There’s lots of news in the hotel world, and today I’ve got updates from both Fairmont and IHG. FAIRMONT HOTEL RENOVATIONS AROUND THE WORLD Driven by a commitment to ‘Make Special Happen’, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced that 20% of the Fairmont portfolio is undergoing transformation. This includes the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia with redevelopment projects at Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda and Fairmont Grand Geneva in Switzerland, both slated for a Fall 2026 reopening. ONGOING RENOVATIONS Fairmont Southampton– Bermuda: Embarking on the largest renovation project in Bermuda’s history. Fairmont Pacific Rim– Vancouver, British Columbia: The Wellness Club at the Read more

A new list of the top cities in the world for international travelers from the U.S. gives the inside edge to Portugal, with Spain coming in second. Coming in at number one (a tie, actually) were Lisbon, and Porto, Portugal. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Porto, but I love Lisbon, which has fabulous food and great neighbourhoods to explore, including the vibrant Aflama district. There also are great beaches. Spain had two cities in the top 10; Madrid and Seville. Sadly, I haven’t been to either. The authors created a list of 40 major cities around the world, Read more

TORONTO – Urban sophistication in the heart of downtown Toronto. And fully Canadian, to boot. The SoHo Hotel Toronto is an elegant but approachable place to stay in the city’s entertainment district; a hotel that feels very European but has rooms the size a North American visitor truly appreciates. Not only that, Ian Thorley, director of sales and marketing, told me it’s one of the few Canadian owned and managed hotels in Toronto. In these days of “elbows up” social posts, that’s definitely a plus. Rooms (there are 89 rooms and suites) feature blonde, Canadian maple and are decorated in shades Read more

The Fourth of July weekend is officially here, and that means last-minute getaways. Here are some of the top hotels I’ve stayed at in various part of the United States. TEN GREAT PLACES TO STAY IN THE U.S. New York City: The Conrad by Hilton in downtown New York is a former Embassy Suites, so you can expect super-large rooms and luxurious touches worth of the Conrad designation. The on-site restaurant, Atrio Wine Bar, is terrific, and the rooftop Loopy Doopy Bar is a fun spot for a cocktail. Lower New York is filled with cool architecture and great shopping.  Read more

A new report from Trip Advisor ranks one U.S. hotel and one Canadian property among the top hotels in the world. Here’s their top 10 for the world: G.H. Universal Hotel – Bandung, Indonesia Hotel Colline de France – Gramado, Brazil Hotel Sporting Family Hospitality – Livigno, Italy Royal Lancaster London – London, England, United Kingdom FivePine Lodge and Spa – Sisters, Oregon, United States La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa – Hoi An City, Vietnam Abigail’s Hotel – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba – Eagle Beach, Aruba Hotel Moments Budapest – Budapest, Hungary Read more

U.S. domestic travel is up sharply for the Fourth of July weekend, and the big winners are Florida, California and Texas. U.S. domestic travel demand for the July 4th holiday period is pacing ahead of last year, as domestic flight reservations for travel between July 2 and July 6, 2026 are up +8.1% year on year according to new analysis from The Data Appeal Company / Almaviva Group. The study looked at flight booking performance from January to May 2026 for travel within the United States between July 2 and July 6, 2026, complemented by consolidated lodging stay data for Read more