Melanie Nayer

In 4:23 seconds, and without speaking a single syllable, Chef Martín Berasategui whipped up a plate of lobster, yucca, plantains and fresh fruit marinade that did more for the taste buds than it did for the English language. It needed no words, just some utensils and a clean palate perfect...

If you've ever sat cramped, in a middle seat in coach, on a red-eye flight, you likely understand the swollen feet, baggy eyes, pale skin, crumpled clothes and general feeling of discomfort and dishevelment that results when you finally arrive at your destination. On the contrary, if you're in business...

Can a tech-addict who always travels with extra battery packs for her laptop and phone survive seven days in the desert with no cell service and limited Wi-Fi access? I honestly didn't know.

I packed up and embarked on one of Mii amo's "journeys," a seven-day excursion (or...

The holiday season is officially underway, and there's no place better to see some of the best seasonal displays that at hotels. Properties around the world deck the halls with everything from crystal ornaments to life-like Santas, ushering in an ambiance that inspires visions of sugar-plum fairies and candy-land dreams....

'Tis the season for shopping and, for the those with a little extra to spend, 'tis the season to make a grand impression.

Here's a little tip holiday shoppers: Frequent travelers want luxury, comfort and convenience when it comes to gifts. There's no extra room in our luggage for...

Frette linens, canopy beds, Michelin-star restaurants, serene spas and world class service are just a few of the essentials that make luxury travel worth the experience. But when hotels take things to the next level, the stars really shine.

Known for its excellence in defining the extraordinary, Forbes Travel...

It's been six years since Hurricane Katrina battered the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, but it's hard to forget the images: blown-out windows, glass shattered, torn curtains, a shredded American flag blowing in the wind from what was the hotel's front entrance. The shattered building served as a place...

The words "rebirth," "re-energize" and "revival" are commonly spoken when referring to Lower Manhattan. But, 10 years after the horror experienced on September 11, 2001, the words have taken on more than just a somber and emotional element.

Since 2001, hotel...

The car ride to the top of the mountain was something similar to a rickety roller-coaster ride one might be dared to take on at an aging amusement park. The winding roads got increasingly narrower and my stomach got increasingly knotted at every bend. As we passed a family of...

Local Haitians line up to submit their applications for the hospitality training program with Yéle Haiti Foundation.

Within minutes of the earth shaking on January 12, 2010, one of the Caribbean's most beloved islands became the center of international attention. The 7.0-magnitude...

The drive to Lenox, Massachusetts, is nothing to look at, really. In the fall you might happen upon some impressive foliage and in the summer you're likely to run into some construction. Drivers here end up watching the strip malls and counting down the minutes between exits as they approach...

Ireland is known for many things: rolling green hills, stunning landscapes, ancient castles, endless pubs and bottomless glasses of Guinness. On any given night in Dublin you'll make new friends while ordering fish and chips or devouring a homemade Shepherd's Pie in one of the dozens of pubs that line...

Barbie was never exactly slumming it. From the Dream House to the Corvette, to the Mattel-inspired designer clothes, shoes, jewelry and handbags, Barbie has it all. Even after 50 years, Barbie still has a hot guy who, despite her cute friends and brief stint with the The Rockers, has remained...

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, named one of Travel & Leisure best new city hotels 2011

Want to sleep under a moonlit sky in South Africa, or sip cocktails overlooking Shanghai's famous Bund? Good news, hotel lovers: you can. Thanks to Travel...

If you listen closely, you can still hear the swooshing of the wide Victorian dresses on women as they walked down the hallways of the St. Pancras Hotel in the 1800s. Built to accommodate the glamor of the time, the unusually wide hallways at the St. Pancras are...

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong officially opened its doors on March 28 as the highest hotel in the world. Today, May 3, the hotel is ready to party.

The week before the official opening in March, I went inside the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong and spent 10 days behind-the-scenes...

I wasn't sure quite what to expect when I landed in Bangkok on a Tuesday afternoon. I had visions of massage parlors, bargirls, open bars, solicitors and endless unidentifiable street food in carts next to local dive restaurants. I wasn't that far off. Walk any soi (alleyway) in Bangkok and...

One of my favorite moments this past week of countdown came from a slideshow the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong played for its employees. As the individual slides moved along one after the other, faces of famous people appeared on the screen -- the best in their field. It was Ritz-Carlton's way...

The entrance to The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA on the 116th floor of the hotel.

There's a dark side to my job that people often forget about: The deadlines (which are still standing no matter what time zone you're...

It's been a week of firsts here at Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. The first employees made their way into the hotel on Monday morning. The first party was held at the highest bar in the world, and I was the first to sleep in the bed in...