Occupying the uppermost floor of the already-renowned Hotel Keflavik, Diamond Suites Luxury Boutique Hotel is Iceland‘s first five star hotel and consists of a collection of individually-decorated suites. Whilst the building’s exterior might seem rather unremarkable, each suite is ultra-luxurious and has its own unique character and theme for travellers who demand the best.

The welcome

Tucked away on the top floor, Diamond Suites is completely private and separate from Hotel Keflavik, and even has its own small reception desk. This was unmanned at the time of our visit, with a smooth and seamless check-in performed instead at the main hotel reception area on the ground floor.

The room

The door into Diamond Suites initially takes you into a private

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(CNN) — It’s been a year of airport chaos and problems with baggage handling have left many travelers struggling to reunite with their luggage.

Flying with only carry-on is as desirable as ever. But for one traveler, even that isn’t minimalist enough. She’s hitting the road with only a small, 12-liter (3-gallon) shoulder bag.

Brooke Schoenman is an American woman living in Australia and the publisher of Her Packing Lista website which she uses to pass on her wisdom when it comes to whittling down what to take on the road.

And that’s something that she’s road-tested almost to the extreme.

Schoenman’s path to burden-easing enlightenment began when she studied in Italy before embarking on a post-graduate round-the-world trip. Along the way, she explored Guatemala and later worked teaching English in Ukraine before moving down under 13 years ago.

“I think I had a 55-liter backpack and a day

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We arrived at Hotel Keflavik ahead of our return flight back to the UK for which we had a very early start. (The hotel is just a 6-minute drive from the airport.) The building actually houses two hotels, both under the same management – the four star Hotel Keflavik and, on the uppermost floor, Diamond Suites Luxury Boutique Hotel. Many of the facilities are common to both hotels. We are able to bring you details on both hotels since our sons stayed in a room at Hotel Keflavik, whilst we stayed in the Diamond Suites.

The welcome

Two large stone lions stand on guard at either side of Hotel Keflavik’s main entrance. Parking close to the hotel entrance was free, with

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andresr / iStock.com

andresr / iStock.com

With pandemic restrictions having eased up around the globe, wanderlust has been kicking in for many Americans. While using a credit card when traveling has several advantages, chief among them the protections the card affords, not everyone has one or wants to travel with one.

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It’s true that the payment method remains very popular, as a new GOBankingRates survey finds that 38% of Americans have charged travel expenses to their credit cards — the second most popular use following monthly bills. But, on the other hand, 16% say they don’t own credit cards.

Other reasons for not using a credit card while traveling include wanting to manage expenses in a more sensible way, wanting to avoid fees or simply waiting to be approved for one.

So

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When pandemic travel restrictions lifted, many people booked their flights for long-delayed vacations, often having spent months (or years) doing their travel research on Instagram. The Italian town of Positano, located off the Amalfi Coast, has become an especially in-demand location for influencers looking to land the perfect “effortless” vacation photos.

But is traveling to such a well-known hot spot really worth it?

Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent at Vox, wrote about her own experience traveling to Positano in an article titled, “The Instagram capital of the world is a terrible place to be.”

“Marketplace” host Kimberly Adams spoke with Jennings to find out why. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kimberly Adams: Describe Positano and why you chose to focus on it for your piece, or perhaps, picking on it for your piece.

Rebecca Jennings: So, Positano is this very tiny town on the Amalfi coast

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I fly a lot.

Last year, I logged 152,033 miles in the air, and I’m already well on my way to surpassing those statistics this year.

My travels bring me all across the globe. When I’m on the road, staying connected is a must, especially when it’s during the work week. Whether it’s keeping up with Slack or post on InstagramI am always using my devices.

Relying on Wi-Fi access abroad isn’t the most convenient or reliable. So, to stay connected, I make sure that my iPhone connects to a local cellular network and use that internet access whenever I’m away from home.

Other than Wi-Fi, there are three ways to connect your smartphone when traveling abroad. You can roam with your primary home carrier, purchase a local SIM card or subscribe to a package from a worldwide service provider.

In recent years, the major US wireless carriers have

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A well-known resource for traveling military members and their families has closed at Jacksonville International Airport — abruptly.

News4JAX reached out to the United Service Organization, and a spokesperson confirms that they’ve closed their welcome center at JAX.

It’s upsetting for some service members and veterans who enjoyed using this facility.

There are centers at most major airports across the US, and the USO office at JAX has been a staple. It’s been in the center of the airport for decades. It’s been a place for military members, veterans and their families to relax, get a snack and use the internet. But now that it’s closed, the lights are off, and there is a sign that saying, “This USO facility is permanently closed. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

A sign reads, “This USO facility is permanently closed. We apologize for the inconvenience.” (Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4Jax
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