Articles

Zac Thompson

Article / Passportable

Staying in Amsterdam Will Cost You Extra This Year

An increase in Amsterdam's tourist tax went into effect on January 1. Going forward, visitors who stay in hotels in the Dutch capital will be charged a fee of €3 (US $3.35) per person…

Article / Passportable

Washington, D.C., Gets a Hotel Celebrating Women

August of 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution's 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. A new hotel in Washington, D.C., might…

Article / Passportable

In India, a 14th-Century Fort Becomes a Luxury Resort

A 14th-century fort-and-palace complex in northern India will soon begin welcoming guests as a luxury resort. Fort Barwara, built more than 700 years ago by the Chauhan rulers of…

Article / Passportable

New Service Lets You Rent Designer Fashions While Staying at W Hotels

A dedication to fashion can get in the way of packing light for vacation—after all, you've gotta have bags to carry all those outfits.Fortunately, a new partnership between W Hotels…

Article / Passportable

Airline Opens Restaurant to Sell Plane Food on Land

Have you ever dug into an airplane meal of gray salad and gelatinous chicken and thought, Why oh why can't I enjoy this cuisine on land?If not, you probably don't spend much time…

Article / Slideshows

20 Top Destinations for a Winter Vacation in the U.S.A.

Updated December 10, 2019 There are two types of winter travelers: those who flee cold weather and those who flock to it. Thanks to the size, natural diversity, and varied climates of…

Article / Passportable

Miami’s New Museum of Graffiti Gives a Permanent Home to Street Art

By its nature, graffiti tends to be a here-today-gone-tomorrow type of art form. But a new museum in Miami aims to preserve the history and celebrate the artistry of a movement that…

Article / Winter Sports

What to Expect When You Stay Overnight at the Quebec Ice Hotel

Every winter, North America's only ice hotel is rebuilt in Quebec. Here's what you need to know before checking in. 

Article / Passportable

Into the Vault: Walk-In Safe Converted to Hostel Room in Edinburgh

Developers in Edinburgh discovered a surprise while working to convert a 19th-century produce market in the Scottish city's Old Town into a modern hostel for the St. Christopher's Inns…

Article / Passportable

This Was the World's Most Visited City in 2019—But Is It Safe?

Despite months of pro-democracy protests that have at times turned violent, Hong Kong was the world's most visited city in 2019, according to a projection from Euromonitor…

Article / Passportable

Let This Japanese Inn Livestream Your Stay and You’ll Only Pay $1 a Night

Exhibitionists on a budget have a new lodging option in Japan. The Asahi Ryokan, located in Fukuoka on the subtropical island of Kyushu, is offering one room on the property at a rate…

Article / Passportable

WWI Hospital Converted to Vacation Rental in English Countryside

In the 19th century, England's small "cottage hospitals" brought medical services to rural villages. Previously, small town folk often had to travel to distant cities for treatment for…

Article / Passportable

Get Ready to Pay a Tourist Tax to Visit Cabo San Lucas

Starting on Saturday, November 9, a visit to the Mexican state of Baja California Sur will cost you extra. The home state of popular Pacific Coast resort cities including Cabo San…

Article / Passportable

Chinese Glass Bridges Closed Out of Safety Fears

For a few years now, China has seemed determined to install spine-tingling transparent bridges, walkways, and slides at every cliffside, mountain gorge, and canyon in the country. At…

Article / Passportable

High-Speed Trains to Connect Miami's Cruise Port and Orlando

The possibility of a car-free Florida vacation just rolled a little closer to reality.Brightline, which currently operates high-speed rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale,…

Article / Passportable

Nickelodeon's New Indoor Theme Park Is the Biggest in the U.S.

The biggest indoor theme park in the United States opens in New Jersey this week. Nickelodeon Universe spreads across 8.5 acres and 35 rides and attractions, all related to the popular…

Article / Passportable

Royal Caribbean's Next Private Island Will Be in the South Pacific

Royal Caribbean announced plans this week for a new private island to be used exclusively by passengers of the company's cruise ships. Though such destinations are increasingly common…

Article / Slideshows

Normandy Towns for Magnifique Side Trips from Paris

In Normandy , climate is destiny. Okay, maybe that’s true of every region on earth. But the fortunes of northwestern France seem to have been especially shaped by its strong winds,…

Article / Passportable

Hanoi Removing Cafes from Narrow “Train Street” Due to Safety Concerns

What magical tourist attraction is Instagram ruining this week? The photogenic "train street" in Hanoi, where a single-track railway squeezes between makeshift cafes and other…

Article / Passportable

Howard Johnson Hotels Are Getting a Mid-Century Modern Makeover

Once-ubiquitous hotel chain Howard Johnson is getting its first major design makeover in 25 years. The refreshed look recalls HoJo's heyday in the 1950s and '60s, when the company was…

Article / Passportable

No Men Allowed at This New Majorca Hotel

A hotel exclusively for women has opened on the Spanish island of Majorca. Located near Porto Cristo on the island's eastern coast, Som Dona Hotel has 39 rooms, a pool, a wellness spa,…

Article / Passportable

What to Expect at L.A.'s New, First-of-Its-Kind Cannabis Cafe

The USA's first restaurant where guests can openly consume cannabis debuts in Los Angeles this week. Operating under a new type of license issued by West Hollywood, Lowell Cafe lets…

Article / Passportable

New Museums Explore Weimar Germany's Pivotal Role in 20th Century

Last month marked the 100th anniversary of when a national assembly was convened in Weimar in central Germany to write a new constitution for that country after its defeat in World War…

Article / Passportable

Budget XL Airways to Stop Operating Flights

XL Airways, a low-cost carrier based in France, has announced that it is ceasing operations. "Due to . . . financial difficulties," reads a message posted last week on the airline's…

Article / Food and Drink

Tequila Tourism and Beyond: Get to Know Mezcal in Mexico

Wanna see how tequila and mezcal are made? A leading agave evangelist shows us how to let the spirits lead in Mexico.