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Forbes
34 minutes ago
- Business
- Forbes
How A Tampa Bay Treasure Is Celebrating 100 Years
Even at the century mark, The Vinoy still looks great. The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection For a hotel to remain in business after 100 years, it means it has endured world wars, global pandemics and travelers' ever-changing needs. For a hotel to do it in Florida, it not only overcame those obstacles, but it dealt directly with natural disasters and had to work around Mickey Mouse's shadow. So, the fact that The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection, a sophisticated, salmon-toned hotel in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida, has been open since New Year's Eve 1925 is a cause for celebration. Find out why the milestone is the perfect opportunity to visit the property and its surrounding area. Every inch of the hotel tells a story. The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection The Vinoy looks like a structure you'd find along the Tuscan coast. The bold exterior color helps with that assertion, but so too does the Mediterranean Revival-style hotel's ceramic tiles, hand-painted cypress rafters and custom rocking chairs. The Tampa Bay property teeters between nuanced nostalgia and contemporary cool without leaning too heavily either way. Inside the hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, details are nearly as dashing. Stately white columns and wood-beam ceilings are but some of the bold touches in the grand lobby area. And more subtly, you'll find iron railings and indigenous foliage dotting the spaces. Over the years, spaces have been enhanced — when The Vinoy's leadership team called for a major renovation in 2023, the Rockwell Group architecture and design firm upgraded everything from the public spaces to the spa — but the same charm from a century ago can still be felt within the hallowed halls. Newly renovated rooms feel like elevated residences. The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection There are 354 rooms at The Vinoy. You owe it to yourself to reserve one that looks out to the North Yacht Basin and North Straub Park. Morning, noon or night, the scene is phenomenal. When you turn from the window to look inside your room, the views are almost as nice. The property's modern makeover called for units to receive fresh crown molding, art from painter Alicia LaChance and blue-patterned carpet that gives the appearance of a coastline. For our visit, we stayed in a newly renovated Historic Premium Room with Bayview. While far from the biggest accommodations (that distinction goes to the 1,420-square-foot Marina View Suite), it has a rattan and wood dresser, a couch and a mini fridge that gave the space an elevated residential feel. A bathroom awash in marble and scented with Ortigia Sicilia toiletries makes the 'home' that much more refined. The just-opened Elliott Aster is an elegant epicurean affair. Anthony Tahlier One of the property's commemorative gifts to its guests is Elliott Aster, a sophisticated brasserie that opened in May 2025. In a dining room filled with dark woods and muted golds, you'll nosh on flame-kissed wagyu strip and beef cheek tortelli while sipping on signature pours named Downtown St. Pete (bourbon, amaro, raspberry cordial and grapefruit) and Old Havana (rum, chile liqueur, Italian bitters, pineapple and lemon). Elliott Aster is the high-end culinary experience Vinoy visitors were missing. But the hotel understands that every night won't call for sports jackets and Lilly Pulitzer sweaters. For those more casual evenings, there's Paul's Landing. The indoor-outdoor eatery serves up juicy burgers, plump wings, cold beers and priceless peeks at the marina across the street. If you want to have some fun with your order, give the exquisitely blackened grouper sandwich a try. Skip any sweets Paul's Landing might have and head down to the ground-level Lottie. This cute, French-inspired counter specializes in coffee drinks and delicious desserts. Though all the creative confections in the glass display will catch your eye, the colorful macarons and fruit tarts are what you'll remember most. Bask in the pool, spa and other Vinoy treats. The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection With fun on the Vinoy's calendar in the summer (themed brunches) and winter holidays (Nutcracker High Tea), centennial-focused events will occur in 2026. Until they do, make the most of all the property regularly offers its guests. Explore the park and surrounding neighborhoods with a complimentary one-hour e-bike ride. Go on a docent-led hotel history tour that includes tea and pastries. And if that new putter is just itching to get out, make the six-minute drive over to Vinoy Golf Club for a round. Back at the hotel, be sure to reserve some time for Vinoy Spa. While always having one eye on the calendar — this summer, for example, there's a seasonal package with a 50-minute Manuka Honey Facial, a 50-minute aromatherapy massage with Himalayan stones and a food credit to the Parasol poolside eatery — the sanctuary's everyday menu offers a host of plant- and coastal-centric treatments like Marine Renewal, a body-balancing massage that uses Swedish techniques to blissfully renew and center. The bay is breathtaking from the pier. DeMarco Williams The scenes from your room are so special because you're just that close to the water. Before you can pull out your phone to order an Uber to the park, you will have already walked to it. Stroll along the bay for a few minutes and you'll run into St. Pete Pier, a family-friendly attraction with a big playground, a snack bar and a complimentary shuttle that circles the area. Keep walking until the pier ends, and you'll hit Teak. The seafood-focused restaurant's sesame-crusted salmon is good, but you'll want seconds of the bay views. Mosey over to the St. Petersburg Museum of History after your meal. The small but substantial attraction uses artifacts ('Pathway to Eternity: Life, Death and Afterlife'), photographs ('The American Soldier: Conflicts, Shipwrecks and Homefront'), excursions (Historic Civil Rights Trolley Tour) and other mediums to shed light on local history and global affairs. Just down the street from it is the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Housing an impressive collection of classics while also featuring strong temporary exhibits ('In Caravaggio's Light' will show from October to February), MFA makes a great afternoon detour. Coincidentally, the museum marks its 60th year in 2025, giving yet another reason to come to this quaint corner of Florida to properly celebrate.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ready for Takeoff: Your Digital Passport Is Cleared to Fly
Save your passport in Apple Wallet starting this fall. Your iPhone or Apple Watch can display it. It will only be accepted for domestic soon? Now Apple users can take a passport with them digitally. Digital identification is approved at select TSA checkpoints now that REAL ID has been implemented; in response, Apple recently announced that it will offer Digital ID when it rolls out iOS 26 this fall. This new feature will let Apple fans seamlessly create and add a digital ID to Apple Wallet using a U.S. passport. It can only be used for domestic travel; international travelers will still need to present a physical passport. There are also some limitations: The feature will require iPhone 8 or higher, iOS 16.5 or later in most states; California residents will need the iPhone XS or later and iOS 17.5 or later. Puerto Rican users will need iPhone XS and iOS 18.1 or higher. This feature will allow Apple Wallet to compete more effectively with Google Wallet, which recently announced support for both U.S. and U.K. a few limitations, Apple fans will be able to add U.S. passports to the Digital ID section of their Apple Wallets starting Fall 2025 with the release of iOS Master Apple Wallet: Add Boarding Passes for a Seamless Airport Experience Read the original article on Lifewire
Cision Canada
19 hours ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
BCAA Says Summer Travel Trends Mean Savings on Travel Insurance
- BCAA helps vacationers with tips to choose the right protection and save money BURNABY, BC, June 19, 2025 /CNW/ - BCAA says that the latest travel trends are leading to more vacationers seeking help to choose the right insurance for their trip. And the good news is that many are saving money by making the right choice. BCAA notes a decline in demand for US travel insurance while, at the same time, monthly sales of worldwide plans without coverage for US destinations are up as much as 18% as more people choose to take their trips further abroad. Sales of policies to cover trips within Canada are also up by more than 22%. "Higher costs of health care in the US mean travel insurance costs more," explains Alana Udovicic, BCAA Consumer Marketing Manager. "If you're venturing elsewhere, choosing a policy that excludes the US can save you 10-28% for a BCAA policy for example, and provide valuable protection." While travel insurance is essential for any trip that takes you outside of BC, BCAA is noticing that travellers are increasingly appreciating its value and importance for far flung destinations. As Udovicic notes, "The bigger the adventure, the more importance travellers are attaching to travel insurance that can deliver practical help should plans go awry." For those travelling further abroad to less familiar destinations and possibly communicating in unfamiliar languages, Udovicic advises looking for a travel insurance policy with benefits that offer maximum value and peace of mind. For example, 24/7 support and telehealth services for quick assessment and guidance to medical care in an emergency. Additionally, BCAA's Travel Delay +AutoPay instantly provides a cash payout by e-transfer when your flight is delayed, to help cover unexpected expenses like meals and essentials to make the wait more manageable. Other travel insurance tips that BCAA regularly shares with travellers include: Don't pay for coverage you don't need - a policy that excludes the US can be 10-28% cheaper. You typically don't need US coverage if you travel through the US for up to 5 days to reach a non-US destination. Always check with your insurer to confirm. Make travel insurance part of your trip planning. Buy early to ensure you're covered before a major weather event, airline strike, or other unforeseen circumstances that may affect your plans. For quick cash to make flight delays more manageable, choose Travel Delay +AutoPay. Remember to register your flight details right away to get an alert the moment a delay happens. Travel Delay +AutoPay works in Canada too! If you get stuck at a regional airport, BCAA will e-transfer cash to help you plan your next move. A 'Within Canada' travel insurance policy is low cost and protects you from out-of-province medical expenses not covered by MSP for domestic trips. About BCAA Driven by its purpose to move British Columbians forward, BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association) is a long-standing BC Top Employer (Mediacorp) and provides over 1 in 3 B.C. households with industry leading mobility and protection services including Membership, Insurance, Evo Car Share, Evolve E-Bike & E-Scooter Share, BCAA Auto Marketplace and Auto Service. BCAA invests in programs and initiatives to make a positive impact by protecting the people and province of BC, recognizing that the place we call home is all of ours to protect. BCAA holds itself accountable to its purpose by setting goals related to its impact on People, the Planet and Prosperity, and sharing results in its annual Impact Report.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Young and the Restless Spoilers Preview June 16: Sparkly Fly En Route To Europe
For the Tuesday, June 16, episode of The Young and the Restless, spoilers photos show the Genoa City crowd begins to gather as they await the meeting with Dumas. The trip overseas to meet the mysterious Dumas hits everyone a bit differently. For Billy (Jason Thompson) and Sally (Courtney Hope), they are less concerned about the man of the hour than they are about romancing each other. They take this party as a personal vacation and turn up the heat as they enjoy the stunning views. MORE: Find out what happens next on Y&R. Sharon (Sharon Case) and Nick (Joshua Morrow) also enjoy their time away. The food, the atmosphere, all of it is designed to have them smiling ear to ear. They better enjoy the peace and tranquility while it lasts, though, because this is clearly the calm before the storm. As for the Abbotts, they'll have Audra (Zuleyka Silver) aboard their private jet as the speed away to their destination. This could become a sticky situation for Kyle (Michael Mealor). Having Audra this close is dangerous in more ways than one, especially since she's set on seducing him! MORE: Will this party end in disaster? Read our wild prediction! After the Abbott jet lands, they'll join the crowd and be ushered into he venue by Dumas's right hand man. Is all this pomp and circumstance supposed to impress them? Well, yes. And, it seems to be working since everyone in attendance so far are wide eyed with wonder. Check out Soap Hub Says episode 6.
LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
MEA adds extra flights to Paris and Cairo
Middle East Airlines (MEA) announced the addition of one extra flight each to Paris and Cairo. Check the flight schedule here.
