Justin Bieber Said This Lodge Was the Best Trip of His Life...

Where you should actually go in Italy, the alluring destination now offering a golden visa, and how to greenwash 101.

May 22, 2025

Buckle up for Happenings—your weekly 3-minute blast via our hand-picked curation of buzzworthy travel news. You can thank HAP editor Luke Abrahams for the wit.

What’s Happening in the Travel World? ✈️

Vietnam is introducing a GOLDEN VISA

If you have never been to Vietnam before you are simply... silly. From egg coffees to bun cha, it is hands down one of the tastiest countries I have ever visited on earth. In an effort to boost wealthy investors, entrepreneurs, and basically people with billions in their accounts, the south-eastern nation is planning to launch a ten-year golden visa program. The scheme, aside from the financial benefits, is also a branding exercise. A booming economy over the years has seen the country emerge as one of Asia's biggest financial hubs. But hold your horses, the conditions of the visa are yet to be released so don't start booking those plane tickets just yet. Deep dive here.

Justin Bieber said this lodge was "the best trip of his life."

I mean, the Biebs is still relevant... who knew? So relevant, in fact, the folks at Travel and Leisure devoted a whole article to the pop star's recent stay and obsession with a remote lodge in Iceland. Think idyllic retreat located on a remote peninsula near the Arctic Circle. It only has 13 rooms, and the things you will see are totally insane. And yup, I am gonna be that person. The name of this lodge is...

NYC Know-It-All: Volume IIl🗽

Our brand-new weekly column from hospitality-obsessed city native Megan Shelton, unveiling the gotta-be-there spots across the Big Apple that are anything BUT basic.

On May 15, Italian fashion house Valentino opened L'Atelier Sonore–a bespoke listening room–with Terraforma in its Madison Avenue boutique. It'll feature 10-hour live sets from artists focused on "deep listening and quiet contemplation."
This July, Faena is set to open its fourth property in West Chelsea, complete with a restaurant by Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann and a 17,000-square-foot spa.
Bandits, a longtime West Village watering hole, is now Bandits Burger & Dive: a throwback burger joint meets cheeky cocktail bar. Don't miss its late-night menu or Martini Monday special: a martini, a smashburger, and crinkle fries for $25.
Departures, a group exhibition exploring the human impulse to sentimentalize, opens today at 81 Leonard Gallery. Nearby, Nick Georgiou's fifth solo exhibition, Paper Museum, is now on view at Allouche Gallery for the next month.

For more NYC + travel content, follow Megan, who doubles as HAP’s NYC Know-It-All and Contributing Travel Editor, on Instagram, TikTok, and via her Substack, Turndown Service.

The places you should actually visit in Italy this year 🇮🇹

Italy is getting crowded. How do I know this? Well, I just touched down in Rome and was like WTAF? Go home. In all seriousness, Italy does have an over-tourism problem, so much so that it is nearly impossible for the people who actually live here to enjoy their own home. Most have been priced out, or simply just will not pay those ridiculous 5k per night rates you find down on the coasts of the famous boot. No more ridiculous off-season campaigns will work, and in all honesty, the mags are so lazy nowadays they will not take a punt on anything different or new in fear an article won't get clicks. Sigh.

So where to go?

Instead of Milan, try Turin. Here's a handy guide.

Instead of the Amalfi Coast, take a punt on Calabria.

Instead of Venice, have you heard of Udine?

Instead of Puglia, drive through Basilicata.

Go on now. Book those tickets. Ciao.

Below Par: Greenwashing 🌳

I am so sick of greenwashing. The whole Sustainability clause is getting just a wee bit ridiculous now, it’s verging on commercialism. No good. I have been doing a lot of research for various pieces lately, so it's touched a bit of a nerve, and with everyone saying they are now "green" it's hard to know who to actually believe. Here's five tell-tale signs a hotel is greenwashing you.

Marketing jargon. It sounds pretty. But is it actually saying something? Be weary of anything that has far too many adjectives and no real science. Watch out for phrases like "eco-friendly," "natural," or "sustainable" without concrete evidence to back them up.

YOU are the problem. If you see post it notes and messaging all over the place it is a sign the hotel wants you to accept the burden of being greener. If a hotel tells you to use less water, they are probably not investing in the correct infrastructure to make them greener.

Marine conservation: Really look at what one of those mega-luxe resorts on that private island is doing. If they do not have a marine biologist on the pay, everything they say they are doing is likely to be total greenwashing. Look beyond the BS and see what their research programs are actually doing, if anything.

Certifications: Just because a hotel says they have one does not mean it should not be scrutinized. Don't assume and always check the scores before you make a booking based on being green.

Same old, same old. If a hotel claims to be eco-conscious but doesn't address issues like energy usage, water consumption, or waste management holistically, the greenwashing klaxon will blast and hard.

Want more Hotels Above Par?

Book your next stay with VIP perks via our hyper-curated boutique hotel database (or just explore it for major travel inspo at no cost)
Subscribe to HAP CEO Brandon Berkson’s personal, twice-monthly Substack, Hotel Espresso
Surf our website for free—no paywall or account needed

Thanks for continuing to subscribe to Hotels Above Par’s twice-a-week newsletters. To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of this email. To note, as it’s a different send-out, if you want to unsubscribe from Hotel Espresso, you can do that at the bottom of that newsletter, not this one.