Grand Hyatt Deer Valley now accepting bookings for stays this winter — and award availability is great

Napa Valley has long been a mecca for wine lovers. Who doesn’t fantasize about sipping wine while overlooking a vineyard? But wine country vacations are getting expensive: tasting room fees have risen sharply since 2019, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 Direct to Consumer report. With premium tasting experiences often costing an average of $128 per person per winery, a weekend getaway can quickly add up. And long gone are the days of traversing Highway 29 and popping into places on a whim; reservations, a practice that gained traction during the pandemic, remain firmly in place.

While some might argue that the best way to get to know a place as sensory saturated as Las Vegas is to get out and explore, to truly experience this city, from the Strip to downtown and from the westside to Boulder City, is to taste it.

Launched in London more than 20 years ago, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards has become one of the most important ratings in the rarefied world of top tier fine dining (though not without some criticism and controversy). But regardless what people think of the process behind selection, there’s no doubt that some of the big winners over the years have in fact been some of the world’s very best, places like Spain’s El Bulli, England’s The Fate Duck, Italy’s Osteria Francescana, Denmark’s Noma and in the U.S. notables have included Napa Valley’s French Laundry and New York City’s Eleven Madison Park.

Devastating floods that have killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands more in East Africa are now inundating parts of the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s greatest wildlife national reserves.

Dallas-based real estate investment trust (REIT) Ashford Hospitality Trust has handed over possession and control of 14 hotels back to the loan servicers.

April was another busy month for airline network planners — both at home and abroad.

Being a mom is all too often a thankless job and one day a year is surely not adequate to express to your mater just how much she means to you. Nevertheless, Mother’s Day is the one occasion on the calendar on which everyone is supposed to deeply and genuinely express to Mom her importance in their life, so it’s worth making the most of it.

Amid velvety green valleys and oak-covered hills, more than 425 wineries flourish on 63,000 acres of vineyards, producing some of the nation’s best pinot noir, zinfandel and chardonnay — 99% of which are sustainable. Welcome to laid-back Sonoma, located an hour north of San Francisco (depending on traffic), yet a world away. 

Anyone who appreciates fine wine is spoiled for choice in California.

Napa Valley is synonymous with luxury. Posh hotels, chef-driven restaurants and extravagant tasting fees cemented that reputation decades ago.

The Willamette Valley in Oregon is famous for two things: scenery and its wine. And rightfully so.

The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival is one of my favorite wine events in the U.S. Now in its 25th year, “Pinot Fest” is a gathering of more than 50 producers from this small, cool-climate AVA, many of whose Pinot Noirs exceed their Sonoma competitors in quality at a fraction of the price. The Grand Tasting will be held on Saturday, 5/18, but I recommend spending the weekend and checking out the many related wine and food events that make Pinot Fest a longstanding destination to kick off Spring.