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Travel + Leisure
an hour ago
- Travel + Leisure
Exclusive: Paris Hilton Says This U.S. Resort Is One of Her 'Favorite Places on Earth'—Plus Her Go-to Room Service Order
For Paris Hilton, family traditions and luxury hotels go hand in hand. Over the last two years, the iconic world traveler has been posting stunning photo albums of her young family's stays at the Grand Wailea in Maui for their holiday vacations on social media, sharing that it's been a family tradition since she was two years old, with her sister, Nikki Hilton, chiming in: 'Favorite hotel.' So what makes the Grand Wailea—a Waldorf Astoria Resort and one of the premier Hilton properties—the Hilton sisters' favorite? Paris Hilton talked with Travel + Leisure earlier this month, revealing why the resort means so much to her family, including husband Carter Reum and their young children, son Phoenix and daughter London. 'Grand Wailea is one of my favorite places on Earth. It's just so beautiful and peaceful. The second we land, I feel like I can just relax and get away from it all,' Hilton shared with T+L. 'It's become such a special place for my family. London actually took her very first steps there, which I'll never forget. Now it's where we make new memories together, and that means everything to me.' Aerial view of the Grand Wailea in Maui. Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Choosing to spend Christmas and New Year's at Grand Wailea is not just 'sliving the dream' for Hilton; it also means she has experienced the transformation of the resort throughout its multi-year, $500 million renovation, which included the debut of the 50,000-square-foot Kilolani Spa, newly appointed guest rooms and suites, and wellness collaborations with Erewhon and The Biostation, culminating with the opening of the first Nobu restaurant on Maui in early May. Hilton launched skincare brand Parivie this May, so she's naturally a fan of the state-of-the-art super-spa, which integrates Native Hawaiian moon rituals in its treatments. So far, she has indulged in two signature treatments. 'The new spa is amazing. I had the Lomi Lomi Massage and a facial that left my skin glowing,' she said. 'I've always been super into skincare, especially now with launching Parivie, so I love when a spa really gets it.' Paris and her daughter London celebrating New Year's at the Grand Wailea. Hilton says she appreciates the other upgrades at Grand Wailea, too. 'It's gotten even more gorgeous over the years. I love how it still feels warm and relaxed, but now with these really beautiful, elevated details. And I'm so proud of my friend Melissa Wood-Tepperberg. Seeing her MWH workouts featured on the in-room TVs at the resort is so cool. She's such a beautiful soul and has built something so inspiring,' she shared. 'As a mom, I appreciate how easy it is to be at the resort with kids—they're having fun, and I still get to relax. When we're there, we love just hanging out by the pool, going on beach walks, and snuggling up for family movie nights.' First thing you do when you check in? Take a mirror selfie and check out the view. In-room essentials? My full Parivie skincare routine, my pink silk sleep mask, and my iPad loaded with baby videos. Go-to room service order? Truffle fries and green juice. Favorite lounging outfits? Velour tracksuit or a soft matching set—always cozy. Best thing about staying in a hotel? It feels like a reset: calm, cozy, and a little magical. Any Paris-inspired hotel partnerships in the works? We're working on some exciting ideas right now that I can't share just yet, but let's just say I'm dreaming big. And we're definitely looking into ways to bring Parivie into Hilton hotels soon. That would be such a dream come true. Interior of the Stay Like an Infinite Icon Suites at The Beverly Hilton/11:11 Media Of course, the international influencer and hotel scion—who has partnered with Hilton's 'It Matters Where You Stay' advertising campaign since it launched in 2022, in collaboration with her own 11:11 Media company–has a few other must-stay hotels on her list. As part of the campaign and to celebrate her 'Infinite Icon' album release last fall, she collaborated with The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on the creation of Paris-inspired 'Stay Like An Infinite Icon' pink-on-pink suites. And, while you might think that Paris, France, would hold a special place in her heart, it turns out that it's another city across the pond that truly calls to her. 'London is my favorite city. It's where I feel most inspired, and of course, we named our daughter London,' Hilton told T+L. 'I love the London Hilton Park Lane. It's classic, elegant, and feels like a true home away from home.' Paris, her husband Carter Reum, and their children Phoenix and London in front of the London Hilton on Park Lane. Another longtime personal favorite: Waldorf Astoria New York, which Hilton recently toured with Gayle King for CBS Morning News ahead of its eagerly anticipated grand reopening this summer. 'It's such an iconic building. It was so great getting to chat with Gayle. She is amazing, and we talked about so many beautiful memories,' Hilton said about her times living in the flagship hotel, laughing about her escapades sneaking out to hit hotspots in the city that never sleeps when she was young. 'I've spent so much of my life in hotels—they're a huge part of my story.' Paris poses with Gayle King during their visit to the recently reopened Waldorf Astoria New York. Over the years, Hilton says she has perfected her hotel rituals. Her go-to hotel tips as a new mom are 'unpack right away, bring some familiar little extras for the kids, and stick to your routine.' To make her family's hotel suites feel more like home, 'I always set up my skincare and makeup right when I arrive. I like having a little glam station.' Like most of us, Hilton also admits that one of her hotel habits is lounging in her hotel robe. 'I pretty much live in the hotel robe as much as possible.' While slaying her stay and nonstop traveling with her family in tow has become a way of life for Hilton, she says she doesn't take anything for granted. "I am grateful to be in this era of my life— getting to travel, spend time with my family, and create new traditions. Truly feeling like a 'Sliving Mom!''
Skift
an hour ago
- Skift
What if Airbnb Builds the Killer AI Travel Search App?
Airbnb is hiring an engineer for an AI-powered natural language search product. If the tech delivers, it could create new creative pressure in shaping how people choose where to go and stay. Airbnb is preparing to rebuild its internal search engine with generative AI at the core. In a recent job posting for a search infrastructure engineer, the company outlined plans for a 'next generation search platform' designed to support 'generative AI (large language model) use cases.' Candidates with expertise in search and recommendation systems are encouraged to apply, and experience with GenAI or LLMs is listed as a preferred qualification. Search is one of the most critical components of Airbnb's business. It determines how guests discover homes and experiences, and how hosts reach customers. And while Airbnb has not made any public announcements about an AI-native search product, the technical scope and job description point to ambitions beyond incremental improvements. The listing suggests Airbnb is looking to reconstruct its core search product to accommodate AI. The new platform is described as one that will 'power different products at Airbnb,' suggesting that generative AI could become a foundational layer across the company's marketplace. In response to a request for comment, an Airbnb spokesperson said the company is 'always working to enhance the overall Airbnb experience' and is 'actively seeking talented individuals who share our mission to transform the way people travel.' Give Me a Room With a View If Airbnb succeeds in launching a functional AI-powered search system, the move could change how travelers interact with the platform. Traditional travel search engines rely on structured inputs: location, dates, price filters, and a fixed set of amenities. Generative AI has the potential to interpret natural language queries, understand user context, and return relevant results with fewer steps and less manual sorting. For example, instead of filtering by location and bedroom count, a guest might enter a query such as 'a quiet place in the mountains with fast Wi-Fi, a hot tub, and a view' – and receive listings that match even if the keywords don't align exactly. Several other travel companies have begun integrating AI tools into their platforms, including chat-based trip planning assistants and personalization features. When Data is King But Airbnb may be in a stronger position than some of its competitors to make that shift. The company has access to a large volume of structured and unstructured data: millions of listings with detailed attributes, user-generated reviews, booking behavior, search history, and messaging between hosts and guests. This data could support the training or fine-tuning of models capable of delivering more personalized and accurate search outcomes. Airbnb also owns its entire supply-side platform. Unlike online travel agencies that depend on inventory from third-party providers and hotel chains, Airbnb's listings are user-generated and directly managed on its system. That vertical integration provides a cleaner dataset and more flexibility in how results are ranked and surfaced, key advantages for any machine learning application. The introduction of a new AI-native search system could also create competitive pressure in the broader travel sector. Google, Booking Holdings, and Expedia Group have all made recent announcements about generative AI experiments, including itinerary generation and trip planning tools. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has previously hinted at AI's potential role in product discovery, referring in past earnings calls to a vision of Airbnb as a kind of intelligent travel concierge. A generative AI system could take that vision further, allowing for contextual, conversational discovery that adapts to different user intents in real time. The company has not disclosed what timeline it is working toward, what specific models it may be using, or whether it intends to partner with external AI vendors or develop proprietary solutions. The job posting does not mention OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or any of the major LLM providers by name. Beyond the Short-Term Rental What if Airbnb is thinking bigger than site search? There's a huge world of travel beyond short-term rental listings and its new experiences product. Airbnb's focus on design and its ability to attract talent put it in a position to compete in ways that other travel brands can't. Chesky also has a strong relationship with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. They've known each other since the 2000s, first at Y Combinator, the startup accelerator. And Altman has talked about the counsel Chesky gave him at OpenAI. Airbnb has always had ambitions beyond booking a room, and the focus on AI search will help it compete against players like Expedia when it comes to airline search or any other part of the travel journey.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
I'm a travel expert, and this is why I'm not getting the Citi Strata Elite card
CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through our affiliate partners if you apply and are approved for a product, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit to learn more. Citi is launching the new Citi Strata Elite credit card, its contender at the high end of the market for travel rewards credit cards. The offering, which competes directly with The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, charges an annual fee of $595. That fee is the lowest of the three, compared to an annual fee of $695 for the Amex Platinum and $795 for the Sapphire Reserve. While those are eye-popping sums, the cards offer benefits and credits that can add up to more value for card holders than the cost of the annual fees. And does that go for the Citi Strata Elite as well? It can, depending on what you value and spend money on. Credit cards should always be considered in terms of the value they bring you, which is, of course, subjective. Below, we'll describe the perks of the Citi Strata Elite card, and why they're not enough to get me to switch away from the Chase Sapphire Reserve as my premium travel rewards card. We'll also tell you why the Strata Elite, while it doesn't work for me, may be a good choice for you. The Citi Strata Elite card has an annual fee of $595, but Citigold® Private Client and Citigold® clients will pay less. The former, who maintain a minimum combined average monthly balance of at least $1,000,000 in eligible linked deposit, retirement and investment accounts, receive a $595 credit the first year — making the card effectively free — and a $145 credit toward the fee each year. Citigold clients who have at least $200,000 in those same assets with Citi get a $145 annual credit. The size of your welcome bonus will depend on where you apply for the card. New customers who apply online and are approved for the Citi Strata Elite can earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account. But it's better to apply at a Citi retail branch, because if you do that and are approved, your bonus will be a huge 100,000 points. Even at the lower end, that's enough to fly to Europe or Asia in business class. The card's points earnings are relatively high in some categories: 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on 6 points on air travel booked on 6 points at restaurants, including delivery services, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET; 3 points any other time. 1.5 points on all other purchases. There's one big caveat here: The best returns are reserved for bookings made on the Citi Travel portal. You won't get good returns for buying directly from travel providers, such as airlines and hotels. Booking from a third party, like a card issuer's portal, doesn't get you the same protections or flexibility in case of disruptions, though. With hotels, you won't get points with the hotel's loyalty program or have any elite status recognized either. This can be a major crippling factor for many when considering the Citi Strata Elite. The boosted weekend dining rewards are a refreshing perk in the world of rewards cards, and earning 1.5 points per dollar on everyday purchases outpaces the standard 1 point per dollar offered by competing cards. Still, the need to go through the portal for those great travel earnings is a big downside. Unlike the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Citi Strata Elite doesn't require you to keep track of as many different credits. Yet those credits can amount to $700, more than the annual fee, if you use them all in full: Up to $300 annual hotel benefit: Every calendar year, you'll get up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel. Up to $200 Annual Splurge Credit: Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to two merchants among five (1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation). Up to $200 Blacklane credit: Every calendar year, up to $200 in statement credits with Blacklane, a global chauffeur service (up to $100 January through June and up to $100 July through December). Every four years, you'll also receive a statement credit up to $120 as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Another useful benefit for travelers are the four day passes per calendar year to American Airlines Admirals Club® airport lounges. A day pass for flyers who don't qualify for access otherwise costs $79, so four passes are worth $316. As a frequent flyer, I love Priority Pass lounges, found all over the world, and the Strata Elite delivers on this front too. The card comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, giving card holders and authorized users (who can be added for a $75 annual fee) complimentary access to more than 1,500 lounges. This includes up to two guests. Since that level of Priority Pass membership costs $469 annually, this is another great benefit. You also get access to The Reserve by Citi Travel, a collection of 4.5- and 5-star hotels on the Citi Travel platform. When booking one of them with the card on the portal, you'll get a daily complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, a $100 experience credit (varies by property) and early check-in, late checkout and room upgrades, subject to availability. In a major win for American Airlines loyalists, the Strata Elite becomes the only credit card that lets users transfer ThankYou points to AAdvantage miles at a 1:1 ratio — something previously only possible through hotel programs like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. Transferring points to an airline partner is generally the way to extract the most value, and this feature opens up myriad ways to fly on American or its partners using credit card points. It's a huge development. Even better, the ability to transfer points to American applies to card holders of the much less expensive Citi Strata Premier® Card, with an annual fee of $95. Those with the legacy Citi Prestige card, which is no longer open to applications, can transfer points to American too. Given those benefits, plus the ability to transfer points to American Airlines, why am I not rushing to get the Citi Strata Elite, even though I am a flyer who covers 100,000 miles in an average year? It's simple. I have other cards that get me similar top-tier benefits or earn more on everyday basics. My premium card will remain the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which, even with its $795 annual fee, gives me usable credits that bring the fee down to essentially zero. It earns less than the Strata Elite on travel, with 4 points per dollar on flights and hotels but doesn't require booking through a third-party portal. The Citi Double Cash, our benchmark card for everyday expenses, earns 2 points per dollar on everything, for no annual fee. That's a 33% better return than the Strata Elite on everyday spending. If you aren't concerned about booking travel on a third-party portal, the Citi Strata Elite's high earning rates on flights and hotels are hard to beat. This is a great card for people who dine out on weekends too. No other card earns 6 points per dollar on dining, and if you do most of your restaurant spending on Friday and Saturday nights, the Strata Elite will reap vastly more points on that than the competition. Take stock of the card's overall benefits to see if it makes sense for you. If you spend at one or more of the five merchants offering what Citi calls 'Splurge Credit,' for example, you've essentially got $200 more in your pocket just from using the Strata Elite to pay. Add to that the other perks of the card related to goods or services you would purchase anyway, and see if the combined value at least equals the annual fee. Besides the Sapphire Reserve, the Amex Platinum is another card worth considering for frequent flyers since it earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. It also offers benefits that can offset the $695 annual fee. Another great alternative is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, with an annual fee of $395. Like the Strata Elite, it offers its highest points earnings when booking through the issuer's own travel portal, but makes for an excellent daily driver as well, with 2 points per dollar on all spending. Add to that several high-end benefits that travelers value, like top elite status with Hertz, and you have a winner. A great combo to maximize points earnings would be the Citi Strata Premier plus Citi Double Cash, with just $95 in annual fees. The Double Cash would earn 2 points per dollar on all spending, while the Premier would earn 3 points on flights, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations. So, if you travel often or want to, by all means, consider the Citi Strata Elite card — just be aware that a card with such a high annual fee makes sense only for people who utilize enough of its many perks to make the cost worthwhile. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
