We got going on hacks and could not stop. TSA lines, travel pants, airport lounges, bandanas, detergent pods ... there are so many ways to make your trip easier, cheaper, and much more pleasant.

Stuff we mentioned:
https://sudshare.com
https://www.hydroflask.com/32-oz-wide-mouth
https://www.mollyjogger.com/products/ccc-legacy-bandana
https://seatosummit.com/collections/dry-bags
https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/rewards-benefits/a-guide-to-chase-sapphire-reserve-benefits

Boutique and lifestyle hotels are everywhere now. Why? And how do you define "boutique," exactly? And are we headed towards a world where every hotel is a lifestyle brand? What are lifestyle hotel brands you should check out? We'll answer these questions!

Links:
https://www.graduatehotels.com/
https://www.piaule.com/
https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/
https://www.sbe.com/hotels/mondrian/park-avenue

What's our favorite travel statistic of the year? Our favorite travel tool? The most gratifying travel news? The most interesting corporate acquisition? The dumbest buzzword? Season 2 kicks off with a snappy roundup of the year that was.

Hopper's Nima Vaez and Tucker Holland drop in to tell us what's happening with "the world's fastest-growing mobile-first travel marketplace." Splashy new partnerships, machine learning, and fintech solutions are part of it, but what's the secret sauce?

Vegas literally defines itself as an experience, but is it selling something people want? As implosion comes for the casino icons of the 80s and 90s, our collective sense of what makes a satisfying user experience is changing. Is Vegas capturing the right “UX” of the moment, or just going through the motions? Is the architectural and experiential design of the town still, what’s the word … fun?

Part 2 of our interview with Matt Cornelius, EVP at Airports Council International - North America gets into the real nitty-gritty: how exactly do airports make money? How do dominant carriers affect the cities they're based in? And, most important, what's the best way to board an airplane?

What do movies and TV shows get universally wrong about hotels? What do they (occasionally) get right? What movie hotel would we want to visit? Wait, Stanley Kubrick never filmed a movie outside of the UK?

Links:
The design team that worked on interiors at the Park Hyatt Tokyo: https://superpotato.jp/en/
The inspiration for The Shining's Overlook Hotel: https://www.stanleyhotel.com
The Andaz West Hollywood: https://lucire.com/2021/1013vo0.shtml

Executive Vice President at Airports Council International-North America Matt Cornelius tells us where the buck stops at airports, and explains how they really run. Also, what's the best-run airport in America?

We just inherited a boatload of cash with one deeply eccentric stipulation: we have to build a hotel with it. But where? And why? And in which places does Jeff tell Matt we definitely CANNOT build one? And wait, somebody's building a hotel in Antarctica? 

Jeff talks with Eric about Greenview's role as the world’s leading provider of sustainability programs and data management for the hospitality and tourism sector. What's the current narrative around sustainability in tourism, and where can you make a difference as a hotel owner and a responsible traveler?