Conde Nast Traveler May/June 2019

Endless flights and evolving sceneries are part of everyday life for travel photographer Kirsten Alana. She’s rested her head on hundreds of hotel pillows, and knows that it can be a challenge to feel at home on the road. That’s why, second to her passport, Kirsten’s Capital One® Venture® card is key to getting her from here to there, starting with redeeming unlimited miles on any flight, any airline. Just like capturing the perfect photograph, a special hotel stay is a sensory experience meant to be shared. For Kirsten, first impressions begin at the moment of check-in: “It’s a combination of the light, the artwork, and of course, the scent that sets the tone. I love when it comes from fresh-cut flowers or a sea breeze through the windows.” This welcoming energy…

ASA BUTTERFIELD The Globetrotter (p. 130) “I found this really cool board-game bar in Tokyo with some friends. You pay about $13 to spend an hour there—it’s all you can drink and all you can play. There are also televisions everywhere with various consoles and video games such as Super Smash Bros. I loved that place.” Butterfield stars in Netflix’s Sex Education YARA SHAHIDI The Actor on the Move (p. 36) “I spent a month studying at Oxford; it was a total immersion in education. I didn’t expect to meet people of such different backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities. I thoroughly enjoyed being in that environment, where everyone arrived with their own unique experiences.” Shahidi is an activist and stars in Grown-ish REBECCA MISNER Break the Rules (p. 114) “The Marshall Store, a seafood shack on…

“And so,” the concierge said, “as you can see from this piece of paper, the boat leaves every half an hour.” We looked at the sheet. Alongside the name and address of our hotel in Venice, it was crammed with endless lines of multitudinous numbers. “Every half an hour a boat leaves,” he repeated, dragging his finger across the page. “Except here,” he exclaimed, suddenly stabbing at a part in the middle. “Here is not every half an hour. You see here it is different?” He paused for effect, looking at us, eyes wide like train tunnels on a moonless night. “Here it is every hour, not, not, not…,” he warned, clicking his tongue, “Not half.” With that he proceeded to nod his head like a Texas oil drill. Later,…

Two in One Officially opened in December 2018, the new resort is the product of a unique partnership between MGM Resorts and the boutique-focused Sydell Group. And with two distinct hotel options under one roof, it truly delivers the best of both worlds. Park MGM is the epitome of modern luxury on a grand scale, with 2,700 spacious guest rooms and suites. NoMad Las Vegas, with 293 rooms occupying the top four floors, recreates the intimate European vibe of its namesake properties in New York and LA. Whichever hotel you choose, you’ll find yourself relaxing and socializing in stylish, thoughtfully curated spaces; relishing authentic experiences large and small. Matters of Taste Park MGM has enlisted a dream team of chefs and innovators to ensure its status as a culinary destination. NoMad Restaurant delivers…

THE STREET-STYLE LOVE-IN It was powerhouse Louis Vuitton that kicked off the streetwear-crossover obsession with its hugely successful collab with skate brand Supreme. Then there was the incredibly well-marketed tie-in between buttoned-up Ralph Lauren and cult label Palace, whose sweaters and brightly patterned pajamas sold out in minutes last winter, as well as, earlier this year, 120-year-old luggage brand Rimowa’s dreamy line of roll-aboards with L.A.-based mixed-media artist Alex Israel. Meanwhile, the collaboration between Brit punk maven Vivienne Westwood and sports champ Asics landed in April. This mash-up of off-duty cool and old-school fashion heritage isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Even Paris’s Champs-Élysées, ground zero for luxury brands, is catching on. Alongside the avenue’s Chanels and Diors, France’s first hip-hop-inspired streetwear label, Homecore, is selling its sneakers and beanies inside a…

It’s tempting after deep-creeping through a cool surfer’s Instagram account to fantasize about packing it all in and moving to a hammock-heavy beach town. But what about those of us who don’t know how to catch waves? Life can certainly be rough for the landlubbing hoi polloi. Thankfully, a new crop of surf hotels that are as much about the lifestyle as they are about the waves is changing that. “Surfing has always been about the siren call of the subculture, about finding these hidden corners of the earth and having magical moments when you get there—and we want to help travelers have those moments, whether they’re surfers or not,” says Ryder Thomas, the founder of surf-lifestyle hybrid Pegasus Lodges. His spots are located on the most remote breaks all…