Rafael Nadal's New Caribbean Hotel, Europe's Top Wine Destinations And More Travel News
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Meliá Hotels International
In 2023, a year before he retired from tennis, Rafael Nadal prepared for life after the sport by launching the Zel hospitality brand with Meliá Hotels. This month, after opening properties in Mallorca and Spain's Costa Brava, the 22-time Grand Slam champion is serving up his third hotel—Zel Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The 190-suite property has eight restaurants, a spa, beach club and, yes, plenty of tennis courts. 'I have been traveling for 20-something years,' Nadal told Forbes Travel Guide at the hotel's opening. 'I have been lucky enough to visit, probably, the best hotels in the world, and I learned what I like and what I don't like. It's a completely different experience [now].'
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air france
This spring, Air France is upgrading its first class service, La Première, on selected flights between Paris and New York's JFK. The new suites measure 38 square feet, feature the longest bed in the air (at 6.5 feet) and span five windows to flood side suites with natural light. (The shades also have translucent and blackout options.) Two 32-inch 4K screens will offer 1,500 hours of entertainment viewable from the suite's seat or its chaise longue. As for the cuisine, Dominique Crenn, a three Michelin-starred chef and owner of Atelier Crenn and Bar Crenn in San Francisco provides several options on flights departing the U.S.; another three-star chef Emmanuel Renaut of Flocons de Sel restaurant in Megève creates dishes for flights leaving from Paris.
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Paul Allen/Andfotography2
There are many reasons to visit Europe this summer, but great wine makes all of them better. Europe's Best Destinations has just released its list of Europe's best wine destinations for 2025, having surveyed more than 280,000 wine lovers from 92 countries. This year, Plovdiv, Bulgaria —with a 5,000-year tradition of making wine—was named Europe's top wine capital while Spain's La Rioja and Bordeaux, France rounded out the top three.
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getty
Those thinking about a second passport should consider how powerful it is—meaning how many countries does it allow a bearer to visit visa-free? According to a new report by Astons, the global investment immigration company, Spain has the world's most powerful passport for 2025, with visa-free access to 177 countries, followed closely by Greece, France, Italy, Germany and 10 other nations tied with entry to 176.
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Courtesy of Apukka Resort / Visit Finland
If they seem a little smug in Helsinki right now, perhaps it's because Finland was named the world's happiest country for the eighth year in a row. The 2025 World Happiness Report ranks more than 140 countries based on a number of factors, including life expectancy, freedom from corruption, and generosity. The other Nordic countries are also on top of the world this year, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden filling out the top four and the Netherlands ranking fifth. The United States hit a new low in 2025, dropping to 24th, but cheer up, Americans, there's still a lot of real estate to go before we hit bottom—Afghanistan is ranked 147th.
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