News

A four-metre-high, two-metre-wide Vegemite jar has popped up in the NSW countryside, with a two-person villa inside. Available for two-night stays, the Vegemite Villa is the latest pop-up lodging from Booking.com, giving a lucky few the chance to live inside a giant tub of the country’s signature spread. Three builders, two sculptors, one scenic artists…

Black Friday – roughly translated to “save a lot of money on things that are otherwise pretty damn expensive” – is here for 2019. Since Aussies love to plan their 2020 trips around these dates, you can be sure that there’s some pretty sweet savings floating around to help take the edge off all that…

Plaza Premium Group have announced that they will be adding not one, but two Sydney Airport openings to their extensive network in 2020. In the first quarter, the 70-passenger capacity Plaza Premium Lounge Sydney, and in the third quarter, the Australian-first Aerotel Sydney hotel. These openings are part of a US$55 million global expansion plan,…

New Caledonia’s flagship carrier Aircalin is now the first airline in the Asia-Pacific to fly the new Airbus A330neo. Operating on flights between Sydney and New Caledonia’s capital of Noumea, the new aircraft is defined by its innovations, said to vastly improve performance and comfort. A330neo’s centrepiece is new generation Trent 7000 Rolls Royce engines,…

Singapore’s widely acclaimed The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts has officially stretched outside of the lion city with its debut in Sydney. The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, taking over the historic address of No.1 Martin Place, site of the former General Post Office Building, has been tastefully transformed into a luxury 416-room hotel set to become one…

New York City’s iconic 1,454 foot Empire State Building has undergone an enormous change, revealing the second phase of its completely reimagined “Observatory Experience”, which now includes the city’s only museum open seven days a week from 8am to 2am. A 10,000 square foot series of galleries now occupies the second floor of the mammoth…

According to Japan’s tourism organisation, JNTO, Australians were the highest spending tourists in Japan in 2018, dropping an average of 242,050 yen per person (or AUD $3,075) per visit. After 2020, Japan is expected to hit 40 million annual tourists, so we can only expect that number to grow. Us Aussies love to spend in…

Japan is about to get its very first hotel from renowned brand Amari, coming in the form of a 126-room resort nestled in the heart of ski-haven Niseko. Announced today, ONYX Hospitality Group will be opening Amari Niseko in 2024 as part of mixed-use development Aruku-zaka Street, designed to complement the Hirafu area’s unique character…

Melbourne is just weeks away from its newest luxury hotel, which is part of the prestigious and highly curated M Gallery by Sofitel collection. Titled Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, the $130 million five-star property of 250 rooms, suites and penthouses (2 penthouses to be exact) will welcome guests from the 1st November. Featuring a wellness retreat…

To mark 10 years since Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia first announced their endearing partnership, both carriers have announced a very significant “Bonus Points” campaign which will help passengers build loyalty points over the next few months. In addition to this, Etihad will also be rolling out additional rewards throughout the rest of this year…

The humble airline pillow is often an overlooked detail in the overall passenger experience. Too soft? Not soft enough? Not supportive enough? Too warm? Those who aren’t bringing their own rely on this amenity to get that necessary sleep in. Air New Zealand have acknowledged this by becoming the first airline in the world to…

The Maldives is in the midst of one the island’s most exciting changes to date, with the introduction and ongoing development of the country’s first and only integrated island resort, CROSSROADS. The lifestyle precinct has added some seriously lush hotels to go along with it, one of which is the upbeat, recently opened Hard Rock…

As if Singapore Changi Airport couldn’t get any better, the frequent award-winner has built upon its reputation with the addition of the experiential Jewel lifestyle precinct. Opening up earlier this year in April, Jewel has already racked up over 300,000 visitors per day, and to acknowledge this the precinct has now kicked off free public…

Iconic luxury brand Raffles officially entered the island paradise of Maldives earlier this year, snuggling into the pristine waters of Gaafu Alifu Atoll with Raffles Maldives Meradhoo. The Accor property has now introduced 16 overwater villas to the private twin-island location, adding to the total of 21 villas and residences which make up this intimate…

Australia’s celebrated Art Series Hotel brand has officially graduated to 9 properties with the opening of Perth’s The Adnate. Standing adjacent to the city’s luxury and lifestyle destination of King Street, the colourful 250-room property promises a vibe big on soul and ‘the art of dreaming big’. An homage to big wall street artist Matt…

It was only a matter of time before millennial-focused Moxy brand landed a spot in New York City’s forever trendy East Village, making it the third Moxy in the Big Apple overall. As the neighbourhood of many movements, this was always a hub of American counter-culture which has given the design-driven hotel brand plenty of…

It’s hard for a resort to not look absolutely spectacular in the Maldives, but Hilton’s Curio Collection has taken the luxury aesthetics a bit further with SAii Lagoon, the company’s third property in the Maldives. The now-open resort, officially titled SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, is the first in South East Asia for…

Ever-so-slick hotel brand W is no stranger to overlapping with the music world. They’ve already flipped the script of a typical music with their roaming Wake Up Call festival (you can check our recap of the Bali leg HERE), and many of their properties feature bespoke music studios for visiting artists (and guests). Now they’re…

Aussies flying Economy class in Qatar can now expect to be eating a lot better, as the airline has moved to make substantial changes to their in-flight menu, which includes a 20 to 50 per cent increase in portions and a focus on fresh, local and seasonal produce. The menu change, which was first announced…

Independent airport lounge network Plaza Premium Lounge opened up its latest lounge offering at Domestic Arrivals, Terminal 1 of Mactan Cebu International Airport in the Philippines earlier this month, upping their presence in the airport following their first lounge in Terminal 2 (International Departures). Seen as one of the smarter options for travellers on long…

With the release of the Michelin Guide Singapore 2019, one of the most visited destinations in the world has officially leaped forward in the global culinary race with not one but two restaurants awarded with a coveted three stars. This is the first time since the launch of the Singapore edition of the Michelin guide…

Those who have been to Tokyo before would know that the immense Japanese capital has two airports; one more convenient than the other. Narita, probably the best known and most frequented, is furthest from the city, while Haneda is highly sought by visitors as the most convenient of the two. This is largely due to…

Following the launch of their OPPO Reno 5G smartphone, OPPO have dived into the pop-up hotel game with a world’s first. That’s the world’s first travelling 5G powered smart hotel, mind you, and it’s currently sitting in one of the coolest spots in the Gold Coast, making use of a shipping container to fully highlight…

Marriott International are about to welcome a second Japanese property into their coveted Autograph Collection, announcing the signing of mesm Tokyo. Located at the exciting Takeshiba Waterfront Development Project, the hotel will occupy 10 floors of the multipurpose WATERS takeshiba building, offering guests a highly personal, individualised experience befitting the storied collection of unique hotels…

Located in the heart of Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle, adventure travel operator Explore has unveiled a collection of bespoke yurts as a new accommodation concept. Collectively titled Náttúra Yurtel, the gorgeous luxury tents will feature in a new three night, four day trip that officially kicks off at the start of April 2020. Appropriately dubbed…

It’s always welcome news when airports announce they’re improving their facilities, or opening a new terminal. In general, airports across the world have spent so much of the last 18 years improving upon customs and security, trying to keep up with new security risks that exist in a post 9/11 world, that taking time to…

Sydney’s immense Queen Victoria Building is preparing to throw open doors after-hours for QVB After Dark LIVE, set for Thursday 22nd August where the complex’s rich heritage and cultural significance will be illustrated from various perspectives. Promising an interactive multi-floor experience, the building will come alive from 6pm to 9pm with hour-long sessions featuring roving…

From California to South Dakota, new luxury hotels seem to be popping up all over the place in the States, each bringing their own unique character to some incredible locations. Whether that’s in the thick of San Diego, or the wide open spaces of South Dakota, the following properties are making full use of historic…

Japan’s largest five-star airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) has today launched their largest sale throughout Asia and Australia to date, greatly reducing prices for flights from 17 different cities to Japan. Aussies who have been enjoying greater access to Japan for the past few years, now have a better chance than ever at heading to…

Are you an Instagram influencer? If you answered yes to that question, then that’s probably a no. Not that it matters though, especially since for the next two months sun-kissed hotel QT Bondi are committed to treating all guests like VIP influencers, irrespective of how many followers they have on the ‘gram. It’s no secret…