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Dazzling European Ski Chalets, A ‘Wicked’ Hotel Suite And More Travel News

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Dazzling European Ski Chalets, A ‘Wicked’ Hotel Suite And More Travel News

5 Extraordinary European Ski Chalets

When billionaires go skiing in Europe, they typically rent a chalet for a week (or three) in some of the poshest resorts in the Alps. The best are often winter palaces with glass walls, expansive decks, indoor swimming pools, and plenty of other luxurious amenities—including a screening room a wine cellar, and a mudroom with lockers and boot heaters. Here are five extraordinary European chalets for ski season.

Ritz-Carlton Announces 2025 Yacht Itineraries

With two luxury yachts already cruising the globe, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection recently announced that its third vessel, Luminara, will set sail in July 2025. There will be 14 different Mediterranean itineraries, including voyages to Italy, Spain, Greece, and the Canary Islands. The 794-foot Luminara, the largest of the three Ritz-Carlton yachts, has 226 suites (accommodating up to 452 guests) and most voyages are 7 or 8 nights.

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Inside A ‘Wicked’ Hotel Suite

The New York Hilton Midtown recently unveiled its new Wicked hotel suite with decor that celebrates the movie version of the famed Broadway musical, which hits theaters on November 22. The Wicked suite is available between November 21 and January 5, 2025 and is inspired by the show’s two iconic characters—with a “pink wonderland” on one side for Glinda and a “moody, green forest theme” on the other for Elphaba. Guests will also enjoy some Wicked-themed amenities during their stay—including special makeup products and tickets to the movie.

TravelWise

More than 300,000 American passports are lost or stolen every year, according to the U.S. State Department, which is why it’s vital to protect it—and hide it—while traveling. Plenty of suitcases and carry-on bags come with hidden pockets for a passport, currency and other valuables. And of course plenty of people wear a money belt. But for those who like to leave a passport in a hotel safe—not always safe, by the way—it’s a good idea to take a photograph of your passport and carry it on your phone. Not only will a photograph of passport information often work for a VAT refund, but it also serves another important purpose—a photo of your passport often makes it easier to apply for replacement should be it, well, lost or stolen.

Germany’s Newest Travel Influencer Is…Unreal

Meet Emma, Germany’s newest tourism ambassador. She’s a beautiful, young polyglot, who speaks 20 languages, including English (in a posh British accent). She’s on Instagram, of course, and she really loves to travel around her homeland and share her pictures and information about her latest journeys. If she seems a little too perfect for today’s Influencer Age, that’s because she isn’t real—Emma is actually an AI chatbot. But as Forbes’ veteran travel reporter Suzanne Rowan Kelleher asks, “The 60,000 euro question is: Will this strategy work? Can a fake woman get travelers to spend real money in Germany?”

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