New Service Lets You Rent Designer Fashions While Staying at W Hotels
Posted on 12/19/2019, 7:00 AM
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 and the couture-lending service Rent the Runway is here to help. With Closet Concierge, guests who have booked stays in W Hotels in Aspen, Colorado, Miami's South Beach, Washington, D.C., or Hollywood can choose up to f...
Now You Can Go Inside Barcelona's Most Notorious Prison
Posted on 12/18/2019, 5:00 PM
Built as a “model” penitentiary, La Model opened to much fanfare in 1904 in the L'Eixample neighborhood, which was then the outskirts of Barcelona. Its panoptic design was cutting-edge for the time: It had a circular watchtower ringed by cells, enabling one guard to monitor all inmates from one post. Six wings were later added, radiating out from the central tower, and the imposing stone complex...
Airline Opens Restaurant to Sell Plane Food on Land
Posted on 12/16/2019, 6:00 AM
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 aboard AirAsia flights. That Malaysia-based low-cost carrier says that passengers' raves for its onboard meals persuaded the company to open its own land-based restaurant where guests can dine on the same fare served on Ai...
Miami’s New Museum of Graffiti Gives a Permanent Home to Street Art
Posted on 12/11/2019, 4:00 PM
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 began, it has been said, with tagging New York City subway trains in the 1970s and '80s. Located in the city's hip and colorful Wynwood neighborhood—already a destination for fans of street art, thanks to the Instagr...
Into the Vault: Walk-In Safe Converted to Hostel Room in Edinburgh
Posted on 12/06/2019, 7:00 AM
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 chain. During preparatory explorations of the building, architects happened upon a secret, walk-in safe that wasn't on any blueprints. The vault was likely used to store each day's earnings from the market. No hidd...
This Was the World's Most Visited City in 2019—But Is It Safe?
Posted on 12/05/2019, 5:15 AM
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 International. The London-based market research firm releases an annual ranking of the world's 100 most popular urban destinations for international travelers staying at least 24 hours. Hong Kong's expected total of 26.7 million ...
See this Supercomputer Hidden Inside a Barcelona Church
Posted on 11/26/2019, 10:00 AM
One of the world’s most powerful computers, Barcelona Supercomputing Center’s MareNostrum 4 has been programmed to do everything from predict hurricanes to analyze cancer therapies to test the aerodynamics of Spanish cars. And it does it all from inside a church. This supercomputer isn’t just seriously fast. It’s also seriously good-looking. Awarded Most Beautiful Data Center in the World by the c...
Let This Japanese Inn Livestream Your Stay and You’ll Only Pay $1 a Night
Posted on 11/20/2019, 10:30 AM
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 of just 100 yen—or $1—per night. The catch: Guests have to agree to let the inn livestream the room 24/7 on its YouTube channel. According to news reports, the inn's owner, Tetsuya Inoue, came up with the idea as a...
WWI Hospital Converted to Vacation Rental in English Countryside
Posted on 11/15/2019, 4:00 PM
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 illnesses and injuries. Over time, these mini medical centers were either absorbed by the United Kingdom's public health care system or abandoned for more modern facilities.In the tiny village of Beaworthy in southw...
At Tokyo’s Weird New Poop Museum, Wipe Boredom Away
Posted on 11/11/2019, 2:00 PM
As the capital of a nation famous for high-tech toilets, Tokyo is now also the seat of places that honors what goes into them. Now it’s where you’ll find the Unko Museum Tokyo, which translates to “Poop Museum Tokyo,” because it celebrates all things poop. Located in the neighborhood of Odaiba—already a big family destination for its giant Gundam statue, Legoland, Joypolis gaming and virtua...
