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Remember these Miami hotels? See the changes through the years

Remember these Miami hotels? See the changes through the years

Miami Herald20-05-2025
Travel Remember these Miami hotels? See the changes through the years
Nothing stays the same at Miami's luxury hotels.
The iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach is adding a five-story convention center and has previously revamped its pool area and towers while preserving its signature MiMo curves.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne is closed for a $100 million renovation, planning to upgrade guest rooms, restaurants and the spa while keeping its unique mix of condos and resort accommodations.
Meanwhile, the Mandarin Oriental will be torn down and replaced by new condo and resort towers, marking the end of an era.
Up the coast, Acqualina Resort & Residences in Sunny Isles Beach has gained national acclaim, winning major awards for its Mediterranean villa style and high-end service.
The Fontainebleau Hotel rises at the former Firestone Estate, Miami Beach. In 1954 photo, the old Harvey Firestone home is still standing in the shadow of the new $14 million building. The magnate's estate eventually gave way to a swimming pool and landscaped gardens patterned after Versailles.
NO. 1: MIAMI BEACH'S FONTAINEBLEAU LOOKED LIKE THAT? SEE HOW THE LANDMARK HOTEL HAS CHANGED
The lobby. The pool area. The curves. Wow. | Published July 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archive
Open to Beach and Sea at Acqualina
NO. 2: THIS RESORT NEAR MIAMI BEACH WAS AWARDED BEST WATERFRONT HOTEL, BEATING OUT HAWAII
See which Miami-Dade County luxury hotel wins new international competition. | Published March 28, 2024 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha
Hotel Mandarin Oriental, Miami
NO. 3: SEE CELEBRITIES AND GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THIS MIAMI LUXURY HOTEL THAT IS DISAPPEARING
Actors promoted their movies here. | Published December 24, 2024 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives
Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne to close in May as owner, developer Gencom, starts renovation. More than 400 employees will be laid off.
NO. 4: WHAT WILL RITZ-CARLTON KEY BISCAYNE LOOK LIKE AFTER A $100M REDO? SEE THE PLANS
When will it open? What will be new? | Published May 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
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This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World
This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World

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This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World

Here's another reason to bring the whole family to Points A new study ranked 117 global airports on family-friendly amenities like play areas, nursing rooms, stroller rentals, and security options. Several U.S. airports made the full list, but none cracked the top 20—Memphis International (MEM) ranked highest at No. with small children is no walk in the park, even under the best of circumstances. But as families on the go know, not all airports are created equal—and a new study set out to find the 10 most family-friendly airports in the world. British stroller company iCandy recently released its Little Flyers Index, which examined 117 airports around the world and ranked them according to their kid-friendliness. Scores were determined based on factors that parents care about the most: the number of restaurants available, the number of children's play areas, the number of breastfeeding and nursing rooms, rentable strollers, family-friendly security lines, and the number of passengers who fly from the airport each year. Each airport was then given a score out of 100. After crunching the numbers, Spain's Menorca Airport (MAH), located on the Mediterranean coast, came out on top with a score of 95. This small airport has four children's play areas, three nursing rooms, eight dining options, and a smaller number of annual passengers, making it easier to navigate than other airports. The second airport in the top ten, Latvia's Riga Airport (AIX), has 12 restaurants, three play areas, four nursing rooms, rentable strollers, and family-friendly security. Third on the list is the Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) in Poland, which has 25 restaurants, three play areas, 19 nursing rooms, rentable strollers, and family-friendly security options. Here are the 10 best family-friendly airports in the world, according to the study: Menorca Airport, Spain Riga International Airport, Latvia Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Canada Oslo Airport (OSL), Norway Istanbul Airport (IST), Turkey Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS), France London Luton Airport (LTN), U.K. Munich Airport (MUC), Germany Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Denmark Several U.S. airports appeared on the complete Little Flyer Index, but none made the top 20. The highest ranking U.S. airport is the Memphis International Airport (MEH) in Tennessee, in the 23rd spot. For parents planning a family-friendly vacation, airports that offer amenities designed for young children can be a major game-changer. Spending a layover at an airport with a play area could mean the difference between a totally peaceful second leg of a journey or a total toddler meltdown. A nursing station could mean the difference between a pain-free journey and fumbling in a dirty bathroom stall with an infant, a suitcase, and zero patience. Hopefully, more airports will catch on, and there will be just as many play areas as we do vending machines for eyebrow pencils. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Solve the daily Crossword

This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World
This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World

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This Is the Most Family-friendly Airport in the World

A new study ranked 117 global airports on family-friendly amenities like play areas, nursing rooms, stroller rentals, and security options. Several U.S. airports made the full list, but none cracked the top 20—Memphis International (MEM) ranked highest at No. 23. Traveling with small children is no walk in the park, even under the best of circumstances. But as families on the go know, not all airports are created equal—and a new study set out to find the 10 most family-friendly airports in the world. British stroller company iCandy recently released its Little Flyers Index, which examined 117 airports around the world and ranked them according to their kid-friendliness. Scores were determined based on factors that parents care about the most: the number of restaurants available, the number of children's play areas, the number of breastfeeding and nursing rooms, rentable strollers, family-friendly security lines, and the number of passengers who fly from the airport each year. Each airport was then given a score out of 100. After crunching the numbers, Spain's Menorca Airport (MAH), located on the Mediterranean coast, came out on top with a score of 95. This small airport has four children's play areas, three nursing rooms, eight dining options, and a smaller number of annual passengers, making it easier to navigate than other airports. The second airport in the top ten, Latvia's Riga Airport (AIX), has 12 restaurants, three play areas, four nursing rooms, rentable strollers, and family-friendly security. Third on the list is the Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) in Poland, which has 25 restaurants, three play areas, 19 nursing rooms, rentable strollers, and family-friendly security options. Exterior of the Menorca Airport on the Spanish island of Menorca. Jan VanHere are the 10 best family-friendly airports in the world, according to the study: Menorca Airport, Spain Riga International Airport, Latvia Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Canada Oslo Airport (OSL), Norway Istanbul Airport (IST), Turkey Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS), France London Luton Airport (LTN), U.K. Munich Airport (MUC), Germany Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Denmark Several U.S. airports appeared on the complete Little Flyer Index, but none made the top 20. The highest ranking U.S. airport is the Memphis International Airport (MEH) in Tennessee, in the 23rd spot. For parents planning a family-friendly vacation, airports that offer amenities designed for young children can be a major game-changer. Spending a layover at an airport with a play area could mean the difference between a totally peaceful second leg of a journey or a total toddler meltdown. A nursing station could mean the difference between a pain-free journey and fumbling in a dirty bathroom stall with an infant, a suitcase, and zero patience. Hopefully, more airports will catch on, and there will be just as many play areas as we do vending machines for eyebrow pencils.

Controversy over how to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
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Controversy over how to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine

The £38m superyacht Phi should be earning her owner about £563,000 a week, hosting ultra-rich holidaymakers on trips around the sparkling Mediterranean. Instead, she is stuck at a dingy mooring in Canary Wharf, shrouded in scaffolding, her smart blue paintwork peeling and her electrics failing. And that is where, for the foreseeable future, she will stay, after the Supreme Court last week dismissed an appeal against the vessel's continued detention. More than three years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the judgment raised a question: what is the future of Russian assets frozen by the British state? In March 2022, Phi was in the UK having the finishing touches put to her plush interiors, which include an 'infinite' wine cellar, fluted leather wall panelling, an outdoor cinema and a freshwater swimming pool. Then Russia invaded Ukraine and the British government launched an aggressive round of sanctions against the Russian state and individuals connected to it. Since then, it has frozen £25bn of Russian-owned assets – including Phi. According to the judgment there is no evidence that her owner, Russian businessman Sergei Naumenko, has any connection to Vladimir Putin. He has not been sanctioned and internet searches reveal almost nothing about his life and business interests. The value of the Phi is dwarfed by that of other frozen Russian sovereign assets: held in Belgium, they are worth about £160bn. Nevertheless, former transport secretary Grant Shapps said detaining the yacht had 'turned an icon of Russia's power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies'. The Supreme Court's judgment, which also covered a case brought by the oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, offered a more solid rationale: 'The very considerable income that Mr Naumenko claims that he could earn by chartering out the Phi to other wealthy people is likely to make its way to Russia,' it said. 'In this way it would be used to contribute to the Russian economy' – thus funding the Kremlin's war with Ukraine. Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Industry think tank, says this is typical of the government's approach to sanctions. In 2022, the focus was on taking headline-grabbing 'trophy' assets from big-name oligarchs. Now, this 'has shifted to a focus on how to seize for the benefit of Ukraine'. To an extent, this is working. The frozen funds have accrued interest, so even if the government can't use the assets directly, it can at least spend the interest they earn to benefit Ukraine. In June, the UK used £70m of interest payments received on frozen Russian funds to supply Ukraine with 350 missiles. UK government ministers have also stated an aim to direct the £2.5bn proceeds from Roman Abramovich's sale of Chelsea Football Club n 2022 to Ukraine. A government payment of £2.26bn into the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration scheme, an international loan scheme designed to help Ukraine fund its war, will be repaid using profits from sanctioned Russian assets. However, physical assets, such as buildings and superyachts, are harder to manage. Phi is 'a mess', says Guy Booth, the vessel's captain. 'The paint on her hull is peeling off because it's been constantly rubbing on the fenders in exactly the same place for three years. The technical spaces are a mess, and 40% of our onboard machinery is inoperable.' Although the government's Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued a special licence to allow maintenance of Phi, Booth says insurers won't provide cover, so he cannot take engineers on board. The Department for Transport has engaged with the insurance industry over the matter. So far, the government's options regarding tangible assets, such as Abramovich's £150m, 15-bedroom mansion on Kensington Palace Gardens, have been limited. Selling them off would be regarded as expropriation, which the government is eager not to be accused of, in order not to frighten off other international investors. Another option might be to ask oligarchs to voluntarily give up their assets. In June 2023, the government offered a route for sanctioned individuals who say they support Ukraine to 'donate their frozen funds for Ukrainian reconstruction'. However there was no offer of sanctions relief in return for such a donation. In his Mansion House speech in June, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, announced that London would host a Countering Illicit Finance Summit, which will bring countries together to work on an international solution. 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