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If forgoing travel has you a little stressed, you’re not alone. According to the 2020 Amex Trendex, a trend report from American Express, people miss travel so much that it’s taking an emotional toll and affecting their well-being. On Thursday, American Express released its poll results after surveying 2,000 people nationwide that are considered “general population travelers” with a household income of $70,000 a year or more. The survey found that nearly half (48 percent) of respondents felt that not being able to travel makes them feel “anxious and stressed....

Though many schools may be closed due to the spread of coronavirus, academic learning must go on. This means children taking to the web for distance lessons, as well as parents stepping in as part-time teachers. But, one person is hoping to give parents and online teachers a brief reprieve as she takes over with storytime. And that person is former first lady Michelle Obama. On Friday, Obama took to Twitter to announce her new partnership with PBS Kids and Penguin Random House to host a weekly read-along series called, “Mondays with Michelle Obama....

The Lotte New York Palace is already well-known as a luxurious New York City hotel that provides every amenity a guest could ever need. However, thanks to its new partnership with Hästens, the hotel is now giving guests amenities they never even dreamed of. That includes a night on a $200,000 mattress. In November, the hotel unveiled its Ultimate Sleep Suite, featuring the Vividus king bed by Hästens, which retails for $200,000....

For the first time in 73 years, there will be a distinct lack of gemütlichkeit — the feeling of cozy cheeriness — in Franconia’s largest city this Christmas season. With records dating back to 1628, the famed Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets. For the four weeks of Advent, the city’s main market square is transformed into a village of wooden stalls adorned with red-and-white striped cloths, each one housing dozens of vendors offering unique handicrafts and something-for-everyone gifts....

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be. All five of the resort hotels in the Iberian Peninsula that T+L readers chose as their favorites share something in common: They embrace the ravishing landscapes in which they’re located....

In 2007, Sir Richard Branson was made a Maasai Elder. The entrepreneur, traveler, and knight was bestowed the honor for “bringing prosperity to the land” through his new venture Mahali Mzuri, a luxury safari camp located in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya. Now, nearly a decade and a half later, the camp is a must-visit destination for world travelers. Need proof? It was voted best hotel overall worldwide in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2021....

Passport applications are currently taking up to 18 weeks to process and the State Department says it “will take time” before that long waiting period eases. The State Department currently has an application backlog of between 1 and a half million to 2 million applications, which is “somewhat higher” than normal, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Rachel Arndt told reporters in a news briefing last week. “We as a department continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19 while we work to meet passport demand as U....

You can now experience the coldest hotel on Earth in a whole new way. Each year, as the waters of the Torne River freeze over, Icehotel in Sweden creates a new seasonal hotel concept. While there is a permanent part of the hotel that lets guests experience an icy stay all year round, the winter editions of this hotel are always extraordinarily stunning. Asaf Kliger/ICEHOTEL And 2020 is no different. This year, Icehotel is debuting 12 interactive art suites for the winter, in addition to six art suites for the year-round section of the hotel, according to Designboom....

A great hotel offers more than merely a place to rest your head and stow your stuff between sightseeing excursions. A truly standout property can offer new insight into a beloved place; bring fresh energy to a been-there, done-that neighborhood; even become a destination in its own right. That’s why we here at T+L spend months obsessively tracking new openings and major overhauls, consulting our trusted network of travel pros and jetsetting writers, and traversing the globe in search of the most memorable, game-changing hotels of the year for our annual It List....

There are plenty of ways to enjoy your morning cup of coffee at home, from breaking out your espresso machine to mixing up a mug of instant coffee in a pinch. (Plus, there’s always your favorite neighborhood coffee shop). If you’re a fan of pour-over coffee, a technique in which water is steadily poured over a filter cone filled with ground coffee, you might want to add your own pour-over dripper set to your kitchen....

The real-life bridge that was a major contribution to the iconic “Winnie the Pooh” sold at auction this week for more than $178,000. The winner of the auction, Lord De La Warr who owns Buckhurst Park in England, said that “It will take pride of place on the estate,” according to the BBC. The bridge became synonymous with the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ books as author A.A. Milne often played with his son, Christopher Robin, at the foot of the structure in Sussex, England in the 1920s....

Airbnb is no longer limiting its vacation rentals to the ground. The famous Goodyear Blimp will become a temporary Airbnb rental for whoever’s lucky enough to nab a reservation when it goes live on Oct. 15. One-night stays in the blimp will be available for the evenings of Oct. 22, 23 and 24. The blimp will be stationed in a hangar in Mogadore, Ohio before it lifts off to Ann Arbor, Michigan to provide overhead coverage of the much-anticipated football game between Michigan and Notre Dame....

From umbrella-dotted beaches to idyllic, bluff-hugging towns, there are plenty of reasons why the Amalfi Coast has become a beloved vacation spot. One of the area’s most popular destinations is Positano, thanks to its numerous dining options and captivating kaleidoscope of colorful buildings. And while you’re out shopping for local goods, like beautifully painted ceramics to bring back home, there’s now one more item to add to your list: sunglasses....

If you’ve been waiting to book a mind-blowing, post-vaccine trip, add this one to your wish list: A new itinerary from the pioneering company Wilderness Safaris that aims to support elephant research in Botswana while putting travelers up close with the remarkable animals and the scientists studying them. Courtesy of Wilderness Safaris The six-night trip will visit three of the top safari camps in Botswana while letting guests interact with elephant researchers, in addition to going on more traditional game drives and other bush experiences....

Many major cities around the world are on lockdown due to the coronavirus, and millions of people are now finding out what it means to socially distance themselves or — in my case — self-quarantine. I went to Thailand and Malaysia in mid-February, and flew home via Tokyo, so I have been self-quarantining for almost two weeks now — and trust me when I say, it’s not easy. But it is doable (think of it like an enforced staycation with a lot of rules)....

As travelers are gradually starting to plan future trips, Tripadvisor has launched a new feature that will filter hotels, restaurants, and businesses by their health and safety standards. “If we want to get the world traveling again, the safety needs of consumers must be appreciated and recognized as the biggest hurdle to closing the confidence gap created by this pandemic,” Tripadvisor’s chief experience and brand officer, Lindsay Nelson, said in a press release Wednesday....

United Airlines has launched a new digital platform allowing passengers to review all the information they may need for upcoming travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled “Travel Ready Center,” — unveiled on Monday — travelers can upload any testing or vaccination records necessary for an upcoming trip and find local testing centers. The feature is accessible on both the United app and website via the “My Trips” section. “While pre-travel testing and documentation are key to safely reopening global travel, we know it can be confusing for customers when they’re preparing for a flight,” Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer, United said in a press release....

Since Virgin Hotels opened its first location in Chicago in 2015, it has made its way into four other U.S. cities: Dallas, Las Vegas, Nashville, and New Orleans. But this summer, the brand will hop the Atlantic Ocean, making its European debut with a pair of Scottish properties in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will debut first in the capital city’s Old Town area close to The Royal Mile on Jun....

SHHH. They can hear you. They’re listening as we speak—logging every word, tracing every step. Even tonight, while you sleep under your hotel-monogrammed duvet, rest assured that 20 stories below, in some undisclosed location, researchers are hard at work documenting your whims and wishes—Loves biking! Hates bananas!—trying to crack the profound mystery that is You. How much do they know? They want to know everything: your relationship status, your income, your allergies, your preferred brand of toothpaste, how you like your eggs—all those sundry habits, peeves, and predilections, even the ones you didn’t know you had....

Southwest Airlines can’t stand the thought of you not traveling this spring — so the airline is extending its spring sale just for you. The airline, which has become rather well known for hosting sales every few weeks, has decided to extend its sale pricing for spring travel across the country and even has a few international tickets in there as well. However, like all of its sales, this one comes with some fine print too....