I-TRAVELLER

I-TRAVELLER

READY ANYWHERE

GENERAL
Featured

Budgeting for a Youth Soccer Tour: Tips and Strategies from the Experts

Budgeting for a Youth Soccer Tour: Tips and Strategies from the Experts

Planning a youth soccer tour is an exciting venture, promising not only sporting development but also cultural enrichment and team bonding. However, managing the budget effectively is crucial to ensure a smooth and rewarding experience. Inspiresport, with its reputation as one of the leading youth soccer tour experts, offers valuable insights and strategies to help teams plan financially savvy and unforgettable soccer tours.

1. Early Planning is Key:

One of the foundational tips from youth soccer tour experts like Inspiresport is to start planning early. Early planning allows teams to explore various options, secure competitive rates for flights and accommodations, and manage the overall expenses more efficiently. It also provides ample time to fundraise and allocate resources effectively.

2. Prioritise and Allocate:

Understanding and prioritising the key components of the tour is essential. Allocate sufficient funds to essential elements such as travel, accommodation, and meals. Once the basics are covered, assess the remaining budget for additional activities, training sessions, and cultural excursions. Inspiresport offers tailored packages, ensuring that teams get the best value for their money while prioritising their specific needs and goals.

3. Explore Fundraising Opportunities:

Fundraising is a practical way to supplement the budget. Youth soccer tour experts recommend exploring various fundraising options, including sponsorships, community events, and online campaigns. Inspiresport supports teams in their fundraising efforts, providing guidance and resources to help them reach their financial goals.

4. Seek Sponsorships and Grants:

Reaching out to local businesses, community organizations, and sporting bodies for sponsorships can significantly offset costs. Additionally, explore available grants and financial aid options. Inspiresport’s experienced staff can assist teams in identifying potential sponsors and navigating the application processes for grants.

5. Consider Travel Insurance:

Investing in comprehensive travel insurance is a wise strategy. While it may seem like an additional expense, insurance can … Read the rest

ADVENTURE TRAVELLING
Featured

Why Weapon Attachments are Crucial for Enhancing Your Shooting Experience

Why Weapon Attachments are Crucial for Enhancing Your Shooting Experience

In the world of firearms and shooting sports, weapon attachments have revolutionized the way shooters engage their targets. These accessories, ranging from scopes and red dot sights to grips and muzzle brakes, serve as invaluable tools for enhancing shooting experiences across various scenarios. Whether you are an avid hunter, a competitive shooter, or a responsible gun owner, equipping your firearm with the right attachments can significantly improve accuracy, control, and overall performance. Here we will delve into the reasons why weapon attachments are crucial for maximizing your shooting experience.

1. Improved Accuracy

One of the primary benefits of weapon attachments is the substantial improvement they bring to accuracy. Precision shooting demands a stable and consistent aiming platform, and attachments like scopes and sights play a pivotal role in achieving this. Scopes, with their magnification and reticle options, enable shooters to acquire targets more efficiently, even at long distances. Red dot sights, on the other hand, provide quick target acquisition and help maintain focus on the target rather than the iron sights.

2. Enhanced Target Acquisition

Weapon attachments such as reflex sights, holographic sights, and laser sights drastically enhance target acquisition speed. By eliminating the need for aligning front and rear sights, shooters can quickly aim at their intended targets. This becomes especially crucial in self-defense situations or competitive shooting sports where fractions of a second can determine the outcome.

3. Recoil Management

Muzzle devices, such as muzzle brakes and compensators, play a vital role in managing recoil. Recoil can affect shooting accuracy and can be a significant concern for shooters using high-caliber firearms. Muzzle brakes redirect gases, reducing recoil and muzzle rise, allowing shooters to stay on target for faster follow-up shots.

4. Ergonomics and Comfort

Grips, stocks, and foregrips contribute to better weapon handling and comfort, especially during … Read the rest

HOTEL

14 Best Hotels and Resorts in Costa Rica

Costa Rica — Travel + Leisure’s Destination of the Year for 2024 —  is a biodiverse wonderland with rainforests, cloud forests, volcanoes, hot springs, sandy beaches along the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and incredible wildlife (including three-toed sloths and white-faced capuchin monkeys).

A hub of ecotourism, the best things to do in Costa Rica range from cloud forest hikes and chocolate farm tours to surfing and yoga. Sure, you could fill a trip with myriad activities, but it’s equally wonderful to kick back, relax, and soak in the chilled-out spirit. For these reasons and so many more, this peaceful Central American nation wedged between Nicaragua and Panama stands out as a top vacation destination and one of my all-time favorite countries to visit. (We even spent an entire month in the beach town of Santa Teresa to celebrate my son’s first birthday.)

When it comes to accommodations, the hotel scene is as diverse as the terrain and varied attractions themselves. There are beautiful beach resorts that put guests steps from the waves, luxury tented camps, more rustic eco-lodges surrounded by prolific jungles, and five-star stays focused on wellness. Budget travelers will also find cool hostels with excellent Wi-Fi that allow digital nomads to work and play the pura vida way.

To help pick the perfect home base to make your tropical vacation dreams come true, we’ve rounded up the 14 best hotels in Costa Rica according to readers, travelers, and experts.

Nayara Resorts


Also available to book at Hotels.com

Lauded as a grown-up getaway with romance relaxation in spades, Nayara Springs — a World’s Best Award winner in 2021, 2022, and 2023 — is an adults-only retreat and member of Relais & Chateaux that’s tucked away in the heart of the Arenal Volcano National Park. Framed by

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Palm Beach hotels, resorts get top ratings from Forbes, Conde Nast

By M.M. Cloutier

As Palm Beach hotels this past season introduced new amenities and upgrades to their properties, they also garnered top ratings from noted travel guides and magazines for being alluring places for luxe getaways.

In both October and February, island hotels — from The Breakers to the Four Seasons to The Colony to the Brazilian Court — earned high marks from Conde Nast Travel + Leisure and Forbes Travel Guide.

Of the 50 resort properties ranked in February among the “Best Resorts in the World” by Forbes Travel Guide, the Four Seasons Palm Beach came in at No. 20 and Eau Palm Beach was No. 44.

Both topped the Top 10 Resorts in Florida category.

The pool area at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach

In the Ten Best Hotels in Florida category, The Breakers took the No. 3 spot with The Colony Hotel at No. 6 and The Brazilian Court at No. 8.

In October, The Four Seasons and Manalapan’s Eau Palm Beach were deemed the best resorts in the world, according to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The two resorts also earned the top two spots in Florida. The Breakers, The Colony and Brazilian Court also earned high honors in the awards, based on 2023 surveys taken by 500,000-plus Condé Nast Traveler magazine readers.

Along with other resorts and hotels on the island, Eau Palm Beach received high marks in annual ratings released this past season by Conde Nast Travel + Leisure and Forbes Travel Guide.

Meanwhile, The Breakers, for the second year in a row, was named in April to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.

And the historic resort dating to 1896 moved up from No. 65 to No. 59 on the list. It holds a place as the only independently-owned hotel on the list, which is organized by Fortune Media and Great Place to Work.

The hotel has more than 2,000 employees and is focused on “fostering a culture of care and well-being,” The Breakers’ Denise Bober told the Daily News.

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Blackstone sells Arizona Biltmore for $705M to Henderson Park

The Arizona Biltmore, a historic hotel that helped usher in Phoenix’s resort tourism industry and hosted several U.S. presidents, has a new owner.

The 703-room resort was sold to an English real estate firm for $705 million, with a down payment of $245 million, according to real estate database Vizzda.

The purchase was made in January 2024 and the deal closed on May 8, according to a special warranty deed from Maricopa County that made the transaction official.

The sale includes multiple buildings built between the resort’s opening in 1929 and its most recent renovation in 2021, a fitness center, three clubhouses and six outdoor pools, according to Vizzda.

Here’s what we know about the sale of the Arizona Biltmore and what it might mean for visitors.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Future of lodging:Biggest new hotels and renos opening in Arizona in 2024

Who bought the Arizona Biltmore?

Henderson Park, a private equity real estate management firm in London that was founded in 2016, is the new owner of the Arizona Biltmore. The resort opened in 1929 and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protege Albert Chase McArthur.

Henderson Park’s website says the firm spent more than $13 billion across Europe and the U.S. on “fundamentally high-quality real estate of all types in prime locations in major capital and desirable high-growth cities.”

The firm’s founder and CEO, Nick Weber, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Who sold the Arizona Biltmore?

Henderson Park acquired the Arizona Biltmore from BRE Hotels & Resorts, operated by Blackstone Real Estate Group, the world’s largest private real estate equity firm. BRE’s portfolio also includes the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.

BRE purchased the Biltmore in 2018 for $403.4 million from the Singapore government’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited. BRE also could

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Hershey Resorts wants to build another hotel in Derry Township

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts wants to open another hotel near top tourist attractions in Derry Township.

Pending approvals, the company, which oversees Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium, the Hershey Lodge and The Hotel Hershey, hopes to construct Hershey Hotel at the Hershey West End, a mixed-use development.

Plans submitted to Dauphin County Planning call for a 75,380-square-foot hotel with four floors and 130 rooms. A surrounding parking lot would include about 163 spaces. The proposed hotel is located along West End Avenue, which is slightly southwest of the Englewood Barn and Cocoa Beanery, according to plans.

The Hershey Trust Co. is building the village-style development between Waltonville and Bullfrog Valley roads adjacent to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

It’s advertising the development as a “dynamic new destination for the town, one designed to serve the community for generations to come.”

The Trust, which is the financial engine of the Milton Hershey School, owns the 245 acres where work is underway. Hershey West plans call for multi-family apartments, single-family homes and 55+ homes along with retail and commercial space including the upscale, limited-service hotel and restaurants.

West End is being developed in phases, starting with the commercial development along West End Avenue followed by the hotel and then multi-family, 55+ homes, and lastly single-family homes, according to an email update this spring.

The hotel is in the early stages with no dates announced for construction or an opening.

“Our plans are still in the developmental stage at this point,” said Quinn Bryner, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts spokeswoman. “We will be happy to share details at the appropriate time once the project is finalized and the plans have been appropriately reviewed and approved.”

The hotel’s preliminary and final land development plans still need to go before Derry Township’s Planning Commission and

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Free Hotel Nights and More to Celebrate

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.

  • The Platinum Card® from American Express celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
  • Platinum cardholders can enjoy exclusive dining, travel, and retail offers through September 30.
  • The best benefit is a free third hotel night booked through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts.

The iconic Platinum Card® from American Express turns 40 this year, and Amex is offering consumer cardholders a slew of exclusive travel, dining, and retail offers and experiences from May 9 through September 30 to celebrate. 

The best deals include:

Free third night on Amex FHR or THC hotel bookings

Platinum cardholders who book a two-night stay through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts® (FHR) or The Hotel Collection within Amex Travel can extend their stay for a complimentary third night, a benefit that can easily be worth hundreds of dollars at high-end properties. 

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with up to $200 in annual hotel credit on Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts reservations each year (with a minimum two-night stay). Cardholders also earn 5x points when booking Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts stays through Amex Travel using their Amex Platinum Card. 

When available, Amex FHR guests who book with their Amex Platinum card receive noon check-in, guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout, and room upgrade benefits upon hotel arrival. Platinum guests also receive daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an experience credit worth at least $100 or

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Ukraine returns 16-year-old boy and his family from temporarily occupied part of Kherson Oblast

Volunteers from the Save Ukraine organization have successfully facilitated the return of a 16-year-old boy and his family from the parts of Kherson Oblast currently under Russian occupation to territory controlled by Ukraine, according to Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Teenager and his family are safe, doctors and psychologists are caring about them – help them recover from what they experienced and adapt to a new place.

“I welcome this family back to Ukraine and thank the organization for its hard work!” Prokudin wrote.

Three more children were returned from Kherson Oblast temporarily occupied part to Ukraine-controlled territory on May 1, including an 11-year-old girl who was left without adult supervision and could end up in Russian orphanage.

Abducted Ukrainian children return

33 countries are participating in the coalition to ensure Ukrainian children return, including the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and others, Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Ombudsman reported on March 18.

Read also: Qatar helps negotiate return to Ukraine of four children abducted by Russia

Illegal deportation of children caused the International Criminal Court to issue warrants for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and so-called Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023.

Ukraine returned 517 illegally deported children and 2,828 adults from Russia, including only 150 civilians, Lubinets reported during the fourth meeting of Peace Formula advisers in Davos on Jan. 14.

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

… Read the rest
HOTEL

15 Best Family Resorts in the U.S.

As a mom and travel writer, family travel is something that I’m super passionate about. People often say, “It’s not a vacation once you have kids,” — but I disavow that statement. Yes, there will be challenging moments. That’s a given. But exploring new places or returning to tried-and-tested favorites as a family is the stuff that becomes core childhood memories. And even if your kids are too young to remember, you will — and that matters. Plus, they can look back on the photos later.

While I subscribe to the philosophy that you can find interesting and age-appropriate stuff to do with kiddos almost anywhere, the truth is not that everyone wants to spend hours searching the internet for kid-friendly activities and accommodations. For many parents, it’s about picking an awesome resort that takes the stress out of planning — and executing — a family vacation. So, what does that look like exactly? Well, it needs spacious accommodations (bonus points for in-room perks like high chairs and tiny robes), ample amenities that cater to guests of all ages, dining options to please palates big and small, and ideally, a kids club. By culling down the consideration set to just domestic destinations, you don’t have to worry about passports, long-haul flights (well, save Hawaii), exchanging currency, or visa requirements. There are so many incredible vacation-making resorts across the country, from sprawling properties minutes from Disney World to luxury mountain lodges.

Whether you’re looking for recommendations for an upcoming trip or stockpiling inspiration for the future, scroll on for the best family resorts in the United States, according to parents and travel pros.

Four Seasons Resorts


Also available to book at Expedia.com

With a list of accolades that’s even longer than its extensive activity schedule, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. Announces Tender Offer for Any and All of Its 7.500% Senior Notes Due 2025

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.

TYSONS, Va., May 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (“Park”) (NYSE: PK) announced today that its subsidiaries, Park Intermediate Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability (the “Company”), PK Domestic Property LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and PK Finance Co-Issuer Inc., a Delaware corporation (collectively, the “Issuers”), commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash (the “Tender Offer”), subject to certain terms and conditions, any and all of their outstanding 7.500% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “Notes”), at the price set forth below.

The Tender Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 13, 2024 (the “Expiration Time”), unless extended or earlier terminated by the Issuers. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase and related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, each dated May 2, 2024 (together, the “Tender Offer Materials”), which set forth a more detailed description of the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Holders of the Notes are urged to carefully read the Tender Offer Materials before making any decision with respect to the Tender Offer.

The following table sets forth certain terms of the Tender Offer:

Title of Security

CUSIP Numbers/ISINs:

Principal Amount
Outstanding

Tender Offer
Consideration(1)(2)

7.500% Senior Notes
due 2025

144A: 70052LAA1 / US70052LAA17
Reg S: U7013LAA8 / USU7013LAA80

$650,000,000

$1,000.81

____________

(1)

Excludes accrued and unpaid interest up to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below), which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below).

(2)

Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and accepted.

 

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer, holders of the Notes who validly tender

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. Announces Upsizing and Pricing of Senior Notes Offering

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.

TYSONS, Va., May 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (“Park” or the “Company”) (NYSE: PK) announced today that certain of its subsidiaries, Park Intermediate Holdings LLC (the “Operating Company”), PK Domestic Property LLC (“PK Domestic LLC”) and PK Finance Co-Issuer Inc. (together with the Operating Company and PK Domestic LLC, the “Issuers”), priced an offering of $550 million aggregate principal amount of 7.000% senior notes due 2030 (the “Notes”) at a price equal to 100% of face value. The Notes will pay interest semi-annually in arrears, at a rate of 7.000% per year, and will mature on February 1, 2030. The Notes will be guaranteed by Park, PK Domestic REIT Inc. and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Company that guarantee the Company’s senior credit facilities and existing senior notes.

The offering has been upsized from the previously announced amount of $450 million. The Issuers intend to use the net proceeds of the offering, together with proceeds of a new unsecured term loan in an aggregate principal amount of at least $200 million that is contemplated to be incurred pursuant to an amendment to the Company’s existing credit agreement (the “Term Loan”) to (i) purchase all $650 million of the Issuers’ 7.500% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”) that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Issuers’ previously announced concurrent cash tender offer for any and all 2025 Notes (the “Tender Offer”) and to redeem any 2025 Notes not tendered in the Tender Offer and (ii) pay related fees and expenses incurred in connection with the offering, the Tender Offer and the redemption, with any remaining net proceeds used for general corporate purposes. If the Tender Offer is not consummated, the Issuers intend to use the net proceeds

… Read the rest
HOTEL

Ski resorts and accessibility: How well are they doing?: Travel Weekly

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The ski industry has made strides over the years in offering adaptive skiing and riding opportunities, but individuals with mobility limitations continue to face challenges upon arrival at the mountain, said Marina Gardiner, guest services director for the nonprofit Achieve Tahoe. 

Achieve Tahoe’s mission is to provide affordable and inclusive recreational activities in the Lake Tahoe Area. 

“Resorts in general have a difficult time with access from parking to the snow,” Gardiner said at the Mountain Travel Symposium at the Palisades Tahoe resort on April 18.

For instance, she noted that at the Village of Palisades Tahoe base of the Palisades Tahoe ski area, customers have to travel through the village before on a tram, gondola or lift. 

As resorts attempt to upgrade facilities, it’s key to consider designs that get people from accessible parking to the snow as easily as possible, Gardner said. 

She singled out the Alpine Meadows base of Palisades Tahoe for praise. Alpine Meadows used to be a separate resort from Palisades Tahoe, but the mountains have been connected via gondola by owner Alterra Mountain Company. 

“Alpine Meadows is the best resort that I’ve ever been to in that I can park 100 feet from the snow,” said Gardiner, who herself has mobility limitations. “It’s flat from my car to the snow and I can be on the chairlift in three minutes. Most resorts have more obstacles.”

Providing plenty of accessible parking is key, Gardiner said, because it’s important that spaces are available whenever needed. 

Broadly across the travel industry, Gardiner said it’s important for operators of all sorts to make accessibility a core part of newbuild designs. There’s no reason why all hotel rooms shouldn’t be accessible, she said.

Existing ski lodges, which are often multileveled to conform with the

… Read the rest