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20.12.2023 - 09:11 / forbes.com / Winter Olympics
Most Decembers, I take an admittedly self-indulgent look back at my favorite new and new-to-me hotels. As travelers continued to make up for lost time (even as staffing remained a challenge and the world became an ever more confusing place), hotels continued to dazzle. My hat is off to the places that opened. And my heart is filled with love for those places that have held strong, raised the bar and innovated.
My favorite hotels (here in alphabetical order) are not only pleasant enclaves for their guests—though they are that, for sure—but also passion projects for their creators and good workplaces for their teams. They’re places where history unfolded, where sustainability counts and where dreams take flight.
The intimate Borgo Santo Pietro is the passion project of Jeanette Thottrup, a former fashion designer, and her husband, Claus, who made his name in real estate. When they bought it, in 2001, it was in ruins. Since then, they’ve put their hands on every inch of it, turning it into a place where each detail is fully realized, from the furnishings in then 22 rooms, villas and suites, to the 13 acres of manicured gardens, to the “fermentation corner” on the breakfast buffet that’s laden with superfoods and the sustainably sourced caviar service that can be added to the tasting menu at the Michelin-star restaurant. Thottrup found her passion for botanicals while working at Neil’s Yard in London, and here she has partnered with cosmetic chemist Anna Buonocore to create a luxurious, plant-based and science-powered skincare line.
Thirty years ago, at the dawn of Asia’s super-luxury resorts, it was all about the beach—waterfront bungalows and ocean views were prime amenities. The developers and designers of the Datai thought differently. While there’s a perfectly lovely sliver of beach, the 121-room hotel is integrated thoroughly into one of the world’s oldest rain forests; its freestanding villas are surrounded by towering trees and soundtracked by crickets and birds. Three decades, countless awards and a recent renovation later, it’s still an intimate connection with nature that drives the Datai. In some ways, it’s an old-school resort, with a weekly printed newsletter and activities calendar. In others, it’s quite forward-thinking, particularly where genuine sustainability is concerned—seriously trained scientists are on staff as naturalists and advisers, and nothing from the resort ends up in a landfill.
The most Italian-feeling of the cities and towns of the Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo has its share of big-name development underway in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympics. But it’s still home to independent, soulful projects like Hotel de Len. (It’s managed by San Domenico Hotels, the brand behind
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One of the main reasons my husband and I chose the Northern Europe itinerary for the MSC cruise we did over the holidays was so we could spend a few days in Bruges afterwards. We became enchanted with the quaint, medieval city after watching In Bruges, Martin McDonagh’s brilliant black comedy, years ago and we genuinely fell in love with it after spending three glorious days exploring and eating our way through it.
The U.S. hotel industry still has a lot of work to do to reach pre-Covid hiring. But it’s ending 2023 on a high note.
Seattle skies were glowing with color as the Space Needle rang in 2024 with a brilliant light, drone, and pyrotechnic spectacular for the West Coast—and the world—to see. The T-Mobile New Year’s at the Needle extravaganza was the longest show in the event’s 32-year history, stunning viewers with an 18-minute display. More viewers were able to tune in than ever before with the event broadcast live for the first time in Portland and Spokane, in addition to Seattle.
Scott Kawasaki holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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Germany is celebrating the 250th birthday of one of its best-loved painters, the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840). His work features mountains, ruins and stormy seas, often with human figures, such as Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. There are exhibitions in Hamburg (until 1 April), Berlin (19 April to 4 August) and Dresden (24 August to 5 January 2025), where Friedrich lived for 40 years; he is buried in the city’s Trinitatis Cemetery. His birthplace, Greifswald, has a festival (31 August-1 September) and three exhibitions at the Pomeranian State Museum (from 28 April). Visitors can also follow in the artist’s footsteps – literally, as he preferred to travel on foot, sketchbook in hand – to locations in his paintings, such as Rügen Island or the Saxon Switzerland national park.germany.travel
As a travel and food writer, I am beyond lucky that my work takes me to dozens of dreamy destinations both near and far each year. But the very best trips make me reluctant to walk out the door for the last time, wishing I could hit a rewind button and begin the trip all over again even while I’m still there.
From Venice to Maryland, celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year with these timeless holiday cocktails from hotels and resorts around the world. Celebrate 2024 with some vintage coupe glasses, Yarai mixing glasses and cafe mugs to give the spirit a kick this New Year’s Eve.
In 2020, after reading too many restaurant obituaries, I set out to write annual restaurant love letters instead. Now that the food world is roaring back, getting stronger—and more creative—than ever, it has become even easier to fall in love. And so, I have a new round of love letters.
Seoul is the capital of South Korea, perched on the Han River in the northwestern part of the country. Travelers will encounter contemporary technology like modern skyscrapers and an extensive subway network, blended with well-preserved historical cultural landmarks such as Buddhist temples, palaces, and markets. Top attractions include Namsan Mountain, Seoul Tower, Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Gwangjang Market.
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