Inside: The Grand Hotel, Birmingham

I didn’t mind that it was raining when I arrived in Cannes on a Tuesday afternoon in November. Strolling the small city on the French Riviera, best known for its annual celeb-studded film festival, I appreciated the sleepy beaches; the warm, salty breeze; the dearth of crowds or waits to be seated at restaurants. That evening at Le Fouquet's brasserie, as rain pitter-pattered on the ceiling of the heated terrace, the sommelier poured me a chilly Chablis to go with my crispy seared scallops. “Romantic, isn’t it?” he asked. I couldn’t help but agree.

Over the past few years, with the influx of New Yorkers and Californians calling South Florida home, high season in Palm Beach is no longer confined to the slightly-less-balmy winter months. In between Aspen for skiing (or après) and the Hamptons in summer, Palm Beach’s iconic The Colony Hotel operates as a year-round base for the society set, celebrities (you’re sure to see a Real Housewife or two) and a stylish mix of 20- and 30-somethings who’ve moved their business South post-pandemic.

Lonely Planet associate editor Ann Douglas Lott recently traveled through Italy aboard a vintage train, regional trains and bus. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip.

This week, The St. Regis Venice welcomed an enticing new arrival. But not the kind you might imagine. The chic hotel’s newest resident is not a Hollywood celebrity, but an ultra-exclusive Rare Cask Cognac from LOUIS XIII by Rémy Martin.

The way people usually travel is all wrong, says visionary hotelier Thierry Teyssier. And for more than two decades, he’s been showing them how to do it better. His latest venture, 700,000 Heures Impact, is spreading to a new continent—and proving that regenerative travel doesn’t have to be lectures and compromises but can instead be real encounters and comforts.

The 2023 Miami Grand Prix proved to be the pivotal race in Max Verstappen’s dominant and historic performance en route to securing his third World Drivers’ Championship title. The Dutch driver started from P9, while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez started from pole. Verstappen sliced his way through the pack, as if in a different formula category. With nine laps remaining, he emerged from the pits and not only closed a 1.8-second gap to Perez but passed him and put another five seconds into the Mexican driver before taking the checkered flag. What we didn’t realize at the time was that Verstappen would proceed to win every remaining race of the 2023 F1 season, save for a glitch in the Red Bull matrix that was Singapore.

Looking to do something unique this summer? Skip crowded cities like Paris and Rome and consider a chic (and much less crowded) island getaway off the coast of Spain.

No place in the world enchants the collective imagination quite like Paris. In the City of Light, you’re encouraged to savor every moment, from beginning the day with a warm, crusty baguette to toasting the evening with glasses of wine on a terrace under the twilight sky. Some of the best places to indulge in these simple pleasures (and those more elaborate) are Paris’ storied hotels, which have a reputation for impeccable service, opulent accommodations and exquisite fine dining.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, April 10. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

In a groundbreaking move, the prestigious MICHELIN Guide unveils its inaugural ranking of MICHELIN Keys for France today, marking its first foray into hotels. With 189 distinguished establishments across France among the 600 hotels in the new guide, Michelin celebrates the talent and dedication of these hospitality professionals, setting a new standard for excellence in the hotel industry. As MICHELIN's inspectors continue to scour the planet for the best in class, hotel rankings for other destinations are to follow later this month.

Steps away from the glistening Victoria Harbour sits the Peninsula Hotel.

There’s magic in a good hotel bar—you never know who is coming or going or what interesting things they might be getting up to pre- or post-cocktail. Hotel bars are one of the best ways to cultivate a feeling of travel at home, or on the other hand, enjoy a nightcap before heading up to your hotel room or a refreshment before exploring your destination.