Discover America’s
T PAREE THR
Big City Buzz
Urban alternatives options for repeat visitors
Hot hotels
properties with the wow factor
City highs top tour tips for the best views
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Welcome... Welcome to the third in our series of special supplements designed to inspire and give you the information you need to sell the USA with confidence. This supplement focuses on the incredible cities and the variety of urban experiences
Front cover picture: 4 corners images
on offer across the United States.
This Discover America
Bright lights and big cities – the U.S. is home
supplement is published by Travel Weekly Group, Third Floor, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU. Tel: 020 7881 4897
to big city buzz, shopping, iconic architecture,
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Broadway shows, and there’s nowhere in the world better for a spot of people watching – it’s the place to see and be seen. The USA is the birthplace of iconic cities, such as
Contents
Supplements editor Joanna Booth Art editor/production editor Flora Ioannou
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Designer Lee Duskwick Subeditors Mike Walsh Stephanie Krahn Robin Searle Editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley Head of sales Mary Rega Senior account manager Production assistant Nick Cripps Managing director Stuart Parish Printed by Wyndeham Heron ©
New York and the capital Washington, D.C. – each a brimming metropolis whose name alone conjures different notions of culture, cuisine and entertainment.
NEWS
Yet there’s so much more on offer, so if you
Chicago plans exciting new developments – Cities go
want to find out more about the amazing cities
gourmet with new culinary tours – New York sets sights
of the USA and beyond, we have just the training
high with new wheel – plus San Francisco and Palm Springs
programme for you. Brand USA, UK & Ireland, has recently launched
Managing editor
Lisa Roberts
Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, Boston,
6 ANAHEIM The first Disney park opened in 1955 and forms part of Disneyland Resort with Disney’s California Adventure Park
10 PORTLAND The city calls itself the bicycle capital of the world and a tour on two wheels proves it’s best to hire a local to help hunt out hot spots
14 CHICAGO The Windy City is home to some of the world’s funkiest hotels and Virgin will open its first hotel here next year
16 CHARLESTON Our agent was won over by the town’s southern hospitality, architecture and relaxing atmosphere
Travel Weekly Group 2013
PICTURES: ABOVE, FROM LEFT: New York’s big wheel; nashville is the home of country music; north Portland bike works; The Delano hotel, miami
Discover America - Big City Buzz
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the USA Discovery Program – an agent training ALTERNATIVE CITIES Take inspiration from across the U.S. states for shopping, live entertainment, family fun, architecture and history
tool designed especially for you. We hope the USA Discovery Program will encourage you to find out more about the experiences available in the U.S., so you can speak to your clients with the knowledge you need to
TASTE FOR TOURS Follow local guides to find the best tours for active
sell more. Look out for the next supplement on Culture
clients, big spenders, culture lovers and party animals
and Heritage in the U.S., out next month.
HOT HOTELS
GERRY BOYLE
Funky, foodie, hotels with a view or a bit of history,
Travel trade account director
there’s sure to be a hotel to suit your clients in the USA
Brand USA, UK & Ireland
Thank you and keep selling the USA!
AGENT expert STA Travel’s Emily Taylor tells how she fell in love
Discover this land like never before
with the USA on a family holiday to New York
with DiscoverAmerica.com
Discover America - Big City Buzz
news 5
4 news
Shop, stay and play with new malls, hotels and experiences
San Francisco sees major projects
NEWS IN BRIEF
Chicago developments will be a treat for visitors
A new cruise terminal is slated to be completed in San Francisco
Three new hotels open in Greater Palm Springs
by autumn 2014. The Port of San
Greater Palm Springs welcomes
Shopaholics flying out of Chicago
Francisco will renovate 10-acre Pier
three new hotels this autumn.
O’Hare airport can keep browsing until
27 to form a cruise terminal and
The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage
the last minute with a new concierge
two-acre public plaza, to replace the
overlooks the city and will offer
service at Fashion Outlets of Chicago.
existing terminal at Pier 35, which
luxury spa, tennis and golf facilities.
lacks the length and passenger
Hotel Zoso will reopen as a 163-room
The 130-store mall, minutes from the airport and 15 miles from downtown
capacity needed for an international
Chicago, opened last month. Its
cruise terminal. Next year will also see construction
concierge service, operated by TSAcertified Bags Inc, is the first of its
begin on major developments plans
kind and allows shoppers to check in
for Treasure Island. The manmade
luggage and print boarding passes at
island will be situated between
the shopping centre.
‹ Eyes up: Skyscraper Segway Tour
It is projected to be the most
Do Something Different has expanded its Chicago portfolio with bike and Segway tours, including the Obamathemed Presidential Bike Tour (£26) and a Skyscraper Segway tour (£45). Nearly 300 Disney props, costumes, artworks and artefacts will be displayed from October 16 at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The Treasures of Walt Disney Archives celebrates Chicago native Walt Disney. New hotels are on the horizon. The 52-storey, 316-room Langham Hotel Chicago opened in July, and
New York aims high with recordbreaking wheel
construction began in May for Virgin Hotel Chicago, Richard Branson’s new venture. The hotel is expected to open late this year or in early 2014. Next year will also see the doors open on Soho House Chicago, a private members’ club and hotel with a pool, rooftop bar and three restaurants. Loews Chicago Hotel is due to open in 2015. High-speed public Wi-Fi is now free at five of Chicago’s beaches, and at Millennium Park.
New York is set to welcome a range of
environmentally sustainable large-
Cities go gourmet with new culinary tours and eateries Tours offer visitors a taste of American life
High-rise Marriott will be brand’s tallest hotel The tallest Marriott hotel in the world will open in November on Broadway
jambalaya and gumbo to po’ boys and
in New York. The 68-storey glass
rooms, 8,000 residential units, a
cuisine on offer in cities in the USA.
even alligator cheesecake. The tour,
tower of Central Park Marriott will
400-slip marina, restaurants, retail
Attraction World has three
and entertainment venues, plus
new tours with a culinary
300 acres of parks clustered
bent. Pizza and Little
around a new ferry terminal.
Italy, (£32), visits three
Aer Lingus will resume a service
which starts from £475 excluding flights, includes a gourmet food trail through the French Quarter, tastings
Boston pizza joints
at a farmers’ market, and
to San Francisco next spring after a
to sample slices.
a Creole cooking class.
four-year break, flying five times a
Tenements, Tales and
week from Dublin from April 2.
Tastes (£28) savours the flavours and sights
The third and final section of
The Las Vegas dining scene is developing with new restaurant openings.
of Chinatown and Little
Diners with a head for
Italy in New York. In San
heights should book a table at
while learning about local history and
food at tables suspended 180 feet in
architecture.
the air. Kumi, a Japanese restaurant,
Do Something Different has two new
has opened at Mandalay Bay, and in the
the building to its full height of 1,776ft
food-focused bicycle tours of Chicago.
developing Downtown district, Vegas
– a reference to the 1776 Declaration
Bikes, Blues and BBQ (£45) focuses
StrEATs is a street food festival held
wheel will stand 625ft tall
of Independence. New York will be
on the city’s famous sights and best
every second Saturday.
– 84ft higher than current
one of the first cities to welcome
eateries, and Sweet Home Chicago
record holder the Singapore
British Airways’ Dreamliners. The
(£39) visits the city’s chocolate and
returns for its eighth year, running
Flyer. It is slated to open
aircraft will start on the Heathrow-
sweet outlets.
throughout September. More than 60
Intrepid Travel’s new four-day New Orleans Bite-Size Break focuses on
Discover America – Big City Buzz
New museums honour country singers’ lives Country music fans have two new museums to visit. The Johnny Cash Museum has opened in downtown Nashville, and, in Winchester, Virginia, the Patsy Kline Historic House is the spent her teenage years.
Manhattan, is due to open next year.
Newark route on October 1.
park, the Hudson and the city.
three-room home where the star
Strip, 22 guests will be served gourmet
Trade Center is in position, bringing
Residence Inn, giving views over the
Dinner in the Sky Las Vegas, opening at
will visit street food stalls and pubs
The spire on top of One World
house a Courtyard by Marriott and a
Francisco, guests on Embarcadero,
on a disused elevated rail line in
at the end of 2015.
Sparrows Hotel, a 19-room boutique.
showcasing the authentic American
the world’s largest observation wheel.
and hotels. The 36-capsule
under renovation and will reopen as
There will be 500 new hotel
the end of the year. Situated just off the
alongside a new retail complex
The former El Rancho Lodge is
the Big Easy’s soul food cuisine, from
Ferry Buildings and Fortunes (£28)
the world’s largest Ferris wheel built
signature features and theming.
New food-focused tours are
The High Line, the park situated
Staten Island’s waterfront will be
Hard Rock Hotel with the brand’s
development project in U.S. history.
skyscraping developments, including
transformed by a project that will see
Staten Island: World’s largest observation wheel is planned
San Francisco and Oakland Bay.
‹ Slice of life: Attraction World offers a tour of Little Italy in Boston
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month
restaurants offer $33, three-course dinners as part of the promotion.
Kids suites promise Despicable Me time Despicable Me-themed kids suites will be available for stays starting October 1 at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. The two-room suites come complete with missile beds, Minion-inspired bedding and Minions who abseil from the ceiling.
6 alternative cities
alternative cities 7 › Philadelphia: Shoes and clothing are tax-free in the city
Multiple choice
Mile is a stretch of boutiques, department stores, shopping centres and much more. Meanwhile, the Mall of America outside Minneapolis offers just about everything money can buy. Advise clients to bring an extra suitcase – they’ll need it! A drive south, Indianapolis offers
picture: J Fusco for GPTMC
far more than fast cars and NFL Colts.
There’s more to urban USA than New York and Las Vegas. Paul Blaney suggests alternative city hotspots for repeat visitors
The city has a huge range of shopping opportunities, from downtown malls and distinctive shopping districts to quirky antique and speciality shops. Utah probably isn’t the first state that springs to mind when you think
T
he typical visitor to the USA is smart and savvy. Many have been across the pond before and know what they
want from their holiday, whether it’s shopping, entertainment or family fun. What they may not have considered, however, is that New York City isn’t the only place to shop, or Orlando the sole site for theme parks. With a view to piquing client interest, here’s a range of alternative American cities – destinations with experiences equally exciting but just that little bit different.
1. Shopping
of shopping, but Salt Lake City’s malls and precincts offer some of the best bargains in the west. Clients might combine winter ski slope action with some downtown retail therapy.
2. Live entertainment Think of shows, or showgirls, and Las Vegas naturally springs to mind, with its glittering spectaculars and Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas. On the other hand, the Volunteer State of Tennessee also knows how to stage a good time. Nashville is the heart of the country music industry and home to the nightly Grand Ole Opry performance, as well as a range of live music venues, not just country.
›
With its chic boutiques and signature department stores, New York’s Fifth Avenue feels like the centre of the shopping world. Then again, the mighty malls of New Jersey start just across the Hudson River, while nearby Philadelphia is a magnet for up-andcoming designers and is tax-free for are also tax-free, which is good to know if you’re buying big). Philly’s famous South Street is a bastion of PICTURE: ISTOCK
independent boutiques, as well as
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Discover America – Big City Buzz
galleries and restaurants. Over in the Midwest, Chicago’s shopping scene is throbbing and stylish. The Windy City’s Magnificent
› Salt Lake City: Skiers can slope off to bag bargains in the shops
picture: DOUGLAS PULSIPHER
clothing (other states, including Texas,
alternative cities 9
8 alternative cities child-centric contemporary art
has a spectacular location, great
nearby Kings Island water and theme
architecture and museums, including
parks. The locally manufactured
one dedicated to Andy Warhol. It’s
Graeter’s ice cream is delicious.
also an ideal base from which to visit
Another destination often
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and
overlooked is the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. The
Kentuck Knob properties.
island’s capital, San Juan, boasts
5. History
superb beaches, colonial architecture,
Washington, D.C., has more museums
museums, forts and castles. And there
(including Air & Space), monuments
are great opportunities nearby for
(Arlington Cemetery) and memorials
ecotourism in Puerto Rico’s tropical
(Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam War)
forests and marine preserves.
per square mile than any other city in
4. Sites and architecture
Picture: Kenny Braun
› Austin: The Texan city has a thriving theatre and music scene
The Pennsylvanian city of Pittsburgh
museum, its state-of-the-art zoo, and
the USA. Beyond the capital, the country has
From the mansions of Beverly Hills
scores of fascinating heritage sites.
and the sidewalks of Rodeo Drive to
A short drive from Washington, D.C.,
the movie studios of Paramount, Sony
lies Richmond, Virginia, the capital
and Warner Brothers, Los Angeles has
of the Confederacy. It’s a vibrant city
a host of iconic sites.
with 400 years of history. Highlights
A lively alternative to Los Angeles,
include the American Civil War Center
however, and far closer for British
and the Edgar Allen Poe Museum.
visitors, is Florida’s funky South Beach
The city also makes an ideal base for
district. The distinctive art deco
exploring key Civil War battlefields.
Further south, on the Mississippi River,
3. Family fun
Memphis is the traditional home of
With Disney, Universal Studios,
mansions here make up the world’s
blues, a fact reflected in the many
the nearby Space Coast and now
largest concentration of 1920s and
the city of Charleston, South Carolina,
swinging clubs around Beale Street.
Harry Potter, the central Florida city
1930s architecture. Add in the beach,
is justly celebrated for its rich history,
And, of course, music lovers won’t
of Orlando sits proudly atop the
restaurants, nightlife and some fine
well-preserved architecture and fine
want to miss Graceland, former home
family‑fun totem pole.
celebrity-spotting, and South Beach
dining. This is a wonderful city for
makes a major appeal.
strolling and exploring.
and now spectacular memorial to Elvis Presley.
Don’t forget, however, there’s also a Disney on the West Coast.
Elegant reminders of antebellum
Farther south on the Atlantic shore,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an
Still further down river, on the
Disneyland Park, in Anaheim,
(pre-Civil War) America can be
atmospheric Spanish-American
Gulf of Mexico, the grand old city of
California, was built under the
explored all over the southeastern
heritage city. The Santa Fe Plaza, a
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz,
direct supervision of Walt Disney.
states but especially in and around
traditional central square, is a magnet
not to mention zydeco, a blend of
Attractions including Adventureland,
New Orleans and Nashville. The
for those interested in Spanish, Mexican
Cajun music with blues and rhythm
Main Street USA, Frontierland and
latter offers tours of plantations and
and Native American cultures. It’s a
and blues. The clubs of New Orleans’
Tomorrowland, together with live
antebellum houses, including the 1845
site of living history, with abundant
French Quarter are typically hopping
entertainment, drew more than
Greek Revival Belle Meade mansion.
music, dance, jewellery and artworks.
till the early hours with live acts.
16 million visitors in 2011.
Among dozens of stately mansions
Santa Fe’s adobe Palace of the
that can be visited from New Orleans
Governors is the oldest continuously
are Laura, Houmas and Oak Alley.
occupied public building in the USA.
Also on the list of fun-filled cities
know it, but the state of Texas ranks
is San Francisco. In addition to its
second to New York and Broadway
parks and beaches, the Bay City has
in terms of number of theatre shows.
dozens of child-friendly museums and
The lively little city of Austin has a
attractions. A short drive across the
huge reputation for live music of all
Golden Gate Bridge brings you into
stripes.
giant redwood territory. And when it
Last but not least, back up north, Chicago has a well-earned reputation both for its jazz clubs and for its theatre scene.
Picture: richmond region tourism
Not many people in Britain may
› Miami: South Beach is a mecca for art deco fans
comes to getting around town, who doesn’t love a streetcar? Cincinnati, on the Ohio River, deserves a mention for its downtown,
› Richmond: Visitors to the Virginia capital can re-enact historic scenes
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Less well-known in the UK are
Last but not least, Boston is
the mansions of Newport, Rhode
teeming with history and is especially
Island, the tiny state on the Atlantic
rich in reminders of the Revolutionary
seaboard south of Boston. Built at the
War. The city’s Freedom Trail is a
end of the 19th century for Cornelius
historical walking tour that links key
Vanderbilt, The Breakers is the Ocean
city centre sites. And just across the
State’s crown jewel. Other deluxe
Charles River lies Harvard University,
mansions that demand a visit are The
America’s oldest and probably
Elms, Marble House and Rough Point.
grandest institute of learning.
10 taste for tours
taste for tours 11
Get a
‹ Pedal power: En route to the next coffee stop › Ace Hotel:
There’s nothing better than exploring a new city with a local. Will Hide gets on his bike in Portland, Oregon, and recommends other amazing tours across the USA
I
On your bike Portland likes to do things a bit differently to the rest of the USA. If you could imagine the hippest parts of London, Brighton, Manchester or Glasgow – funky pubs, organic farm-to-fork restaurants, one-off vintage dress shops, cafe bars with poetry evenings, men wearing plaid shirts, beanie hats and year-round Movember moustaches,
tattoo parlours for your gran, therapists for your cat, and where pickling is a way of life – and made them into a city, well Portland would be it. It’s a place that proudly and justifiably declares itself the bicycle capital of the USA – there are more than 300 miles of bikeways and nearly 100 dedicated bike parks – and its population of 600,000 loves to hang out in its plethora of independent coffee shops (seriously, you can’t walk down the street without tripping over a barista) so it seemed fitting I should combine caffeine with cycling with Pedal Bike Tours. Founder and chief guide Todd Roll can tailor-make any tour to suit tastes and time, giving you a deeper insight into the neighbourhoods and inhabitants, so after leaving the screamingly-trendy Ace Hotel (which is also home to one of the city’s best-known java joints, Stumptown Coffee) we ambled along dedicated bike lanes and over
Discover America – Big City Buzz
the Willamette River, avoiding hills to stop in several local roasteries and coffee shops, including Three Friends and Coava, with its cool, minimalist ‘brew bar’ on Southeast Grand Avenue in the Industrial District. It wasn’t long before I was switching to decaf and taking things easy as Todd guided me along shopping streets and all-American districts with clapboard houses, leafy gardens and rocking chairs on the porch. On the basis that man cannot live by hot beverages alone, we decided to expand my range of food groups by cycling back over the river to West Burnside Street, home to Voodoo Doughnut, something of a sugary, deep-fried legend locally. Of all its flavours, the most well-known is Bacon Maple, which does exactly what it says on the tin, but if that salty-sweet combo isn’t for you, how about a Memphis Mafia – banana chunks and cinnamon covered
Discover America – Big City Buzz
› Minimalist: Coava roasts its own coffee
Picture: travelportland.com
Picture: TORSTEN KJELLSTRAND travelportland.com
tours
Picture: Jeremy T Pelley
An animal theme is carried through many of the rooms in this trendy boutique hotel
taste for t’s great fun to explore a new city at your own pace, but do you ever feel you’re missing out? It’s your first day, and you’ve left the hotel raring to go, but where are the cool cafes, small independent boutiques and vibey bars your friends told you about? No one knows a city like a local, which is why guided tours can really add value to a holiday, getting you under the skin of the place on day one, and nowhere is this more more true than in the USA.
Picture: travelportland.com
Picture: travelportland.com
‹ Rack them up: Portland proudly calls itself the bicycle capital of the USA
in glaze with chocolate frosting, peanut butter, peanuts and choc chips? Calories be damned. With all that pedalling I’d have thighs like Sir Chris Hoy in no time, I thought, as I polished off another. We had one final pedal to the Pearl District. It’s an area that used to be filled with railway yards and warehouses, but has been spectacularly regenerated and is anchored by Powell’s, a huge bookstore, occupying an entire city block that you could spend all day in. Between its coffee shops, breweries, cafes, restaurants and pubs, Portland is perhaps one of the few cities where you put on weight during exercise, but the locals round here like to do things the unconventional way. bikeportland.org pedalbiketours.com acehotel.com/portland
›
12 taste for tours
taste for tours 13
Take a trip, swim, flight, city tour and party cruise
There will be a tour or experience to suit all your clients and give them bragging rights when they return home. Here’s how to get the most out of the USA’s urban hotspots Saying you’ve escaped from Alcatraz in San Francisco is the thing of pubtelling legend, but truth be told, with a tide chart, a back-up boat and a wetsuit, it’s far from impossible to front crawl the mile or so from the former prison to the shore if you’re a moderate-plus swimmer. Gary Emich (lanelinestoshorelines. com) has done it more than a thousand times and can organise it for visitors too. Costs depend on numbers, but budget for a few hundred dollars per person if there are three or four of you. In Boston, biking is a good way for clients to orientate themselves and Urban Adventours (urbanadventours. com) offers daily history-themed rides so visitors can find out about the
cradle of the American Revolution. There’s a night cycle too, which is two hours long and covers up to seven miles (from $35). Over in Chicago, you can cover downtown on a Segway – there’s lots of open space to practise on near Millennium Park and Segways are a lot easier to get the hang of than you might think (chicagosegwaytours. com). Alternatively, the city is perfect for runners, or you can explore by kayak on the river.
Only the best For clients with deep pockets, U.S. cities offer a wealth of opportunities. Las Vegas is a magnet for high-rollers, so it’s unsurprising that there are plenty of top-end experiences.
A helicopter over the city and out to the Grand Canyon is a must for many visitors, but how about taking a seven-hour Grand Voyager trip which includes a flight from Vegas, a helicopter over and down into the Grand Canyon, then a boat ride along the Colorado River (scenic.com). If clients get the taste for being up in the air after that, then send them out to Sky Combat Ace (skycombatace.com), where they get to take control of a real aircraft and loop-the-loop to their heart’s content. If your customers’ idea of luxury is a money-no-object week of partying, then High Roller Suites (hrsvegas. com) promises to get clients into the hottest Vegas clubs or pool parties with no-wait entry and reserved VIP
Culture lovers New York, in particular Brooklyn, has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and it’s fascinating to see the strictly religious Orthodox community of Crown Heights in such close proximity to the bar-hopping hipsters of Williamsburg. Such a tight-knit group doesn’t take kindly to outsiders poking their noses in, so a tour is essential. Clients should try one led by Rabbi Beryl Epstein (jewishtours.com). On the other side of the country in Palm Springs, the holiday retreat for
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Get active
‘bottle service’ tables. Prices are on application, but if you have to ask… Finally, if the idea of visiting multiple cities without the hassle of overland travel floats their boat, then Mauiva AirCruise offers East and West Coast itineraries with flights between cities including LA, San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C. on a private jet (mauivaaircruise.com).
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Discover America – Big City Buzz
the likes of Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen, clients can take a personal tour with architectural historian Robert Imber around the mid-century modern houses that make this California city unique (palmspringsmoderntours. com). Don’t forget to check out where Elvis honeymooned in 1967. Further north in San Francisco, customers can hop on a Magic Bus and head back to the Summer of Love with a tour of famous districts such as Haight-Ashbury, and also learn about the Beatniks and explore Chinatown, from where eastern philosophy became part of U.S. culture (magicbussf.com). The tour shows archive video footage on screens, which then physically roll back to show you famous places as they are today right in front of you – and an incredible soundtrack is a given!
Party on As part of its longer tours, Trek America offers a Stars and Bars evening package in LA (trekamerica.co.uk)
with a guided tour around some of the city’s more infamous watering holes where the great and the not-so good have embarrassed themselves in front of the waiting paparazzi. Similarly in New York, TMZ (tmz. com/tour/nyc) offers to take clients to “where stars drink…and then drink some more” as well as to the areas where celebs live. If clients would rather party while taking in views of the Big Apple, then Circle Line Sightseeing (circleline42. com) has introduced Thirsty Thursday DJ Dance Cruises. Guests can boogie away with the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop and sip cocktails on deck. If clients want to get their inner Patsy, Hank or Tammy on, Walkin’ Nashville (walkinnashville.com) offers a guided tour of the haunts of some of their country music favourites in Tennessee. And what better way to follow in their footsteps than with an old-fashioned night out at the Grand Ole Opry?
14 hotels
hotels 15
Chateau Marmont
21c Museum Hotel
Funky hotels Chicago is at the forefront of hotel development, with the first Virgin Hotel and SoHo House among planned openings. The ACME Hotel, near the city’s Magnificent Mile, combines retro cool with the latest technology, including sleek Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air wireless audio systems. Other nice touches include complimentary coffee delivered to your door in a flask, and a “Hair of the Dog” add-on including headache tablets, energy drinks and a voucher for a local burger joint. In Florida, sexy South Beachers have long been flocking to the Delano (left) for its funky contemporary rooms. The hotel is the height of Miami chic thanks to Philippe Starck assembling an impressive collection
Hotel chic
of furniture and objets d’art. A lesser-known scenester is the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville. Carved from abandoned tobacco and bourbon warehouses, it doubles as a
which opened this spring. Designer Picture: the Delano, Miami
stay or stick their neck into the room
Gordon Ramsay out of the UK and his
where Martin Luther King wrote his
signature restaurant draws a crowd.
‘I have a dream’ speech.
For those on a budget, Maison 140,
David Rockwell has been praised for creating stylish interiors, and guests can’t get enough of the minibars stuffed with Nobu goodies such as chilled sake and genmaicha green tea. Another hotel with a celebrity chef attached is The London in
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Back in 1895 when it was built,
tucked down a side street in Beverly
the Burnham Hotel in Chicago was
Hills, might not shout ‘gourmet’ but
considered one of the city’s first
it is brilliantly placed for the top
skyscrapers (at just 14 floors); now it’s
eateries in the area, with Spago,
one of the city’s chicest crashpads.
Nobu, CUT at the Beverly Wilshire and Mr Chow all just around the corner.
Hotels with views
In Boston, the Liberty Boston Hotel hails from humble beginnings: it was formerly the Charles Street jail. Built in 1851, it still retains its original
Views don’t come any more impressive
granite exterior and 90-foot central
than those from the upper storeys of
rotunda as well as the vestiges of jail
The Carlyle in New York. Standing
cells in its lobby and bar.
tall on Madison Avenue overlooking
In San Francisco, the Inn at the
Central Park, this Upper East Side
Presidio has an altogether more
hotel is a true NYC landmark.
homely feel. Formerly a home for
Taj Boston, at the junction of
bachelor army officers, the historic
Arlington Street and Newbury Street,
inn, built in 1903, makes the most of
also benefits from a prime location
its colourful military heritage.
overlooking Boston’s oldest park, Boston Common. Guests have a bird’seye view of people enjoying boat rides in summer and ice-skating in winter. Equally beguiling are the rooms at
and the Olympic Mountains. The hotel
be Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace,
Discover America – Big City Buzz
Abraham Lincoln’s pre-inauguration
Foodie hotels The hotel of the moment has to
Taj Boston
is the first American hotel to lure
Seattle’s The Edgewater hotel, which
has become a mecca for foodies.
The Carlyle
West Hollywood, Los Angeles. It
contemporary art museum.
Over the past decade, Las Vegas
U.S. cities boast some of the best hotels in the world. Leo Bear picks a selection to suit a variety of clients
The London
have striking views over Elliott Bay sits on stilts over the water at Pier 67. Brunch on the bay is a must.
Hotels in historic buildings America is littered with impressive historic hotels. Often referred to as the crown jewel of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., has a coveted location a block from the White House. Guests can examine a handwritten bill created during
Celeb Hangouts Chateau Marmont, with its shabby-chic rooms and pretty courtyard garden is the meeting place for movie moguls and actresses in Hollywood. Sofia Coppola even made a movie set within the hotel. Its only real rival nearby is the Beverly Hills Hotel, where power lunches in the Polo Lounge still take place daily. Another star magnet is the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, a Philippe Starck-designed property which counts Paris Hilton and Leonardo DiCaprio among its fans. For snow bunnies, The Little Nell in Aspen has welcomed Jack Nicholson, Kate Hudson and Mariah Carey, among others.
16 agent expert
D I S CU SA P R O OV E R Y GRA Lea r M no
EMILY TAYLOR
n lin the n ew e w i t h t ra i n agen in t U S A g to o l at Disc P ro g o ram very .c o. u k
STA Travel, Oxford How many times have you
very glamorous, with upmarket
Do you think UK travellers
visited the USA?
shopping, museums and performing
understand how many urban
I’ve been to the USA five times, and
arts, whereas Fort Worth is a real step
experiences the USA offers?
I’m going again this autumn on an
back in time. Austin is quite quirky
I really don’t think people understand
organised tour with Gap Adventures
with a real musical theme, while San
how much they can do in the USA,
from New York down to Nashville,
Antonio is romantic with its river walk
even in a relatively short period of
Memphis and New Orleans.
and the opportunity to learn about
time. I had customers who wanted to
the history of the Alamo. Houston is
go to New York and hadn’t realised
Where was your first trip?
vast, and offers both downtown and
they could easily get to Washington,
It was a family holiday to New York. It
the area around the harbour.
D.C., or Boston during the same trip.
and wanted to go back. New York is
Which other U.S. cities stand out?
What would you say to agents
a world on its own and with the tall
New York and San Francisco are
to help them sell more America?
buildings it’s like a city jungle.
obvious highlights. I also love
Learn as much as you can, because
was amazing and I instantly fell in love
Charleston in South Carolina. The
there are so many opportunities. Once
You went on the recent
southern hospitality and architecture
you start to build up your knowledge,
Brand USA Megafam. where did
are stunning, and it’s great to relax
you can start putting together really
you go and what did you do?
over shrimp and grits.
interesting itineraries.
clients flying to the USA, so I was able
Which other U.S. cities would
What would be your ideal day
to use those bookings to enter and
be on your wishlist to visit?
in a U.S. city?
I got my first-choice itinerary, which
There are so many. Chicago is very
I’d start with big fluffy pancakes in
was Texas Treats. We flew into Dallas,
high up the list and will be a great
a diner, then go on a walking tour to
headed up to a ranch in Graham,
place from which to explore the Great
see the main sights. In the evening I’d
then continued to Fort Worth, Austin,
Lakes. Boise, in Idaho, might not be
go for dinner and something cultural,
San Antonio and Houston.
the top of everyone’s lists, but I’d love
perhaps an opera or a show, or
to go there and experience that part
somewhere that gives you a chance to
What did you think of the cities?
of the country. Seattle and Boston
mix with locals. Our visit to a honky-
They are all so different. Dallas is
would also be on the list.
tonk bar in Texas was a real highlight.
I often recommend British Airways for
This Discover America’s Big City Buzz supplement is the third in a series of four produced by Travel Weekly in association with Brand USA. Look out for the next edition, focusing on Culture, to be published with Travel Weekly in November. To view this and the previous supplements in digital format, visit travelweekly.co.uk/supplements