Why I love the Hilton Aspire card from Amex — and I'm determined to make it work even harder

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.

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A new COVID variant has sparked a rise in hospitalisations and prompted governments to bring forward booster vaccines.

While there are plenty of museums, restaurants, and historical sites to keep you busy in Mexico City, the central region of Mexico is filled with pueblo m á gicos (magical towns) and beautiful areas that are well worth your time for a weekend getaway. Mexico City is conveniently located so day trips are easy and numerous, not to mention a fun way to learn more about this incredible region. 

Visiting New York City has always been one of my biggest dreams and, as a fashion journalist, I was recently able to experience the Big Apple to cover some events. 

Tourists descended on an ancient town in Thailand this week after UNESCO named it a world heritage site, prompting officials to consider banning visitors from climbing the 1,500-year-old ruins.

In the so-called glamorous early days of air travel, an airplane cabin was filled with dressed-up passengers and a miasma of cigarette smoke. Even with smoking sections, the clouds would waft through curtains (if there were any at all) and into the nonsmoking areas. Today, things are vastly different, and smoking is prohibited everywhere in the cabin. But if smoking has been banned on flights for more than three decades, why are there still ashtrays on airplanes? Here’s the lowdown on why ashtrays still exist on aircraft and what happens when someone smokes on a plane now.

Heritage tourism experts grappled with complex issues of presenting culture and heritage to tourists at an international gathering of culture tourism experts 24-25 September in Valencia, Spain. Just over 100 delegates from 17 countries debated the latest issues, trends and opportunities affecting the sector, which accounts for 40% of all tourism activity, according to the UNWTO.

If you are a tennis fan now is the season to get some quality time with some of the world’s best players. The Grand Slam season is over for 2023 but you can still find excellent training experiences, clinics and drills with players such World No. 3 Danil Medvedev in far-flung places such as the Maldives. Look to sharpen both your tennis and pickleball skills with Sam Querrey in Turks & Caicos or tune into a new wellness regimen with Maria Sharapova in Thailand. Here’s the latest on where to go for the ultimate tennis training experience.

If you are a tennis fan now is the season to get some quality time with some of the world’s best players. The Grand Slam season is over for 2023 but you can still find excellent training experiences, clinics and drills with players such World No. 3 Danil Medvedev in far-flung places such as the Maldives. Look to sharpen both your tennis and pickleball skills with Sam Querrey in Turks & Caicos or tune into a new wellness regimen with Maria Sharapova in Thailand. Here’s the latest on where to go for the ultimate tennis training experience.

The Eagles in the fall, the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival in the spring, ice skating at Dilworth Plaza in the winter or strolling Independence National Historical Park in the spring – Philadelphia is a city graced with all four seasons. 

It's no secret that stepping into the world of credit card points and miles can be intimidating. Intricate rewards structures, hefty annual fees and unattainable sign-up bonuses are hard enough for the pros to grasp. But for a beginner like myself, it can feel impossible.