As high season in the Caribbean approaches, it’s never too early to start planning a winter getaway. From Cancun to Aruba, here are five luxurious Caribbean resorts for families, foodies, adventurers and more.
17.09.2023 - 05:15 / forbes.com
The latest news in the ski world is the marriage of a 21st-century tech billionaire and a troubled ski mountain. In one fell swoop, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, has made a $100 million investment in Powder Mountain, Utah, the country’s largest resort. Hastings, who stepped down as CEO of Netflix in January and became a minority owner of Powder Mountain in April, ascended to majority owner of the resort with this investment on September 6.
Powder Mountain is the largest ski resort in North America by skiable acres. Located above Northern Utah’s Ogden Valley, the resort extends over 8,464 acres. It has 54 trails, nine lifts, and two terrain parks. It also has cat skiing options that extend the range of terrain possibilities. It receives upwards of 500 inches of legendary Utah powder in good snow years. It also lies about an hour north of Salt Lake City International Airport, not in a remote wilderness area. Powder Mountain’s skier policies have also elevated it in the skiing world. It’s the rare resort that has the unusual and welcome policy of capping day passes and season pass sales to provide an uncrowded ski experience.
For the past decade, Powder Mountain was owned by the guys behind the Summit Series conferences, who bought the resort for $40 million in 2013 and saw the unsung resort as an opportunity to build an eco-friendly ski resort for the tech wealthy. The intention was to build 500 homes in a village set at 9,000 feet, along with various science, medical, and educational facilities. They ran into countless challenges, and as the project foundered, Hastings, who already owned a house here, stepped in with a big check and a new vision.
“This is an investment in what we consider to be the ultimate skier experience,” said Hastings. “My wife Patty and I love this place; we love the untracked powder several days after a storm cycle, we love the vastness of the terrain, and we love the community. We’re looking to accentuate what has always made it special. We’ll do that by making it more easily accessible, by bolstering infrastructure and amenities, and by maintaining the uncrowded feel Powder Mountain is known for.”
Hastings intends for the investment to have an immediate impact. The influx of cash is earmarked for improvements that will expand skiable terrain, create a new Nordic and snowshoe trail system, and support the progression of all levels, abilities, and ages on the mountain.
Notable improvements for winter 2023/24 include DMI Guided Backcountry Terrain. Powder Mountain will open access to 500 acres of some of the steepest terrain accessible from the mountain. The newly opened terrain is DMI (Don’t Mention It) and offers views of the Eden Valley and the Ogden Divide. Skiers
As high season in the Caribbean approaches, it’s never too early to start planning a winter getaway. From Cancun to Aruba, here are five luxurious Caribbean resorts for families, foodies, adventurers and more.
Skiers and riders, it’s time to start plotting out your 2023/24 season.
Traveler satisfaction with North American airports climbed this year despite numerous challenges from an ongoing pilot shortage to record passenger volumes.According to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study released Wednesday, overall satisfaction improved by 3 points to 780 on a 1,000-point scale. The rise was propelled by improvements in three key areas, including terminal facilities, food and beverage and retail service and baggage claim.The study, currently in its 18th year, examines overall traveler satisfaction with mega (33 million or more passengers a year), large (10 to 32.9 million passengers a year) and medium (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers a year) North American airports across six factors, including terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.The big winners among North American airports were Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (800) Tampa International Airport (832) and Indianapolis International Airport (843), which ranked highest among mega, large and medium airports, respectively. 2023 marks the second straight year that Tampa and Indy have won their respective categories.
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It’s no secret that the return in air travel following the pandemic has been turbulent. But despite the challenges, including a return to prepandemic passenger volumes this year, an unrelenting pilot and air traffic controller shortage, and high numbers of delays and cancellations, overall passenger satisfaction has improved somewhat, according to a new study released by J.D. Power this week.
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An annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by data analytics firm J.D. Power revealed on Wednesday the best and worst airports in North America for 2023. And, despite ongoing industry problems surrounding pilot and air traffic control shortages, severe weather, and terminal crowds, overall satisfaction actually increased this year.
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Lufthansa, the largest air carrier in Europe, is betting demand for European holidays will still be high next year with its latest expansion announcement.
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Death Valley is the driest national park in the United States, receiving an average of about 2.2 inches of rain a year. It’s also regarded as the hottest place on Earth.