The Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis' North Loop is the seventh best hotel in the Midwest, according to Conde Nast Traveler's 2023 Readers Choice Awards.

"Traces of the past can still be seen in what is otherwise a thoroughly contemporary, and endearingly Minnesotan hotel," writes Conde Nast Traveler, which also calls out the boutique hotel's Faribault blankets, the Nordic-inspired Tullibee restaurant and the rooftop's convertible pool/hot tub.

Since opening in 2016, the Hewing has made the annual Midwest list six out of seven years, mysteriously dropping off in 2022. The Hewing is Minnesota's sole showing on the Top 15 list; the leading states in the poll are Michigan with five entries, followed by Wisconsin and Indiana with three each.

Readers' No. 1 Midwest hotel is the massive JW Marriott in Indianapolis, followed by the Victorian-era Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. Other Top 15 winners within a day's drive of the Twin Cities include the Saint Kate in Milwaukee (4th), the Delafield in Wisconsin (14th), the Vault in Houghton, Mich. (9th), and the Island House (10th) and Hotel Iroquois (12th), both on Michigan's Mackinac Island.

Simon Peter Groebner

Fall travel surge

Autumn is often the time of year when we get back to the grind and forget about taking a vacation. But travel advisers across the nation are noticing more last-minute fall trips and more trips being booked for next fall than they've ever seen. Some have even noted record bookings and sales numbers. "With a surge in global travelers making their way to destinations all year round, the distinctive advantage of shoulder season pricing has become more elusive," Tammy Levent, president of Elite Travel. Fall isn't really a shoulder season this year, and it's likely that it won't be a shoulder season in 2024 and 2025 as travelers once more begin planning their upcoming trips further ahead.

TravelPulse

Asheville, N.C., in autumn.
Rod Gimenez/Dreamstime
Asheville, N.C., in autumn.

Autumn in N.C.

The North Carolina mountains boast stunning fall foliage — and are home to two of the best places to visit this autumn, according to U.S. News & World Report. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks No. 2 and Asheville ranks No. 5 on a list of destinations that offer travelers seasonal activities and the ideal weather conditions for enjoying them. To create the list, U.S. News & World Report considered whether the fall was a "recommended" time to visit each place. U.S. News said the best place to travel to this fall is Zion National Park in Utah. Rounding out the top five: The Finger Lakes in New York at No. 3, and Toronto at No. 4.

Charlotte Observer