The Hotel Wellness Strategies That Work

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at hotels and wellness profits, Viator and GetYourGuide comps, and evolving in-flight entertainment. -Rashaad Jorden

‘More work in fewer hours’: LA’s hotel workers detail backbreaking conditions

Striking employees, who accuse the hotels of cutting staff levels and increasing workloads, want an immediate $5 hourly raise Thousands of southern California hotel workers have gone on strike over the holiday weekend, pushing for better wages in one of the most expensive metro areas in the US. About 15,000 cleaners, cooks, cloakroom attendants, front desk agents, bellmen, servers and dishwashers were picketing across Los Angeles and Orange counties. During one of the busiest tourist weekends in the region, workers are demanding wage increases amid a spiraling cost-of-living crisis in the region. Continue reading...

ASEAN Summit Boosts Foreign Tourism to Indonesia

There is increasing competition in Southeast Asia to attract foreign visitors to its shores. While the Philippines is actively embracing the belief that love is a driving force in the world as it faces increasing competition in the tourism industry, Indonesia saw a 9.21% increase in foreign visitors compared to the previous month. -Srividya Kalyanaraman

Coves, cobblestones and pastry shops: a walking tour of north-western Sicily

A self-guided holiday across this wild, beguiling corner of the island offers up a subtropical landscape, incredible old buildings and crystal-clear waters There’s something immensely satisfying about being able to see the point you’re aiming for on a long hike. Far below Erice, a hilltop town in north-west Sicily, I can make out the arc of Trapani on the coast – my target, three hours away by foot. Paths wind down the hillside, past wild flowers and giant cacti, the city looming ever larger, its buildings a palette of pastel pinks and greys that blend into the surrounding salt flats and ocean. I’d come to explore north-western Sicily on a self-guided walking holiday, staying in small, family-run hotels and covering an average of 10km a day. Closer to north Africa than the Italian mainland, it’s a starkly beautiful and wild region, with multi-layered history thanks to myriad invaders over the centuries. Continue reading...

10 of the best hotels and inns in Wales

From dramatic Snowdonia to a vineyard in Glamorgan, the best places to stay on a Welsh weekend away Often overlooked for the Pembrokeshire coastline, the Gower boasts some of the UK’s most spectacular beaches, including Rhossili, Oxwich and Three Cliffs Bay. The King Arthur is set inland, but has a fantastic position overlooking the village green, with locals and visitors massing on sunny days to create an almost festival atmosphere. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with hearty portions of pies, burgers and chilli as perfect post-walk or post-swim fuel, and an excellent selection of real ales and Welsh liqueurs. Doubles from £85 B&B; kingarthurhotel.co.uk Continue reading...

Hotels See Minibar Profits in Beauty Products

The hotel minibar is becoming a stale concept. So substituting beer and chips for self-care alternatives has a promising trajectory. -Sean O'Neill

‘Everyone I met was lovely’: readers’ favourite student trips

Our winning tipster splashes out in Berlin, while road trips in the Balkans and Canada provide great student travel memories It has to be Berlin. During a month-long summer trip in the late noughties, I fell in love with Kreuzberg’s €2 kebabs, cheap pilsner and vibrant street art. I strolled through leafy Prenzlauer Berg, home to endless coffee, cake and culture. This city has whatever food you could possibly want (currywurst is a must – meat, veggie or otherwise, big and budget-friendly). But the highlight was taking a train out to the stunning lake Wannsee. We packed a picnic, stripped off, sank our toes in the sand and swam, swam, swam until the canalside clubs began calling our name. Jessica Cole Continue reading...