Are Disposable Hotel Slippers the Next Plastic Straws?

Hotel booking sites have capitalized on Olympics demand by boosting prices for stays during the Games. But hotels aren’t alone in seizing this opportunity.

The Netherlands is known for many things – sublime art, sustainability initiatives, glorious countryside – but low prices isn’t typically one of them (especially not in Amsterdam, with the capital ranking as one of Europe’s most expensive cities).

Princess Cruises is offering a unique new cruisetour celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of America, which is in 2026, for travelers embarking on a Canada & New England cruise starting in 2025. 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will officially open on June 28 at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, the company announced Sunday night.

Renowned for its rich history and stunning architecture, Florence is a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts and history buffs alike. From Michelangelo’s David and the Duomo, one of the largest churches in the world with its famous Brunelleschi-designed dome, to fashion museums from Gucci and Ferragamo and fabulous Tuscan food (including gelato), Florence offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.

It’s been a dazzling spectacle of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, since Friday, May 11, across the night sky of the U.S., Canada and Europe, high-energy particles from the sun interacting with the earth's magnetic field to cause dazzling and mesmerizing geomagnetic storms.

The world’s top 10 cleanest airports have been announced - and only one hub in Europe features on the list.

Airbnb execs have used the phrase “expanding beyond the core” to mean launching new products and services for guests and hosts, and also their hope to lift growth beyond the company’s main five markets: The U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and France.

Europe was close to reaching its pre-pandemic tourism levels last year, but some countries started to go above and beyond in early 2024, according to a recent report from the European Travel Commission.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today announced that its Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) has achieved a significant milestone, with 3,400 properties now verified across almost 80 countries. Designed to help hoteliers on their first steps to improve their sustainability ratings and raise the bar of sustainability across the global hospitality industry, this independent global sustainability verification programme is overseen by internationally recognised verifiers Green Key and SGS.

‘Do you ever get seasick?” Timm Schirmer, a 27-year-old DJ with a fabulous blond moustache, asks me shortly before we board the Techno Train. “When you’re dancing on the train it can feel like you’re at sea, because you can’t always see that you’re moving.” Worryingly, I have indeed spent many a past holiday retching on boats. But Timm’s question comes after I’ve paid €100 for a non-refundable ticket for what social media suggests is the most intense train ride in Europe. I knew it wouldn’t be plain sailing.

Art in hotels, both to admire and to purchase, has become a strong focus in recent years. The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands has an impressive art collection including a giant Louise Bourgeois spider in the courtyard, 45 Park Lane in London has regularly changing exhibitions and art tours, Claridges has its own gallery with regularly changing shows, while La Residencia in Mallorca, Spain has 33 original pieces on display by Joan Miró. The luxurious Hotel Savoy, in Florence, is another hotel that takes art seriously by creating suites for artists to stay in and through hosting regular exhibitions in its public spaces.