Month: July 2024

Let’s do a little Rome roaming with one of the most dynamic actor-comedians on Earth, shall we? 

Tony Hale, loved for playing Buster Bluth in Arrested Development, Gary Walsh in Veep and appearing in everything from “The Angry Birds Movie” to “Toy Story 4” headed to Europe for his latest smash “The Decameron.”

Premiering on Netflix on Thursday, the super-dark and timely comedy set in 1348, showcasing how a group of nobles ride out the Black Death pandemic in an Italian grand villa — which resulte in Hale spending six months in Italy, with Rome as his home base.

“Gearing up for Italy, I watched way too many YouTube videos on Rome and the ancient Roman empire,” he told Travel + Leisure in a recent interview. “Then I found myself in places like the Roman Forum and Colosseum and it was just mind-blowing and really hard to put into words. In the Colosseum, I would just find myself staring at a random stone and thinking about the history of that stone.”

Another touristy moment included when Hale visited the Vatican and made a new friend.

“I went to see it and I couldn’t find anybody to go with me,” he recalled. “So, it was just me on this tour and everybody was in a family, plus our tour guide. Everyone was like, okay, now we’re going to take pictures with the families in front of the Vatican. And so, I just took a picture with the tour guide.” 

A self-described “nut for tours,” a memorable guided experience was a Vespa Sidecar Tour he did with his wife and daughter for her 17th birthday. Of that experience, he joked, “we looked like something right out of ‘Despicable Me.'”

Off the beaten path and a place Hale discovered during the end of his time in Rome, was the Sant’Egidio convent church.

“It was this this faith community that’s committed to kindness, prayer and serving the poor,” he said. “It was such a sacred little space in the middle of the Trastevere area of Rome. When I go back, I want to spend more time there.”

And, of course, there was all the glorious food. His top morsels and spots include Neve di Latte for a scoop of black cherry with white chocolate ice cream, Pianostrada for Italian-meets-Mediterranean fare and Fraschetteria for an intimate Italian spread.

Beyond his Italy travels, Hale enjoys skiing and “the kind of travel with family and friends that involves sitting around a fire pit and having a glass of wine… I live for that stuff.”

On the flipside of happy times, there are some things he doesn’t like when adventuring, namely anything involving heights.

“I have a buddy Gabriel that loves to do that type of skiing where they take you in a helicopter and drop you on top of a mountain,” he mentioned. “He also likes to skydive and being able to enjoy that type of stuff… it’s a part of the brain I don’t have. I also zip lined once with my daughter and was like, ‘nothing about this is natural.’ But, of course, I put a smile on my face.”

As for one his favorite work-travel destinations, Hale likes Vancouver. As part of his work on The Mysterious Benedict Society, the first season was shot in the city during Covid. However, amid the widespread closures, he took to hiking surrounding confines with Capilano Suspension Bridge Park — with a narrow suspension bridge over Capilano River — being a top memory.

On camera, another top memory that just has be asked about is the epic Beyoncé Verizon commercial during this year’s Super Bowl. Serving as Beyoncé’s sidekick as she announced her country album and dropped two new songs — earning Hale some major bonus points with his daughter alongside all the travel memories they’ve had together.

“My daughter had just seen Beyoncé in concert with a friend and [with my non-disclosure agreement] I could not tell her that I did this commercial,” he recalled. “Ever since then, I love her Cowboy Carter album… and it was cool to be a part of something that is really a part of our culture now. And, I got some cool dad points and also a little bit of a ticked off kid that she didn’t know.”

JetBlue is on the move with new flight routes, while saying goodbye to others. Ahead of the winter travel season, the airline will add a variety of new routes to popular destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Phoenix.

“These moves underscore JetBlue’s commitment to refining its network while leveraging its award-winning experience,” the airline shared in a release announcing the news. 

In the New York area, the airline will begin new service from Long Island’s MacArthur Airport (ISP), with a new daily flight to Orlando, and also service to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and West Palm Beach (VPS) four times a week. 

From Boston Logan Airport, the airline will increase flights with a second daily route to Phoenix, which will also feature Mint, a business class-level service with a flat-bed seat.

From Manchester, New Hampshire, JetBlue will expand in Florida to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, and Orlando in January 2025. The Orlando route will operate daily, while the Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers route will operate three days a week.  The airline will also begin a new Portland, Maine (PWM) to Orlando (MCO) route in October, that will operate three times a week as a winter seasonal service.

“We are incredibly proud of our strong roots in Boston and New England, a place that has always embraced our vision for low fares and superior travel experiences,” JetBlue’s President Marty St. George shared in the release. 

With the new routes, JetBlue will be pulling back to end routes and exit seven different markets including: Burbank, CA (BUR); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Minneapolis, MN (MSP); Palm Springs, CA (PSP); San Antonio, TX (SAT); Tallahassee, FL (TLH) and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP).

“JetBlue is constantly evaluating our routes to best serve our customers, return our airline to profitability, and find ways to improve our reliability,” JetBlue shared in a statement to Travel + Leisure. “These decisions are never easy; however, these markets have recently fallen short of our expectations.”

The airline says customers will be be able to rebook to a different flight option, or receive a refund if a alternative flight is not available.

Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best winners highlight the top hotels, restaurants, experiences, and destinations its users loved most over the last year. As the brand explained on its website, “fewer than 1 percent of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel.” And if you happen to be a discerning outdoor adventure lover, Tripadvisor has a new “Best of the Best” spot for you to check out. 

After looking at all the reviews, Tripadvisor named Kathmandu the Best of the Best for its nature destinations category. 

“Nepal’s capital is surrounded by a valley full of historic sites, ancient temples, shrines, and fascinating villages,” it wrote in its release. “Mingle with locals and animals amid Durbar Square’s monuments, or join mountain trekkers in the bustling Thamel District. Explore shops for exquisite work by local artisans — carpets and paper prints are specialties.”

And, when you’re ready to unwind after a day of sightseeing, you can do so at Fusion Bar at Dwarika’s Hotel, a spot beloved by Travel + Leisure A-List travel advisor Niall Causer, from Audley Travel.

“There are so many great bars across the Indian subcontinent. For me and many of my clients, Fusion Bar at Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, is one of my all-time favorites,” Causer previously shared with T+L. “This former cottage of the hotel’s curator has been converted into a wonderful place to relax that serves world-class cocktails, local beers, and Nepali snacks such as momos, or meat dumplings. A superb place to unwind on a hot day by the pool, [relax] after a long flight, or share travel tales after an exciting journey through the Himalayas.”

As for where else made top-billing on Tripadvisor’s 2024 list, Halong Bay in Vietnam came in second, with Tripadvisor noting that travelers love its “limestone islands, rock formations, and caves.” It was followed by Hurghada, located on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast in third, the entire nation of Mauritius in fourth, and the island of Lombok in Indonesia rounding out the top five.

See all the nature-loving spots for a little more travel inspiration at tripadvisor.com.

A hotel rarely renders me speechless, but I was amazed when I arrived at Aman Tokyo this May.

Stepping into the 33rd-floor lobby, I first noticed the soaring white washi paper ceiling, the crown of the towering space’s superb modern Japanese design. Rather than standing at a desk to check in, I was immediately sat in a comfortable chair in the lobby and given a refreshing towel and a cup of tea to enjoy as I completed the process. It’s clear from that moment that every aspect of the stay is carefully crafted in a way that can only be described as perfect hospitality. And even without the impeccable design by Kerry Hill Architects and better-than-five-star service, the views alone would be a reason to stay at Aman Tokyo. From the lobby (and later, I discovered, from my room), you can gaze out over the endless Tokyo skyline, all the way to Mount Fuji. 

Since it first opened in December 2014, Aman Tokyo has gained a reputation as one of the Japanese capital’s most luxurious and exclusive hotels — and it’s become a Travel + Leisure reader favorite, ranked among our top hotels in Tokyo in the World’s Best Awards. Perched on the top floors of the Otemachi Tower in Tokyo’s Otemachi business district, the hotel is best for adult leisure and business travelers. Tucked between skyscrapers, Aman Tokyo was the brand’s first urban hotel, but the property has the distinctive Aman resort feel thanks to ryokan-style rooms, a serene spa, and a sky-high pool that overlooks the cityscape.  

Here, our review of Aman Tokyo. 

The Rooms

Eighty-four guest accommodations range from the Garden View, Deluxe, and Tokyo suites to the signature Aman, Grand, City, and Panorama suites. I stayed in an 829-square-foot Tokyo Suite, with wood, washi paper, and stone anchoring the peaceful space with a modern Japanese aesthetic. The entire room — from the desk to the king-sized bed to the sunken living area — was positioned for optimal views of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the city and beyond. I could have sat in the window seat, pressed against the glass, for hours, watching the lights twinkle as the sun set across the skyscrapers, the Imperial Palace Gardens, and Mount Fuji. Every room promises incredible city views, but I highly recommend first-timers book a room with a Mount Fuji view — it was magical to wake up to the sight of the iconic volcano each morning. 

Behind a sliding door, the large bathroom has two sinks, a toilet with a state-of-the-art bidet, a traditional furo tub (with handy instructions for using it!), and all the amenities you could need, including a mini Marvis toothpaste. Even the in-room minibar was a work of art, with perfectly wrapped Shiranui orange juice (perhaps the best orange juice I have ever tasted) among the curated beverage selections. 

Food and Drink

Aman Tokyo’s five food and beverage outlets provide diverse dining experiences. Starting at the bottom, La Pâtisserie by Aman Tokyo is located on the B2 floor of the Otemachi Tower, offering a gorgeous display of French pastries. (I had the mille feuille, packaged with the utmost care so it wouldn’t tip en route to my room.) Outside in the Otemachi Forest, The Café by Aman offers lunch and dinner in a beautiful, glass-walled space looking out on the lush greenery. 

Upstairs off the lobby, The Lounge by Aman is the hotel’s upscale take on a lobby bar with all-day dining and afternoon tea that highlights seasonal flavors (right now, it’s a peach-themed afternoon tea menu for summer). Avra, an Italian restaurant that highlights seasonal, local produce, is also located off the lobby with window tables that offer incredible Mount Fuji views. This is also where you can enjoy breakfast in the morning (unless you prefer room service). I was delighted to try my first traditional Japanese breakfast, a multi-dish meal resembling a jewel box of savory seafood bites, pickled vegetables, fresh fruit, miso soup, and rice. 

Finally, the hotel’s omakase restaurant, Musashi by Aman, is tucked above the lobby with eight seats surrounding the Hinoki cypress wood counter. Omakase is already an intimate meal style, with the chef determining the menu each day and then preparing each bite right in front of you, but this dinner offered something more — a connection to this place and to the chef that goes beyond the typical dining experience. 

Master Chef Musashi delicately prepares each morsel of the meal with fish selected from the market that morning and rice he cultivates and harvests himself in his hometown in the Yamanashi Prefecture. Chef Musashi even uses his rice to brew the restaurant’s sake, and the Musashi by Aman extra dry sake was the perfect compliment to the outstanding meal. The 21-course parade of seafood was beautifully choreographed, with standout dishes including stewed fatty tuna, grilled miso fish, marbled flounder nigiri, and an uni hand roll.

Guests drinking sake were presented with a box of 20 crystal sake cups in different shapes, patterns, and colors to choose from — a small, but thoughtful detail that elevated the experience even more. 

Activities and Experiences

Aman Tokyo offers a range of activities in the Otemachi neighborhood and beyond, from a behind-the-scenes look at sumo to art gallery tours. I took a traditional rickshaw ride (aboard a plush red velvet and shiny silver chariot) through the neighborhood on a sunny morning, and my guide taught me all about the area, impressively carrying the rickshaw as he jogged. Wellness-seekers will want to check out the hotel’s yoga and Pilates studio, fitness center, and traditional Japanese baths — and all guests should visit the 98-foot heated indoor pool with breathtaking city views. The stone-column-lined pool is lovely during the day, but the poolside beds and calming water are even better at night when you can see the Tokyo Tower lit up amid the other glowing buildings just outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. 

The Spa

With 26,900 square feet spread over two floors, the Aman Spa is the largest, most comprehensive hotel spa in Tokyo. Before the treatment begins, guests can spend an hour enjoying the baths, showers, and steam rooms for a Misogi experience based on a traditional Shinto bathing ritual. Onsen-style baths have skyline views, too, and there’s something oddly serene about watching the fast-paced city from high above in the warm stone pool. Treatments range from holistic, one-day wellness programs to facials, massages, or body treatments that aim to ground, purify, and nourish the body.

I chose the Aman Tokyo Signature Journey, a 150-minute head-to-toe experience starting with a full-body scrub and a 90-minute massage. After the treatment, the discomfort of my 14-hour flight and intense jet lag felt like a distant memory; if only every long-haul flight could be followed by an afternoon at the Aman Spa. 

Location 

Aman Tokyo is located on the top six floors of the Otemachi Tower in Tokyo’s Otemachi business district, about a 10-minute walk from the Imperial Palace and Imperial Palace East Gardens. 

It’s right by Otemachi Station, which is served by five subway lines, and it’s just a short walk to Tokyo Station, which is served by subway and train lines, including some shinkansen or bullet trains. 

Haneda Airport (HND) is about a 40-minute drive from the hotel, and Narita Airport is about an hour away. 

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay 

The starting rate at Aman is $1,260 per night, placing it among the more expensive hotels in Tokyo. Now is a fantastic time for American travelers to visit Japan thanks to favorable dollar-to-yen exchange rates.