An artful hotel in Mexico
L'Otel at Dôce-18 Concept House in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is far from a traditional hotel. Guests enter rooms from the second level of an open-air building that overlooks a contemporary restaurant and a sort of modern-day minimall, featuring boutiques and food stalls from local businesses. Opened in 2016 in what was once a metals factory, the hotel has a fresh vibe, with shared spaces that include an outdoor patio and pool, a sitting room with a grand piano and a library stocked with books. The private hotel spaces feel like one's own living room — if one's own living room resembled "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as re-imagined by Architectural Digest. This accommodation is artfully designed as a one-stop shop with offerings and comfort that won't leave guests wanting for anything (from $375; doce-18.com).
New York Times
Wicked cheap fare to Boston
JetBlue is finally entering the Minneapolis-St. Paul market with service to Boston, and the airline is saying hello with a killer introductory fare: $89. According to a Google Flights search last week, the round-trip fare applies to departures most days from May 4-21, with select returns through May 31. That basic JetBlue fare gets you a free carry-on bag, but a checked bag costs an extra $25. Minnesota's own Sun Country Airlines has jumped in with $87 flights to Boston Logan International in May, but carry-ons as well as checked bags are extra. Three cheers for competition! All fares return to three digits by summer.
Simon Peter Groebner
Hotel deal in Waikiki
For March Madness, the Modern Honolulu in Waikiki is taking 40 percent off all room types. From the top, the penthouse costs $1,200 a night, with taxes (regularly $2,000); the oceanfront one-bedroom suite goes for $395 (vs. $659); the marina-view, one-bedroom suite costs $383 (vs. $639); the studio suite with terrace costs $305 (vs. $509); and the cityscape double runs from $221 (vs. $369). The deal also waives the $30 daily resort fee. Use promo code MARCH. Book by Monday for stays through April 30 (1-855-970-4161, themodernÂhonolulu.com).
Washington Post
A cruise line's private island
Royal Caribbean is putting an arsenal of pricey bells and whistles on its private Bahamas island CocoCay. The cruise line announced the $200 million upgrade as part of its Perfect Day Island Collection. The private island will get a 13-slide water park including the tallest slide in North America (135 feet) and a wave pool. Also on the island will be a helium balloon that rises to 450 feet, a 1,600-foot-long zip line featuring a splash landing in the harbor, a new set of overwater cabanas and the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean (royalcribbean.com).
Orlando Sentinel
World Cup not even half full
The United States national soccer team failed to qualify for the men's 2018 World Cup in Russia, the first time it will miss soccer's biggest event since 1986. This won't keep all American fans away from Moscow and the 10 other cities hosting the June tournament, but it may have dampened interest. Dan Wiersema, of American Outlaws, a group of U.S. Soccer fans that has organized trips other men's and women's World Cups, said that in a country as diverse as the U.S., lots of Americans would root for other teams competing in Russia, but ticket sales show a clear drop compared with the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
New York Times
