Global Traveler - September 2021 by PressPad

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September 2021

BOSTON p. 68 COPENHAGEN p.56 GULF SHORES p. 54 KRAKÓW p. 48 MILAN p. 58 PHILADELPHIA p.62 QUÉBEC CITY p.60 ST. LUCIA p. 64 TRANSYLVANIA p. 70

CHANGE OF PACE Slow down and unwind in easy-going Phuket. p. 72

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ®

EDITORIAL Editor In Chief Kimberly Krol Inlander kim.krol@globaltravelerusa.com Vice President/Digital Director Katie Skrzek katie.skrzek@globaltravelerusa.com Senior Editor Janice Hecht jan.hecht@globaltravelerusa.com Associate Editor/Copy Editor Patricia Vanikiotis patty.vanikiotis@globaltravelerusa.com Social Media & Editorial Coordinator Mary Melnick mary.melnick@globaltravelerusa.com Assistant Editor Audrey Lee audrey.lee@globaltravelerusa.com

Philadelphia Fans: Kimberly and Scott showing off their Philly Pride PHOTO: © KIMBERLY KROL INLANDER

Home and Away

henever Philadelphia appears on our editorial calendar, I’m tempted to write the article, as I was born, raised and still live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia. I always waver between crafting the article from a native’s perspective or bringing it to you from the outlook of a traveler to the region. This time I decided to give it a go myself in this month’s Neighborhoods article on page 62. Writing about the Fairmount neighborhood left me a bit nostalgic, as it included one of my favorite childhood spots: the Please Touch Museum. I wasn’t able to find the photo I had in mind, but there’s a picture of me as a pre-teen in overalls delivering a weather report in the museum’s child-sized newsroom. Today I keep that wonder alive by taking my niece and nephew, 5-year-old twins, to the museum — now in a new, bigger building — each year for their birthday. I also had another chance to highlight my hometown with this month’s Spas article, covering the spa facilities at The Rittenhouse, one of Philadelphia’s preeminent hotels, on page 30. I’m typically asked where I’m from when I’m on my travels. Well, I’m either asked, or people assume when they hear my accent. Just ask our freelancer Kristy Alpert, also featured in this issue, who dubbed me “Philly Kim” when we met on a trip to Israel. Surprisingly enough, people are as familiar with Philadelphia

as they are with Bucks County, which is chock-full of its own treasures, nature, fantastic museums and first-class dining and entertainment. It’s even home to the world’s only Sesame Place. I encourage everyone, no matter what big city might be No. 1 on your itinerary, to venture outside the city limits and see what amazing surprises await in the suburbs, as well. Our “Scenic Drives” section of our Stateside articles is a great place to start for inspiration. Given the Philadelphia mindset I was in as we wrapped this issue, I wanted to pick a photo that embodied that spirit. Scott and I are at Eagles training camp, and there’s nothing more “Philly” than rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. Covering Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania has long been an article I’ve been eager to bring you. Find Alpert’s report on Halloween in the Romanian region on page 70. There’s still plenty of time to plan your own spooky Halloween at the castle! We also bring you the second in our two-part series on diversity, equality and inclusion on page 42. Sheryl Nance-Nash takes a closer look at the hotel industry this month. Katie McElveen’s examination of charitable travel on page 38 provides a nice tie-in. We can all use our travel opportunities to spread good in the world. We also travel to Kraków, Gulf Shores, Copenhagen, Milan, Québec City, St. Lucia, Boston, Phuket and Guadalajara in this issue. Join us next month as we take a closer look at aviation in our annual Class Act Guide. Until then, don’t forget to vote in our GT Tested Reader Survey awards by Sept. 30. Find the ballot on page 28 for more information.

ART Art Director Tracey Cullen tracey.cullen@globaltravelerusa.com Staff Photographer Christopher P. Ottaunick christopher@globaltravelerusa.com Special Events Video Editor Vance Piccin

COLUMNISTS Margaret Backenheimer Debra Bokur J.D. Brown Mark Chesnut Jack Guy Kelly Magyarics

WRITERS Kristy Alpert Susan B. Barnes Teresa Bitler Kim Foley MacKinnon Becca Hensley Steve Jermanok Katie McElveen Allie Moore Sheryl Nance-Nash Allison Voigts

For complete bios visit globaltravelerusa.com

CIRCULATION Special Projects Manager John Wroblewski Specialist Louie Atsaves Managers Jayhawk Evans, Mark P. Ford, Teresa Jackson, Anthony “Scraps” Dimera Circulation Director Michele Shannon Circulation Manager Anna Pudzianowski Research Consultant Sharon Sterne ADVISORY BOARD Chairman Michael Donahue COO Michael Kiely President Carlos Cappuccio Deputy Vice President Aviation Edward Jefferson Deputy Vice President Accommodations Stephen Doherty Deputy Director Destinations Wayne Tallman Vice President Special Events/Photography Christopher Ottaunick Secretary Mark Lane Research Director Frank LoVerme Director of Technology Bob Hancock Director of Digital Advancement Jared Torgan Vice President of Corporate Giving Jim Bolger

GENERAL COUNSEL Thomas F. Goldman CONTACT US General Inquiries/Issue Requests/Reprints info@globaltravelerusa.com Subscriptions tel 818 286 3134 | gbtcs@magserv.com Public Relations kim.krol@globaltravelerusa.com Letters to the Editor letters@globaltravelerusa.com

Kimberly Krol Inlander Editor in Chief

As of publication, the destinations and venues mentioned in this issue were planning to reopen or are currently operating, but many may have restrictions or limitations in place to address current public health concerns. Always check in advance to confirm current requirements and restrictions.

Global Traveler is published monthly by FXExpress Publications, Inc., 309 Floral Vale Blvd., Yardley, PA 19067. The U.S. subscription rate is $42 for one year, $79.95 for two years, $121.95 for three years. Postmaster: Please send changes of address to Global Traveler, 309 Floral Vale Blvd., Yardley, PA 19067

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER ® ®

ADVERTISING Publisher/CEO Francis X. Gallagher tel 215 919 8988 | fran.gallagher@globaltravelerusa.com Advertising Manager Haley Fogarty tel 215 932 0284 | haley.fogarty@globaltravelerusa.com Account Executive Western Region and Asia Maria Angeles tel 215 932 1621 | maria.angeles@globaltravelerusa.com Account Executive Southern Region and the Caribbean Carrie Cox tel 215 932 0861 | carrie.cox@globaltravelerusa.com Account Executive Mexico Mariana Zenizo tel 52 55 6560 1152 | marzenizo@gmail.com Production & Advertising Manager Yasser Ogando tel 267 884 1650 | yasser.ogando@globaltravelerusa.com

REPRESENTATIVES

On a Stroll: Francis on a walking tour in Savannah with Bethany (Tours by Locals) and key members of the Globility Board

France Géraldine Roger tel 33 1 88 32 62 61 | cell 33 7 81 22 02 36 | groger@asset-media.com

PHOTO: © FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER

India Vimal Anand tel 91 124 4932020 | cell 91 98100 71000 | vimal@gmnindia.com

Get Up and Go

looked back at my letter from 2016 and, wow, has travel changed in five years. In the letter I recounted trips taken locally and around the globe — travels to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Asia and many other places. I also talked about attending the Global Business Travel Association convention. As so much has changed, I have made no trips outside the United States but have traveled a great deal domestically, and we are planning for a fantastic back-to-travel GBTA convention in Orlando this November. Please make sure you check out the November issue with an exclusive interview with Suzanne Neufang, executive director, GBTA. We just hosted a successful awards event in Washington, D.C., at Kimpton Monaco. The November issue will recap our FXExpress Awards 2021, which cover the winners of the Leisure Lifestyle (GT reader-voted), The Trazees (trazeetravel.com reader-voted) and Wherever (whereverfamily.com reader-voted) awards. Along that vein, this is the last month to vote for the GT Tested Reader Survey awards, which honor your best airline, hotel and destination partners. Please complete the ballot for your favorites before the Sept. 30 deadline. This is the 18th year we present these awards, and we are well into the planning for the GT Tested awards event, to be held in December.

Australia Charlton D'Silva tel 61 2 9252 3476 | charlton.dsilva@pubintl.com.au

Indonesia Sarah Hutabarat tel 62 21 29704008 | sarah@mediaman.co.id

This fall we have a lot going on, with a meeting of our subscriber Globility Board at which travel brands will present ideas in focus-group sessions. It is a wonderful way to get inside the heads of entrepreneur travelers who make their own decisions about which airline to fly and hotel to stay at. Any subscribers interested in joining the board can reach me directly at fran@globaltravelerusa .com to receive an application and take part in the vetting process. We encourage new membership to join the great team we currently have on board. I know many of our board members have traveled like mad. For example, Eric Chiang, who has been to Hawai’i in the last few weeks, is planning his visit to the Dubai Expo in November. Eric lets little time pass before he boards another flight! With fall in full swing, we look forward to more trips, travels and golf — join the fun!

Japan Yoshinori Ikeda tel 81 3 3661 6138 | yoshinori.ikeda@pacific-business.com Korea Jeff Hwang tel 82 31 702 7782 | cell 82 010 6347 9117 | gng@gngcom.co.kr Malaysia Ester Chai tel 60 3 7722 1968 | esther@fitzgerald.com.my Singapore Peggy Thay tel 65 6871 8964 | peggy.thay@pubintl.sg Slovak Republic (Eastern Europe) Zorka Sipkova tel 421 948094611 | zorka.sipkova@pubintl.eu South America and the Caribbean (excluding Peru and Colombia) Ana Torres de Navarra tel 305 205 3303 | ana@colibri-media.com Spain Olga Martínez tel 34 91 320 0497 | cell 34 669 10 12 73 olga.martinez@aboutim.es Taiwan Keith Lee tel 886 2 2523 8268 | leekh@ms4.hinet.net Thailand Janya Limmanee tel 66 2 0514694 | janya.l@jpp-thailand.com Turkey Elif Mengu cell 90 532 255 83 24 | elif@catalyzismedia.com United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rosy Kachouh Nawfal cell 971 55 607 8163 | rosy@i-repme.com

Francis X. Gallagher Publisher and CEO fran.gallagher@globaltravelerusa.com

United Kingdom Stefanie Stroh-Begg cell 44 0 7798 665 395 | stefanie@mercury-publicity.com CORPORATE OFFICE 309 Floral Vale Blvd., Yardley, PA 19067 info@globaltravelerusa.com

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NEWARK,

WELCOME ON BOARD Fly to new destinations safely with Turkish Airlines.

ISTANBUL

48 on the cover globaltravelerusa.com | $4.99

September 2021

features 38

BOSTON p. 68 COPENHAGEN p.56 GULF SHORES p. 54 KRAKÓW p. 48 MILAN p. 58 PHILADELPHIA p.62 QUÉBEC CITY p.60 ST. LUCIA p. 64 TRANSYLVANIA p. 70

CHANGE OF PACE Slow down and unwind in easy-going Phuket. p. 72

Giving Back Charitable travel makes a positive impact on destinations and communities.

Room to Improve Hotels take steps to prioritize diversity in the industry.

COVER PHOTO: BIG BUDDHA PHUKET PHOTO: © NARONG NIEMHOM | DREAMSTIME.COM

globaltravelerusa.com SEPTEMBER 2021

business destinations 48

Destination One: Kraków Kraków hums with industry, culture and youthful energy.

Stateside: Gulf Shores Gulf Shores invests in its greatest asset: the environment.

MICE: Copenhagen Host a fabled business event in wonderful Copenhagen.

9–5: Milan Count on Milan’s sense of style to impress clients and colleagues.

After 5: Québec City The old city shines with lively French-Canadian culture.

PHOTO: © SURIEL RAMIREZ ZALDIVAR | DREAMSTIME.COM

September 2021

CONTENTS

W E LC O M E

H O M E

Experience the newly redesigned rooms, suites and villas complemented by residential comfort, contemporary furnishings and legendary Peninsula service.

9 8 8 2 S O U T H S A N TA M O N I C A B O U L E VA R D, B E V E R LY H I L L S , C A 9 0 212 , U S A

T E L : + 1 310 5 51 2 8 8 8

E-MAIL: PBH@PENINSULA.COM

H O N G KO N G • S H A N G H A I • B E I J I N G • TO K YO • N E W YO R K • C H I C A G O • B E V E R LY H I L L S • PA R I S • B A N G KO K • M A N I L A Under Development LO N D O N • I S TA N B U L • YA N G O N • peninsula.com

September 2021

CONTENTS 70

in every issue 10 14 16 20 22 23 26 27 30 32 34 36 76 78 80 82

Mail Call News Reviews One on One: AlUla One on One: Air Canada Technology Wine & Spirits

Wealth Spas Golf Chefs Cruising LGBTQ+ Airport Update Medical Tourism Preview

leisure destinations 62

Neighborhoods: Philadelphia Philadelphia’s Fairmount boasts impressive collections and a friendly vibe.

Friends & Family: St. Lucia Escape to the lush tropical wonders of St. Lucia.

Tours: Boston

Bucket List: Transylvania

Take a haunting tour of legendary Bran Castle … if you dare.

Kicking Back: Phuket

Slow down and unwind in easy-going Phuket.

EXPRESS

P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C .

Global Traveler and Globility are registered trademarks of Global Traveler magazine and of its parent company, FXExpress Publications, Inc. Global Traveler is not affiliated with any commercial interests within the travel industry. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor can the publisher accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The magazine cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited articles, photographs or other material. AAM member 04-0361-2. AAM audited circulation 111,517. ISSN 1551-7187 © 2021 FXExpress Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of text, photographs or illustrations without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

globaltravelerusa.com SEPTEMBER 2021

American history comes to life along Boston’s Freedom Trail.

MAIL CALL

Q&A WITH CARRIE COX, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, SOUTHERN REGION AND THE CARIBBEAN Cruising has always been one of my favorite ways to travel, but early stories of COVID outbreaks on cruise ships altered many people’s perceptions of cruising in the future. Are cruises still part of your travel plans? When do you intend to set sail? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com

Q&A TIME In our August 2021 issue, we asked: Pandemic aside, what do you think is the most underrated vacation destination and why? A few readers wrote in: Funnily enough, my answer to this question was a destination covered in your August issue! Lāna’i, Hawai’i, is far too often overlooked for travelers to Hawai’i, in my opinion. Everyone flocks to mainstays, and they are missing a true gem in Lāna’i. I also think people don’t give Kauai the recognition it deserves as somewhere to visit in the Aloha State.

I have three European destinations I’d add to this list: Georgia, which has reinvigorated itself and is a must for hiking and cuisine; Romania, which falls off the radar to other up-and-coming Eastern European hot spots; and Montenegro, which is just as showstopping as Croatia, without the crowds. MOLLY MCCANN, VIA EMAIL I think when all the borders reopen, every worldwide destination is going to feel like it’s undiscovered, new and underrated — discover them now if you can, before the crowds return! GUS TRAVERS, VIA EMAIL

MUSINGS ON TRAVEL TO GREECE We’ve begun traveling again and just returned from three weeks in Greece. Our round-trip international flights from Chicago to Athens were on American Airlines. Although seated in economy on a Boeing

globaltravelerusa.com SEPTEMBER 2021

Dreamliner, it was surprisingly comfortable. Just try getting upgraded or obtaining a business-class seat on international flights unless you plan months in advance. In-flight services were plentiful, courteous, and flights were on time! Entering Greece was simple: Although fully vaccinated, we were randomly selected for COVID testing, but that process was efficient and only a 15-minute inconvenience before we were on our way to Grand Hyatt Athens. The hotel is wonderful with the rooftop restaurant and pool (they have three!) boasting a spectacular view of the Acropolis. The hotel itself is a short walk to Plaka, Syntagma Square, museums and the Acropolis. After two days of acclimation, we headed to Piraeus for an overnight stay at Piraeus Port Hotel. It’s a simple but well-run hotel that’s a quick 10-minute walk to the ferry docks. But first we had a spectacular meal at Varoulko, a Michelin-rated restaurant. Then a ferry ride to Paros for two days to acclimate to the sun and climate. It’s said Paros is becoming the new Mykonos, but more affordable. It’s chocka-bloc with typical Greek tourist shops, and the draw

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? THOUGHTS ON A RECENT GT ARTICLE? Email: letters@globaltravelerusa.com Write: Letters to the Editor 309 Floral Vale Blvd. Yardley, PA 19067 Letters must be written exclusively to Global Traveler and must include your full name, mailing address and contact phone number. Letters become the property of Global Traveler. We cannot respond to every letter. Global Traveler reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in Mail Call are not necessarily those of Global Traveler, and Global Traveler cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.

DUNCAN PRINCE, VIA EMAIL

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