Remote and hybrid work has affected many industries, from commercial real estate to downtown restaurants. And it has impacted how many workers, unfettered by office attendance requirements, plan their travels.

Some call it “bleisure travel,” “laptop lugging,” “workations” or simply “blended travel.” The gist is the same: Remote and hybrid employees extend work trips to include leisure activities or work during their leisure trips.

Whatever it’s called, it could upend the traditional divide between leisure and business travel.

The travel lodging industry is already seeing the trend’s impact. Because bleisure travelers’ needs differ from those of traditional vacationers or work trippers, existing lodging options — particularly hotels — can fall short. This has created an opportunity and appears to be fueling a boom among short-term vacation rentals such as Airbnb.

Quarterly demand growth for short-term rentals has outpaced that for hotels since the first quarter of 2022, when travel began to fully rebound from the pandemic, according to a 2023 report from AirDNA and STR/CoStar, hospitality industry analytic services. This shift reflects changing traveler preferences and the ability of short-term rental hosts to react swiftly to these changes.

“We saw more and more people looking to convert their homes to short-term rentals,” says Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA. “So supply could be added in an instant. It takes 10 minutes to create a listing, while building a hotel can take years.”

Indeed, the year-over-year growth in supply of short-term rentals has exceeded 15% in every quarter from the first quarter of 2022 through the second quarter of 2023, compared with below 5% growth for hotels, according to the report.

More short-term rentals are available and more travelers are choosing them. How does “bleisure” travel factor in?

A new kind of travel — and traveler

Vacations used to be something that employees squeezed between long periods of work. That’s no longer the paradigm for many office workers with more flexible schedules.

Far from being a pandemic-only trend, the popularity of bleisure travel is increasing. For instance, more than a third of workers plan to do some work on holiday season trips this year (up from 26% during the 2022 holiday season), according to a fall 2023 survey by consulting firm Deloitte.

Importantly, remote employees who planned to work during their holiday trips expected to extend their trips by nine days due to increased schedule flexibility. That is, bleisure travelers are taking much longer trips than they would have if they had to rush back to the office.

This has profound implications for the lodging industry.

“Half of nights booked are now over a week,” Lane says, referring to short-term rental booking data. “And when people are looking to stay longer, there’s a higher propensity for them to book a short-term rental.”

Many short-term rentals offer discounts for extended stays, which is attractive for bleisure travelers. And they provide home-like conditions that make them more comfortable for longer stays.

“They want those amenities — a kitchen, workspace, etc.,” explains Lane.

We can always (not) go downtown

Combining work and play has shifted what amenities travelers seek, and where they’re traveling. While business travel and business hotels are traditionally centered in dense urban cores, bleisure travelers appear to be looking elsewhere.

“The vast majority of hotel supply is in large cities and along the interstate,” says Lane. “The vast majority of short-term rental supply is in the mountains and beaches.”

Indeed, small city and rural destinations saw the largest supply uptick in the first part of 2023, followed by suburban areas, according to the AirDNA and STR/CoStar report.

This has led to another change in lodging preferences.

“We’re not seeing a recovery on shared rooms or studios, they’re still below 2019 demand,” says Lane. “We’re seeing all that demand growth in larger homes.”

Travelers combining work and play are looking for larger accommodations out of major cities that they can rent for longer. All of these changes favor short-term rentals over traditional hotels.

According to Lane, these dynamics are unlikely to shift in the near future as economic headwinds stunt new hotel development, leaving room for the number of homeowners who list their properties on Airbnb to meet demand and fill the supply gaps.

The bleisure travel trend, and its industry-shaking implications, could just be getting started.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

The article Why ‘Bleisure’ Travel Gives Short-Term Rentals a Boost Over Hotels originally appeared on NerdWallet.

With two casino-resort openings and a Major League Baseball team announcing plans to relocate to Las Vegas in 2023, the new year has some big shoes to fill. But there are many significant projects in the early stages that could move forward in 2024. And, of course, we all want to know if projects such as the Atari Hotel will really happen.

Here are some key projects to watch across the valley in 2024.

Dream Las Vegas

Dream Las Vegas is a 531-room boutique hotel proposed for Las Vegas Boulevard just south of the Pinball Hall of Fame. The project’s construction was stopped in early 2023 because of financing issues, but in October developer, Shopoff Realty Investments, said it was working on a new loan to finance the project and construction could resume in early 2024. As of publication, no building permits have been issued and no new documents have been filed with Clark County on Dream Las Vegas and its financing.

Bill Shopoff, president and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments, recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal via text message that the loan commitment has been reached for the project and the new financing should close in February. He said construction should resume by the end of March.

Tilman Fertitta-backed Strip casino-resort

Signs of construction on the 43-story casino-resort project backed by billionaire Tilman Fertitta could begin to show this year. The project is proposed for the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue and building permits were first applied for in March.

A Fertitta spokesperson said via email that there aren’t any new updates to share about the resort right now. Plans for the project include 2,420 hotel rooms, restaurants, convention space, spa, wedding chapel and a 2,500-seat theater.

Atari Hotel

Las Vegas was slated to be the first location for a chain of Atari-branded hotels, when renderings were unveiled in 2020.

The developer behind the concept, GSD Group, was looking to develop a 400-room Atari Hotel on a 5-to 7-acre site near the Strip. The target opening date was the end of 2022, which, of course, didn’t happen. Since the renderings were released, there’s been very little news on the project. It’s unclear if development on this project is still happening.

Atari Hotels and Atari didn’t respond to requests for comment. The website for the project remains live.

Casino Royale redevelopment

The Best Western Plus Casino Royale on the Strip could be redeveloped. An aeronautical study was requested from the Federal Aviation Administration to determine how tall of a tower could be constructed on the Strip, between Harrah’s and the Venetian. The study, issued last year, said a building up to 699 feet tall could be built on the site.

No development plans for the site have been submitted to Clark County as of publication. The owner of the hotel didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Mirage’s closure

The Mirage’s days on the Strip are numbered, but exact details on when it will transition over to the Hard Rock haven’t been disclosed yet.

The Seminole Indian Tribe — owner of the Hard Rock International brand — purchased the property in December 2022. Plans are to transition the property into a Hard Rock branded-resort with a giant 660-foot guitar-shaped hotel tower. But details of the development timeline for this project are still being developed and Hard Rock declined to say how long the property will continue to operate as the Mirage.

Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen said in May that he hoped the redeveloped property could open around the end of 2027 or the start of 2028.

Demolition of the Tropicana, to make way for MLB stadium

Demolitions and implosions have been key to the history of the Las Vegas Strip and it looks like 2024 could be the last year for the Tropicana, one of the few remaining mob-era resorts on the Strip.

The Tropicana opened in April 1957 and could close in 2024 as redevelopment plans call for the property to be demolished to make way for a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat baseball stadium for the Athletics. The team is set to move from Oakland to Las Vegas after it won a relocation vote by MLB owners in November.

At the time of the owners’ vote, it was reported that construction on the new baseball stadium could start in 2025 and be completed in 2028.

The owner of the Tropicana, Bally’s Corp., didn’t respond to a request for comment on if a demolition or development timeline has been set.

Midtown mixed-use project

Construction could move forward on Midtown, a proposed mixed-used development looking to bring more urban living options to the area around Downtown Las Vegas and the Arts District. Developer Z Life Co. wants to add 3,000 residential units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space to the area surrounding the English Hotel, which it also developed.

The first two buildings of the Midtown project will have 281 residential units and could be open by mid-2025.

Z Life Co. expects to demolish the existing buildings on the site sometime this summer and have an official groundbreaking later in the year, said Anna Olin, chief operating officer and co-founder Z Life Co. She also said reservations for the residential units should open at the end of January.

Wynn Resort’s third tower

Wynn Resorts has owned a 38-acre parcel just north of Fashion Show mall and across Las Vegas Boulevard from the main Strip resort for almost seven years. It inherited development plans for a 1,100 room casino-resort from the previous owner.

A Wynn spokesperson said via email that there are no “immediate” plans to develop the parcel. But Wynn recently applied for a five-year extension of those approval development plans.

The Clark County Building Department staff recommended denying the extension request since the original approval is eight years old and some regulations have changed since then.

BLVD retail center

More flagship retail and restaurant operations on the Strip could be announced in 2024 as the 400,000-square-foot retail center called BLVD is scheduled to finish shell construction in August and open to the public in early 2025.

The developers hope BLVD will attract some high-end brands that don’t already have a retail presence in the U.S. The first two levels of the project will focus on retail and experiential spaces. The top floor will include a 110,000-square-foot dining terrace.

Some early lease announcements for BLVD include large spaces for Adidas, Puma and H&M.

The project is being developed on the site of the former Hawaiian Marketplace.

Westside resort, formerly Harlem Nights

The Las Vegas City Council could rule on a project that would place a high-rise resort in Historic Westside in 2024.

The Westside project, formerly called Harlem Nights, has gone through several iterations since it was first proposed in April. The original Harlem Nights proposal called for a 60-story tower with hotel and residential units. The project has since been scaled back and is currently proposed to be 34 stories. More changes could come, though, as the project still hasn’t gone in front of council.

A spokesperson for the developer, Shlomo Meiri, said there’s still a desire to get the resort built as it could act as an economic catalyst for the Historic Westside. But city staff has recommended denying the project, saying the tower structure wouldn’t be in character for the Historic Westside.

It’s unclear when this project will be considered by city council as it was tabled at a Las Vegas Planning Commission meeting in early January.

Casino-resort above Fashion Show mall

Howard Hughes Holdings floated the idea in October to build a casino-resort above Fashion Show mall. The real estate development company along with Brookfield Properties, which owns Fashion Show, holds the air rights above the mall.

Howard Hughes and Brookfield Properties haven’t elaborated on how or when a resort could be developed in the airspace above Fashion Show, so it’s unclear when or if the project could come to fruition. No plans for the project have been submitted to Clark County at time of publication.

Former Station Casinos sites to be redeveloped

Redevelopment of two properties that house now-shuttered Station Casinos resorts could start taking shape this year.

In November, Station Casinos sold the 73-acre site of the former Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho in North Las Vegas for $59 million to Agora Realty & Management.

Hylo Park, a $380 million three-phased project including a hotel, outdoor recreational space, retail, restaurants, a remodeled hockey facility and 665 residential units, is proposed for the site. Construction on the project should start in August, an Agora Realty spokesperson said.

In December 2022, Station Casinos sold the 35-acre Fiesta Henderson site to the city of Henderson for $32 million. Henderson is planning on adding an indoor sports facility to this site and possibly some hospitality space as well as spaces for family entertainment and open space for the public.

Henderson recently announced it wants to pick a developer for this project by April.

Redevelopment of shuttered Diamond Inn Motel

The now-closed Diamond Inn Motel and its pink elephant are set to go up for auction in March.

A spokesperson for J.P. King Auction Company said bidding for the site should start on March 7 and close on March 14.

The 1.36-acre property is prime for redevelopment because of its location on the Strip across from the Mandalay Bay.

The property could be suited for high-rise luxury condos or an entertainment venue since it can have building heights ranging from 406 to 505 feet tall, according to the auction listing.

Once it sells, it’s unclear how soon the new owner will proceed with redevelopment plans. The big question is, what will happen to the pink elephant?

©2024 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Europe’s expansive rail network is constantly evolving, and each year, early December sees new connections and services appear on schedules across the continent for the calendar year ahead. These new train journeys often reflect travel trends or technological advances, offering travelers more direct or frequent connections between European destinations.

The following are some of the noteworthy new routes that will shape European rail travel in 2024.

Berlin-Paris

After a 10-year hiatus, there is once again a night train connecting the German and French capitals, and it’s the only direct rail connection between the cities, period. Launched in early December by OBB (Austrian Railways) under their Nightjet range, this overnight service will initially run three times a week in both directions, with the expectation of graduating to a nightly service by the end of 2024.

Madrid-Oviedo

The result of a massive infrastructure project that took nearly two decades, Spain has launched high-speed trains between the nation’s capital and the gorgeous (and relatively undiscovered) Asturias region. The sleek trains will whisk travelers through scores of tunnels between the capital and the lovely cathedral city of Oviedo, a city famed for its atmospheric streets, gastronomic delights and tasty cider.

Brussels-Prague

Last summer came the long-awaited debut of the startup night train company European Sleeper. Now, the brand has announced an extension of its Brussels to Berlin night train to Prague, which will start on March 25, 2024, and run three times a week.

Zurich-Munich

These two cities are already well connected by smart, speedy trains that take travelers from Bavaria to the heart of Switzerland in just over 3 1/2 half hours. From April 2024, there will be added departures on the line on Fridays and Sundays.

Munich-Warsaw

Instead of going straight north, this night train will head from Munich into Austria before it curls up towards Poland. Along the way, it will make stops at A-list tourist destinations like Salzburg and Krakow, providing a key transport link for travelers exploring Central Europe.

Amsterdam-Berlin

A rail connection between the Dutch and German capitals has a long history, but the time it takes to get between them will get attention in 2024. That’s because a half-hour has been shaved off the journey due to technological advances and creative route management. It will now take you 5 hours and 52 minutes instead of 6 hours and 20 minutes. When you factor in check-ins and transport from the city center to outlying airports, this compares very favorably to flying indeed.

Vilnius-Riga

Up north, these two beautiful Baltic capitals will soon be connected by rail for the first time since the pandemic. Scheduled to start in late December, the journey between Lithuania and Latvia will take just over 4 hours and will make it possible to explore the full length and breadth of this special corner of Europe by rail.

Hamburg to Vienna & Innsbruck

Separate night trains have departed the northern port city of Hamburg headed for Austria for a while now (and vice-versa), but they got a glow-up in early December. This route is the first in Europe to see OBB’s brand-new Nightjet trains that feature sleek modern interiors, tech comforts (think mood lighting & USD charging stations), mini-cabins for solo travelers and showers & bathrooms in every sleeping compartment. Eventually, they will roll out all over Europe, but in 2024, this route is your only chance to experience the “future” European night trains.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

For those who live with celiac disease or a significant degree of gluten intolerance, the vacation planning process includes an extra complication: ensuring that dining options compatible with a gluten-free (GF) diet plan will be readily available.

According to the National Library of Medicine, “The U.S. has documented a profound rise in celiac disease.” And, “Non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a condition only recently recognized by the medical community, has become a commonly diagnosed entity.”

That means more and more travelers are depending upon dining venues to provide them with nutritious and palatable (well, preferably, delicious) gluten-free menu items, or at least viable alternative preparations of dishes that traditionally include the offending protein.

And, while recent years have seen this need become more widely recognized and accommodated in a greater share of establishments, it’s not always easy to guarantee that the places you’re visiting away from home will be able to adequately cater to your dietary restrictions.

While traveling, your selected hotel is one of the key spots where you’ll want to be sure there are adequate food options for you, simply due to the convenience factor. At some point during your stay, you’re bound to find yourself in need of a meal or a snack without having to venture off-property.

Of course, not all gluten-free offerings are created equal. In some cases, the most you might be able to find is a package of gluten-free crackers in the sundry shop. And, most of us aren’t splurging on a suite with its own fridge and kitchenette, nor do we want to spend our getaway grocery shopping even if we could.

What if you could find someplace where gluten-free dining is elevated to an art form, just as you’d look for in any other culinary/gastronomic niche? To help you find your next great stay, we’ve compiled a list of hotel and resort properties with delectable menu options that are compatible with a gluten-free diet.

The Umstead Hotel and Spa

Cary, North Carolina

For a truly top-tier dining experience, you might choose to eat and stay at the Five Star, Five Diamond Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina. The independently owned property, which draws inspiration from a combination of art and nature, features stunning interior spaces, including its 150 spacious guest rooms and suites, world-class cuisine and a stimulating spa, all within a serene woodland setting.

Its award-winning signature restaurant, Herons, is one of only 64 Forbes Five-Star restaurants in the entire world. The seasonal-driven menu features produce from the dedicated One Oak Farm nearby and the restaurant’s own herb garden. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the intimate 98-seat dining room serves modern American cuisine that pays homage to Southern farmers and artisans. And, one of Herons’ defining characteristics is its unique focus on accommodating special dietary needs.

At all meals, GF menu items are clearly marked, ensuring a hassle-free experience for those with gluten sensitivities. But, what truly distinguishes Herons is the fact that all of its service team members are thoroughly well-versed in the details of its menu items and their ingredients, so guests can be completely confident when requesting recommendations or menu modifications from the staff.

Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos

Los Cabos, Mexico

Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos, a luxurious haven at the southern tip of Baja California Sur, boasts seven epicurean restaurants and bars on site, which use only organic ingredients from local farms and the natural bounty of the Sea of Cortez. The menus at each of these distinct dining concepts have been meticulously crafted to include delicious gluten-free and vegan selections.

One venue in particular, Foresta, emerges as a haven for health-conscious diners, which is situated within a wellness enclave called Curated Wellness Heritage by Ojo de Liebre Spa. This spa-centric eatery tempts palates with its array of rejuvenating smoothies, hydrating juices, as well as energizing bowls and nourishing dishes, all carefully crafted using locally harvested and sustainably grown produce.

With wellness being a cornerstone of its ethos, Solaz ensures that every dish served across its onsite eateries uses the finest all-natural ingredients to help guests refuel cleanly. All menus clearly identify items containing potential allergens—such as gluten, tree nuts or dairy—and guests are urged to communicate any dietary concerns to their servers, which will be accommodated.

CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa

Carefree, Arizona

Perched high in Arizona’s awe-inspiring Sonoran Desert, just a stone’s throw from Scottsdale, CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa stands as a sanctuary dedicated to tranquility and rejuvenation. The serene desert resort is home to Terras restaurant, renowned for its healthful and mindful cuisine.

True to its holistic ethos, the resort goes above and beyond to cater to various dietary needs and preferences, ensuring those with gluten sensitivities experience unparalleled dining satisfaction. The menu at Terras reflects the vibrant character of the Southwest, spotlighting such forward-thinking dishes as the gluten-free Desert Guacamole, which is accompanied by corn chips and fresh crudité; Southwestern cobb salad with a chipotle-cashew dressing; or zesty green chile chicken or seared salmon tacos, both served with jicama slaw and Amarillo crema.

For those seeking both GF and plant-powered options, the Superfoods Bowl features a medley of cauliflower tabbouleh bathed in turmeric-tahini vinaigrette, or try the tantalizing jackfruit carnitas tacos. The Terras menu also presents an invigorating Green Goddess smoothie, enriched with nourishing apple, avocado and chlorophyll, and the luscious Radiance blend, containing a medley of coconut milk, berries and maqui.

NoMo SoHo

New York City

Nestled in the heart of New York City’s celebrated SoHo district at its address at 9 Crosby Street, the NoMo SoHo marries the nostalgia of yesteryears with today’s pulsating modernity. From the 1950s through ‘70s, its iconic SoHo neighborhood emerged as a mecca for avant-garde fashion, pioneering design, groundbreaking art and the site of a cultural evolution, in the process becoming a proving ground for trailblazing trendsetters. Today, SoHo continues to bustle with new creatives, celebrated artists, venerable brands and cultural luminaries.

At its heart, the illustrious NoMo Kitchen also marries classic cuisine with modern inspiration, serving rustic American fare peppered with global nuances and creative twists. Even by New York standards, this is a culinary gem, housed in an enchanting, greenhouse-inspired setting that boasts a thoroughly elegant ambiance at any time of day or evening.

Here, the gluten-free offerings are as delectable as they are diverse. Brunch-goers can delight in the Bibb Salad with Asian pears, which is adorned with parmesan shavings, candied nuts and an herb dressing. For lunch, those with dietary restrictions might gravitate towards the Grilled Fish Tacos, made with fresh market fish, coleslaw and chipotle mayo, all snugly wrapped in a corn tortilla. The dinner menu beckons with tantalizing Chicken Wings bathed in a honey sriracha sauce, accompanied by a velvety blue cheese dip with crisp carrot and celery sticks. There’s also the sumptuous Grilled Skirt Steak, Snapper or Sweet Pea Risotto to satisfy the GF palate.

Art of Living Retreat Center

Boone, North Carolina

Nestled amid the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and spanning an expansive 380 acres, the Art of Living Retreat Center serves as a haven for seekers of holistic well-being. This unique property is dedicated to immersing guests in the transformative realms of personalized Ayurvedic practices, invigorating yoga sessions and soul-soothing meditation experiences.

Central to the Art of Living’s philosophy is its focus on cleansing and nourishing both the body and spirit, which means that its culinary landscape is almost entirely gluten-free and vegetarian. Celebrating the bounties of Boone’s local harvest, the menu offerings here are intricately interwoven with the tenets of Ayurveda, emphasizing dishes cultivated by nature’s elements—sun, soil, wind, and water—each brimming with the essence of life, or prana.

The center furthers guests’ aims to heal their bodies with tantalizing, wholesome and deeply satisfying meals. In terms of GF, whole-food options, guests can greet the mornings with a hearty Tofu Scramble, infused with sweet potato hash and vibrant steamed greens. Midday offerings include an aromatic Callaloo Soup, tri-color quinoa with peas, Jamaican jackfruit stew, sweet potato and greens in tomato sauce, mango salsa salad and a signature Art of Living Khichdi. Evening menus burst with the exotic flavors of Moroccan Stew, Ras El Hanout-infused lentil loaf, zesty lime mint rice, carrot tagine, steamed greens and a Schlada salad. Culinary options vary according to the day of the week.

©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

During a media tour of the ship Thursday, the cruise line’s new class of ship that arrived to South Florida this week flexed its interior trappings, a combination of new offerings with familiar ones seen on the Oasis class, which are now just baby sisters to Icon.

Perhaps the most eye-catching is the first thing people will see once stepping on board is a massive sphere called the Pearl. It takes the place of the traditional atrium one might find on other cruise ships.

The three-deck space in the middle of the Royal Promenade features what Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer Jay Schneider called a “jaw-dropping arrival experience” during a previous interview detailing the architectural approach to the new ship. That includes the floor-to-ceiling glass façade that acts as a massive window. It’s meant to hammer home the ship’s theme “to connect you to the ocean.”

“The experience and expanse you see as you walk onto the ship, as you come through [the gangway] you see the beauty of the Pearl, and so it serves a lot of different purposes,” he said. “It really is that mic drop moment as you walk onto the ship.”

The artist behind the centerpiece Pearl, who goes by the lone name Zolty, marvels at its stature within the space.

“It’s literally holding up the decks above it as well,” he said. “Structurally, the engineering, not just to make the artwork piece, but the structure is just mental.”

Working out of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based studio named Breakfast, he has been toiling on what he called “the most complex artwork ever created” made up of more than 2 million parts for the last four years.

“When Royal came to us, they pretty much had their concept for the Pearl as a sphere and the shape of it but weren’t sure what to do with it as a thing,” he said.

Passengers climb the stairs through the Pearl laid in an inviting Spanish Steps approach. They venture within a globe of 3,000 small tiles in motion, each one with three linear actuator motors that when combined echo the sounds of holding a shell to one’s ear and hearing the ocean.

“Conceptually the whole piece is about bringing the water into the middle of the ship, this idea that you’re sort of floating, sort of following what the ship does as well,” he said.

It’s to be augmented by a soundscape and changing lighting effects throughout the day. As he was speaking it took on vivid red hues.

“It’s going to constantly change not just in terms of lighting, but how it moves at night. You’ll see shooting stars going down it and things like that,” he said. “Especially like late night, it gets sort of in the evening time. This all goes dark blue and it looks like large creatures are moving across the piece, and there’s whale sounds and other water sounds that kind of complement it.”

Some of the ship feels endless, like the 111 paces it takes to get from one end of the casino to the other. It’s like Royal Caribbean took a football field and filled it with shiny, beeping machines.

Other parts feel secluded with details tucked into corners that could make one forget they’re sharing space with as many as 7,599 other passengers.

That includes the Vitality Spa, now separated from the fitness center located several decks below to add even more serenity to the space, said massage therapist Alexandra Morgan.

That includes what she was was “the quietest place on board” — a lineup of thermal chairs between a pair of sensory showers nestled deep within the space. The array of calming offerings include a new-to-the-line quartz bed, filled with gold and amber-colored crystal grains.

“It’s like lying on warm sand,” she said. “We really learn it and experience ourselves so we know how to explain to you better. I know that I felt so Zen afterwards. Never felt a massage like it.”

Not everything on board was show-ready. An army of Royal contractors was out in force on board putting the final paint strokes in place before its first trip with paying customers on Jan. 27, although it’s already lining up its first preview sailings before then.

One of the most anticipated spaces on board is the new AquaDome neighborhood, within the massive glass-and-steel structure at the top of the ship. Now home to the AquaTheater, which has been housed on the lower decks at the aft of Oasis-class ships, production crews were working the sound system and tooling with mechanics on the stage that will be home to its diving, aerialist action show.

When not performing the stage is supposed to be home to a 55-foot-tall waterfall that was not flowing.

What was flowing, though, were soundwaves for some of the show’s music, so intense that you could see ripples across the froth of a cappuccino at new coffee and drink venue Rye & Bean adjacent the stage. And while the stage parts still looked like a deconstructed Lego set, the trappings around the other parts of AquaDome were sitting pretty in place allowing for many a seat to enjoy 220-degree exterior views.

The soundproofing quality amid adjacent spaces within the AquaDome held up, though, too, as it was just a small din through the glass of the neighborhood’s dining venues. That includes the AquaDome Market, a new space for the cruise line offering up free, quick-serve thematic cuisine dedicated to savory and sweet crêpes, a litany of mac ‘n cheese plates, sandwiches and salads, as well as Greek and Asian fare.

With the AquaTheater migrating several decks up the ship, Royal took a new approach to what was the Boardwalk space on Oasis ships. It’s now the colorful, family-friendly Surfside neighborhood. It’s still home to a carousel, but this one filled with whimsical rides ranging from a VW bus to a pink flamingo to a rainbow-horned narwhal.

With a climbing structure, splash pad, arcade, sweet shop, restaurants and even a bar, it’d be easy for those with younger passengers to spend all day in the space.

The other eye-catching outdoor space taking advantage of the larger ship template is called Thrill Island. The six-slide water park called Category 6 snakes around a massive portion of the upper deck space. A bit of Key West theming including its own version of the Southernmost Point marker adds to an inviting if not frenetic feel.

Two other new neighborhoods tout relaxation, including the many pools of Chill Island including the Swim & Tonic, the line’s first swim-up bar at sea and the vast infinity-edge Cove Pool. At the aft of the ship but towering above the hubbub nine decks below of Surfside and tucked behind the clatter of Thrill Island is The Hideaway, with a suspended infinity pool, whirlpools and its own bar.

Among the carryover neighborhoods also found on Oasis-class ships are Royal Promenade with its array of bars including the new Dueling Pianos venue; the Suite Neighborhood covering four decks including its own sun deck, pool and dining for suite guests; and the return of Central Park, the open-air green space in the center of the ship.

For Icon, though, Central Park debuts some new walk-up features including champagne-slinging Bubbles and the sushi window at Izumi in the Park. It’s also home to new music venue Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues and a high-end dining concept called Empire Supper Club that draws on the look and feel of 1920s New York City.

It’s one of the many spaces on the ship that invites meandering and finding quiet around many corners of the 20-deck, 250,800-gross-ton ship.

Schneider said that despite the gargantuan size, the design approach always kept flow and space in mind so no one would ever feel crowded.

“You’ll find facades that are open for the first time, in a grand way. You’ll find connectivity between decks that we’ve never done before, and a lot of that design and ingenuity came from this notion of giving people more space, and as you kind of put the pieces and parts together, you suddenly find yourself with a fairly large footprint,” he said.

As shocking as the in-flight blowout on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was last week, federal officials initially estimated that the problem that caused a gaping hole to open in the plane’s fuselage would be relatively easy to diagnose and fix.

On Tuesday, though, the Federal Aviation Administration said the process will take a bit longer than anticipated. For the time being, all planes configured the same way as Flight 1282 — a recently introduced update to the extremely popular Boeing 737 — will remain grounded.

That means more travelers on United and Alaska airlines will see their flights canceled in the days to come. Here’s what we know so far about the disruption in air travel, when it might end, and what the eventual return of these planes to service might mean for fliers — especially the nervous ones.

Which airplanes are affected?

Flight 1282 was on a custom version of the Boeing 737 Max 9, the latest in a series of revisions designed to enlarge the 737s so they could carry more passengers, and generate more revenue. The Max 9s are almost 9 feet longer than the 737 Max 8s that came out a few years previously, and when they carry the full complement of seats, they require an extra emergency exit between the wings and the tail.

The number of emergency exits required depends on the number of seats, said Robert L. Ditchey, an aviation consultant based in Marina del Rey. But a few airlines ordered a modified version of the Max 9 with fewer seats, dispensing with the need for the extra exits. That means fewer potential tickets sold, but also less maintenance costs associated with the emergency door and the exit slide, he said.

Rather than creating a new fuselage for the alternate version, Boeing used the same one but plugged the holes for the two extra emergency exits with a plate that’s bolted to the frame. That’s the part — known as the door plug — that blew off on Flight 1282 when the plane’s interior was pressurized.

Which airlines have the grounded planes?

Boeing won’t disclose its customer list, but Alaska and United Airlines are the only domestic carriers that have been publicly identified as having the modified 737 Max 9s. United says it has 79 Max 9s, and Alaska says it has 65.

The aviation website flightradar24 named three foreign airlines that are operating Max 9s with door plugs — Copa Airlines, Aeromexico and Turkish Airlines.

The FAA, whose authority extends only to U.S. airlines, says that it ordered 171 planes to be grounded. That represents a small percentage of all the aircraft in service in the United States. Nevertheless, neither Alaska nor United has enough planes to cover all the flights that were scheduled to be handled by their Max 9s, forcing well over 200 cancellations daily.

United said it was canceling 170 flights on Tuesday and redeploying other planes to replace Max 9s on 45 others. Alaska said that it had canceled 109 flights as of 12:30 on Tuesday.

How long will the planes be grounded?

Nothing is certain at this point, but Alaska Airlines said Wednesday that it was canceling all flights on 737 Max 9s through Saturday, Jan. 13.

The FAA’s emergency airworthiness directive set up a process by which the affected planes can be returned to service. The planes would be inspected by the airlines following FAA guidelines, and they’d take whatever corrective actions were required. The inspections would take only four to eight hours per plane, the agency estimated on Saturday.

This is standard operating procedure for the FAA, which doesn’t have the personnel to do inspections itself, Ditchey said. Instead, it leaves the job to certified technicians working for the airlines.

The holdup here is getting to the point where the inspections can begin.

On Tuesday, the FAA said on X.com (formerly Twitter) that the process had to start with Boeing providing instructions to the airlines for how to inspect and maintain the plugs. “Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response,” the agency said. “Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review.”

“The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service,” the FAA said.

Industry analyst Bob Mann said the revised instructions probably relate to what the airlines found when they started examining the plugs in preparation for the inspections. “Most of maintenance is like that — you go in there looking for one thing and you find three things,” he said.

Just how long the work will take depends on what sort of issues are uncovered, Mann said. For example, it could be a matter of tightening the existing fasteners better, or it might require a different type of fastener.

Still, analysts predicted that the planes would be back in service within two weeks. “Nothing I’ve heard so far rises to the level of, ‘We want to redesign this,’” Mann said.

How can I tell if the flight I’ve booked will be affected?

The short answer is that you can’t tell for sure because the airlines can deploy new planes to routes after you buy your ticket. But if you go to the airline’s website, you can see what kind of plane is assigned to your route now. One thing to bear in mind is that the grounded airplane is a 737 Max 9, not a 737-900. The names are similar, but the latter is an older plane that was part of a previous series of updates by Boeing.

What if my flight gets canceled?

With some restrictions, Alaska is allowing passengers to rebook their flights for free, and in some cases to cancel their flights for a future credit. United is allowing free rebooking for passengers on affected flights too, but also full refunds.

Paul Hudson, founder of the airline passenger advocacy group flyersrights.org, said that passengers on canceled flights are entitled to their money back. “You have an absolute right to a ticket refund. You don’t have to accept a voucher or a later flight,” Hudson said.

Granted, a refund for a ticket you bought well in advance isn’t likely to cover the cost of a flight booked at the last minute. And airlines are under no obligation to offer you an alternative flight on the same day, or to offer you a hotel room if you’re forced to stay away from home overnight when traveling within the U.S., Hudson said. Those sorts of accommodations are governed by each airline’s policies.

Hudson said that, given how many flights are being canceled even when planes aren’t grounded, travelers should always have a backup plan. One way to do that, he said, is to have a second, fully refundable ticket on a different airline to get you to your destination in case the first flight you reserved gets axed.

Other suggestions are to build in an extra travel day, book nonstop flights to avoid being stranded midway to your destination, and to book flights that take off in the morning, Hudson said. “Because if your flight is canceled or delayed, you have time to make other arrangements,” he said.

Should I be worried about flying Max 9s in the future?

The Max series hasn’t enjoyed much of a honeymoon. After the Max 8 planes were introduced, problems with an automated flight control system caused two planes to crash in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people and leading regulators around the world to ground the planes for at least 20 months. Those planes have been back in service in the U.S. for about four years. “Once [the Max 8] was back, it’s done exactly what it was supposed to do,” Mann said. The same flight control system is in the rest of the Max models.

Ditchey argued that the issue with the Max 9s requires a structural change, not merely stronger fasteners. That’s because of the stress caused by the difference in air pressure inside and outside a plane.

Airlines pressurize their interiors as they climb because there’s not enough oxygen to support life in the thinner atmosphere at higher altitudes. But if a hole suddenly opens in the fuselage when a plane is high above the earth, the higher pressure inside can force people and objects to be expelled from the plane.

(On that score, it was a good thing Flight 1282 had its blowout shortly after takeoff, when it was at 16,000 feet instead of 30,000, and that no one was sitting in the seat next to the plug. “If you have a big hole and someone’s sitting next to that hole and they’re not wearing a safety belt … color them gone,” said Barry Schiff, an aviation safety consultant.)

Ditchey said that emergency doors, like the regular doors on a plane, are bigger than the opening in the fuselage they fit into, so the interior pressure binds them more strongly to the frame. The plug, however, has no such “failsafe.” A true fix, he said, would require designing the plug with a failsafe like the emergency doors.

Mann disagreed, saying if the plug is attached properly, it should transfer the stress of pressurization adequately to the fuselage.

Hudson said that after the Max 8s returned to service, the airlines offered penalty-free flight changes to any passenger who didn’t want to fly on one of those planes. “That’s all gone away now,” he said.

Whether the airlines will take a similar tack with the Max 9s, he said, “depends on public pressure.”

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This time last year, Choice Hotels wasn’t even a contender in NerdWallet’s annual analysis of hotel brands and their loyalty programs.

In past years, we didn’t collect data on Choice because its award search didn’t show enough availability. (As part of our analysis, we collect data on bookings eight months from the time of search.)

But technology updates addressed booking issues, and Choice’s recent acquisition of Radisson brought new interest to the program. In 2022, the $675 million deal brought nine Radisson brands into the Choice portfolio, adding some higher-end brands to a company that was more known for budget brands like Quality Inn and Sleep Inn.

The merger went into full effect when the Choice Privileges rewards program absorbed the Radisson Rewards Americas program in July 2023. According to the press release after the merger, the Choice Privileges program had grown to 60 million members. That’s about half of the members enrolled in the Marriott Bonvoy or the Hilton Honors programs, and about double the number in World of Hyatt.

So for our most recent analysis on best hotel brands and rewards programs, Choice was too big to ignore. How does it stack up against competitors? And should you consider switching loyalty?

What factors we considered

In NerdWallet’s 2024 analysis of best hotel brands, we collected data on hundreds of hotel bookings across seven hotel brands. Each one had to have properties in the majority of states in the U.S. and offer a loyalty program with a publicly available rewards search calendar with rewards booking availability from 15 days to eight months from the time of the search.

We rated each company on a five-point scale (with five being the highest) on four factors:

1. Fees: the cost of resort fees and parking fees compared with the room rate.
2. Pet policies: the percentage of hotels that allow pets, pet fees and other policies.
3. Rewards rate: how quickly visitors earn points and the value relative to dollars spent.
4. Elite rewards: the value of elite status benefits compared with the amount of money members would have to spend to earn elite status.

Here’s how Best Western, Choice, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Wyndham performed across these categories.

So how did newcomer Choice fit in? The brand shined in one area in particular: lack of fees. On the five-point scale, Choice scored a perfect 5.0. The next closest brands didn’t crack 4.0.

Choice Privileges also rated respectably in the middle for its rewards rate.

These factors combined led it to be named NerdWallet’s best hotel brand of 2024.

The lowest fees

Finding a hotel with reasonable fees is a challenge. Even President Joe Biden is calling for the end of “junk fees” in travel and other industries. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, 6% of hotels charge resort fees, and the average resort fee is $26 per night.

Of the sample stays we analyzed, the average resort fee at Choice properties hovered closer to $22, beating the industry average. Other brands were charging an average of up to $60 per night for resort fees.

Choice also keeps parking fees to a minimum, averaging less than 3% of the room rate. Meanwhile, Marriott and Hilton parking fees are closer to 12% and 13%, respectively. That means you could save up to 10% on similarly priced rooms by staying at a Choice hotel with a lower parking fee.

A decent rewards rate

Choice Privileges members can accumulate points for a future award stay relatively quickly. Choice is one of only three hotel programs that offer rewards rates of at least 10% (meaning if you spend $100 at the hotel, you’ll earn at least $10 in points).

Wyndham Rewards, World of Hyatt and Choice Privileges offer the highest rewards rates, at 12%, 11.5% and 10%. Comparatively, Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards members can expect to earn 8% back in value. Hilton Honors members earn 5% back.

Should you choose Choice for your loyalty?

Choice’s low fees and high rewards rate suggest that it shouldn’t be overlooked, particularly for travelers who are searching for affordable accommodations and want to earn more hotel points with less spending on stays. These are great features, but they don’t apply to everyone.

Here are some things to consider.

Do you like staying at Choice properties?

If you frequently stay at brands like Cambria Hotels or Woodbridge Suites, then strategizing your spending to take advantage of Choice Privileges benefits would be useful. It might be worth familiarizing yourself with some of Choice’s lesser-known brands, like the boutique Ascend Hotel Collection.

Are there Choice properties where you travel?

Choice Privileges has more than 7,400 hotels around the world. Marriott, meanwhile, has almost 8,900 locations, which means you’ll likely have more options in more places with Marriott loyalty. That said, the size of a hotel’s footprint isn’t everything. Hyatt, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for the best hotel rewards program, has only 1,300 hotels.

One important caveat is that a different company owns Radisson properties outside of North and South America. If you plan on using hotel points for international travel, you might want to check availability with other Choice brands.

Can you earn Choice points with credit card spending?

A well-rounded hotel loyalty strategy often includes travel credit cards. Choice Hotels offers its own co-branded hotel credit cards, and the newest launched in spring 2023.

Choice Privileges transfer partners include American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One miles. If you already have a credit card that earns one of those types of points, you already have a way to start booking Choice hotels with travel rewards.

The article Why Choice Hotels Was a Surprise Winner in NerdWallet’s Annual Rankings originally appeared on NerdWallet.

More was in large supply on a recent christening cruise of the Emerald Sakara, a 100-guest superyacht that not only sports the perfect balance of luxury, unpretentiousness and amenities, but takes a company known for river cruising to deeper depths.

Sakara is a near-twin to Azzurra, which in early 2022 ushered in a new era for Emerald (emeraldcruises.com) by taking to the high seas. Now with two oceangoing vessels joining Emerald’s more established fleet of nine river-dedicated “Star-Ships” based in Europe and Southeast Asia, the decade-old brand is bringing the little things that make a big difference to even more of the world. After all, Sakara is a Sanskrit mantra meaning “thoughts become things.”

The nice surprises that contributed to Sakara making a good first impression came from sources unique to even ultra-luxury cruising, which Emerald isn’t. Scenic (scenicusa.com), Emerald’s five-star sister brand, is, and while a butler and other perks are lovely, are they worth paying 50% more? That’s between you and your travel budget, but to give an example of the cost of an ocean cruise on Emerald, balcony cabins on a seven-day sail this summer in the Mediterranean were going for as low as $6,500 per person, double occupancy, at press time.

Among the mini mindblowers observed on Sakara’s christening cruise in the Caribbean was a bartender who shook a martini to the beat of the lounge singer’s song. On paper or pixel, that may sound more like fun than a big deal. Au contraire. By getting jiggy with the cruise director’s crowd-pleasing cover of Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” the Amici Bar’s cordial and competent mixologist was able to serve thirsty guests without being a distraction during the show. Too often the sounds of a shaker or blender drown out an artist’s performance, but not here.

When favorable conditions allow Sakara’s marina platform to be open, guests are served cocktails and fruit skewers while enjoying a variety of water sports equipment. Nothing says “cruise vacation” like kayaking off your luxury superyacht and out of the corner of your sunglassed eye a tray-holding waiter is standing on the aft’s edge with an enticing tropical drink to enhance this precious moment of serenity on crystal-clear waters.

Heading inside, another delightful surprise that speaks to Emerald’s unique culture of passenger relations is found at the Elements Spa. In a world where one wellness company enjoys a near-monopoly on cruise ships, and negative effects of that surface way too often, how refreshing to experience the difference when a cruise line keeps things in-house. When a male guest who was enquiring about salon services told a stylist he only needed a trim on the sides and neck, instead of booking an appointment, the worker showed the passenger to his chair and gave him a comped quickie cut. The stylist even refused a tip, informing the astonished, freshly coiffed gentleman that “we believe in making relationships more than we do an immediate profit.”

Nothing topped that for shock value during the christening cruise, but whether appealing to the eyes, mind or stomach, amazement followed Sakara from Puerto Rico to the shores of the British Virgin Islands and St. Barts.

With few exceptions, the galley cooked up plenty of palate pleasers at Sakara’s two eateries. La Cucina on Deck 3 is the yacht’s spacious main dining room, serving buffet breakfasts and lunches, and full-service dinners. The ceviches and most other seafood dishes that week were on par with better luxury cruise lines, and bravo to an executive chef confident enough to allow guests to play Frankenstein with menu items; adding grilled chicken breast and breaded eggplant to the pasta arrabbiata was a winner. Dessert selections were so-so, other than a pretty and pretty good strawberry pavlova, but giving a server carte blanche on concocting a chocolate lover’s sundae yielded sinfully delicious results. The poolside Aqua Café on Deck 6 offers cooked-to-order flatbreads, burgers and hot dogs, premade sandwiches, power bowl salads and yummy ship-made ice cream.

Aside from wine and beer at lunch and dinner, and a surprise cocktail while kayaking, potent potables are generally not included in the fare with Emerald as it is on sister Scenic. Six-dollar cocktails of the day and drink packages are available, as are contemporary and comfortable environs in which to imbibe. If the aforementioned Amici Bar and Lounge is the yacht’s community center, offering lots of seating and an area for live music, then the Sky Bar on the top deck is the local watering hole at night and sailaway, weather permitting.

Sakara, like its year-older twin, Azzurra, has a décor perhaps best described as understated elegance. The common areas of the 361-foot yacht are clad and carpeted in shades of silver and gray, with chrome, mirrors and artwork that are anything but gaudy. The spa is equally tasteful from the massage rooms to the complimentary infrared sauna.

Vibe-wise, Sakara feels like a private yacht. That’s especially true for occupants of the two Owner Suites. Each provides 1,195 square feet of wow factor, including a sizable outdoor terrace, lounge area and walk-in closet. Two Yacht Suites measure 720 square feet at the aft of the Observation Deck. Balcony Cabins make up 36 of the yacht’s 50 cabins, and seem larger than their roughly 300 square feet due to minimalist décor on the walls, smart and efficient features and ample storage. The only guestrooms without a veranda are the six Oceanview Cabins sized at around 200 square feet.

The cruise line offers three types of shore excursions, two of which are included in the fare; EmeraldPLUS tours tend to offer an introduction to local culture, and EmeraldACTIVE excursions include guided hikes, e-bike outings and snorkeling adventures. DiscoverMORE options are in-depth excursions and experiences of various exertion levels, and generally cost between $100 and $200. Exploring the beautiful, whitewashed village of Oia when anchored in Santorini, touring the volcano-doomed Roman city of Pompeii while in Sorrento, and ziplining through a rainforest near Antigua are just a few of the upcharging tours.

After spending the rest of winter in the Caribbean, Sakara will continue a schedule of mostly seven-day itineraries in the Mediterranean from April through October. Emerald’s flagship then returns to the Caribbean, going back and forth every week between St. Martin and Barbados from this December to April 2025.

Sakara’s slightly older twin will see more of the world over the next couple of years. Besides the Caribbean and Mediterranean, Azzurra will get her passport stamped in Africa, the Middle East, South America, Central America and the Seychelles by the end of 2025. Between the two superyachts, only Azzurra is currently offering itineraries as long as 12 nights.

That’s a mistake that about 6,700 people across the nation made last year and they were stopped at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

The 6,737 firearms seized nationally in 2023 was a record, up from 6,542 in 2022.

Of the guns caught in 2023, approximately 93% were loaded. Firearms were caught at 265 airport checkpoints nationwide, the TSA said.

Topping the list is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 451 firearms seized in 2023. It’s more than a daily occurrence there on average. The 10th highest is Dallas Love Field with 125 seizures.

The TSA has been tracking firearms seizures since 2008 when 926 were confiscated. The trend line has been steadily up, except for 2020. In that year just 3,257 were seized, down from 4,432 in 2019.

However, in 2021, gun owners more than made up for the down year, with 5,972 guns were confiscated.

The TSA’s standard press release boilerplate:

Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapon permit, firearms are not permitted to be carried onto an airplane. However, travelers with proper firearm permits can travel legally with their firearms in their checked bags if they follow a few simple guidelines.

TSA advises travelers to familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure to ensure that they have the proper gun permits for the states that they are traveling to and from. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition so travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies prior to arriving at the airport.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a locked hard-side case.

Ammunition must be in its original box and can be packed inside the hard-side case, next to the firearm. Even if the box of ammunition is not full, the bullets must be in their original case. The case with the firearm should be brought to the airline check-in counter to be declared with the airline representative. Firearms are transported in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to them during the flight. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site.

Individuals who bring weapons to a checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $15,000. The complete list of penalties is posted online. In addition to civil penalties, individuals who violate rules regarding traveling with firearms will have Trusted Traveler status and TSA PreCheck® expedited screening benefits revoked.

Travelers can use the “What Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the free downloadable myTSA app. Travelers can also tweet to @AskTSA or send a text message (275-872) if they have a travel question or are unsure if an item is allowed through security in a carry-on bag. Just snap a picture or send a question and get real-time assistance.

Wheel the World, the travel company dedicated to making travel more accessible for travelers with any disability, recently launched a program aimed at boosting accessibility within destinations and promoting these destinations to those with disabilities.

The Destination Verified program is a step toward making travel more accessible to those in wheelchairs or who have other challenges across the globe. While its focus is on increasing awareness and providing detailed, helpful destination-specific accessibility information for travelers who need it, it’s a program that Wheel the World co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Camilo Navarro believes should be used by all destinations — including at airports and theme parks.

“The specific problem that Destination Verified is solving is that most destinations don’t have their accessibility information out there: It’s not available or it’s not accurate,” said Navarro in an interview with TravelPulse.

“Secondly, even if they have that information, they don’t have the booking solutions, a simple way for people with disabilities to book travel services. Thirdly, (destinations) don’t have enough training and understanding about the different types of disabilities, what are the dos and don’ts, what’s the difference between a cognitive disability and a mobility-related one, a sensorial one.”

Navarro said that the combination of these three problems — the lack of information, the lack of booking solutions and the lack of training — makes destinations unable to attract people with disabilities to visit them. “Destination Verified was born to tackle that specific problem,” she said.

Destination Verified begins with a destination’s accessibility audit, in which Wheel the World’s trained mappers assess a location’s accommodations, tours, restaurants and attractions with over 200 data points marking how accessible they are according to those with physical, cognitive and sensorial disabilities.

For example, when mappers enter a hotel, they mark and measure entrances and measure the height of the beds in accessible rooms, among many other checks.

The destination marketing organization (DMO) then receives a detailed report with recommendations on how to improve certain aspects of the destination’s accessibility and is encouraged, though not required, to improve them.

Destinations that have received the Destination Verified seal also receive a dedicated page on Wheel the World’s website, complete with all the accessible experiences they offer, available to view and book by people with disabilities and their travel companions.

Travelers who make a Wheel the World account can also enter their accessibility needs in their private profile, which is used to filter accommodations and experiences that are accessible just for them.

In October, Visit Mesa in Arizona became the first area to receive the Destination Verified Seal. Other areas have followed, including Visit Colorado Springs, Travel Oregon and Visit Lexington, Kentucky.

Mesa, whose motto is “Live Life Limitless,” has formed partnerships and progress towards enhancing the city’s accessibility — and the partnership with Wheel the World help increase the confidence of travelers with disabilities heading there.

“Wheel the World is setting a new standard for accessible travel, and are taking a 360-degree approach by not only assessing the physical space but are also elevating the standard of service through their training,” said Alison Brooks, Vice President, Destination Experience and Advocacy, Visit Mesa.

Navarro is convinced that the world is going to be 100% accessible in the future. “We think that people with disabilities are the largest minority on Earth. There’s no other minority larger than people with disabilities.

“Sooner or later, every one of us will be part of it as a consequence of aging. … We created the seal of approval with the inspiration of how we can allow more people with disabilities to travel to more destinations in a more confident way,” she said.

Travelers with disabilities take over 40 million annual trips and generate $23 billion annually. This could become a much larger number if there’s accurate and specific accessibility information widely available, as eight in 10 Americans with a disability reported negative travel experiences due to a lack of information and specialized services.

Accessibility is also becoming top-of-mind for destinations around the world as they consider how to build back their tourism economies in a more sustainable way. The United Kingdom’s official postpandemic tourism recovery plan aims to make itself the most accessible country in Europe by 2025.

“Because the world is going to become accessible no matter what, those who take action first are going to have an advantage over those who don’t take action first, because there’s a business proposition behind it …” Navarro said.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.