Hotel check-in

A place for contemplation in Maui

By billing itself as an "educational retreat" and a "sanctuary for authentic transformational travel," rather than the equally accurate "hotel with yoga classes," Lumeria Maui signals its seriousness of purpose. Built in 1909 as a retirement home for plantation workers and renovated in 2012 with a New Age aesthetic that leans toward crystals, Buddha statues and Indian textiles, the 24-room Lumeria is not designed for merely lounging by the pool or slurping mai tais at the hotel bar (there isn't one, although there are plans to change that). Instead, it's a place of peaceful contemplation. The 8-acre grounds are so immaculate, and the common spaces so quiet, that the sight of a child playing or a cellphone ringing can be startling. Rates at the hotel on the verdant slopes of Haleakala volcano start at $389. (1-855-579-8877; www.lumeriamaui.com)

New York Times

Spirit adds flights at MSP

Spirit Airlines will add seasonal service between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Houston and Baltimore/Washington airports. The new service, consisting of one daily nonstop flight in each direction daily, will run from May 1 through Nov. 1. To book flights, go to www.spirit.com.Kerri Westenberg

Mergers not bad for consumers

The nation's airline industry has undergone so many mergers in the past decade that only four airlines and their regional carriers control more than 80 percent of all domestic air traffic. Despite warnings from consumer advocates, the merger mania is having a positive effect on the industry and is partly responsible for keeping fares low, according to a new study by auditing firm PwC. Such unions, according to the study, have let airlines eliminate unprofitable or redundant routes and invest in more fuel-efficient planes.Los Angeles Times

Deal of the week

The yoga lawn gets a lot of use at the Lumeria Maui hotel, a former plantation home turned New Age retreat.

Costa Rica wellness trip on sale

With Perillo's Learning Journeys, save almost $700 on the eight-day Costa Rica Health and Wellness package. The deal costs $1,895 per person, double (down from $2,590), and includes airport transfers in San Jose; accommodations at the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature Reserve and on the Nicoya Peninsula; yoga classes and guided meditation; private ground transportation; most meals; tours and activities, including a cloud forest walk, and a visit to the village of Santa Juana; restaurant taxes and select tips; water and snacks; and the international airport departure tax of $29. Book by Feb. 15; depart April 20, June 21 or July 19. (1-888-884-8259, www.learningjourneys.com)Washington Post

Where to eat now

Tosca Cafe in San Francisco

We waited for a table for an hour and 15 minutes, but the work of British chef April Bloomfield was well worth it. Bloomfield and her business partner, Ken Friedman, have turned what was a venerable but exhausted 95-year-old North Beach icon into a destination dining spot. The high-ceilinged dining room is decorated with yellowed paintings of Roman landmarks. Her cooking here is Italian-American, modernized and distinguished by invention and, frequently, a lighter touch (no clunky "parms"). (1-415-986-9651; toscacafesf.com)New york Times