Destinations We're "Pinning" For

Here at Trip Styler, we always have our eyes on our next destinations. This summer we're looking at you, Italy and France, while gazing longingly at Texas and Germany. While we can't take you with us, we can share our inspiration boards to show you these jaw-droppingly beautiful and ever stylish locales. Warning: These Pins may cause you to book a flight across the globe to drink rosé in Provence, up your cool factor in Berlin, hop on a boat to a secluded cove for dinner on the Amalfi Coast, or swim in a three-acre outdoor pool in Austin.

Click the destination names for more pins!

Amalfi Coast

Amalfi coastline

Positano / Road tripping

Locorotondo / Steps to the sea

Austin

Hotel Saint Cecilia

Barton Springs Pool / Hole in the Wall dive bar

Hotel San José / Hamilton Pool Preserve

Berlin

Holocaust Memorial

Badeschiff Pool / Michelberger Hotel

Clärchens Ballhaus / Capital Beach

Provence

Lavender fields

Calanque National Park / Gourdon

Avignon / Goult

Follow us on Pinterest for more tripspiration!

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

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Top 10 Instagrams to Fuel Your Wanderlust

[images via pinterest]

Films That Inspire Travel

Before I travel somewhere new, I like to get my hands on movies set in my destination. Before Barcelona, Vicky Cristina Barcelona; before Stockholm, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

A great film can inspire us to travel to a place we never thought to explore. It can also satisfy our wanderlust when we can't get away.

I've selected 17 films with a strong sense of place. Some focus on the journey, others on the destination. Sit back and watch, be inspired, then get off the couch and see these places for yourself.

Europe
For a delightful Parisian dreamscape ... Amélie (2001)
For a pilgrim's journey ... The Way (2010)
For an epic night in Vienna ... Before Sunrise (1995)
For a hilarious con through the French Riviera ... Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
For a movie that shows the beauty of Italy even in b&w ... Roman Holiday (1953)
For a quintessential British rom-com ... Notting Hill (1999)
For a little seduction and Spanish guitar ... Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Asia
For a colorful stay in the twilight of one's life ... The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
For a transformative and offbeat train journey ... The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
For an unlikely friendship in an unfamiliar land ... Lost in Translation (2003)
For an epic adventure to Petra ... Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

The Americas
For an 80s action-adventure through Colombia ... Romancing the Stone (1984)
For an appreciation for Pinot Noir ... Sideways (2004)
For a cross-Canada journey by vintage motorcycle ... One Week (2008)
For a midcentury modern thriller ... North By Northwest (1959)
For a place to call home ... Away We Go (2009)
For a love letter to Downtown Los Angeles ... 500 Days of Summer (2009)

What movies have inspired you? Let us know and you might see your favorite film in a follow-up post.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

[images via imdb, collages & top image by @heatherlovesit, map via maps-kid.com]

Hotel Travel Quirks

[trip style = any]

Hyatt Place hotels surveyed 1,000 travelers on their secret behaviors, favorite amenities, frequently forgotten items, breakfast preferences and in-room fitness or spa rituals. We love a good infographic and we love to trade travel tips, so we're taking the opportunity to share our own quirks and rituals on the road. Do you sneak in a quick workout or smuggle an extra meal from the continental breakfast? Do you roam around in the buff or jump on the beds? Let us know if you have any quirks and rituals of your own.

- Do not disturb! Chief Trip Stylist Trish rarely has her room cleaned to give housekeeping staff a break and to avoid tidying her room to have it cleaned.

- I always place my suitcase off the floor on the luggage rack, while Trish keeps her clothes and cords in small piles near her suitcase so she doesn't spread out too far and forget things when she checks out. 

- Upon arrival, after taking photos of the untouched room for Instagram and Trip Styler, of course, Trish checks for bedbugs behind the mattress. She does this no matter where she stays because creatures don't discriminate between 1 and 5 stars.

- The survey showed that 1 in 5 adults conduct work calls in the nude or in their underwear, with males more likely than females to take business calls in their birthday suits. 

- Trish embraces both jungle and arctic temperatures; she cranks the heat during the day, but sets the A/C between 68 and 70 at night.

- In a recent interview for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Dame Judy Dench revealed that she travels with a bath plug since an extended stay at a New York hotel when she couldn't figure out how to operate the bath.

- It's not surprising that free WiFi is the most-desired amenity for travelers. It's almost always free at 3-star business hotels and boutique hotels geared at the social media set. To score free WiFi at major brand, high-end hotels, look into joining their rewards programs, like the Fairmont President's Club or Starwood Preferred Guest program.

- Most hotels don't offer toiletries worth taking home, but W hotels offer Bliss foaming face wash plus lemon and sage hair and body products, Ace Hotels provide Malin+Goetz and Rudy's Barbershop products and Faimont properties supply Le Labo. Stock up on soap!

- Trish is a crazed fan of in-room Nespresso. Is there anything better than arpeggio roast in the morning? Speaking of European-style perks, seek out and take advantage of hotels with complimentary happy hours for a pre-dinner tipple. 

- An amenity missing from this survey is reasonably-priced parking in urban areas. Check Trip Advisor and Yelp for nearby parking deals when hotel parking is too pricey, or price out the potential benefit of a hotel just outside town with free hotel parking plus daily downtown parking.

- I'm guilty of often omitting pajamas and leaving behind phone cords. But the good news is that hotels often have a drawer FULL of iPhone cords, so it pays to be nice at check-in in case you need to borrow a cord or two. And you can always go without pajamas...

- Most hotels, like most airlines on long-haul flights, provide free amenities like toothbrushes and razors at the front desk. 

- Mr. Trip Styler exercises in his underwear to avoid sweating through his clothes. I assume he's planking and crunching in his room, not the gym...

- Unless she's in Nairobi, Trish likes to start her day with a run to get to know the area. If she's staying at a Fairmont, she takes advantage of their Fairmont Fit program, which provides workout wear to President's Club members. For more healthy travel tips, check out our Healthy on the Road archives.

- I pack sheet-style or sample-size hydrating masks and apply them the night I arrive at my destination. Drop by the local Sephora or department store for a mask sample if you forgot to pack your own.

- When the hotel coffee isn't of the locally roasted variety, Trish and Mr. Trip Styler seek out the coolest nearby coffee shop for their caffeine hits. Their staff are often a valuable resource for restaurant suggestions and local happenings.

- Many hotels offer complimentary fresh fruit in the lobby or the breakfast bar. I always grab a couple extra punches of Vitamin C for the road.

- If you find yourself in Southeast Asia, the Middle East or Europe, take time to indulge in the near-heavenly breakfast options, normally included in your hotel rate.

- While traveling in Croatia, I stayed at a hotel that charged $100 more per night for double occupancy over single occupancy, for the same room type. One day, I went down to the gorgeous breakfast buffet and the next day my friend went down. We each packed a little extra in napkins for our friend. Breakfast is just not worth $100.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Using Hotel Room Amenities Like Macgyver
Face Masks for Frequent Flyers
Kinderhop :: Making Hotel Rooms Work
Healthy on the Road :: Underwear Exercises
Healthy on the Road :: Forethought & Discipline

[infographics via hyatt place, top image of tara stiles via nypost]

Homeward Bound :: Weekender Bags

[trip style = weekend getaway]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

Weekenders are the Goldilocks of the bag world, sitting pretty between totes and carry-ons. They're juuust right for quick jaunts home for the holidays, cozy mountain retreats, or sunny escapes.

A good weekender bag is roomy enough for a few costume changes and rugged enough for a beating in the trunk or overhead compartment. Look for features like handles AND detachable shoulder strap, plenty of interior pockets and zipper closure. Bonus points for water-repellant fabric, dark colors to hide dirt and leather that gets better with age.

Travel in style this winter with any of the eight durable and design-forward weekend bags shown above at price points you'll love ... and love to hate.

top row: Stephen Kenn encounter collection travel duffle, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie hartsfield weekender tote, Filson small duffle bag middle row: JADEtribe maroc traveler, Lo & Sons the catalina, Baggu weekend bag bottom row: Joshu + Vela xl boat tote, Clare Vivier leather weekender

[graphics by @heatherlovesit]