Hudson Yards travel tips

If you've ever wished you could be a part of an expert-led small-group tour but didn't have multiple days (or thousands of dollars) for the traditional options, there's a new tour in town with prices that start under $100.

Travel certainly plays a role in our circadian rhythms and the way we sleep. A rather suprising joint One Poll-National Sleep Awareness Month study (2023) showed 3 out of 4 participants reported getting a more restful sleep in hotel rooms over sleeping at home.

First invented in 1965 on Washington’s Bainbridge Island, pickleball has morphed from a casual backyard sport to a global sensation that’s taking the world by storm—and in the mid-2020s, this beloved activity is gearing up to become more popular than ever. While the sport has been popping up at world-class resorts all across the United States, courts have extended to some of the east coast’s most cosmopolitan cities as well, with the New York-based CityPickle leading the charge. Established in the summer of 2021, this lavish lifestyle brand made waves by opening Long Island City’s first indoor pickleball club, with multiple seasonal popups spanning from Brooklyn down to Philadelphia.

Sleep tourism is one of the fastest growing travel trends around the globe but for Equinox Hotels, the focus on a good night’s rest is just part of the brand’s DNA.

Never mind being the city that never sleeps — New York is the city that never stays the same. Whether it’s your first time or your 30th time, you’ll find every district of the Big Apple full of new places to discover. And it’s not just limited to the new restaurants and shops that dot streets from the Bronx to Staten Island — there are vast arts centres, cultural districts and even an entire new landmass, cast off into the Hudson River. Manhattan is the epicentre of some of the most exciting recent developments, and on this one-day itinerary you’ll zoom in on them across a manageable chunk of Midtown and Downtown. Here’s everything you shouldn’t miss on an exploration of New York’s latest and greatest.

New York restauranteur Anna Castellani is behind Dekalb Market Hall (the largest food hall in Brooklyn), the redesign of The Hugh in Midtown, and ANA’s at Hudson Yards.

There’s no bad time to visit the Big Apple — but when winter takes hold, the city has an extra sheen of glitter. Department stores are brightened with kaleidoscopic light shows; a large ice rink springs up in Central Park; and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree sits pretty in the plaza. If you’re lucky, the streets might even be blanketed in white, catapulting visitors into a scene of a festive Hollywood film. 

In 2019, the Vessel became the centerpiece of New York City's Hudson Yards neighborhood. Standing at 150 feet tall, with a honeycomb-looking facade, the Vessel cost an estimated $200 million to create, as Insider previously reported.

Think of New York and an image of the skyscrapers of Manhattan likely comes to mind. The Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center famously provide high-altitude views over that skyline — but there are other alternatives, whether hanging over the edge of a 100-storey building in Hudson Yards or sitting at a picnic table at a brewery in Brooklyn.

While Manhattan has seen its fair share of new neighborhoods pop up in recent years—Hudson Yards, for example—the borough is also packed full of historic districts that can be traced back to well before the 19th century, with Hell’s Kitchen being a particularly notable case. Located on the eastern banks of the Hudson River, this Jersey-adjacent neighborhood has historically been home to a high concentration of working-class Irish Americans, while a prominent LGBTQ+ community can be found in the modern era—and in addition to its many lifelong residents, the neighborhood is no stranger to luxury hotels, with the Romer Hell's Kitchen serving as the neighborhood’s newest addition.

A visit to New York is nothing without heading up to the top of one of the city’s much-loved skyscrapers. Viewing the cityscape from up high – from one of its observation decks – is a must-do and thrilling experience.

Brand USA is hosting its first sales mission in Japan since the country opened to travel in October. The mission this month comes as Japan — a top U.S. tourist market — has been slow to rebound to its 2019 level.