Aman Knows the Power of an Idea
Among luxury hotel chains, Aman stands apart by offering much more than just unparalleled levels of service, quality, and detail. First and foremost, each Aman hotel tells the unique story of its setting and surroundings.
Diary of a First-Time Hotel Manager
Rebecca Schönheit is back to share part two of her story about leaving Berlin and starting life over on a tiny island in the North Sea. That’s where she and her husband decided to take on the job of managing a hotel — despite having no prior hospitality industry experience. Nevertheless, they have big dreams of getting their proud little place up to Tablet standards.
Statement Junky’s Mission to Change the World
At Statement Junky, a nonprofit development organization for young women of color, founder Rashell Evans seeks to introduce participants to the benefits of seeing the world — and give them the tools to, ultimately, change it.
It’s Not Unusual to Stay at an Unusual Hotel
At Tablet, when we call a hotel “unusual” it’s the highest form of praise. It means that there are no other hotels quite like it. It’s singular, and it stands apart from the status quo. It’s not unusual to want every hotel to be a little unusual — like the fourteen exciting examples featured here.
A Black American Finds Home Abroad
Stranger’s Guide is a quarterly publication that reveals the intricacies of locales across the globe, through both local and foreign eyes. We’re big fans, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be sharing some of their stories in the Agenda. We start with a unique perspective on Rome from Saneta deVuono-powell, which can be found in the latest Stranger’s Guide, dedicated to the Mediterranean.
Camp Comfort Revives a German Utopia in Texas
In the 1870s, a group of German expats built an athletic club in the Texas Hill Country. In the current century, the property is home to Camp Comfort — a relaxed, rustic, and rural boutique hotel that’s ideal for the current moment.
Hoxton Is What Higher Standards Look Like
The Hoxton hotels have taken the best bits of the best boutique hotels that came before them and crafted a group of properties that appear poised to stand the test of time. They represent the new normal of boutique hotels. And normal ain’t what it used to be.
The Five Best Stories We Never Published
We’re constantly looking around for interesting travel stories to fill the pages of The Agenda. Sometimes we hit. Sometimes we miss. And sometimes, we abandon the idea entirely. Why? It’s hard to explain. Easier to show you.
A Tech Titan Goes Crazy on a Medieval Farm
The story of Belgium’s Indrani Lodge is the story of a tech titan unimpressed with the status quo. Philippe Brawerman has always done things differently, a quality that took him from being the “crazy” president of Cisco Systems to the proud owner of a yoga-centric hotel and organic farm. As you’ll see, Brawerman’s is the kind of crazy that makes you wonder why anyone would want to be sane.
A Story of Being Stuck Far From Home
In the midst of the global pandemic, stories of stranded travelers, aborted trips, and international uncertainty abound. Based in Manila, our French editor Manon Tomzig describes getting out from under a harsh lockdown in the Philippines only to wind up a trapped tourist in France.
The Roots of Farm-To-Table Dining in America
When Charles Mallory decided to buy the Four Columns Inn and bring it back to life in 2015, he knew the Vermont hotel was historic. He just didn’t know the extent of it. This place — one he’d driven by countless times — was home to what might be the first farm-to-table restaurant in America.
Less Is More in Spain
For the fifth edition of our Staying Small series we look to Spain, the land of tapas, where small hotels throughout the country combine to create a vision of hospitality that’s notable for its clear-eyed focus and lack of pretension.
Hotels Are Ready to Welcome You Back
As hotels reopen, it’s crucial that you know what steps they’re taking to increase cleaning protocols and implement social-distancing measures. That’s why we’re launching a new program to keep you informed about how our hotels are ensuring the safety of guests and staff.
The Most Exciting New Hotels of 2020
When COVID-19 grounded the travel industry earlier this year, we were in the process of adding a slew of terrific hotels to our selection. You might not be able to visit any of them for a while, but we figured you’d still like to see the ones we’re most excited about.
What It’s Like to Begin a New Life
Many people dream of dropping everything and starting a new life somewhere different. Rebecca Schönheit did it. She traded a law career and the familiarity of her home in Berlin for a tiny island in the Wadden Sea. That’s where she and her husband decided to start over as directors of a small hotel — with dreams of getting it up to Tablet standards.
The Price of Perfection on the California Coast
You don’t get a piece of land as spectacular as Big Sur without a lot of providence. And you don’t get to keep it that way without a lot of protection. Big Sur is a success story in many ways, but not without cost.
The Golden Age of Travel That Never Was
Holiday magazine reached its zenith during the Golden Age of travel and publishing. But like everything born out of nostalgia, the “golden age” wasn’t quite as golden as it seemed.
American Small Batch Hotels
Smaller hotels tend to be independently-owned, and with COVID-19’s destructive effects on the travel industry, their futures are less certain than the massive mega-chains. Volume #4 of our Staying Small series gives a little love to some of our favorite modestly-sized American hotels.
A Sampler of Small Hotels in Northwest Europe
It’s no slight to call these hotels slight. Because of their modest size, they’re particularly well-suited to address guest concerns about COVID-19.
Our ‘Take Me Away’ Contest Winners
A little while back, we asked you to tell us which hotel you most dreamed of visiting once you could travel safely again. These were our favorite responses.
Château and Country House Hotels of France
For the second entry in our Staying Small series, we turn to France, a country that’s mastered the art of hotels that are both small and spacious.
A Little Something for Everyone in Italy
If there’s something we can all agree on, it’s that Italy has more charming rural hotels than anywhere else. They’re iconic, and as the country reopens to tourists, they’re exactly the type of lodging people are looking for.
Palisociety Broadens the Meaning of Bespoke
The word “bespoke” conjures up images of intimacy and a high degree of detail. Can it also be used to define a hotel group that’s in the midst of a significant expansion? Palisociety is rising to that challenge.
Memorable Hotels With a Maritime Connection
Grizzled old ship captains tend not to mince words nor waste them, so neither will we. This is a list of hotels that have a seafaring slant. Each of them either connects with, or celebrates, the nautical history of their home port. Some of them even do a little floating of their own.
Thorngrove Manor Rebels Against Replication
When it opened in 1984, Thorngrove Manor was a response to the bland and banal chain hotels of the day. As boutique hotels in 2020 march further into the mainstream, the mission is much the same for this eccentric castle in South Australia.
Shine Some Light on Your Travel Dreams
These days, we’re traveling in our minds a lot more often than usual. Let’s get those dreams out into the light, shall we? Tell us the hotel you most want to visit once you can travel again, and you could win a $50 credit and a year of Tablet Plus.
The Curious Case of Restaurant Hotels
Hotel restaurants are nothing new. Restaurant hotels, however, are another thing entirely. They’re a rarity, and they arouse intense curiosity from anyone who makes food a focal point of their travels.
Les Bains Is Not Like Other Hotels
Les Bains Paris stands apart from the crowd. It was once a spa, and then a nightclub, before becoming the luxury boutique hotel it is today. Through its many iterations, one thing has always remained consistent: dazzling success.
The Coolest Hotels You Haven’t Seen Yet
Some of you, it is certain, have stayed at a few of these hotels. Though with their remote locations or the level of demand for a room, chances are that most of you haven’t. But maybe, after COVID-19, you’ll be inspired to go where not a lot of other people are going, and where you’ll have plenty of room to yourself.
Wythe Hotel Shines a Beacon in Brooklyn
As COVID-19 escalated in New York City, we’d heard heart-wrenching stories of hospital workers sleeping in their cars to avoid exposing their families to the virus. The Wythe Hotel had heard these stories too, and they wanted to help.
