New Austin hotel
The 246-room Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin, opening Feb. 1, provides easy access to the Texas State Capitol and Austin's art and culture district. The 31-story hotel's interiors evoke a modern, bohemian-chic gallery showcasing an extensive art collection created by artists from the Austin area and beyond. Colorful guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, playful accents like a guitar-amp nightstand, plus welcome perks like Nespresso coffeemakers, BeeKind products, and Drybar hair dryers. In the highly anticipated restaurant Luminaire, charcuterie and seasonal Texas fare will anchor the menu. Luminaire is helmed by San Antonio chef and six-time James Beard Foundation finalist Steve McHugh (hyatt.com).
Southwest recovery
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan has detailed steps the company is taking to avert another operational disaster. In an email sent to members of the airline's loyalty program, Jordan outlined a plan to ensure that Southwest does not repeat a meltdown over the busy holiday travel stretch that included more than 15,000 canceled flights. Jordan said Southwest is already enhancing some of its technology to better communicate with large numbers of crews when their schedules change frequently. Travel analyst Henry Harteveldt said he would like to see more specifics from Southwest. "I think that Southwest is committed to doing everything it can to keep a disruption like the one we saw in December from occurring again," he said.
Washington Post
Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World, opening Feb. 17 at Universal Studios Hollywood, is the first major theme park in North America themed entirely around a video game. It's also visually inviting, a colorful world full of movement, games, character interactions, animation and plenty of silliness. Expect the most interactive theme park land ever created. The goal is to place guests inside the Mushroom Kingdom of "Super Mario Bros.," to make them feel as if they're tourists inside a game. In turn, the land looks like an obstacle course, a mash-up of various Nintendo landscapes — a desert to the right, blue-tinged snowcaps up ahead and a foreboding, villainous castle as its centerpiece.
Los Angeles Times
High-end sustainability
The threat of climate change is increasingly dire, says Matt Berna, president of Intrepid Travel, North America. "Creating a more sustainable, high-end travel product has been a key focus for Intrepid," says Berna. "Our Intrepid Premium range, which launched during the pandemic, now boasts 100 itineraries across 42 countries and five continents." New for 2023, there's a 10-day Premium Alaska itinerary featuring lower-emission train travel, conservation tours and a stay at the sustainably built Talkeetna Lodge. Intrepid's nine-day Premium Costa Rica journey includes a visit designed to support the country's Chorotegan Indigenous people and a stay at the Mawamba Lodge in Tortugero, which operates with a biodigester and renewable energy sources (intrepidtravel.com).
TravelPulse
