In these tumultuous times, we return to the essential pleasures of travel, rediscovering classic destinations and old-fashioned manners, seeking out comfort and serenity and quiet. Looking ahead to a year that is going to be “challenging” for travel, as it is for every sector of the economy, Mexico has the best value.
- Some destinations, like Mexico’s Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya resort, are among the shining stars of our lists. At this luxury spa retreat surrounded by 36 acres of tropical forests, visitors relax and rejuvenate in style with treatments that are given in Thai massage suites, offering views of breathtaking lagoons.
- Acapulco, the 1950’s playground for Hollywood royalty is back in the spotlight
- Luxury hotels have been popping up in Marrakesh at a rapid clip
If you are in interested in great food, clever chefs are instituting affordable tasting menus for the first time. Here, three that offer savings without sacrificing your palate.
Convivio, New York City
Chef Michael White has introduced a four-course prix fixe with more than 50 items—grilled homemade duck sausage with braised lentils, and Sardinian saffron gnocchetti with crab and sea urchin, to name two—in the revamped modern dining room of what was once the pricier L’Impero. ($59 per person.)
Martini House, St. Helena, California
A converted 1923 Craftsman-style bungalow (low wood-beamed ceiling; two fireplaces) is the backdrop for chef Todd Humphries’s three-course tasting menu of roasted spaghetti-squash soup, Liberty Farms duck-leg confit, and chocolate panna cotta. ($30 per person.)
Table 8, Miami Beach
Chef Govind Armstrong’s three-course “recession concession” sampling includes dishes such as Kobe-beef carpaccio and grilled baby chicken with short-rib hash. This month, Armstrong will bring his market-driven menu to New York’s East Village neighborhood with the opening of a Table 8 at the Cooper Square Hotel. ($42 per person.)
Did you hear this?
With convenience and affordability paramount among travelers’ needs, high-speed rail is expanding: more than 16,000 miles of new service are currently in the works. Here, a look at what’s happening around the globe.
Europe: A 3,500-mile network already exists, and an additional 5,300 miles are to be added by 2025, including a Lisbon-to-Madrid route (two hours).
Asia: China launched a high-speed train last summer between Beijing and Tianjin, the first segment of a path that will cut the 20-hour journey between Beijing and Hong Kong in half.
United States: A new line in California running from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just two hours is in the planning stages for 2020.
Did you know what Celebrity Cruises has done?
Seeking to put a modern spin on the glamour of ocean liners past, Celebrity Cruises launched the Solstice, the first of five in a new class of ships, intended to change the way people feel about cruising. The liner’s main 1,400 seat restaurant—entranced by a circular descending-staircase—features an impressive 2,000-bottle wine tower and a pleasantly retro-futuristic design. And if that wasn’t enough, a sprinkling of smaller restaurants acknowledges that passengers want choices. One of the most cutting-edge features on the ship, however, is the eco-friendly half-acre lawn growing on the top deck—not only does it provide a place for passengers to picnic, play croquet, or hone their putting skills, but also helps to absorb heat and moisture.
