Pool tips

Thinking of booking a cruise on Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas? Get ready for monster crowds.

As the Olympics take over Paris, the hospitality scene is expanding in the city — and beyond — with a handful of new hotel openings worth bookmarking for a visit once the crowds have died down. Le Grand Hôtel Cayré opened in the Seventh Arrondissement earlier this month with 123 rooms, all with handcrafted wooden beds and mustard yellow velvet chairs, some with balconies and views of the Sacre Coeur or Eiffel Tower. In Carry-le-Rouet, a seaside village outside of Marseille, L’Hôtel Bleu’s design follows its name with 44 harbor-view rooms decorated in shades of blue. The property’s restaurant offers three seafood-heavy, Mediterranean-inspired tasting menus, while a private cinema room can be reserved when the weather calls for some indoor time. Further east toward Cannes, in the commune of Mougins, Hôtel Le Mas Candille was recently redesigned by the architect and decorator Hugo Toro, whose hand-painted patterns appear on the curtains and carpets in the 46 rooms. Its Glow House spa has four treatment rooms, each with its own terrace, and a private swimming pool overlooking Provence. In Nice’s old town, Hôtel du Couvent opened last month within a 17th-century convent surrounded by two-and-a-half acres of gardens. The former nuns’ herbal shop has been revived and now offers personalized remedies, some made from herbs grown on the property. There’s also a bathing area with pools of varying temperatures inspired by the nearby Roman baths.

One of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon is an enchanting place—but let's face it, once you've seen the ceramic tiles, ridden the trams, and tasted the Pastéis de Belém, you might be ready to broaden your horizons. Portugal's treasures are well worth venturing beyond the capital city, and all you need is a rental car for the southern half of the country to open up to you. If it’s charming villages, stunning beaches, verdant mountains, and ancient castles you’re after, you'll find them all within a three hours' drive from Lisbon.

Visitors to one of the most popular national parks in the United States may need to adjust their plans. Yellowstone National Park's 'Biscuit Basin' area is closed due to a recent hydrothermal explosion that occurred on Tuesday morning, according to a news release. The closure affects parking lots, trails, and boardwalks near the Basin, which is located just north of the still-open Old Faithful geysers. The explosion was described as «localized» and occurred near the Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin.  Videos of the incident, taken by tourists and then shared on social media, show large plumes of liquid and debris bursting in the air and then raining down on outdoor enthusiasts. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported at this time, according to the NPS. The park did not provide a timeline of when the area will reopen.

“Welcome back,” says the Watsu therapist as I open my eyes. We’re in a dimly lit room, under a domed ceiling freckled with LED lights that mimic constellations. As we emerge out of the circular pool, I feel like I’ve truly been transported out of the space. I'm at JOALI Being, a pampering wellness resort in the Maldives. It might seem an unlikely spot to experience a mind-body epiphany, and yet Watsu—a trademarked, massage-like treatment that takes place in water—has revealed to me much more than a massage (or even a therapy session, to be honest) ever has.

Jul 21, 2024 • 7 min read

This story about swimming in Paris is part of How Paris Moves, a series of dispatches about communities and social change in France through the lens of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Two years ago, my then 4-year-old son, Oscar, was diagnosed with severe anxiety and as having features of pathological demand avoidance, a nervous system disability that presents as a pattern of behavior in which kids go to extremes to ignore or avoid following ordinary rules.

Set amid the scenic Sonoran Desert, dotted with towering Saguaro cacti and under the gaze of majestic Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale is a true oasis that feels worlds away from the bustle of neighboring Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona that happens to be the fifth-largest city in the U.S.

You could say that I have a public pool habit when I travel. From Reykjavík and Sydney to Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., it’s how I eavesdrop on and observe everyday life, wherever I am. Early one morning last summer in Tokyo, I entered the lobby of a sports complex in the Shimokitazawa neighborhood, joined the orderly queue of seniors, and enthusiastically pantomimed my way to a day pass.

The Cozumel Palace is scheduled to undergo a $15 million renovation to its public areas and accommodations, said The Palace Company, formerly known as Palace Resorts.

When Cadie Carroll and two college friends planned a recent weekend reunion in Sedona, Ariz., they booked a vacation rental to have more space than a hotel room and to be able to cook, something they enjoyed doing together at the University of Texas.

As the steaminess of summer sets in — and with it, long, sunny days followed by warm, starry nights — who doesn't dream of taking off and getting away? We know that there is no one-size-fits-all trip when it comes to summer vacation, though, and everyone needs a little inspiration sometimes. After all, some travelers are searching for ocean breezes and ample pool time, while others might look for destinations with an excellent food scene or a buzzy, cosmopolitan nightlife.

When in New York City, there are a number of vibrant scenes to be experienced—food, art, fashion, theater—but for those who take where they stay as seriously as what they do when they travel, the city’s flourishing boutique hotel scene is as unmissable as any. If you're seeking an intimate, upscale property that's an experience in its own right, booking a few nights in a boutique hotel on this list might be for you.

If you've been to Las Vegas, you probably associate the sound of slot machines with hotels — like the famous Caesars Palace — on the Las Vegas Strip. You likely also know that you might need a compass and a map to find your way out of the maze that's designed to keep you inside gambling at most Las Vegas hotels.

As a longtime Louisvillian, I like to think I know where to find the best hotels, restaurants and things to do around town. The problem I used to have when making recommendations to out-of-towners, though, was that the good food and fun were nowhere near the city's hotels. Before recently, the hotels were largely clustered downtown, near the airport and in the East End suburbs.

Discover sophisticated urban design, stunning park and Acropolis views, and luxury amenities at our ideally located Athens hotel.

The Tropicana Los Cabos reopens in August 2024, offering a boutique hotel experience with contemporary amenities in San Jose del Cabo’s arts district.

The lights of Las Vegas shine so bright that it’s the only city in the United States that astronauts can see from space. But when you add in a 4th of July fireworks extravaganza that blankets the entire valley, the destination might just be the brightest city on earth this holiday.

There's still time to plan a last-minute summer trip, so if you haven't booked yet, consider this a friendly nudge.

Hilton Honors members can earn valuable Free Night Reward certificates — worth up to 150,000 points each — through two cobranded credit cards.