Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/725964
DREAMSCAPES FALL 2016 58 TRAVEL GALLERY >> BY CYNTHIA DAVID DS F ollowing a 20-month, US$180-million renovation, the InterContinental New York Barclay has reopened in Midtown Manhattan. The reno preserved the historic railroad hotel's original 1920s elegance while adding expan- sive meeting spaces and a new Gin Parlour offering 88 premium gins and other spirits plus a locally sourced menu. The more open lobby leads to a spectacular new grand stair- case made of Carrara marble. The redesigned property also features 704 spacious guest rooms and suites reminiscent of a classic Park Avenue home. intercontinentalnybarclay.com T he new Visit Barbados website helps visitors plan the ultimate vacation. Virtual 360-degree views of the island make viewers want to hop on a plane immedi- ately. Useful information on tours and adventures make trip planning easy, while accommodation choices range from pic- turesque plantation houses and villas to quaint bed and breakfasts and award-winning five-star resorts. The revamped website is also rich in culture and history. Its launch corre- sponds with the nation's year-long celebration of 50 years of independence from Britain. VisitBarbados.org B ook early and save on a 2017 Trafalgar guided tour of Europe and Britain. New trips include the eight-day Rome Explorer, with its market visit and pasta-making class; an eight-day London Explorer with a visit to Royal Windsor Castle and Stonehenge plus dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Heddon Street Kitchen; and an 11-day Celtic Film- scapes vacation to famous movie and TV locations for Game of Thrones, Outlander and James Bond. Serious Outlander fans get their own 13-day guided vacation to Scottish locations in Diane Gabaldon's novels and the TV series and spend a night on the Isle of Skye. Meanwhile, Trafalgar's new 2017 USA, Canada and Central America program features 43 handcrafted itineraries that introduce guests to characters, storytellers and experts who bring their destinations to life. Experience ranch life with the Guinn family in Alberta's beautiful Kananaskis Country; admire the star-spangled sky over California's Sequoia National Park with an astronomer; fish for lobster with Captain John in Maine; and stay with the Quintana family at their eco-friendly hacienda in Costa Rica. trafalgar.com INTERCONTINENTAL NEW YORK BARCLAY BARBADOS TOURISM MARKETING INC. COURTESY TRAFALGAR B est Western Hotels & Resorts is changing the way guests see their hotels before they step on the prop- erty. With the immersive 360-degree Best Western Virtual Reality Experience, guests can now see the rooms, lobbies and amenities of hotels they're considering before making a decision. The company partnered with Google Street View to gather 1.7 million photos of its 2,200 North American hotels, then added narration and music. The videos are available on Google Maps, Google Search, YouTube and Facebook. bestwestern.com BEST WESTERN HOTELS & RESORTS