John Cox

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thepointsguy.com

500-plus benefits for $595 a year — is FoundersCard worth it?

A TPG writer makes the case for FoundersCard, a paid membership (not a credit card) offering 500+ discounts and elite-status perks across travel, shopping, and business services, priced at $595-$995/year (though discounted rates as low as $295 are attainable). The piece walks through favorite benefits—airline fare discounts, TripIt Pro, Equinox and Dell pricing, hotel elite status—and weighs them against overlapping perks already bundled into premium cards like the Amex Platinum, concluding it's worthwhile mainly for frequent travelers or business owners who can actually use the niche discounts.

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guide.michelin.com

www.islands.com

Asheville's 5 Best Rooftop Bars With Blue Ridge Mountain Views And Immaculate Drinks

This guide recommends five rooftop bars in Asheville, North Carolina for sunset viewing, selected by a local resident based on personal experience and online reviews. Each bar offers distinct advantages: Wildwood Still provides unobstructed western-facing mountain views and premium whiskey selections; The Observatory combines botanical aesthetics with spritz cocktails; Hemingway's Cuba features a massive terrace and Cuban cuisine; Capella on 9 showcases both mountain vistas and distinctive city architecture; and Flat Iron Rooftop offers panoramic views paired with upscale Italian food and wine. The recommendations prioritize combinations of scenic views, quality cocktails, and atmospheric qualities suited to sunset experiences.

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www.fodors.com

Is There Anything You Can Do About Hidden Cameras at Your Airbnb?

CNN's investigation found that Airbnb receives tens of thousands of reports about hidden cameras in listings but has done little to address the problem, partly because the company owns no properties and thus faces minimal legal accountability. Although Airbnb banned indoor cameras globally in March 2024, the company quickly settles lawsuits with victims under non-disclosure agreements, rarely involves law enforcement, and provides no transparency about how it enforces the policy. Guests are left to conduct their own searches for cameras upon arrival, with no foolproof method available to ensure their privacy.

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www.cntraveler.com

15 Best Hotels in Napa Valley for Vineyard Views, Geothermal Pools, & Outdoor Tubs

This is a curated guide to 15 luxury and boutique hotels across Napa Valley, selected by Condé Nast Traveler editors for their design, location, service, and sustainability practices. The recommendations range from wellness-focused retreats like Okaeri Calistoga (a Japanese-inspired adults-only sanctuary) and Bardessono (a LEED Platinum eco-luxury property) to classic wine country estates like Auberge du Soleil and modern properties like the Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley. Each entry provides specific details about room types, amenities, dining options, and the property's character to help travelers choose based on their priorities—whether they're seeking a romantic hideaway, a family-friendly resort, or proximity to wineries and restaurants.

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travelcurator.com

Worth Driving For: Healdsburg, California

This travel piece champions Healdsburg as the unpretentious heart of Sonoma wine country, positioning it as a more soulful alternative to Napa, and maps out a practical itinerary spanning tasting rooms, redwood hikes, galleries, and standout restaurants like SingleThread and Dry Creek Kitchen. It also flags Charles M. Schulz Airport as an underused entry point and recommends specific hotels (Montage Healdsburg, The Madrona) for a full trip-planning reference. Worth keeping as a ready-made guide for a Sonoma visit, with concrete names rather than generic recommendations.

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thepointsguy.com

How much should I tip when I travel?

This is TPG's practical breakdown of tipping norms across travel contexts—hotels, tours, cruises, all-inclusives, and flights—rather than a single-country etiquette guide. Key takeaways worth remembering: housekeeping deserves $3-5/day, tour guides 10-20% of cost, flight attendants generally can't accept cash tips (Frontier being the exception), and cruise/all-inclusive gratuities are typically already baked into the bill via daily service charges. It also flags cultural variation, noting tipping is unwelcome in Japan and Australia but expected across much of Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

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