Let me cut to the chase: I’ve never been particularly good at New Year’s resolutions.
Between the perennial push to become a morning gym person and the annual quest for more personal zen and inner peace, I always wind up with enough goals to fill a scroll worthy of an Angie K.–Meredith Marks fact-checking showdown (Real Housewives of Salt Lake City fans, that one was for you). I’m usually exhausted by it all by Valentine’s Day — at best.
(Luxury Travel Advisor)
But I’m giving 2026 the old college try, for a few very good reasons.
As our cover proudly declares, it’s both a new year and a new era for one of the biggest names in travel. The Waldorf Astoria New York returned late last year in more spectacular fashion than ever, and we were lucky enough to stay and experience the much-ballyhooed comeback of The Greatest of Them All. Our cover story digs into the who-knows-how-much renovation (Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta isn’t sharing a price tag, but it certainly delivered a billion-dollar sleep) and what the Waldorf’s revival says about the future of American hospitality, including a conversation with historian David Freeland on how the hotel became a beacon of American luxury in the first place.
Elsewhere in this issue, new Luxury Travel Advisor contributor Elyse Glickman takes us to Diriyah in a fascinating, deeply reported look at traveling through the birthplace of the House of Saud — bringing a thoughtful, clear-eyed perspective to a destination still redefining how it presents itself to the world. Erica Silverstein gets you ready to book your next sailing as she breaks down everything new and noteworthy coming to cruise this year — hello, Orient Express Corinthian and Four Seasons Yachts. And the hotel snob known as, well, me is here to report on what it’s like taking a cruise for the very first time. Given that it was aboard Explora Journeys, I’ll offer a spoiler: It wasn’t exactly a tough assignment.
Mary Winston Nicklin transports us to Barcelona in a can’t-put-down feature that may have you wondering whether your next visit should turn into a residency in this coastal Catalan slice of heaven. Rounding out the issue, Emily Goldfischer tackles South Florida’s most enduring luxury debate (The Breakers or The Boca Raton?) and leaves it to you to decide once you’ve read her tale.
Thanks for starting your year with us. Here’s hoping we’re all still sticking to our resolutions by the time the next issue lands.
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