Big Things Are Happening in the Berkshires
North Adams, Massachusetts was an industrial town. Then it became a museum town. With the recent opening of Tourists, it can now call itself a cutting-edge boutique hotel town.
Executive Decision
Our CEO Selects Her Top Hotels for 2021
On January 1, Lucy Lieberman took over as the CEO of Tablet. She wanted to take a moment to introduce herself via the thing we care about most: hotels. Here are a dozen new Tablet hotels that she’s most excited about for the coming year.
Welcome to 2021
A Message From Our New CEO
Our new CEO, Lucy Lieberman, talks about 2021, the future of travel, and shares a dozen hotels she’s most excited about for the coming year.
Cousteau
A Luxury Resort and Legacy of Conservation
Fiji is known for palm trees, warm crystal blue seas, coral reefs, and soft sandy beaches. It’s also known for the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, a luxury island experience and meticulous model of sustainability created by the son of legendary undersea explorer Jacques.
Arrival Date: 2021
New Destinations You Should Visit This Year
When a location gets its first Tablet hotel, it’s a good bet that something important is happening there — that a destination has been born. So when it came time to give our picks for where you should travel in 2021, it was only natural that new Tablet hotels drove our selection.
Bright Future
Our 20 Favorite New Hotels of 2020
Tablet doesn’t play favorites with the hotels on our site. But the writers of the Agenda have a little something called “editorial independence.” Here, as a signal to brighter days ahead for travel, are our favorite new hotels added to the Tablet selection in the past year.
Holy War
Sacred Meets Profane at Kruisherenhotel
A 15th-century Dutch monastery has been infiltrated by modernity: bursting with quirk, bordering on sacrilegious. But the old building has the ultimate defense. Should the government decide, every contemporary flourish in the hotel must be broken down and disappeared in just 90 days.
Room for a Day
Hotels Are Happy to Host Your Workday
You could be king for a day. You could be queen for a day. But what if there was something better? What if you could work from a hotel room for a day? And not just any hotel room, but a luxurious, high-design hotel room?
Modern Spin
Mexico’s Hotels Take a Fresh Look at Tradition
In so many of its most exciting hotels, Mexico has mastered the art of marrying traditional forms with modern designs, creating the perfect blend of old-world charm and present-day progress.
Presents of Mind
Gifts That Take You Where Your Body Can’t Go
While corona kept our bodies from going on any big getaways this year, there’s still time to send our minds on a trip to the destinations we most desire — via our stomachs. We canvassed our staff and correspondents around the world for the foods that remind them most of home.
Surf and Safari
An Inviting Variety of Hotels in Sri Lanka
The most remarkable thing about Sri Lanka might just be the incredible variety that’s packed into such a compact island. The hotels are no exception.
Torchbearers
The Next Generation of Hotel Designers
We’re profiling a handful of members of a new wave of hotel designers. They’re carrying forward the influence of the legendary boutique hotel visionaries who came before them — and they’re hoping to revolutionize hospitality in the same way as those earlier design pioneers.
Clear Eyes
A View of Venice Through Gardens and Gates
A year ago Venice was devastated by some of the worst flooding in the city’s history. At the time, we wrote about the rising tides and the raft of other problems plaguing the town. Our Italian editor recently paid a visit and what she saw left her hopeful for a future that we hadn’t been so sure about.
Lions in Winter
Small American Hotels With Big Seasonal Demand
For some in the U.S., winter is a chance to dive deep into the welcoming arms of colder weather. For others, it’s a chance to go south and get warm. And yet for another group, it’s a chance to (finally) find a room at off-season destinations. Here we’ve got something for everyone.
Cruel Summer
Inside the Halting of the Hotel Industry
Few industries have been impacted by COVID-19 like the hotel industry. As the virus spread, and confusion along with it, nobody was sure exactly what to do. We spoke with a handful of hotel owners and operators to find out how they handled what turned out to be an unprecedented summer.
Story Is Everything
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.
Unprecedented
A Hotel in Paris Was Never Meant to Close
On March 16, as France announced its COVID-19 lockdown, the C.O.Q. Hotel in Paris closed its doors. Thing is, not every hotel is meant to be closed. A city hotel like C.O.Q. is meant to welcome guests day and night through the workweek, weekends, and holidays. There was no precedent. “We aren’t supposed to cut off the water or electricity,” explained manager Florian Bitker. “We don’t even have a secure front door.”
Running Down a Dream
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.
Passport Queens
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.
Life Less Ordinary
It’s Not Unusual to Stay at Unusual Hotels
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.
Falling in Love with Italy
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.
Thrill Country
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.
New Normal
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.
Rejected
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.
Think Different
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.
Accidental Tourist
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.
Four Columns
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.
Small Plates
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.
The Pledge
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.
Since We’ve Been Gone
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.
Starting Over
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.
Big Sur
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.
On Holiday
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.
Independents Day
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.
Northern Slight
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.
Best Laid Plans
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.
French Quarters
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.
Modest Proposal
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.
High Definition
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.
Berth Right
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.
Chain Reaction
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.
Take Me Away
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.
Rare Form
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.
Bande à Part
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.
Someday Soon
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.
Port in a Storm
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.
Hotel Boutiques
Helping Hotels Through Their Online Gift Shops
Being the hotel obsessives we are, we’ve been searching for ways we can help them out while the travel business is stalled. One easy way is by purchasing an item from a hotel’s online gift shop. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite hotel boutiques so you can treat yourself while you #travelinplace.
Thou Shalt Covet
Hotels Other Architects Wish They’d Designed
Our friends at Phaidon books gathered together dozens of the world’s top architects and had them recommend the hotels that they love best. Many took it a step further and volunteered the hotels they most wish they’d designed — perhaps the highest compliment they could offer.
Remote Hospitality
Hotel Experiences You Can Enjoy From Home
Around the world, hotels are taking to digital media to share insights and experiences with their home-bound clientele — everything from cooking and yoga classes to live feeds at exotic locales and live talks with notable experts. We’ve collected some of our favorites so you can #travelinplace.
Book Tour
15 of Our Favorite Literary Journeys
A somewhat random, completely personal list of books that challenge us to think more carefully about travel, movement, and how we engage with the world.
Total Art
The Panoramic Vision of the Zannier Hotels
Arnaud Zannier doesn’t just create hotels, he creates panoramas — complete, comprehensive hospitality experiences with all the drama and amusement of the cinema. When the world returns to traveling again, the world will deserve to stay at hotels like his.
Travel In Place
Desktop Wallpaper & Zoom Virtual Backgrounds
If you have to be stuck in place, make it an impressive one. We’ve created a series of enchanting hotel scenes that can be used as virtual backgrounds for your Zoom calls and as wallpaper for your computer or smartphone.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of March 30.
Marriage Story
A Wedding in the Chaos of COVID-19
Rebecca Schönheit had a big wedding planned for April. Because of the coronavirus, her plans changed.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of March 23.
Pet Project
The Friendliest Pet-Friendly Hotels
The opportunity to travel will come again, but until then — now is the time to sit tight, daydream about future journeys, and look at cute animals on the internet. We can help you with two of the three.
COVID-19 Update
Information About Hotels and Travel
Travelers are rightfully worried about how the coronavirus will affect their travel plans. In a situation that continues to rapidly develop by the day, we want to share with you the information we have now.
Frugal Gourmand
The Best Inexpensive Restaurants in Paris
The MICHELIN Guide is famous for its star ratings, awarded to the finest restaurants in the world. But diners should pay equal attention to Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designation, recognizing the best inexpensive places to eat.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of March 9.
What Dreams May Come
The Intoxicating Nature of Patagonia
Patagonia is a place of unmatched splendor and magnificence. Unmatched, that is, by everything but its own hotels.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of March 2.
Cave Inn
The Incredible Cave Hotels of Cappadocia
Once upon a time, the cave dwellings of Cappadocia were hidden. Not anymore. The ancient residences have been restored by hoteliers who believe the best way to enjoy the odd geology of the region is from within it.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of February 24.
Saline Solution
The Growing Popularity of Saltwater Pools
Compared to traditional pools, saltwater pools are friendlier to the environment, healthier to splash about in, and more sustainable in terms of maintenance and cost. They’re also popping up at many of the world’s coolest hotels.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of February 17.
One Giant Leap
How to Make Travel Meaningful for Children
For many parents, traveling with children is intimidating. Especially daunting are the exotic adventures that were commonplace before the kids were born. Heidi Mitchell, journalist and mother of three, explains how she manages to make it all work, and make it worthwhile… most of the time.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of February 10.
Pioneertown
New Life for a Piece of Old Hollywood
Pioneertown was built in the 1940s as a backdrop for Hollywood Westerns, with the idea that it would eventually become something much grander. Cameras stopped rolling decades ago, but the greater goal is finally being realized.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of February 3.
Sweet Lodge
The Wild and Wonderful World of Lodge Hotels
When you hear the word “lodge,” what’s the first thing you think of? You’re probably picturing something a bit different from these hotels, each of them lodges in their own unique way.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of January 27.
L.A. Confidential
The History of Secrecy at Chateau Marmont
Shawn Levy literally wrote the book on the Chateau Marmont. The author checks in with Tablet to explain how the legendary hotel became a haven for celebrity mischief almost immediately after opening its doors.
Frugal Gourmand
The Best Inexpensive Restaurants in London
The MICHELIN Guide is famous for its star ratings, awarded to the finest restaurants in the world. But diners should pay equal attention to Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designation, recognizing the best inexpensive places to eat.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of January 20.
Arrival Date
The New Destinations You Should Visit in 2020
When a location gets its first Tablet hotel, it sends a signal that the place has arrived — that a destination has been born. So when it came time to give our picks for where you should travel in the coming year, it was only natural that new Tablet hotels drove our selection.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of January 13.
Unhidden Gem
Dissecting the Transformation of Tulum
Tulum grew from a remote outpost of counterculture to a global hotspot of tourism. We were curious about how that transformation happened, and what was sacrificed along the way.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of January 6.
Inconvenient Truth
It’s Too Difficult to Travel Sustainably
Travel is imperative for a healthy planet — it helps us better understand the world and its boundless diversity. But ‘sustainable travel’ isn’t just a contradiction in 2020, it’s damn near impossible. And that has to change.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of December 30.
Endurance Test
The Highest-Rated Hotels of the Decade
The boutique hotel revolution that launched in earnest in the aughts all but exploded in the 2010s. There are now options to meet every taste and budget, and more competition for your stay than ever before. To be one of the best boutique hotels of this particular decade is something special indeed.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of December 23.
Left Alone in a Hotel Room
2019 Travel Story Contest Winner
Congratulations to Alexandros Yannis, winner of our 3rd Annual Travel Story Contest.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of December 16.
Spirited Away
The Best Hotel Bars in Paris
A hotel bar that only attracts hotel guests is fine. A hotel bar that also attracts locals — that’s a sign that somebody did something right. There’s a lot going right in Paris these days.
Under the Radar
Les Batignolles Is Laying Low in Paris
Few Parisian hotspots remain exclusively for locals. Les Batignolles, however, a former village in the northwest of the city, is heating up and staying a secret from the sightseers. For now.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of December 9.
Off the Rails
The True Cost of Train Travel in America
Train travel in the United States is notoriously difficult. Is that a symbol of stagnation and political gridlock, or a small price to pay for progress in other aspects of American life?
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. This week, we’re diving into the best hotels in the wine-famous Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California.
La Isla del Encanto
Lighting the Way Forward in Puerto Rico
As Puerto Rico continues to recover from Hurricane Maria and a disastrous federal response in the storm’s aftermath, help has come from an unlikely source: the island’s first luxury hotel.
Black Friday Sale
Up to 50% Off the World's Finest Hotels
For this year’s Black Friday Sale, we reached out to some of the best hotels in the world and asked them to provide extra-low rates for Tablet guests. They didn’t disappoint.
In the Spotlight
Top Ten Plus Hotels of the Week
Tablet Plus hotels are truly exceptional, providing seamless, VIP-level hospitality to our Tablet Plus members — and “In the Spotlight” is a regular series dedicated to celebrating them. Enjoy the top ten Plus hotels for the week of November 25.
Invisible City
Dreaming of Venice Before it Disappears
Due to rising sea levels, repeated flooding, and a dwindling population, it’s no longer alarmist to worry about the future of Venice — or wonder how much of one it has left.
Frugal Gourmand
The Best Inexpensive Restaurants in New York
The MICHELIN Guide is famous for its star ratings, awarded to the finest restaurants in the world. But diners should pay equal attention to Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designation, recognizing the best inexpensive places to eat.
Far & Away
Our Favorite Hotels for a Destination Wedding
A destination wedding can take place virtually anywhere — it’s all relative, of course. But you’re not here to see just anywhere. You’re here to see a list of spectacular hotels in exotic locales, so that’s exactly what you shall have.
Long Haul
The Good, the Bad, and the Destination Wedding
Are destination weddings the best or the worst? We can lay out the facts and the figures, the pros and the cons, but that’s a question you’ll need to answer. And you’re going to get your chance.
Presents Requested
A Global Gift Guide from Tablet Plus Hotels
What do you get the world traveler who’s seen it all? This holiday season, we decided to branch out. Instead of giving you our own gift recommendations, we asked some of our favorite Tablet Plus hotels around the globe for theirs.
Home for the Holidays
The 3rd Annual Tablet Travel Story Contest
Do you have a great travel story? Send it to us and you could win $300, a lifetime Tablet Plus membership, and a celebrated place in Tablet history. The deadline is December 15.
Strange Currencies
Gothic Hotels (and Songs by R.E.M., Part 2)
It’s Halloween, so we’re taking a look at hotels with Gothic architecture, a style synonymous with the mysterious and macabre. Why did we also include songs by R.E.M.? The answer may shock you.
Ghost Town
The Remarkable History of Dunton Hot Springs
Dunton was founded in 1885 as an unincorporated mining town, and soon became a ghost town — then it was transformed into Dunton Hot Springs, one of the most remarkably creative hotels you’ll ever see.
Family Activity
Cool Hotels Where Kids Will Never Be Bored
You might find it surprising, but there are hotels out there that meet Tablet’s high standards of design and individuality, and are also incredibly welcoming to children, hosting a smorgasbord of exciting activities just for kids.
Garden Party
A Moment with Chef Abram Bissell from The Modern
There’s great excitement surrounding the Museum of Modern Art’s grand reopening on October 21, so we spoke with Chef Abram Bissell, whose two-Michelin starred restaurant — The Modern — not only sits inside the legendary New York museum, but looks out onto its sculpture garden.
Last Frontier
Inside the Battle for Alaska’s Wilderness
Alaska is a wondrous sliver of the natural world. It’s also another stage upon which the battle between environmental conservation and industrial development is being fought. Ilona Kauremszky followed in John Muir’s wake and sailed up Alaska’s Inside Passage to see the situation for herself.
Don’t Be Alarmed
Travel Advisories v. The United States of America
Foreign travel to the United States is slumping. Travel advisories issued by other countries can give a clue as to why. They can also be a bit ridiculous.
Big Night Out
Live From a Michelin All-Star Dinner
Michelin’s All-Star dinners are a chance for Tablet Plus members to enjoy unique culinary events at the finest restaurants in the world. Below, our own Lucy Lieberman shares her experience from a recent dinner in Washington D.C.
Key Wrecked
The Florida Keys You Never Knew
The Florida Keys of the 19th century were nothing like they are today. Before tourism dominated Key West, several adventurous professions made it one of Florida’s most booming industrial cities.
Court of Appeal
The Eternal Charm of Morocco's Riad Hotels
The courtyard, that noble architectural effort to bring the outside in, is a simple endeavor that never fails to uplift. And nowhere is its use more impressive than in the riad hotels of Morocco.
Without Men
A Women-Only Search for Gender Equality
Jamie Sims Coakley reflects on women’s rights both at home and abroad, and shares her experience traveling without her husband to a country that’s still struggling with gender equality.
Spa Day
Interview with the Hot Stone Massage Model
There’s no shortage of transcendent spa hotels, but when it comes to spa photography, it can be a struggle to capture the euphoric feeling a spa provides. We spent some time with the woman most responsible for helping spa photos rise to the challenge — plus a look at eight of our most enchanting spa hotels.
Up and Down
Of Ceilings and Sustenance in Spain
Photographer Jane Hu recently visited the Spanish cities of Sevilla, Granada, and Barcelona, where she found her lens drawn up to awe-inspiring ceilings and down to mouth-watering meals.
Rushing to Ruin
The Worrying Rise of Doomsday Tourism
If climate change has taught us anything, it’s that nothing lasts forever. As ice caps melt and coral reefs die, tourists are rushing to see the world’s most precious treasures before they’re gone. Those visits can raise much-needed awareness, but the extra attention isn’t always for the best.
Stilted Lover
Elevated Hotels That’ll Never Let You Down
There’s a lot to love about hotels on stilts. Unlike your past romantic partners, when your hotel room leaves you high and dry, it’ll leave you with nothing but positive memories.
The Hippie Trail
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Imagine a teenager deciding to hitchhike their way from London to Kabul. Now imagine thousands of them. What sounds crazy for 2019 was happening with surprising frequency in 1969, on a route known as the Hippie Trail.
Death in the Vatican
The Story of a Pope and His Elephant
The Vatican is no stranger to scandal. And one shameful legend in particular epitomizes the religious, political, and economic realities of a 16th-century papacy. Hilary Bockham, expert guide with Context Travel, tells the twisted tale of Leo X and Hanno the elephant.
Treasure Underground
The Bounty Beneath the Streets of Rome
The more you burrow down beneath the surface of Rome, the more history you unearth. Theresa Potenza, expert guide with Context Travel, plunges the depths to show us a city that’s eternal both above ground and below.
Where the Bungalow Roam
Freedom Is a California Cottage Hotel
The American West has always represented a certain freedom of movement. It’s no wonder then that California has so many hotels that offer freestanding accommodations: bungalows, cottages, cabanas, or full-on houses that give guests more privacy, more space, more independence — in other words, more freedom.
March of Progress
How the Vacation Came to Be
Martin Luther King said that “the line of progress is never straight.” When it comes to the history of tourism, the line swerved past 99% of the world’s population before it finally delivered the vacation as we know it today.
At the Crossroads
Georgia Comes Out From Behind the Curtain
Laurent Vernhes, Tablet’s co-founder and CEO, recently visited the former Soviet republic of Georgia, where he discovered unique wines, incredible mountains, and a country that is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Citizen Twain
A Quintessential American Finds Ugliness Abroad
Mark Twain wrote one of the 19th century’s most popular travel books. But the ugly ways in which he described the world say more about him — and perhaps America — than the places he visited.
Pride
A Father and Son Celebrate Self-Love in NYC
After Paul Fishman came out, his relationship with his dad wasn’t quite the same. So he decided to take him on a father-son trip to Pride NYC for the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, and to learn the history of LGBTQ+ rights.
Long Walk Home
Magnus Nilsson Prepares His Next Steps
What do you do after closing the world’s most interesting restaurant? If you’re chef Magnus Nilsson, you go back to where you came from.
Into the Wild
Struggling With Our Social Media Obsession
One of the most talked-about trends in travel today is how the pursuit of beauty, or, more baldly, the pursuit of social media cachet, might be destroying the world’s most amazing places.
Raw Power
Concrete Isn’t Just for Brutalists Anymore
The Brutalist architecture movement of the 1950s and 60s grew out of “béton brut,” the French idea that concrete in its raw, unfinished form is a powerful expression of beauty. Quite a few modern hotels agree.
Killing It
200 Years of Tourism in the Catskills
Twice the pinnacle of American tourism, the Catskills have ebbed and flowed in popularity over the past couple of centuries. But the cradle of modern comedy is standing up once again — for the same reasons as always.
It Takes All Kinds
The Year’s Most Singular Hotel Designs
As we near the halfway point of 2019, it’s a good time to look at the hotels that have gotten us the most excited so far this year. Since January, we’ve added a crop of thrilling new hotels to the Tablet selection that are especially remarkable for their diversity and range of styles.
Easter Island Enigma
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Moai
For centuries, explorers and archaeologists have tried to solve the riddle: how did Easter Island’s tiny population build the massive, big-headed stone statues known as moai? And how did they move them?
Lost Generation
The Forgotten Women of Hemingway's Paris
Ernest Hemingway’s time in Paris is the stuff of legend, but key players in his story are often overlooked. Samuél Lopez-Barrantes sheds light on a group of pioneering women who had a lasting influence on the young writer.
The Future We Were Promised
What Ever Happened to Space Tourism?
News of an upcoming space hotel obviously got our attention, but it also got us thinking: will space tourism ever live up to expectations?
Rule of Three
Sydell Group Is King of Their Corner
It’s hard enough to find success with one line of boutique hotels. To be responsible for three of them, like the Sydell group, is extraordinary.
Rural Legends
Portugal’s Cutting-Edge Countryside Hotels
Portugal is one of the world’s hottest tourist destinations, due in no small part to the number of exciting new hotels opening throughout the country.
Lisbon Light
How to See the City in 24 Hours
It’s not uncommon for our memories from a short trip to be stronger than those from a long one. When a vacation is brief, we want to fill it with as much action as possible. It’s a whirlwind, and it’s how Erika Suban first experienced Lisbon.
Don’t Call It a Comeback
Art Deco Quietly Returns Again
Art Deco has been back in fashion before, most recently in the 1980s, but its latest return to visibility is quite different from its last.
The Mad King
Ludwig II Was Crazy for Castles
If Neuschwanstein Castle looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it at Disneyland. The inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s palace was the obsession of a 19th century king whose untimely death is still debated today.
Outside In
The Shinola Hotel Puts Detroit on Display
Detroit is as much of an icon as the brands that built it. Since the Seventies, it had been a city in steep decline, but hotels like the Shinola are helping to lead a dramatic revitalization by celebrating their surroundings.
Shangri La
The Real Heaven on Earth in Hawaii
In 1933, James Hilton introduced the world to Shangri La in his novel Lost Horizon. Not long after its publication, the “richest girl in the world” decided that it wasn’t good enough for heaven on earth to exist on the page, it also needed to exist in Hawaii.
Art Time
2019's Most Desirable Art Events
Consider timing your travels for the purpose of attending a major art festival or biennial exhibition. These events are a unique chance to be truly immersed in the local art and culture, and 2019 features an impressive slate of opportunities.
Heat Check
When Tablet Plus and Michelin Stars Collide
In basketball, a heat check is when a player takes an extra-difficult shot in order to show off how ‘on fire’ they are. These nine hotels are the hospitality equivalent.
Action Items
Unique Attractions for Your Next Trip (Vol. 2)
All throughout 2019 we’ll be introducing selections of unique attractions designed to help inspire your next big trip. Volume 2 explores destinations that are worth seeking out in Colombia, Japan, Iceland, and California.
National Bird
The Overwater Bungalow: At Home in Maldives
The overwater bungalow is one of the most impressive hotel species in the world. The very first were found in Tahiti in the 1960s, but the islands of the Maldives are now their dominant habitat.
Scenic Route
Discovering the World Through Cinema
Cinema can take you where you’ve never been. On the eve of the Academy Awards, we’re taking a look at six classic films with powerful perspectives on the towns where they take place.
The Empire Strikes Back
Angkor Wat Is Having Another Moment
In the early 13th century, Angkor was the monumental focal point of one of the world’s most astonishing empires. Eight hundred years later, it’s taking center stage all over again.
Pig Beach
A Test Case for Responsible Tourism
Pig Beach is exactly what it sounds like. It’s one of the most intriguing tourist attractions in the world. It also raises some serious questions about how we travel.
Go Forth
Four Unique Attractions for Your Next Trip (Vol. 1)
Throughout 2019 we’ll be introducing selections of unique attractions to consider visiting on your next big trip. Volume 1 explores destinations that are worth seeking out in New Mexico, Australia, Chile, and Zimbabwe.
Automatic for the People
Southern Hospitality (and Songs by R.E.M.)
For our hotels that sit south of the Mason-Dixon line, “Southern Hospitality” isn’t a cliche, it’s a fundamental expectation (like having a bit of heat in your fried chicken). We’ve decided to spice things up a bit ourselves by pairing some great Southern hotels with songs from a great Southern band.
Why I Love Hotels
Liz Lambert Writes About Her Passion
One of the world’s most important hotel developers explains why hotels are so important.
Breakout Season
The Most Exciting New Hotels of 2019
These eleven new hotels are breaking new ground with their service and design, and they’re set to break out big in the coming year.
God Is in the Details
The State of Hospitality in 2019
Hotels have figured out that specificity is the key to success in the modern world of hospitality. As a result, the state of the industry has never been stronger.
Out of the Past
Seven Enduring Destinations for 2019
Our favorite destinations for 2019 each have long and lasting histories. They’ve humbled travelers for many years — and they deserve a visit during the upcoming one as well.
The Future Is Written
Our Staff Imagines the Hotels of Tomorrow
Here at Tablet, we’ve seen just about everything that the hotel industry has to offer — and we also know what it hasn’t thought to try yet. That’s why we asked our staff to imagine the hotels they hope to see in the future.
The People Have Spoken
The Highest-Rated Hotels of 2018
We take a look back at the best-reviewed Tablet hotels of the past year — which would place them high in the running for best hotels in the world.
Lost in Translation
How Not to Piss Off a Japanese Chef
Japan is a country where the people go to great lengths in the name of hospitality. But there are lines that can be crossed — especially in restaurants. Tokyo-based chef and food blogger Marc Matsumoto outlines the five rules you need to remember if you don’t want to run afoul of a Japanese chef.
Make Your Presents Felt
12 Gift Ideas for the Traveler in Your Life
It’s important that your holiday gifts make an impact, but what do you get for the world traveler who’s seen it all? We’ve assembled a list of gadgets and artworks that will bring warm feelings to even the most jaded traveler in your life.
Season’s Readings
Beautiful Books Make the Greatest Gifts
No one makes better books than Phaidon, publishers of innovative volumes on art, architecture, food, travel, and even illustrated books for children. You’ll find all of those subjects and more among our picks for this season’s best and most beautiful books.
Tablet + MICHELIN
Tablet Hotels has been acquired by Michelin, the original travel curators whose iconic guides have led the way to adventure for over 100 years.
Holier Than Thou
A First-Timer's Guide to Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole’s particular confluence of old west and new west has helped it become the wilderness escape of choice for the rich and famous.
Hot Pursuit
Catching Up with the Eclipse Chasers
Year after year, eclipse chasers traverse the globe in pursuit of a high that only comes from witnessing one of the universe’s most mesmerizing events.
A Star Is Born
Michelin's New Stars in New York City
Michelin recently revealed its 2019 stars for our hometown of New York City. We’re highlighting our favorite restaurants from the list, pairing them with a fine hotel, and taking a deeper look at the history of Michelin’s lofty honor.
Waiting For Your Return
2018 Travel Story Contest Winner
I can’t tell you where I am because I could be anywhere right now, but I can tell you I am always with you.
Island of the Gods
Experiencing the Spiritual Calm of Bali
People visit Bali for a lot of reasons: to surf or sunbathe in the south, to snorkel or scuba dive in the east, to see dolphins in the north, or see the national park in the west. Erika Suban, our Italian writer and travel specialist, had reasons more spiritual in mind.
You Can’t Go Wrong
A First-Timer's Guide to Montevideo
Smaller and calmer than nearby Buenos Aires, the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo is as fascinating a center of culture and history as anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. It also has a lot of meat.
The End of the World, As I Knew It
2018 Travel story runner up - Forrest Reid
I proved today how small the world is. Or maybe I only proved how small the circles I run in it are.
The Dark Edge of Heartbreak
2018 Travel Story Runner Up - Trisha Ridinger McKee
Heartbreak is a funny thing. It already takes you out of your comfort zone so that you’re sometimes willing to go even further into the unknown, to try something different, perhaps a little dangerous. Dangerous, at least, to a naive, sheltered young woman.
Untitled
2018 Travel Story Runner Up - Deborah Lane
My name is Deborah Lane. I am a widow, I live on my farm. My mother Areta also lives with me.
Spice of Life
12 Different Kinds of Caribbean Vacation
There’s a certain sameness to many travelers’ vision of a Caribbean vacation: sun, sand, rinse, repeat. But there’s a surprising amount of variety available throughout the region, especially when it comes to hotel experiences.
Gastro Obscura
9 Unusual Foods For Adventurous Eaters
We’ve partnered with Atlas Obscura — chroniclers of all things odd and overlooked — to investigate nine of the most eye-catching, unusual, and fascinating foods throughout the world.
What’s Old Is New
A First-Timer's Guide to Marseille
Besides its enviable Mediterranean geography, Marseille spent the aughts building new museums and revitalizing public spaces. It shows.
Sheer Terra
13 Hotels in Precarious Positions
Forget haunted hotels, you’ve seen that list a million times. This Halloween, we’re focusing on hotels in scarily precarious locations that are not for the faint of heart.
Under the Influence
Why Hotels Continue to Love Modernism
Hotel design has been heavily influenced by Modernism for a couple of decades now, outlasting other trends along the way. It’s easy to see why.
Masters of Their Domain
16 Homes by Iconic Modernist Architects
Hotels frequently find inspiration in residential design. With help from Dwell, we’ve selected sixteen influential homes that were designed by some of the 20th century’s most iconic Modernist architects.
Infinity and Beyond
Hotel Pools with Awe-Inspiring Views
At many hotels in spectacular locations, the pools are positioned to provide the best possible views of the surrounding scenery. They’re often the star attraction of the property, and as we confirmed recently, Tablet users can’t get enough of them.
High-Value Proposition
A First-Timer's Guide to Bhutan
Bhutan only opened to visitors in 1974, and keeps their numbers limited by charging a daily fee of $250 per traveler. Is it worth the price? Yes, it absolutely is.
Road to Excess
The Pure Opulence of Palace Hotels
William Blake wrote that “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” Conversely, there are few better ways to achieve excess — the good, healthy kind — than through the incredible opulence of a palace hotel.
The Mother City
Cape Town Delivers in Three Distinct Ways
From the city to the coast to the countryside, Cape Town is the kind of place that has something for everyone.
Houses of the Holy
14 Hotels Made From Old Monasteries
Sometimes you need a little rest and reflection. Sometimes you need a little spirited self-indulgence. These monastery hotels are for when you need quite a bit of both.
Strength in Diversity
A First-Timer's Guide to Toronto
Diversity is the word to describe Toronto, both in culture and attractions. It’s a city where you can find any community of people, and almost any kind of activity.
Decisions, Decisions
Chiang Mai, Santiago or Cappadocia?
When you work in travel, you’re exposed to a seemingly endless amount of amazing vacation options, and choosing between them can sometimes be paralyzing. Our own Mitchell Friedman is experiencing this indecision quite acutely, and he needs your help. Where should he go next?
Travel Story Contest
How Did You Spend Your Summer Vacation?
Do you have a great travel story? Send it to us and you could win $300, a lifetime Tablet Plus membership, and a celebrated place in Tablet history.
Sacred Journey
A First-Timer's Guide to Cusco
Don’t just settle for Machu Picchu — Peru’s Cusco region contains far more than that one amazing ancient ruin. It’s also got a lovely and lively capital city.
School Rankings
The Best College Town Hotels
If you’re struggling to decide which college you or your child should attend, just remember, there’s really only one factor that you need to consider: the quality of nearby hotels.
