Arlo Hotels Decides Bigger Is Better Than Small

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at Arlo's shift to bigger rooms sizes, Montana tourism TikTok, and hotels' cultural managers. -Rashaad Jorden

From Berlin to Brussels, the night train renaissance gathers speed with the new European Sleeper

The latest capital-to-capital sleeper is one of Europe’s most eagerly awaited new routes – and connects London to Berlin in 16 hours In the beer gardens of Berlin, night trains are a conversation topic almost as hot as how to get the Berghain bouncers to let you into their nightclub. (“Be a single man, be ‘alright’-looking, don’t smile,” I’m told.) I’m in Prater Biergarten – the German capital’s oldest beer garden – reconnecting with a friend over pilsner and pretzels with butter injected into them. When I tell him I’m here to take the first European Sleeper to Brussels, perhaps the most hyped new route in the night train resurgence, he says he’s riding the same train next month. He tells me he feels guilty about taking loads of flights recently, so wants a less climate-crippling option. Plus, he says, “On a night train you can chill and just start drinking.” Continue reading...

Thailand Saw 1 Million Chinese Visitors From January to Mid-May

China's reopening has been a huge boon for tourism throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region, and destinations like Thailand are getting a major economic boost from Beijing finally easing its enormously strict travel restrictions. -Rashaad Jorden

Five European city breaks for art and culture on a budget

From classical opera in Kraków to outdoor sculpture in San Sebastián, here’s where to find great art, music and film without breaking the bank Across the Øresund strait from Copenhagen, Sweden’s most southerly and culturally diverse city has developed into the region’s art and music hub with an opera house, concert hall, its own symphony orchestra, a museum complex and a contemporary art scene. It’s also close to sandy beaches, has a dockland which is still gritty, and pleasant canals. Continue reading...

Amsterdam Mayor Acts to Decrease Tourism Nuisance in Red Light District

The initiative by Femke Halsema is a push towards improving conditions for sex workers and reducing crime and excessive use of drugs and alcohol. -Srividya Kalyanaraman

‘Astonishing, luminous beauty’: readers’ cultural highlights in Europe

The secrets to ancient Greek innovations, art in its rightful place, and gorgeous statues and views from Dublin to Albania Commissioned in the early 1600s by the Order of St John in Malta, Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, has been hung in St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, ever since. It is rare to view a painting in the space intended by the artist, in this case the Oratory, a place of prayer, rather than the modern exhibition hall. And so it felt an enormous privilege to experience this masterpiece, which is immense – 520 x 370cm – along with Caravaggio’s Saint Jerome Writing in the silence of the Oratory, and all for €15. Sara Godfrey Continue reading...

Qatar Airways Chief ‘Skeptical’ About 2050 Deadline for Net-Zero Emissions

Aviation's ability to reach its net-zero emissions goal by 2050 is a complex and challenging task. It demands significant advancements in technology, fuel supply, and industry-wide cooperation. In light of these formidable obstacles, the Qatar Airways Chief Executive's outlook is both understandable and warranted. -Peden Doma Bhutia