinations. Lines these days appreciate that luxury cruises are about choice and specific preferences, so there are high-end cruises to suit all tastes and different budgets… [read more]
We really enjoy hearing from our readers and would love to hear your views on any of these stories! Please click on the comments below and share your thoughts. Thank you.
Have a story you’d like to share? Please contact us for details.
Somehow I have never got around to a great Canada trek through the Rockies. Equally, I have never done what could be classed as any of the Great Train Rides of the world, anywhere on the globe. Reading the piece makes me think that I could kill off two birds with one stone. I like the idea of windows as walls on the train.
As a humble hotel user with very little idea of the machinations within the hotel business I had no idea that Astoria, Conrad and LXR were all owned by Hilton. Though maybe it is better than I didn’t know. My experience of Hilton Hotels is that most of the ones that I have stayed have been perfectly acceptable 4 star properties. Hilton are probably quite right to keep their luxury brands with distinctly separate values. However, I might drop a hint to the people that book my corporate travel that it would be good to try some luxury brands every now and again if the budget permits.
I’m struggling to get a feel for how big the 4443 square foot Regent Suite on the Splendor liner is. I know it gets a bit cliched but I do like those big as “six soccer pitch” comparisons. I just want to know if that Suite is bigger than the footprint of my average-sized three bedroom detached house. I suppose I’m just going to have to do some Googling to get a sense of proportion.
Oh yes, I read about that lake in Spain! It looks beautiful because of how incredible the turquoise is, so it’s easy to see why Instagrammers have been so keen to get shots there. But if people are willingly ignoring signs, then there’s not much you can do about stupidity in the name of social media, like the other like in Russia that’s filled referred to as an ash pit but people go in regardless for the photo opportunity. Obviously if there aren’t enough warnings at this particular ‘Galician Chernobyl’ then that would be different.
I’m not sure how long they’re expecting the airport strikes to last, but I’ve seen in the news already some of the problems travellers are facing over the big ‘getaway’ weekend from Friday onwards this week already, and that’s before the strikes. A luxury cruise, however you define it, could be a very tempting alternative at times like this!
Luxury can so many things to so many different people. When I was a kid a day trip to Brighton from London and an ice cream on the beach was the height of luxury. Over the years I have been fortunate to stay in many five star establishments. The more luxury your experience the more you expect on your next luxury experience. I’m not a great cruise fan, partly because there are so many other guests around. Luxury for me on a cruise would be much more freedom and space. Larger suites would be very attractive for me.
It’s not easy been an obsessive instagrammer.. Wasn’t there a story recently about two instagrammers stumbling backwards to their death as they took a high risk selfie?
We live in interesting times. Last week I read somewhere of a proposal that to reduce congestion / depletion of resources / global warming etc that along with eating small portions of meat on just 3 days of the week we should only fly once every three years. Somehow I doubt that many people will be following that advice after reading of massive developments in Luxury Travel News. The Hilton Group’s largest ever expansion suggests that we will keep travelling for both business and leisure in the foreseeable future. Also people frequently fly large distances to link up with these luxurious cruises.
Strikes involving the airline industry are such a regular feature of summer travel news that I am very glad that I am retired and have so much control over when I can travel. However, I feel very sorry for parents who can only travel during the school holidays. For many of them this is their one holiday of the year. It must be so distressing when the holiday dream turns into the nightmare of cancelled flights or worse still frustrating days of waiting spent at the airport.