Travelbits In-room Spin Class

GLAMPING GALORE Epic Retreats is celebrating its T Year of Legends in 2017 by hav- ing a new boutique hotel pop-up at three secret locations across Wales where guests can glamp in one of eight bespoke cabins; epicretreats.wales/en. source: lonely planet You’ll never have to miss a workout again thanks to Westin CLEVELAND COCKTAILS Hotels & Resorts’ new partnership with Peloton. The hotel Ohio’s Metropolitan at the 9, chain has added Peloton interactive exercise bikes to a \ an Autograph Collection hotel, recently turned its underground space, number of their guest rooms and fitness studios. The Vault, into a classy cocktail spot. source: condé nast traveler Hidden in the maze of vaults and cor- ridors that once kept the wealth of the Cleveland Trust Co., handcrafted drinks SISTER SHIPS and a small plates menu with items like Viking Cruise Line has two new charcuterie and oysters are served in - ships launching this year. The the classy lounge with vintage accents. sister ships, Viking Sky and Viking Sun, source: usa today will focus on destinations with lon- ger days and more overnighters in key ports; vikingcruises.com. source: usa today SUMMER OF LOVE SUMMER IN THE The 50th anniversary celebration America’s best city for summer T of the Summer of Love actually T , according to Travel + began in the winter of last year but will Leisure, is Portland, OR. Of note were continue through this summer. Events its top-ranked farmers markets, great will include a 50th anniversary edi- microbrews and delicious wholesome tion of the Monterey International Pop VENT HAVEN cuisine – and its bicycling and Festival and the de Young Museum’s VENTRILOQUISTS through beautiful landscapes, too. new exhibit, “The Summer of Love In Fort Mitchell, KY, the Vent source: travel + leisure Experience: Art, Fashion, and Rock & T Haven Museum – the only one of Roll;” summerof.love. its kind – displays more than 800 dum- source: chicago tribune mies, photos, playbills, and historical Walking a city has never been so books on ventriloquism. The museum T easy. Sidekix, a city exploration BEACH’S BEST also hosts the annual ConVENTion, a app, offers downloadable city guides. Nihiwatu, on Indonesia’s remote ventriloquist meeting that attracts pro- The GPS-technology allows users to E Sumba Island, was voted the fessionals and enthusiasts from around navigate within the maps and find rec- World’s Best Beach Hotel this year by the world; venthaven.org. ommended places nearby; getsidekix. Travel + Leisure readers. source: national geographic com. source: forbes source: travel + leisure

Travel Goods SHOWCASE Summer 2017 11 Travelbits OLDEST CITY ON A DIME Facial Recognition MONEY’s 2017 Best in Travel T identifies the destinations and services that deliver the most value for your dollar. St. Augustine, FL, the oldest city in the U.S., won the top spot for affordability, average cost for a week for two: $2,507. Spanish Colonial architecture, boutiques, the Lightner Museum and reasonably-priced lodging from seaside condos to historic inns and B&Bs await you there. source: time.com

British Airways has introduced a new passport-free process at several boarding gates in Heathrow with plans to continue expanding the service to additional gates. When SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING passengers go through security, boarding passes and Sweden-based ReTuna is encour- passports will be checked and each person’s features T aging customers to rethink how they shop with the world’s first shop- scanned by biometric devices. That scan will then be ping mall offering exclusively used repeated at the gate, allowing passengers to board without items. Located in the city of Eskilstuna just outside of Stockholm and operat- having to recheck all their documents. source: springwise newsletter ing since August 2015, ReTuna is open seven days a week and holds monthly Crazy Monday sales; retuna.se. TUNNEL THROUGH source: springwise newsletter Norway plans to build the world’s - first tunnel for ships. A 5,610- 15 BEST FAMILY SUMMER foot passageway burrowed through a VACATION DESTINATIONS piece of rocky peninsula will allow ves- Give your kids a summer adven- sels to avoid a treacherous part of sea. T ture to remember. According to It will be 118 feet wide and 162 feet tall U.S. News & World Report Travel, these and is estimated to cost at least $314 are the best spots to take the whole YUGGLER million. It is expected to open in 2023. family. The app Yuggler helps travelers source: usa today 1. Ocean City, MD 7 discover all the kid-friendly activ- 2. Puerto Rico ities near them. The app offers pho- DOG DAYS 3. Whistler, Canada tos and filters to find things age- and Dogs get their day in Indianapolis 4. Niagra Falls, NY interest-appropriate for your children. T this spring at The Eiteljorg 5. Myrtle Beach, VA Currently only available for iOS 7.0 or Museum of American Indians and 6. New York City, NY later; yuggler.com. source: la times Western Art’s “Dogs: Faithful and True” 7. Bahamas exhibit which highlights these heroes, 8. Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN TAKE IT EASY workers and companions in Native 9. Vail, CO Hours to kill during a layover? American cultures and the West. The 10. Virginia Beach, VA r Peace and quiet, some privacy, exhibit includes films, paintings, sculp- 11. Hamburg, Germany and maybe even a shower lay in store ture, weavings, photographs and arti- 12. Boston, MA for you if you utilize LoungeBuddy to facts. There also will be opportunities 13. Portland, OR gain access to over 170 airport loung- for dogs and their owners to participate 14. Jackson Hole, WY es worldwide on a pay-by-use basis; in outdoor programming; eiteljorg.org. 15. U.S. Virgin Islands loungebuddy.com. source: wired.com source: usa today source: usnews.com

12 Summer 2017 Travel Goods SHOWCASE