Pool tips

While iconic Caribbean dishes span from ackee and saltfish to coucou and flying fish to mofongo, each island across the region is united by one common spirit: rum, to be precise. Derived from fermented and distilled molasses, this alcoholic beverage has played a major role in Caribbean culture for centuries, with the world’s oldest surviving rum distillery deed dating back to 1703 and hailing from Barbados. In the modern era, the spirit also serves as a major draw for tourism, with the Caribbean’s most opulent hotels and resorts offering carefully-curated rum experiences for visitors to enjoy. As you plan your next booze-focused foray into the region, don’t miss out on these world-class hotels.

Floating in a warm ocean, sun on my belly—this is what I’ve dreamed of my entire pregnancy. After spending the majority of it in New York, I was caught off guard by the sudden ease I felt in my body and brain as I waded into the ocean and the weight I’d been carrying lifted off of me for the first time in months. I’ve always found the term “babymoon” a bit off-putting, overly indulgent even. It's not as widely accepted into the vacation lexicon as a honeymoon, bachelorette, or 50th birthday. In fact, the term was first coined in the early ’90s and referred to a period of time for parents to spend alone with their new child soon after their birth.

Thinking about travel to Europe this summer? I’ll whisper this two-word, game-changing suggestion in your ear: Swiss Bliss. Switzerland is a spectacular vacation escape, promising plentiful pampering, playful diversions, culture (music festivals, art experiences, unique museums—from sports to science, film to food) and stellar gastronomy. Taste Chasselas wine; its white grapes are grown in the terraced Lavaux vineyards along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva, where vintners produce artisanal batches that are rarely exported, so 98 percent of their singular sips can only be savored within the country. Discover abundant natural beauty and peaceful hideaways. Hike Alpine mountains. Swim in glistening lakes. Picnic amid wildflower meadows. For high-speed outings, ample opportunities abound: boating, road cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving and white-water rafting. Transportation within this tidy nation, especially via its SBB trains, is smooth and swift, accessing scores of destinations. (For itinerary details and surprising delights: My Switzerland Tourism.) Internationally renowned for training extraordinary hoteliers, hospitality is a revered profession, which adds smiles to your stay. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations—campgrounds to chalets to castles. If your vacay preference tends toward one-of-a-kind, five-star hotels, this article shines on three favorites, which are among French entrepreneur and winemaker Michel Reybier’s impressive collection of wellness-promoting properties.

Standing tall above Sydney’s Darling Harbor, the recently opened W Sydneywill command your attention before you even step foot inside. The feeling of marvel doesn’t stop once you enter the building; an illuminated vertical promenade inspired by the Australian Waratah flower leads you into the heart of the hotel where 585 rooms and many thoughtfully designed communal enclaves await. The largest W property to date, W Sydney welcomes visitors and Sydneysiders to enjoy round-the-clock moments big and small. From the sprawling rooftop pool to small tipples in your room, this hotel is designed to create your own adventure and symbolizes a new chapter for W Hotels.

With all that moms do for us, it can be hard to find a gift that adequately expresses our gratitude. Instead of generic gifts like flowers and chocolate, experiential gifts are a more thoughtful gesture. Whether mom is burnt out and in need of a break from the family or retired and ready to travel, the gift of a vacation is one that keeps giving years after memories are made on her trip. The below list offers something for whatever mom is seeking—from elephant encounters in Thailand to truffle-hunting in Tuscany to forest bathing in the California Redwoods.

For a tiny frontier town that cropped up the year after Texas separated from Mexico, Austin sure has grown up.

The beaches of the Azores have it all. On some islands you'll find ocean pools naturally carved in the rugged coast or perhaps soft black-sand beaches. Sometimes the best spot recommended by locals has a mix of both.

It took a star to welcome the sun.

Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Jumby Bay Island, a private island haven just two miles off the coast of Antigua, epitomizes exclusivity. This former sugar plantation is only accessible by boat to hotel patrons, residence guests and owners. The island has been a celebrity refuge for decades, hosting icons such as Princess Margaret, Robert De Niro and Kylie Jenner.

Travelers from around the world have decided their favorite hotels for 2024 and Tripadvisor has unveiled the final results of winners for its annual Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Hotels Awards. The awards celebrate this year’s highest rated hotels based on Tripadvisor reviews.

Tarmac meet-and-greets. Exclusive airport lounges behind well-marked doors. Rolls-Royce transfers. Velvet ropes. These luxuries almost feel like something out of time, given the current obsession with discretion. But that’s what makes Madeira’s new Reserve hotel refreshing—it’s not afraid to be a place for people who want to flaunt their VIP status.

The pool was empty – perhaps because at about 22C, the water was too cold for Italians. It was also about to close. Whatever the reason, we had the glorious Biolago di Pinzolo, a spring-fed, plant-filtered swimming lake, to ourselves. As my son and I swam, we could just make out the tiny red-roofed hermitage of San Martino on the forested slope above, where, according to legend, a hermit survived on bread provided by a tame bear.

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.

The best beach cover-ups for women are lightweight, stylish, and versatile—looking just as good over your bathing suit by the pool as they do during a hotel lunch. Whether you're headed on a weeklong vacation to Lake Como or are cruising to Ibiza this summer, be sure to pack a few swim cover-ups you can throw on after a dip in the water. We browsed some of our favorite online shops to find the best styles for you to wear this summer, from two-piece sets and maxi dresses that double as daytime outfits to beachy sarongs that let you show off your favorite swimsuit. Below, 31 beach cover-ups for women to wear poolside all summer long.

While the term “rustic elegance” gets bandied about to the point of cliché, Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma County is its epitome. Rather than a watered-down hybrid of rusticity and elegance, this hotel fully embodies both. (Think heated marble bathroom floors with a view of the chicken coop.)

The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, is ready to redefine your family's summer vacation. Nestled among the serene pines 90 miles from Atlanta, this lakeside haven has something special in store this season, thanks to a unique collaboration with the trendy family lifestyle brand minnow. They're rolling out the "minnow cabana experience," a chic and family-friendly addition to their luxury offerings.

The sun had just set as I rolled down a dark, narrow lane in the remote Balinese village of Kaba-Kaba. The gate at the alley's end swung open to reveal a flurry of excited dogs and smiling staff to welcome my arrival. I’d made it to Lodge in the Woods. Any uncertainty melted away as the owner, Bernard Teo, greeted me with a hug and whisked me over to a communal table bustling with guests from all over the world.

In Japan, it’s not hard to find locals bathing in a public onsen and immersing themselves in the forest—wellness is woven into the fabric of everyday life. With nature considered divine in the Japanese indigenous religions of Buddhism and Shintoism, wellness in Japan is built around the prevalence of volcanoes, forests and hot spring pools. While you might see ‘forest bathing’ offered in the West, in Japan, it is more than a new-age wellness treatment, and considered a form of preventative healthcare. Likewise, ‘sand bathing’ is not a light-hearted children’s beach activity, but instead a therapeutic treatment whose benefits have been espoused for over 300 years.

If you want to get a real feel for Fairmont Dallas, just walk into the elegant lobby, where you’re likely to be greeted by Bondi, the hotel’s Chief Happiness Officer. Paid in treats and lots of love, the eight month old rescue dog recently joined the staff and is already doing what Fairmont is best known for: turning moments into memories.

This week, the Caribbean is getting a lush and luxurious new IHG resort, Six Senses La Sagesse, which also happens to be the very first Six Senses in the region.

As the summer season in Greece officially begins, new properties are set to open to lure visitors to this perennial favorite. The marquee islands Mykonos and Santorini are, as usual, the setting for new vacation options but so are islands across the island chains that aren’t usually in the conversation.