Presents of Mind

A Gift Guide You Can Stomach

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.

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.

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

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.

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.