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Belmond’s ultra-luxury hotels, resorts and rail experiences have become beacons of how to live your best life abroad. Two of its properties are adding spas in collaboration with luxe French beauty brands that will make it even more difficult to leave these oases of pampering and relaxation to return to the real world after your vacation.

The Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina, celebrates its 150^th anniversary of exquisite hospitality in Sicily in 2023. With captivating views of the active volcano Mount Etna and the adjoining Greek theater, as well as its proximity to the most beautiful beaches in the country, the hotel was the very first in Sicily and put the Italian island on the map for luxury travelers drawn to its history and mystique.

To mark its century and a half, the hotel is collaborating with Dior in building two pop-up treehouse spa treatment cabins perched in majestic cypress trees in its legendary gardens overlooking the sea.

These jewel-box, grown up treehouses provide guests stairs to climb to reach their appointment for exclusive Dior skincare treatments ideal for a holiday in the sunny Mediterranean, enhanced by private moments of serenity immersed in nature.

Taking inspiration from the fragrant gardens below, the vibrant green wooden treehouses are outfitted with a verdant interpretation of the famous Dior Toile de Jouy design in curtains and wallpaper in a matching shade. The Dior Toile de Jouy fabrics, bamboo seating, and the modern design lamps with brushed brass finishes create an intimate and refined atmosphere in the treetops. Each cabin has a terrace with sea views complete with an umbrella in matching fabric, rattan furniture and plants, offering privileged guests the privacy to extend their quiet moments of treetop relaxation in the sea air.

Although the pop-up treehouse Dior spa cabins are only scheduled to be in place through late 2023, we hope they’ll become a permanent feature of this iconic Italian hotel.

One of the most epic and exclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, Anguilla, an oasis on the pristine sands of what’s considered the best beach in the region, is launching a new spa in partnership with Guerlain.

Debuting late 2023, Cap Juluca Spa by Guerlain will draw inspiration from Anguilla’s earliest inhabitants. The indigenous Arawak people celebrated of each day’s renewal and rejuvenation and had a harmonious connection to nature, which will be reflected in multi-sensory and holistic Guerlain treatments exclusive to the resort.

Designed by the same studio responsible for Cap Juluca’s transformation a few years ago, the spa welcomes guests into an oasis of calm via winding lush garden paths and an open-air courtyard adorned with emerald mosaic patterns and a central fountain, all framed by an abundance of tropical foliage. The inviting, light-filled reception features neutral earth tones and mahogany cabinets with cane detailing. Treatment rooms boast wide ocean views of Cap Juluca’s famed crescent beach and its blazingly blue seas, paired with bleached white oak, limestone flooring and basins.

The ceremonial soul of the spa will be the Calichi Garden, invoking sacred Arawak fountains, offering guests the perfect ambiance for private moments and refreshing plunge pool dips.

And spa guests will discover more tranquil spaces to relax and unwind post-treatment, from the sun-soaked pool deck to the peaceful solarium.

Hyatt Launches a New, Luxury All-Inclusive Resort Brand That’s Adults-Only

Luxury yacht transfer to a romantic island resort? Check. Butler service? Check. Terrace whirlpools and fully stocked in-room bars? Check.

That’s just a taste of what the new “Impressions by Secrets” is offering couples at the first of Hyatt’s new adults-only, luxury, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico’s iconic Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun.

With a recent new focus on luxury, all-inclusive resorts, Hyatt now offers more than any other resort company: over 120 world-wide. That’s great news for travelers looking to visit highly desirable holiday destinations around the world in an elevated style – but still with the ease of all-inclusive packaging.

In the case of the newest addition to Hyatt’s “Inclusive Collection,” Impressions by Secrets Isla Mujeres sets a high bar for future resorts under the same banner.

It marks the introduction of what Hyatt’s calling “ultra-exclusive, adults-only resorts defined by the highest level of luxury all-inclusive service possible.”

Butlers welcome guests on the mainland as they board a private yacht for an exclusive, complimentary transfer – complete with a full bar and butler service on the 25-minute yacht journey to the resort’s private pier. On arrival on the island, you’re seamlessly guided to your room.

The resort is on the southern end of the island and is perched atop a coastal cliff, offering unobstructed views of both sunrises and sunsets over the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, or the picturesque Isla Mujeres. A stunning white sand beach beckons guests to the sea.

The remarkable architecture and design that incorporates natural elements such as bamboo and local wood emphasizing the island sanctuary environment, as well as stunning artwork by prominent Mexican artist Cesar Lopez Negrete, and a mural inspired by the Saving our Sharks Foundation, painted by renowned marine life artist, Wyland.

Design of the 125 rooms includes sophisticated furnishings and a soft neutral color palette that creates a serene, calming atmosphere for guests to drift into relaxation.

Did we mention the butler service? You’ll also find in your room exclusive bath amenities by Le Labo, double rain showers, terrace whirlpools, custom-stocked wine fridges and yoga mats.

Rediscover romance at the resort’s four cascading oceanfront infinity pools, Bali beds and hammocks, perfect for enjoying a movie alfresco, an over-the-water lounge ideal for observing local sea life and a four-story waterslide for the adult who’s young at heart.

The resort’s spa indulges guests with touchless therapies in the island's only Floatarium to the soothing Hamman and six private spa cabins offering a peaceful escape.

Hyatt is promising that all of its upcomingImpression by Secrets resorts will offer dining that includes seasonal specialties, unique local flavors, organic ingredients, and contemporary culinary techniques. At Impression by Secrets Isla Mujeres, your gastronomic experience is led by a chef with Michelin-star restaurants and global five-star hotel cuisine to his credit.

Guests can dine in their choice of eight a la carte dining venues that include an open terrace restaurant and a rooftop restaurant serving Mediterranean, tapas, and other cuisines prepared with local organic ingredients, nine bars and lounges with unlimited top-shelf spirits, and pool and beach service, as well as 24-hour, private in-suite dining.

Known for its lush tropical foliage and pristine beaches, the five-mile long Isla Mujeres can be explored by complimentary golf carts and bikes. Guests can discover world-renowned coral reefs and a turtle sanctuary, a lighthouse on a stunning rocky coastline, ancient Mayan ruins and local boutique shops and eateries.

Top Travel Activities that Boost Your Wellbeing

Let’s talk first about the importance of booking that escape – no matter what you plan on doing. You know you need to get away. But if you haven’t traveled on holiday in a while, take note: new research reinforces studies that have shown how important traveling on vacation is for our wellbeing.

Are you surprised that two-thirds of people report that taking a holiday has a ‘very positive’ impact on their mental wellbeing? When you add in those who say taking a vacation has a ‘quite positive’ effect on them, that total goes all the way up to 92%.

That’s for the whole group of all the countries surveyed. If you just look at the U.S., it’s a little lower – but a whopping 81% of Americans still say going on holiday makes them feel better about life.

There’s a generational gap, too. You might think that older people are more stressed and more in need of a vacation. But more younger people than their elders are actually reporting the highest level of the importance of holidays on their mental health. In the U.S., the highest reported percentage of those who say vacation travel is ‘very positive’ on their wellbeing are the youngest adults. 61% of Americans 18-24 - almost as high as the overall percentage that includes Brits and Europeans – report placing the highest level of importance of travel on their mental wellbeing.

But how you spend your vacation makes a difference to its effect on your mental wellness, too. And it turns out, there’s no ‘right’ answer – or at least, it might matter where you’re from.

Overall, when asked what travel activities most supported their mental wellbeing, the answer wasn’t about expensive meals, theme parks, or shopping.

The overwhelming majority – nearly half of people globally - say that literally ‘relaxing and doing nothing’ is the most beneficial of all vacation activities. Over one-third say it’s ‘sightseeing’ and in third place comes reading.

For those respondents, relaxing and doing nothing still topped the list, but for only a quarter of the people questioned, rather than the global average of nearly half. Sightseeing is still the number two most mentally supportive travel activity for Americans, but for only about 20% - not the one-third global average.

Here’s where there’s a twist: for Americans, the third best travel activity for mental wellbeing is cited as ‘meeting new people.’ That’s double the percent of people from other countries who were surveyed.

Regionally, doing yoga or meditation trumps meeting new people as the third best travel activity for mental wellbeing for residents of the Northeast.

But perhaps it’s no surprise that globally, the younger you are, the more mental benefits you perceive from adventurous activities, with one-quarter of those 18-24 citing those activities, compared to just 14% of those twice their age.

Maybe on your next vacation, you could try a new approach that will help you return from your well-earned holiday feeling your mental best.

Why Belfast is the Best Place to Experience the Legend of the Titanic

Wait, Belfast? Part of the legend of the Titanic? The most famously-doomed passenger ship tale of all time? Wasn’t she a British ship, sailing from Southampton to New York, that struck an iceberg and capsized over a century ago? How did Ireland play a part – and how could Belfast keep the ‘Ship of Dreams’ alive for us today?

Belfast has an integral place in Titanic lore, and is perhaps the primary destination today – with the possible exception of an undersea expedition to the final resting place of the legendary ship herself on the ocean floor in the North Atlantic – to immerse yourself in the fateful story of the Titanic.

That story ended on April 15, 1912, when over 1500 passengers and crew members of an estimated 2224 souls aboard the British luxury liner Titanic famously perished in the icy waters off the coast of Canada. The brand-new ship, the largest ship afloat at the time, was touted as ‘unsinkable,’ full of extraordinary luxuries and groundbreaking bells and whistles. The Titanic was on her inaugural voyage – carrying immigrants to the U.S. and Canada as well as a who’s who of English and American high society on board. It remains the deadliest peacetime sinking of a passenger ship.

On both sides of the Atlantic, the tragedy played out over days of sensational press. It shocked nations and rocked dynasties that lost scions of business and aristocratic heirs. The saturation media coverage cemented the Titanic’s legend and laid the foundation for generations of creative works weaving tales and amplifying the myth of the ship and the people on board.

And for anyone fascinated by the Titanic’s tale, Belfast carries the torch for the doomed liner, with a Belfast Titanic Society, Titanic tours, attractions, exhibitions, events and experiences, as well as three key places to relive memories of the world’s most famous passenger ship:

Titanic Belfast in the Titanic Quarter

Where shipyards once opened up onto the sea in Belfast, a large-scale waterfront regeneration project, called the Titanic Quarter in honor of the city’s most famous product, now stands. The cornerstone of the Titanic Quarter is Titanic Belfast, a visitor attraction that opened in 2012 for the 100^th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

The Titanic Belfast stands on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built between 1909 and 1912.

The spectacular, avant-garde building clad in aluminum shards was meant to evoke the shape of ships’ prows and stands 126 feet high – the same height as the Titanic’s hull. But its nickname has become ‘the Iceberg’ for its resemblance to a sharp and craggy chunk of ice – recalling the cause of the Titanic’s destruction.

Inside, you’ll discover historic and state-of-the-art exhibits immersing you in the booming city of Belfast at the start of the 20^th century, original drawings, scale models, shipyard artifacts and interactive media displays recount the construction of the Titanic, including a giant scaffold and gantry and small cars taking you through a recreation of the shipyard.

You’ll progress through fascinating displays about the launch and fit-out of the ship, and you can walk across a replica of the Titanic’s wooden decks, sit on benches, and experience a computer-generated tour of the ship, from the engine room to the dining salons and even the bridge.

Further exhibits follow the maiden voyage and disastrous collision with an iceberg and the Titanic’s sinking. The iceberg is evoked by a wall of 400 replica life-jackets, on which an image of the sinking ship is projected. In a gallery devoted to the aftermath of the disaster, another emotional display: a full-size replica of one of the ship’s under-utilized lifeboats. For those with a family connection to the disaster, you can search passenger and crew lists for their names.

The final galleries allow you to explore myths, legends and pop culture that grew up around the Titanic – suitably accompanied by the famous Celine Dion song from the blockbuster film.

And you can see the Titanic as she rests now 12,000 feet below the surface of the Titanic, presented in collaboration with Dr. Robert Ballard, the wreck’s discoverer.

The Titanic Hotel in the Former Harland & Wolff Shipbuilders’ Headquarters

Next door to the Titanic Belfast, in the historic building where the RMS Titanic was designed, masterminded, and her construction supervised, is a half-hotel, half-museum, with an original collection of over 500 artworks, artefacts and photographs transporting the viewer back to the shipbuilder’s heyday and 'Golden Age of Ocean Travel.’

Many of the luxury Titanic Hotel’s 119 rooms have iconic views over Titanic Belfast and ‘nautical personality’ with streamlined Art Deco furniture, hanging ship’s lanterns, riveted panels and maritime artwork.

The heritage building also preserves and celebrates the restored Victorian Drawing Offices, with their three-story high barrel-vaulted ceilings. They are the only surviving examples of this type of shipyard architecture in the world (pictured, top.)

Drawing Office Two’s dramatic space was where many of the world’s most famous ocean liners, including the Titanic, were designed. It is now dedicated to drinks and dining. Villeroy & Boch tiles encircling the main bar are the same pattern as those used for the Titanic's swimming pool and First Class bathrooms. The fine, restored plasterwork in this room was also crafted by the same skilled craftsmen who worked on the great liners.

The Titanic Memorial Garden at Belfast City Hall

Funded by contributions from the public, shipyard workers and victims’ families, the Titanic Memorial in Belfast is the only memorial in the world that commemorates all of the victims of the sinking of the ship: passengers and crew alike.

It was dedicated in 1920, less than a decade after the ship’s fateful and incomplete maiden voyage, and includes an allegorical representation of the disaster in the form of a female figure depicting Fate holding a laurel wreath over the head of a drowned sailor being held above the waves by a pair of mermaids.

On the centenary of the disaster, a surrounding Titanic memorial garden was opened, and it’s the location where annual remembrance ceremonies have been held that keep the ship that sailed so majestically out of Belfast’s shipyards alive for residents and visitors to the city today.

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You Can Do An Underwater-Aged Dom Perignon Champagne Tasting in the Maldives

As a thousand mile-long atoll in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, it’s no wonder that most of the Maldives’ most coveted experiences relate to the sea: over water villas, underwater resorts…and now, tastings of wine aged in what has been voted the world’s best underwater wine cellar and restaurant.

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas has launched a new underwater-aged wine tasting experience. Taking place 20 feet below the Indian Ocean’s surface in the resort’s incredible SEA restaurant, surrounded by near 360-degree views of the local marine life, this exclusive and private tasting sees guests sample Dom Perignon champagne that has been aged submerged in open water for 365 days.

Situated in the Maldives’Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the resort’s underwater SEA restaurant takes diners beneath the waves to the very edge of Anantara Kihavah’s famed house reef, where the glass curved walls offer panoramic views of tropical marine life, including turtles, manta rays and clown fish.

In 2020, Anantara Kihavah’s wine experts started an experiment of submerging bottles of Dom Perignon 2008 vintage champagne below the ocean’s surface to age for a full year. After the sunken bottles were retrieved, the champagnes noticeably gained distinct flavour notes such as seaweed, minerals, and salinity in its taste, perfectly complementing the classic components of Dom Perignon’s citrus, brioche, and nutty characters.

Now every year, a limited number of premium bottles are submerged underwater at Kihavah’s house reef without enclosures and away from direct sunlight. This way, the wine ageing process is faster, with the vintage absorbing the sea minerals and salinity while corals form beautiful, organic shapes on the bottles over their time submerged.

To understand the ageing process of the sunken wines, resort sommeliers periodically conduct comparative tastings between an underwater-aged wine and a cellar-aged wine to evaluate the distinct changes in flavours and components.

In addition to Dom Perignon champagnes, resort wine experts keep diversifying the varieties by including a selected number of classic wines into the list. Wine lovers may be interested to know that today there are 22 sunken champagne and wines ageing in the reef, including underwater aged Dom Perignon Brut Millesime, Épernay, France 2012, Umbria IGT 'Cervaro della Sala' Chardonnay, Castello della Sala 2018 and Chassagne-Montrachet, Morgeot Les Fairendes VV, Francois Jouard 2014 975.

The wine cellar has over 450 bottles from two dozen countries and SEA’s underwater position enables its wine cellar to maintain cooler temperatures allowing each label to age gracefully.

During the exclusive wine tasting at the resort, oenophiles will sample underwater-aged Dom Perignon and compare its characteristics with a cellar-aged Dom Perignon champagne. All champagnes are paired with canapés and a selection of premium cheeses.

It might be the most memorable experience you can have in one of the world's most luxe, romantic, remote and legendary tropical eco paradise destinations.

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3 New Attractions That Bring New Perspective to Hong Kong's British-Era History

While travel was paused during the pandemic, Hong Kong kept evolving. Three attractions give new and returning visitors fascinating insights into the city’s British era. Two reinvent an iconic Hong Kong experience, and the other provides visitors access to a part of Hong Kong that’s been closed to tourists – until now.

Hong Kong’s Peak Tram has been transporting people to the cool, greenery-covered heights of Victoria Peak since 1888. It’s one of the oldest funiculars in the world and is said to be the oldest in Asia.

Originally constructed with wooden cars to serve the British governor and other residents of the Peak, the tram takes riders on a spectacular, steep journey, one that has gotten only more extraordinary as Hong Kong has become a beacon of 20^th and 21^st century urban design.

Rising from about 100 feet to over 1300 feet above sea level, and at times ascending a nearly 30-degree grade, the tram glides past skyscrapers, leaving them below in a surreal trip that reveals at every moment new and unique views of Hong Kong’s ultra-modern cityscape, to Victoria Harbour and beyond.

The Peak Tram has been an integral part of Hong Kong for 130 years, but during the pandemic pause, it closed for extensive renovations and upgrades and emerged all-new in 2022.

The tram’s latest - 6^{th -}generation of cars (pictured, top) were made in Switzerland in a design that harkens back to mid-century carriages. They’re painted a retro color that’s being called “Peak Tram Green.” While not identical, a savvy traveler might be reminded of another renowned, bespoke, verdant hue in Hong Kong: “Peninsula Green.” That’s the custom paint color of a fleet of Rolls Royces that Hong Kong’s epic Peninsula Hotel has famously used for decades to ferry its guests around the city. Not coincidentally, the Peak Tram happens to be owned and operated by the same company that owns the legendary Peninsula Hotel.

More than a facelift and a new iconic color identity, though, the 6^th generation Peak Tram cars feature larger, panoramic windows that give passengers even more breathtaking views of the scenery beyond and below the tram.

Once you arrive at the Peak, there are plenty of reasons to linger. The wok-shaped Peak Tower, observation decks, and dining and shopping experiences make the Peak itself a destination in Hong Kong.

In addition to the views, one of the original draws of the Peak for early residents, including the British governor, was the cool air its heights provided – especially in pre-air conditioning days. Today, you can still take advantage of the refreshing atmosphere at the Peak to enjoy incredible hikes and walks.

Hong Kong’s northernmost town is the last stop before mainland China. Sha Tau Kok was designated as part of a “Frontier Closed Area” in 1951, off-limits except to citizens with special permits.

Like other closed border zones in the world, Sha Tau Kok became a hotbed of illegal border crossing and smuggling, with its reputation only adding to its appeal for those of us intrigued by no-go zones.

But beginning in phases in 2022, the area is being opened to visitors fascinated by its colorful frontier history. Tourists to Hong Kong are now able to join weekend tours and get access to this previously-closed area.

Chung Ying Street has formed the border between the Chinese and British territories since Hong Kong’s New Territories were leased to Britain in the 19^th century. One side of the street remains part of mainland China, the other, Hong Kong’s New Territories. Dubbed Chung Ying (“China England”) Street, shops grew up on both sides for cross-border shopping for residents with border permits, and reportedly smuggling while borders remained closed. Chung Ying Street continues to be one of the symbols of the era and remains a restricted zone, but visitors on tours may be able to get a glimpse of the legendary street on their tour.

At 1000 feet, Sha Tau Kok Pier is the longest pier in Hong Kong. It’s got a brand-new outdoor bazaar and social media-worthy murals.

One of Hong Kong’s oldest fresh food markets also became one of the city’s architectural landmarks, and now, Central Market has a new lease on life for current residents and visitors.

While the market itself dates back to 1842, the first year of the British era of Hong Kong, it went through a number of physical transformations until its most recent. The 1939, Bauhaus-style Central Market became entrenched as a symbol of Hong Kong in the 20^th century, even as consumers adopted new shopping habits and new shopping venues, leading to the Central Market’s closure in 2003.

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority undertook a vision for a future for the Central Market. During the pandemic, the re-imagined, revitalized and preserved historic Central Market building re-opened.

But rather than a market full of traditional fresh food stalls, visitors today will discover a modern cultural, shopping and community destination with next-generation architectural elements like a 400-plant, air filtering green arcade, and also experiences that reflect the Central Market building’s heritage and place in the city’s history. Many of today’s vendors even create and sell products using traditional ingredients in new ways or souvenirs that take visitors back decades.

13 original stalls remain, along with displays of traditional shop signs - along with an art installation of 500 mini red lampshades that were symbols of Hong Kong’s traditional fresh food markets.

Avant-Garde Design and Luxury Lifestyle at the New St. Regis Resort in Exclusive Riviera Maya Enclave

A new, ultra-luxury resort brings St. Regis glamor and hospitality to a new, exclusive development at a 600+acre nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site on one of Mexico's most popular beach destinations. The St. Regis Kanai Resort was inspired by the Sian Ka'an Reserve, from its avant-garde architecture to its upscale interiors.

If you hadn't heard of Kanai yet, you're not alone. It's a new and exclusive oasis on the Riviera Maya carefully permitting only 4 top luxury hotels occupying less than 10% of its hundreds of acres of jungle and mangrove reserve, with sea frontage of two miles of undisturbed white sand beach.

The resort is a short drive from both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen and offers a gateway to the biodiversity of its natural parks and the mysticism of its cenotes, the vivid blues of its ocean and the cultural richness of its archaeological sites.

From its design and ecological harmony to signature St. Regis Butler Service, the St. Regis Kanai seems set to redefine hospitality on Mexico's Riviera Maya and provide a glamorous hideaway for travelers looking for a bespoke beach escape.

The resort features an exceptional circular exterior design inspired by the constellation Pleiades, resulting in unrivaled ocean views from nearly every vantage point.

Designed with a minimal construction footprint aimed at protecting the natural reserve, The St. Regis Kanai Resort is suspended above a mangrove forest with the different elements of the hotel connected by elevated walkways. Guests of the resort are immediately transported into the magic of Kanai with a multi-story open air water installation leading into the main lobby. Floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of the mangroves give way to lush gardens and an expansive outdoor lawn with direct access to 2 miles of white sand beach.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Mayan artistic and ceremonial manifestations, the hotel's sophisticated aesthetic features a rich palette of limestone, walnut, and layered textiles. Elegant décor and contemporary interiors are accented with bespoke elements including custom furniture and artwork from local artisans. The Mayan Calendar is recreated through textiles within the public areas and guestrooms, with elements inspired by ceremonial Mayan garments.

Guestrooms and suites offer ocean views and a private terrace or plunge pool and feature design elements and rich materials evoking the surrounding elements from the mangrove trees and nearby cenotes to the stars above. Guestrooms feature custom hanging mirrors, bedside tables, ceramic light pendants, and intricate walnut wood-carved headboards.

Honoring a signature tradition among St. Regis properties around the world, The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya will mark the transition from day to night with a celebratory champagne sabreing each evening.

The St. Regis Spa features eight treatment suites and a standalone salon. Connecting guests with nature, the space brings the lush outdoors inside with treatments inspired by ancient practices and featuring local ingredients.

Signature treatments include the Secret Garden ritual, allowing guests to hand select ingredients from the hotel's garden to personalize a body scrub and mask, as well as a Celestial Energy treatment that is inspired by Mayan cosmology and uses herbal cleansing, hot stones energized under the moon and stars and aromatherapy based on the phase of the moon.

Guests can work out in the exclusive Athletic Club, featuring a range of cardio and strength equipment as well as an outdoor yoga platform.

The Beach Club offers glamorous seaside lounging while offering access to a selection of water sports, and a pool and beach experience that includes Adult and Family pools, where cabanas offer complete privacy.

From a day poolside in a Family Cabana taking part in sport activities on the beach, your whole family will enjoy their beach vacation. St. Regis Family Traditions program offers the Tortuga Children's Club, with activities tailored to help younger guests discover the magic of Riviera Maya.

Located less than half a mile from an undisturbed coral reef, part of the second largest system in the world, the resort is also an ideal launching pad for underwater exploration.

Looking for an original, unforgettable place for a wedding, vow renewal or other special occasion? The St. Regis Kanai Resort has indoor and outdoor event space across six venues. From the expansive Astor Ballroom to the 7,300 sq. ft. Great Lawn, the resort can accommodate up to 600 guests with grace and style.

New, Regal Suites and a Dior Spa For Scotland's Only Luxury Sleeper Train

An overnight rail journey through the landscapes of the legendary Scottish Highlands on the Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, is getting even more baronial.

Two new Grand Suites will debut on the train in 2024 that mirror the atmosphere of a luxury Scottish country house and capture the magic of Highland culture and lifestyle.

When you’re not with fellow guests dining in one of the two wood-paneled dining cars and enjoying live evening entertainment, or off board excursions including wild swimming, foraging, water rafting, whisky tastings, and epic castle visits, you can be ensconced in your rolling luxury hotel suite with an ever-changing view during daytime travel.

The Grand Suites overflow with elegant references to Scottish culture and landscapes and honor the country’s timeless craftsmanship.

Dark wooden paneling with intricate marquetry form the backdrop for the Grand Suites, with the bed against an embossed headboard and a separate lounge area including a dining table made of Scottish Larch. Reflecting the surrounding Highlands, the hand-crafted wall covering, upholstery, and furniture have a color palette of green, grey, beige, and blue hues, and local materials such as stone and wood will adorn the ensuite bathrooms. Decorative patterns will echo Edwardian flair through Pictish stone motifs and Celtic symbolism.

The statement armchair in the day lounge area is a tribute to the Orkney Chair – an iconic piece of furniture originating in the namesake Scottish archipelago over a century ago. Traditionally handmade with driftwood gathered from the shoreline and with no set design instructions, no chair is the same. For the Grand Suites, the Scottish design staple has been reinterpreted in a fresh, contemporary light, and upholstered with the finest textiles from iconic Scottish brand, Araminta Campbell.

The custom tartan design crafted by Araminta Campbell just for the Royal Scotsman covers both the armchair and sofa and includes references to the train. Three sets of double lines evoke rail tracks and depict the train’s three most legendary journeys - Scotland's Classic Splendours, Western Scenic Wonders and Taste of the Highlands - while its main check block will be made up of 37 threads, representing every year the train has been touring the Highlands.

The bespoke tweeds and tartans created for Royal Scotsman are all woven in rural mills in Scotland and reflect the country’s beauty as well as the history of the train.

Grand Suite guests enjoy not just the wonders of a private train suite that feels like a room in your own Highland castle, suite guests also get added amenities including private transfers and a spa treatment in the train’s dedicated spa carriage, the only one of its kind in Europe.

The Dior Spa Royal Scotsman combines two iconic Houses for a one-of-a-kind luxury well-being escape inspired by Scotland.

In homage to Christian Dior’s love for Scotland – where he hosted his first fashion show in 1955 – Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, has begun a long-term partnership with the French House Dior Beauty.

The new Dior Spa Royal Scotsman is housed in one of the train’s plush carriages with two lacquered treatment rooms, restyled with Dior’s iconic burgundy toile de Jouy motif.

The new bespoke spa menu features three tailor-made treatments devised by the French luxury House’s wellness experts to address the specific needs of train travel and can be enjoyed before or after an outdoor excursion. They include:

Now imagine this wondrous luxury surrounded by the rugged and history-laden Scottish countryside on 2 to 7-night journeys roundtrip from Edinburgh through the heart of the Highlands. It’s hard to imagine a more memorable or evocative way to experience the best of Scotland.

Flying's Never Been so Fun: Check Out these First-Class 'Hotel Suites' in the Sky

Airlines are making it harder and harder to deny yourself the pleasure of first-class travel, especially on long-distance, overnight flights to Europe where you want to arrive feeling well-rested and refreshed.

No longer is the first-class cabin just about seats that are bigger, farther apart and lying flatter with food service on china rather than plastic - incrementally better than sitting farther back on the plane.

Two European airlines are launching fully-enclosed, private suites above the clouds catering to each passenger’s individual needs and tastes in the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a flying hotel suite.

Lufthansa’s “First Class Suite Plus”

Germany’s flagship carrier is overhauling its entire service in the next couple of years – with a first class cabin that’s set to revolutionize luxury travel.

Guests will find their suite has ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table, a suite wardrobe so you can have all your belongings on hand, neatly hanging and stowed, so you can change during your flight for comfort or dress to impress before you arrive at your destination.

Seats are a whole meter wide – that’s nearly 40 inches! Each guest can warm or cool their seat to their personal preferences, and of course, connect your own device to the suite’s entertainment system. The seats completely convert and are made up with linens into a comfortable bed for you rest whenever you wish.

There are even accommodations for those flying in pairs. Couples will be able to book a separate double cabin with and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed.

In perhaps the ultimate luxury, you can spend your time in the air exactly as you wish. You choose when to enjoy entertainment, work, rest, change… and even dine. The crew serves your gourmet menu when you request it. And you can enjoy your meal at the large First Class table, similar to a restaurant.

Business Class guests also get their own suites with chest-high walls and sliding doors, a seat that converts into a six-and-a-half foot long bed, your own wardrobe and minibar, 4K screen, dining table, wireless charging, noise canceling headphones, and Bluetooth connectivity, private heating and cooling – all directly accessible from the aisle, of course.

Options in the Business Class cabins include the ability to connect two suites for couples flying together, or a double seat that can be converted into a two-person bed, an extra-long bed, extra space and work area, a seat with a baby bassinet, or simply an exclusive seat directly by the window.

‘SWISS Senses’

SWISS is also part of the Lufthansa Group of airlines, and it has also unveiled all-new cabins that will transform long-haul luxury air travel when they launch in 2025.

The suites’ warm colors and muted tones such as claret, anthracite and beige, wood features and other top-quality materials and craftsmanship are comparable to a luxury European car, and convey comfort, calm, and luxe.

Guests enjoy complete privacy with closable sliding doors, a spacious personal wardrobe, a large seat table, individual seat heating and cooling, a wireless charging station and a screen display that is as wide as the suite itself. The cabin’s center suite can also be configured to suit two persons travelling together.

Even the washroom in the new SWISS First cabin is deluxe, inspired by the famous spring in Vals, Switzerland: a slate-black exterior, and a green interior that alludes to the spring’s fresh and cooling water.

In every class of cabin in SWISS’ new design, all passengers will benefit from new, ‘Human-Centric Lighting’ which helps alleviate jet lag and new state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems that connect with your own device.

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What Exactly is a Luxury Expedition Cruise? An Expert Dispels Myths About One of the Hottest Trends in Cruising

What’s the real difference between a luxury, small ship cruise and a luxury expedition cruise? Many cruise travelers don't know what they’re missing.

So cruise travel journalist Lynn Elmhirst sat down with Seabourn’s Jen Martin to discuss why – even if you’ve already sailed to Antarctic with Seabourn, for example, you might want to go again with one of their new expedition ships.

Jen’s full title is Director, Product Development, Expeditions at Seabourn. That means she leads the team creating ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn’s expedition cruise experiences, so if there’s anyone who knows what makes expedition cruising special, it’s Jen!

At last! In this video, we clear up any confusion about what expedition cruising is all about. Is it a different style of cruising? A different kind of ship? Different destinations? Different cruisers? All of the above?

We also discuss why expedition cruising is becoming one of the fastest-growing niches of cruise travel, especially in the luxury realm, as it marries a growing number of travelers’ priorities to travel to remote and special places, without sacrificing the exquisite comforts and service of true luxury travel – and that checks a growing number of travelers’ boxes. Maybe even yours!

Those who already love Seabourn’s style of ultra-luxury cruising will want the opportunity to hear from a Seabourn exec who’s helping the cruise line define what expedition cruising means – and where the cruise line is headed.

Seabourn launched its first luxury, small expedition ship, the Seabourn Venture, last year, and her sister ship, the Seabourn Pursuit, will join her soon. Both were purpose built for exploration and appointed with features and amenities to enrich and enlighten guests on board, on shore, and even beneath the waves. Think submarines, zodiacs, kayaks and more.

If you’ve never sailed Seabourn or an expedition cruise before, this is your opportunity to learn why they have such devoted fans.

Start Your Expedition Cruise!

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‘SWISS Senses’

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What Exactly is a Luxury Expedition Cruise? An Expert Dispels Myths About One of the Hottest Trends in Cruising

Start Your Expedition Cruise!

My Blogs

Titanic Belfast in the Titanic Quarter

The Titanic Hotel in the Former Harland & Wolff Shipbuilders’ Headquarters

The Titanic Memorial Garden at Belfast City Hall

Start Your Ireland Trip!

Start Your Luxury Trip to the Maldives!

Lufthansa’s “First Class Suite Plus”

‘SWISS Senses’

Start Your European Trip!

Start Your Expedition Cruise!

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