Indo-US scientists decode mysterious sources behind fiery hot gas around Milky Way

Science and Health

New Delhi, November 22 (IANS) An international team of scientists from India and the US have decoded the mysterious source behind fiery hot gas around the Milky Way galaxy.In the last few years, scientists have discovered gaseous matter pitched to be around 10 million degrees Kelvin hot. Faint X-ray emissions were found in all directions of the Milky Way that bore a strong signature of a super-hot gas.At the same time, this gas also showed up in the spectra of at least three distant quasars, as an absorbing medium.Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), along with their collaborators at IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University, proposed the mysterious source in two related studies.They confirmed that the gas responsible for emitting and absorbing the signals detected were not the same. Instead, the X-ray emitting hot gas was caused by a puffed-up region around the stellar disc of the Milky Way.Since there is a continuous ongoing star formation at various regions across the disk of the Milky Way, the massive stars in these regions explode as supernovae, and heat the gas around the disk to high temperatures.“As such, explosions keep heating up the gas floating around the disc of the Milky Way and they enrich the gaseous matter with elements synthesised within massive stars,” said Mukesh Singh Bisht, doctoral student at RRI.As this turbulent gas is swept up from the disc and swirls around violently, it either escapes into the surrounding medium or cools and falls back onto the disc.Further, this absorbing hot gas was also found to be enriched with alpha-elements, said the researchers, in the paper published in the Astrophysical Journal.“This fiery gas, at least in a few directions, seems to be enriched with large quantities of alpha-elements, such as sulphur, magnesium, neon etc., whose nuclei are nothing but multiples of helium nuclei. This is a vital clue of nuclear reactions occurring within the stellar core. These elements are thrown out of massive stars during supernovae explosions,” Biman Nath, from RRI, said.

UK tourists driving in Spain warned of major 2025 rule change

Travel

Motorists thinking about getting behind the wheel on a trip to Spain have been urged to learn a number of new rules to prevent being subject to serious fines.The prospect of a trip to sunny Spain seems particularly pleasant with the cold weather and snow experienced in various parts of the country during the week.However, new rules recently announced by the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT) for use on motorways and dual carriageways from January 2025 could result in penalties for uninformed residents and visitors.First, the DGT highlighted that they would be clamping down on cases of middle and fast-lane hogging, particularly when travelling in adverse weather conditions.Drivers have been urged to stick to the right, with overtaking off limits when the weather is poor, to free up space for snowploughs, which typically travel in the left-most lane.Similarly, drivers taking to the roads in Spain from January 2025 will need to learn the emergency corridor rule that could help emergency vehicles to pass quickly through heavy traffic jams.If motorists stuck in heavy traffic on dual carriageways hear an emergency response vehicle approaching, they must pull to the side of the lane to create as wide a passing as possible to let the vehicle pass through.A number of other mainland European countries, including Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland, already use the emergency corridor procedure. Drivers in the UK are recommended to learn it to help those responding to an incident.Finally, the DGT has also noted that motorcycle riders using dual carriageways and motorways will soon be able to use the hard shoulder during heavy traffic.An unconventional decision, the organisation highlighted that allowing motorcycle riders to use the lane at a limited speed of 30kph (18mph) will help to ease congestion.Nevertheless, motorbike riders will still need to give way to any vehicles using the hard shoulder for breakdowns or road users who are already allowed to use the lane, such as pedal bikes, animal-drawn vehicles, and mopeds.Whilst these changes are somewhat drastic, the DGT has changed rules on dual carriageways and motorways to improve road safety, particularly when travelling in bad weather conditions.The Spanish organisation also hopes that the measures will reduce traffic jams, which could increase the amount of emissions produced.It is currently unknown how much drivers who break the new rules will be fined. However, traffic penalties in Spain are generally about the same as in the UK.

The book for this hour

Arts & Culture, Books

Sixty-one years ago today, after a quiet day of correspondence, crossword puzzles, and tea, C.S. Lewis entered his heavenly reward. While many famous persons are celebrated on their birthday, Lewis is often remembered on his death day, Nov. 22, a day made infamous because he shares it with Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy.
While Lewis is, of course, remembered as a Christian apologist, a literary scholar, and the creator of Narnia, at present, he is frequently celebrated as a timely prophet of modernity, anticipating religious, social, and scientific developments that greet us every day on our social media feeds. Thus, on this anniversary, I want to commend his novel, That Hideous Strength, as the story for this moment.
Imagine a dystopian novel in the vein of 1984 and Brave New World, but one that is more prescient than both. It’s a modern fairy tale for grown-ups, one that weaves together the core arguments of many of Lewis’ most profound books and essays: The Abolition of Man, “The Poison of Subjectivism,” “The Inner Ring,” “Membership,” and “The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment”—all of which could be read as an appetizer for the main course.
The novel’s relevance is nowhere more apparent than when it speaks to issues of sexuality. On the one hand, we see the dehumanizing grossness of gender ideology and insanity. From the Italian Filostrato—who finds sexuality disgusting and desires to geld and castrate humanity to make it more manageable—to Fairy Hardcastle, the sadistic and grotesque head of Belbury’s institutional police, insolently sexed and wholly unattractive, surrounded by hyper-sexualized young women and arousing herself through torture. (Though if That Hideous Strength were written today, Fairy Hardcastle would no doubt be a man in drag insisting on being treated as a woman.) The novel even alludes to a cold and barren society that uses realistic sex robots as substitutes for the actual marital act, using devilish arts (technology) to fabricate children in secret places.
The male protagonist of the novel is consumed with the lust for the Inner Ring and a deep fear of being ostracized by the Progressive Element so that he becomes an emasculated and pathetic stooge in Belbury’s plots, manipulated and steered until he finds himself caught in the web of the materialist magicians in charge of the National Institute for Coordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.). The female protagonist considers herself to be an up-to-date and modern feminist, one who refuses submission in marriage and deeply fears being invaded by children, until she comes face to face with true masculinity (both the earthly and the heavenly kind) and is forced to choose to bow up or yield.
Indeed, at one level, the novel is fundamentally about marriage and the centrality of childbearing, from the opening word (“matrimony”) to the final scene in which Ransom tells the female protagonist, “You’ll have no more dreams. Have children instead.”

In short, the novel is timely for a world in which everything is narrowing and coming to a point—good getting better and bad getting worse, and the possibilities of even apparent neutrality always diminishing.

But the mundane troubles of a young married couple are embedded in a cosmic war between the bureaucratic tyranny of the scientistic conditioners and the humane and Christian resistance at St. Anne’s. The N.I.C.E. is a prophetic depiction of the Total State, complete with bureaucratic ambiguity and doublespeak that renders all accountability impossible. No one is ever to blame for anything, and yet anyone can be scapegoated at any time. Belbury is committed to “the liquidation of anachronisms,” the destruction of traditional ways of life because of its lack of efficiency. Native populations (small business owners and agricultural laborers) must be displaced and assimilated into the new progressive society. If they show themselves recalcitrant, Belbury is prepared to employ anarcho-tyranny—importing criminals as workmen to spark conflict with the locals as a play for emergency police powers, as well as prosecuting old petty crimes to the maximum degree.
All of this is managed through propaganda directed at the educated middle class. As one character puts it, “[I]t’s the educated reader who can be gulled. All our difficulty comes with the others. When did you meet a workman who believes the papers? … The educated public, the people who read the highbrow weeklies, don’t need reconditioning. … They’ll believe anything.” This includes the so-called “humanitarian theory of punishment” that substitutes “rehabilitation” and “reeducation” for just retribution, thereby enabling the state to experiment on criminals with impunity. (The novel even takes a shot at the folly and stupidity of the so-called “social sciences.” Consider: “‘I can quite understand that it doesn’t fit in with your work as it does with sciences like Sociology, but—’ ‘There are
no sciences like Sociology.’”)
But lurking behind the Progressive Element and the social scientific conditioners at Belbury and the religiously infused technocratic tyrants of the Inner Circle are the Macrobes, dark and demonic forces seeking the domination and destruction of humanity. Opposed to them is a motley assortment of Christians (and one reality-respecting atheist), led by a crippled academic who has traveled to Mars and Venus and conversed with the angelic Intelligences in Deep Heaven, and assisted by a reawakened Merlin in hopes of resisting That Hideous Strength.
In short, the novel is timely for a world in which everything is narrowing and coming to a point—good getting better and bad getting worse, and the possibilities of even apparent neutrality always diminishing: “The whole thing is sorting itself out all the time, coming to a point, getting sharper and harder. … ‘Life’s business being just the terrible choice.’”
And so, this holiday season, the choice is before you. So take up and read.

11th SITTF invites global experts to discuss tourism

Travel

The forum unveils a line-up of panels and workshops to explore new technologies, digital innovations, health protocols, and new safety practices in the Travel & Tourism industry.The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announces this year’s theme for SITTF as “The Future of Tourism: Digitisation, Health, and Safety” marking Sharjah’s tourism growth,  inviting industry experts to witness its innovative ideas, and to partake in discussions shaping the future of tourism.“The Sharjah International Travel & Tourism Forum is a vital opportunity for us to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing our industry. This forum represents our commitment to fostering a resilient tourism sector that not only meets the needs of today’s travellers but also protects our cultural heritage and environment for future generations. By focusing on the intersection of digitisation, health, and safety, we aim to equip industry decision makers and leaders of influence in the sector with the information, knowledge and expertise necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of tourism to keep pace with its major transformations, creating a safer and more sustainable travel experience for everyone,” said HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDADigital Transformation in TourismThe forum will explore how digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping the tourism industry, with attendees gaining valuable insight into the transformation of consumer behavior driven by digital platforms and the critical role of data-driven decision-making. His Excellency Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and HE Basmah Al Mayman, Regional Director for the Middle East, United Nations Tourism, will participate in the first key panel titled “Tourism in the Age of Digital Disruption” sharing Sharjah’s smart tourism initiatives that integrate mobile apps and AI to improve visitor services.Thierry Malleret, distinguished global strategist, economist and co-founder of the Monthly Barometer, will present an insightful presentation titled “Tourism 2030: Balancing innovation, Sustainability and Safety in a Digital World”. Participants will also learn the importance of collaboration among government entities, private sector stakeholders, and technology firms to foster innovation while ensuring sustainable tourism practices.  Navigating Digitisation, Health, and Safety in TourismThe forum will discuss the role of advanced health technologies in building traveller confidence and maintaining safety standards, with participants delving into how digitisation merges with health and safety protocols in the tourism sector. As the world moves on from the pandemic, health and safety continue to be critical areas of focus for travellers and destinations. The second key panel moderated by Thierry Malleret titled “Navigating Digitisation, Health, and Safety in Tourism”, will include tourism industry experts alongside fintech and technology leaders Rehan Asad, Thamer Al Harb, Chris Gregory-Pasha, and Karl Tlais, who will discuss how artificial intelligence and machine learning can personalise travel experiences while ensuring compliance with health regulations. Discussions will emphasise the need for cohesive regulatory frameworks that support both digitisation and health standards.Future-Proofing Tourism with Global Standards The forum will emphasise the alignment of global health standards with local best practices to ensure traveller safety. Participants will learn about innovations in food safety measures within the hospitality sector that contribute to overall tourism safety.The third key panel titled “The Future of Safe Tourism: Health Protocols and Best Practices” presented by hospitality experts and health and safety experts Dr. Mariam Al Ali, Bashir Yousif, Judith Ravasingadi, Fadi Masharafie, and Ed Kastli, will explore strategies for building resilience in the tourism sector, focusing on comprehensive assurance and certification practices that can enhance safety standards. Additional presentations will offer practical insight into the integration of new technologies in shaping future health protocols, ensuring the industry can effectively adapt to potential health crises.Workshops for Industry Professionals Complementing the panel discussions, the forum will also host practical workshops on essential aspects of tourism safety and service excellence.These include:- Food Safety Training in Hospitality – covering safe food handling, outbreak response, and regulatory compliance.- Hospitality and Safety Tourism – emphasising first aid, safety standards, and crisis management in tourism.- Safety Standards of Sharjah Tourism Hotels – the requirements of safety standards at hotels   These workshops aim to equip participants with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance operational standards, protect public health, and ensure guest satisfaction, in addition to training workers in the sector and equipping them with essential skills and relevant general knowledge, to benefit from on both the professional and personal levels.Keynote Speakers and Special Guests The forum will feature distinguished speakers, including:- HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)- HE Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq)- HE Basmah Al Mayman, Regional Director for the Middle East, UN TourismEvent Details:- Date: November 25, 2024  – Time: 09:00 AM – 02:30 PM  – Location: Sharjah Expo Centre, Hall #5  – Website: shf.sharjahtourism.ae  The Sharjah International Travel & Tourism Forum 2024 is an unmissable event for tourism professionals, decision makers and employees in government and private agencies and institutions.By bringing together insights on technology, health, and safety standards, SCTDA aims to position Sharjah at the forefront of sustainable, safe, and digitally advanced tourism.

How the ‘Wicked’ movie differs from the Broadway show, risqué book

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Spoiler alert! We’re discussing major plot details from the new movie musical “Wicked” (in theaters now).So much happened before Dorothy dropped in.In the sprawling new “Wicked” movie, fans will learn a little bit more about what exactly went down between Oz’s scandalacious witches Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, “Wicked” only covers the first act of the hit Broadway musical, with a second film scheduled for release in late 2025. For the most part, the movie is exceedingly faithful to its stage origins, but not without some minor differences.Having seen the stage show countless times, we’ve answered all your burning questions about the film’s biggest changes:Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY’s movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.Does the ‘Wicked’ movie have any new songs?In adapting “Wicked” for the screen, many theater fans assumed that minor songs such as “Something Bad” and “A Sentimental Man” would either be cut or turned into dialogue. But the Broadway score is entirely intact, and there are no new numbers sprinkled throughout the film or its end credits.“The second movie has two new songs because the storytelling demanded it,” composer Stephen Schwartz says. “I wrote a couple things for this film that we ultimately felt we didn’t need,” although some songs like “Popular” are slightly longer, with a new outro that shows off Grande’s stunning vocal range.Are there any new scenes from Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked’ book?As hardcore “Wicked” fans know, Maguire’s 1995 novel is a horse of a different color. When we first meet Elphaba in the book, she’s a feral infant who’s muzzled after biting off people’s appendages. As an adult, she’s a budding research scientist and social activist who spends years hidden away in a convent, and only begins to study sorcery toward the end of her life. The book contains drinking, drugs, rape, prostitution, crime and wild sex parties between humans and animals.Understandably, screenwriter Winnie Holzman didn’t include any of that in the family-friendly Broadway musical or its film adaptation. “But once in a while, I would go back to the novel and look for things like location or character names,” Holzman says. Glinda’s friends Pfannee (Bowen Yang) and ShenShen (Bronwyn James), for instance, are both from Maguire’s book. They did not appear in the “Wicked” stage musical, but were added as comic relief for the movie.Are there any other new characters in the ‘Wicked’ film?Yes, but they’re all minor. There’s a new flashback scene between young Elphaba (Karis Musongole) and her sister, Nessarose (Cesily Collette Taylor), who are looked after by their nanny, Dulcibear (voiced by Sharon D. Clarke), an addition to the film. There is also a new administrator at Shiz University named Miss Coddle (Keala Settle), who clashes with Elphaba when she first arrives. We get a glimpse of the school’s many animal professors ‒ and even an all-animal band at the swankified Ozdust Ballroom ‒ although most of them don’t have dialogue.What do we learn about Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship?Erivo and Grande have gorgeously palpable chemistry, and we would have loved to see even more scenes of Elphaba and Glinda just hanging out. Alas, the film doesn’t do much in the way of fleshing out their friendship.Still, the movie does bring some stirring new depth to Elphaba, a social outcast who longs for the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to “de-greenify” her skin. But after befriending Glinda and learning to love herself, Elphaba eventually turns down the Wizard’s offer to change how she looks, in a poignant scene that’s added for the film.Self-love is also crucial to closing number “Defying Gravity”: After the Wizard is revealed to be evil, Elphaba chooses to embrace her magical powers and fight his tyrannical regime. In doing so, she stays true to her younger self, who always stood up to bullies. And in the movie’s emotional final moments, Elphaba comes face to face with a reflection of herself as a little girl.“That was really important,” director Jon M. Chu says. “She needed a reason why: not for anger, not for vengeance, but for herself. She needed to be this person.”Is there a ‘Wicked’ end credits scene?No. Despite being the theater-kid equivalent of a Marvel franchise, the movie does not offer any post-credits teases for “Wicked: Part Two” (in theaters Nov. 21, 2025).Marissa Bode, who plays adult Nessarose, shares that the second film is set roughly four years after the events of the first, “which is plenty of time for people to grow or not grow in a number of ways,” she says.”Part Two” includes fan-favorite songs “Thank Goodness” and “As Long as You’re Mine.” And according to set photos, the second movie will feature the construction of the Yellow Brick Road, as well as a “Matrix”-inspired look for Erivo’s Wicked Witch of the West. Consider us ready to be changed for good.

How the ‘Wicked’ movie differs from the Broadway show, risqué book

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Spoiler alert! We’re discussing major plot details from the new movie musical “Wicked” (in theaters now).So much happened before Dorothy dropped in.In the sprawling new “Wicked” movie, fans will learn a little bit more about what exactly went down between Oz’s scandalacious witches Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, “Wicked” only covers the first act of the hit Broadway musical, with a second film scheduled for release in late 2025. For the most part, the movie is exceedingly faithful to its stage origins, but not without some minor differences.Having seen the stage show countless times, we’ve answered all your burning questions about the film’s biggest changes:Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY’s movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.Does the ‘Wicked’ movie have any new songs?In adapting “Wicked” for the screen, many theater fans assumed that minor songs such as “Something Bad” and “A Sentimental Man” would either be cut or turned into dialogue. But the Broadway score is entirely intact, and there are no new numbers sprinkled throughout the film or its end credits.“The second movie has two new songs because the storytelling demanded it,” composer Stephen Schwartz says. “I wrote a couple things for this film that we ultimately felt we didn’t need,” although some songs like “Popular” are slightly longer, with a new outro that shows off Grande’s stunning vocal range.Are there any new scenes from Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked’ book?As hardcore “Wicked” fans know, Maguire’s 1995 novel is a horse of a different color. When we first meet Elphaba in the book, she’s a feral infant who’s muzzled after biting off people’s appendages. As an adult, she’s a budding research scientist and social activist who spends years hidden away in a convent, and only begins to study sorcery toward the end of her life. The book contains drinking, drugs, rape, prostitution, crime and wild sex parties between humans and animals.Understandably, screenwriter Winnie Holzman didn’t include any of that in the family-friendly Broadway musical or its film adaptation. “But once in a while, I would go back to the novel and look for things like location or character names,” Holzman says. Glinda’s friends Pfannee (Bowen Yang) and ShenShen (Bronwyn James), for instance, are both from Maguire’s book. They did not appear in the “Wicked” stage musical, but were added as comic relief for the movie.Are there any other new characters in the ‘Wicked’ film?Yes, but they’re all minor. There’s a new flashback scene between young Elphaba (Karis Musongole) and her sister, Nessarose (Cesily Collette Taylor), who are looked after by their nanny, Dulcibear (voiced by Sharon D. Clarke), an addition to the film. There is also a new administrator at Shiz University named Miss Coddle (Keala Settle), who clashes with Elphaba when she first arrives. We get a glimpse of the school’s many animal professors ‒ and even an all-animal band at the swankified Ozdust Ballroom ‒ although most of them don’t have dialogue.What do we learn about Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship?Erivo and Grande have gorgeously palpable chemistry, and we would have loved to see even more scenes of Elphaba and Glinda just hanging out. Alas, the film doesn’t do much in the way of fleshing out their friendship.Still, the movie does bring some stirring new depth to Elphaba, a social outcast who longs for the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to “de-greenify” her skin. But after befriending Glinda and learning to love herself, Elphaba eventually turns down the Wizard’s offer to change how she looks, in a poignant scene that’s added for the film.Self-love is also crucial to closing number “Defying Gravity”: After the Wizard is revealed to be evil, Elphaba chooses to embrace her magical powers and fight his tyrannical regime. In doing so, she stays true to her younger self, who always stood up to bullies. And in the movie’s emotional final moments, Elphaba comes face to face with a reflection of herself as a little girl.“That was really important,” director Jon M. Chu says. “She needed a reason why: not for anger, not for vengeance, but for herself. She needed to be this person.”Is there a ‘Wicked’ end credits scene?No. Despite being the theater-kid equivalent of a Marvel franchise, the movie does not offer any post-credits teases for “Wicked: Part Two” (in theaters Nov. 21, 2025).Marissa Bode, who plays adult Nessarose, shares that the second film is set roughly four years after the events of the first, “which is plenty of time for people to grow or not grow in a number of ways,” she says.”Part Two” includes fan-favorite songs “Thank Goodness” and “As Long as You’re Mine.” And according to set photos, the second movie will feature the construction of the Yellow Brick Road, as well as a “Matrix”-inspired look for Erivo’s Wicked Witch of the West. Consider us ready to be changed for good.

Design And Travel Shifts That Will Define 2025

Travel

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedinThe design and travel industries are intertwined in many ways. For example, design can create lasting memories for hotel guests by engaging the senses and evoking emotions, thus directly influencing customer loyalty and decision-making. First impressions are vitally important for guests, and often set the tone for the entire stay. As such, an inviting design is paramount. In addition, design can influence how consumers understand and perceive brands across physical and digital touchpoints.

Thoughtful designed environments can engage and excite the senses.WATG Wimberly Interiors
Innovative design creates lasting memories for guests. Every design element, from spatial layout to material selection, along with amount of open floor space and styles of furniture, contributes to the overall story and atmosphere of a room. Designing environments that engage and excite the senses, along with evoking emotions, are key in hospitality. Also, good lighting changes and transforms a space. Expertly placed lighting adds another dimension to a space.

Skilled and thoughtful hospitality interior design can also have a direct impact on a hotel’s bottom line. By creating a visually appealing space, hotels and resorts can attract more guests, leading to increased stays. Design can often involve the celebration of indigenous culture and local cuisine, thereby setting the stage for a memorable meal. If guests feel comfortable in a hotel’s restaurant, for example, they will likely stay instead of going outside for a drink or dinner.

Hospitality designers WATG, with offices throughout the world, and their interior arm, Wimberly Interiors, are at the forefront of shaping spaces that respond to these trends. Whether it’s creating immersive experiences at iconic resorts or designing spaces that integrate wellness, sustainability and cultural storytelling, their work provides a unique lens on the future of travel. Below is their overview of some of the key trends shaping travel and hospitality in the coming year.

Timeless elegance has been thoughtfully designed and refreshed.Hotel del Coronado
Reviving Legacy: How Iconic Resorts Are Blending History with Modern Luxury
The modern traveler wants a destination that not only tells a story but also invites them to be part of it, blending comfort and luxury with cultural authenticity. This demand is driving a surge in the renovations of iconic resorts in North America. Once renowned for their timeless elegance, these spaces are being thoughtfully designed and refreshed to offer guests a rich, immersive experience that honors their past while introducing a contemporary sensibility. “It is about celebrating the legacy of these properties, while retelling history in a more contemporary, fresh way,” says Margaret McMahon, Global Practice Principal, Wimberly Interiors. The focus is on layering history with modern elements, creating interiors that feel authentic yet vibrant. Gone are the days of stark minimalism. In its place are rich, textured spaces featuring bold accents, vintage pieces and curated elements that reflect the local narrative. The challenge lies in updating such iconic properties without alienating returning guests or losing the magic that defines their charm. She adds. “Part of the experience that the traveler is looking for is to have the hotel itself be part of the journey. So that sense of theater and drama within the property has become just as important, offering an immersive, memorable experience that captivates at every turn.”
Travel Decisions Driven by Stories of a Place
The modern traveler is increasingly driven by stories that offer a deeper emotional connection to the places they visit. These stories, embedded in the design, culture and essence of a destination, tap into the spirit of place, or genius loci, creating a narrative that resonates on a personal level. Travel decisions are no longer just about sightseeing but about immersing in experiences that reveal layers of history, culture and atmosphere unique to a location. Designers play a key role in crafting these experiences, blending natural and built environments, culture and community into a cohesive narrative that transforms travel into a purposeful journey of discovery.
Authentic Storytelling in Hospitality Design
In the design of new and renovated hotels, authenticity and a strong sense of place are key to enhancing the guest experience. Hospitality brands are turning to the unique stories of their locations, incorporating local culture and history into design elements. This narrative-driven approach ensures that every stay feels memorable and immersive, with the hotel’s character reflecting the destination’s essence.
Expansion of Hotel Brands and Residential Offerings
Hotel brands are expanding their scope to offer a more comprehensive range of experiences and services, from boutique, specialized stays to residential options. In response to the growing trend of exploratory travel and bucket-list trips, these brands are creating curated, one-of-a-kind experiences through unique amenities and cultural engagement. Additionally, many properties are now offering residential accommodations, allowing guests to enjoy luxury living beyond their vacations.Cultural significance blends with modern-day comforts.Omni
Iconic Properties with Historical Significance
Travelers are increasingly drawn to iconic hotels steeped in history. Properties like the Omni Homestead and Hotel Del Coronado not only offer luxurious stays but also provide a window into the past. Guests can learn about the architectural and cultural significance of these landmark destinations while enjoying modern-day comforts, blending history with indulgence.
Luxury Travel is Conscious & Responsible
The definition of luxury travel is shifting towards responsibility, with discerning travelers now seeking experiences that prioritize sustainability, ethical practices, and a positive impact on the environment and local communities. Thoughtful design, eco-conscious operations, and meaningful connections with the destination, indulgence today must go hand-in-hand with social and environmental responsibility. This trend reflects a growing demand for luxury that leaves a lasting, positive legacy while delivering unparalleled comfort and exclusivity. Think about regenerative design where it results in a better site than when it was first found.Authenticity and strong sense of place are key design elements.Omni
Authentic Storytelling in Hospitality Design
In the design of new and renovated hotels, authenticity and a strong sense of place are key to enhancing the guest experience. Hospitality brands are turning to the unique stories of their locations, incorporating local culture and history into design elements. This narrative-driven approach ensures that every stay feels memorable and immersive, with the hotel’s character reflecting the destination’s essence.
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