Architectural Digest has a good piece on high-end hotels and resorts that are frequented by celebrities. Included in their list is the Four Seasons Whistler in British Columbia, Amangiri in Utah, Alila Ventana Big Sur in California and Island House, a quiet spot on super remote Lord Howe Island, Australia.
I don’t think I’ve stayed there but I believe I’ve had a meal or two at the Four Seasons in Whistler. I haven’t stayed at Amangiri in Utah but I hear amazing things. I also haven’t stayed at Alila Ventana, but I’ve spent a bit of time in Big Sur, California, and can attest to its startling beauty. I stayed at Arajilla Lodge when I was lucky enough to visit Lord Howe Island, but Island House looks super-private and luxurious and would no doubt attract a few Hollywood A-listers.
I also know for a fact that Michael Buble (not Bubbly, Buble) has serenaded guests at the Four Seasons Lana’i in Hawai’i, one of my fave hotels in the world.
PEARSON AIRPORT SHUT DOWN AFTER $20 MILLION GOLD THEFT
I’ve heard of security delays, but this is a new one. Police are investigating after $20 million worth of gold and other high-value items were stolen from a holding cargo facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport, City News reports.
The airport ceased operations for 18 minutes while police investigated the theft, but it sounds like things got back to normal pretty quickly.
A room at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal in Quebec, Canada. Photo Courtesy Ritz-Carlton Montreal.
TOP MONTREAL HOTELS LIST
The observer.com has a list out of the top luxury hotels in Montreal. I love the Ritz-Carlton, which has a great champagne bar and a lovely garden area out back. I don’t think of Le Saint-Sulpice as a luxury hotel, but it’s a great property in Old Montreal. Nearby is Hotel Nelligan, which I dearly love. It’s not a luxury property, but Le Centre Sheraton recently did a major renovation job and is a fine place to stay the night. I also quite like the W Hotel in Montreal, and, of course, the stately Fairmont Queen Elizabeth.
EARTH DAY MOVES BY MONTREAL TRUDEAU AIRPORT AND AIR CANADA
ADM Aéroports de Montréal announces that it has adopted a new policy to phase out certain single-use plastics, such as utensils, food containers, cups and bags, in concessions and VIP lounges at YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
The policy, which applies to food and beverages packaged in concessions-owned kitchens, went into effect on March 1 and is part of ADM’s sustainability goals to achieve a 70% recovery rate by 2025 and zero waste by 2030.
“ADM is more committed than ever to operating its business and facilities in a sustainable manner,” said Philippe Stas, Vice President, Services and Business Operations, ADM Aéroports de Montréal. “The implementation of this new policy will reduce the amount of residual material sent to landfills, reduce contamination of recovery channels and improve the recovery rate of waste at YUL. This is obviously a transition that requires adaptation, but the mobilization of our airport community around this issue is clear and we thank all our partners who have complied with this new policy or are in the process of implementing solutions to do so.”
The policy also dovetails with the City of Montréal’s March 28 ban on certain single-use plastic items in restaurants and food stores in the metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, Air Canada said it was marking Earth Day by announcing the purchase of 9.5 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The airline continues advancing initiatives in its Climate Action Plan by strengthening its partnership with SAF producer, Neste, to power flights with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM from San Francisco International Airport. The 9.5 million litres of SAF will generate GHG reductions of approximately 23,500 tonnes of CO2e calculated based on a full lifecycle assessment. The 23,500 tonnes of CO2e are equivalent to the annual GHG emissions absorbed by 28,000 acres of forest as per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency equivalencies calculator.
“At Air Canada, we have adopted a multifaceted approach to addressing climate change and sustainability. Environmental and social factors are incorporated into our strategic decisions, as are our fleet purchases and daily operations through our support of low-carbon alternatives. SAF comprises one of our core pillars in pursuing our net-zero emission targets. We have been purchasing Neste’s SAF since February 2022. Today’s announced purchase represents a five-fold increase in our SAF procurement year over year and is an important step towards our target of one per cent fuel to be SAF by 2025, supporting our journey towards our 2050 net zero decarbonization goals,” said Michael Rousseau, President and CEO at Air Canada.
United Airlines planes (and one Continental) lined up at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Jim Byers Photo
BEST U.S. AIRLINES: NO, SPIRIT DIDN’T WIN
Yahoo Finance has a story on how passengers rate the major U.S. airlines. A survey by American Customer Satisfaction Index found that passenger satisfaction with US airlines increased slightly year over year and that customers were happier with things like food, entertainment, and seat comfort.
Alaska Airlines topped the customer satisfaction ranking, while Spirit came in last. Here’s the top nine:
- Alaska
- American
- Southwest
- United
- Delta
- Jet Blue
- Allegiant
- Frontier
- Spirit
