Newark Is Crying, a Tasty Turkish Town in Hiding, and the NYC Recs We've Been Spying🕵️

In today’s Happenings—our spicy, three-minute weekly capsule into the travel realm—we spotlight Newark Liberty International Airport’s full-blown nervous breakdown and, on the flip side of the globe, an enchanting, under-the-radar Turkish town near the Syrian border (buckle up, you’re flying Luke Abrahams Airways). Plus, we go behind the lens with a photographer reshaping how we see the world, and debut NYC Know-It-All, a weekly column from a born-and-bred city insider (& HAP editor) who eats, sleeps, and breathes hospitality.

- Hotels Above Par CEO, Brandon Berkson

A brand-new winter night train is debuting this year. I love trains, and they are well-documented in my editorials and on my Instagram. So when I found out another one was launching, I gave a rare smile. The Travelski Night Express, the part brainchild of Pegasus Trains (part of Compagnie des Alpes) is a new winter sleeper service that will whisk skiers from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice in under 10 hours. Courchevel, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Tignes, Méribel, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens and Les Ménuires will be stopped at en route, and the brand spanking new trains will feature 660 couchettes, a bar carriage and a restaurant. Fourteen round trips will run from December 19, 2025, to March 20, 2026, and so far it looks like they will depart Paris for the Alps on Friday evenings, so you wake up with the mountains in view on the Saturday morning. How lovely. Find out more about the service and how to book here. - LA

Bored with where you live? These places are dishing out work visas. The world is changing, and fast. Reports say many more Americans are looking for international work than last year. If you are one of those peeps, Remitly recently analyzed data from 30 destinations across the planet to unveil the most accessible nations dishing out work visas. The top 10 will give you a really different perspective on life, and you know what, I am going to be that person. If you want to find out what the top 10 follow, click the bait here. - LA

Air traffic at Newark Liberty has hit major turbulence—runway construction, staffing gaps, and outdated tech have triggered severe delays at this United Airlines hub. Shocking reports reveal controllers have lost radio contact with multiple planes in the past year, fueling public alarm despite officials insisting it’s “absolutely safe.” Now, the FAA is in crisis mode, scrambling to upgrade systems and bolster staffing to keep one of America’s busiest airports from spiraling further. - BB

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

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.

I am writing this in Gaziantep right now. It's one of those Turkish cities people seldom visit—unless they are on one of those hideous group tours—because they've never heard of it, or the 2023 earthquake that struck the city back in 2023 is still fresh in their minds. Both are a real shame. This, for me, is one of the most spontaneous jaunts I have been on recently: it was booked on a Saturday afternoon, and I arrived on the Sunday afternoon. The city is no looker. It lacks the charm of other southeastern Turkish cities like Mardin and Midyat, but what it does have, however, is a culinary scene that Turks from all over the country come to relish in. Dubbed a UNESCO foodie heritage hotspot, I did not have a single bad meal here. The pistachio baklava at Imam Çagdas was mind-blowing; the tasting menu at Mutfak Sanatları Merkezi was so perfectly seasoned I had "a moment"; the kebabs at Kasap Halil Usta... well, I had seconds. If you want proper Turkish food with influences from the Mediterranean and the Arab world, ditch Istanbul and go here. Plus, the Zeugma Mosaics Museum houses some of the finest Roman mosaics in the world... enough said. - LA

In our latest Meet the Photographer slot, we catch up with Chloé Mignard, a Frenchie on a mission to tell the world about the spontaneous art of visual storytelling. Spoiler: her work is mighty pretty and deeply emotive, and it has lovely light, too. Follow her here.

Luke: Sum up your aesthetic style in a sentence.

Chloé: Guest POV storytelling that feels intimate, cinematic, and sun-drenched — like memories you haven’t made yet.

Luke: Tell us about your kit. What do you shoot on and why?

Chloé: I shoot exclusively on Fuji. My main camera is the XT5, paired with the 18-55mm lens—light yet powerful, perfect for the kind of spontaneous storytelling I’m after. When needed, I bring out the XS20, a 10-24mm for wide architectural shots, or the 70-300mm when I want to capture details from a distance. Fuji’s color science is hard to beat, and the gear never gets in the way—it lets me stay present and move intuitively, which is everything when you’re trying to capture moments that feel real.

Luke: Who is your visual hero? Why do you look up to them so much?

Chloé: One of my biggest creative inspirations is Mike Quyen. His work feels like a perfect blend of cinema and poetry—every frame tells a story, every detail feels intentional. I’m constantly amazed by how he reinvents himself, creating unique, concept-driven narratives that never feel repetitive. To me, everything he puts out is a piece of art. He’s a reminder that storytelling can be both visually stunning and deeply original.

Luke: When people look at your work, what do you want them to feel and how do you try to capture this?

Chloé: I want them to feel like they’re already there—the breeze on their skin, the sheets under their fingers, the first sip of coffee on a slow morning. I shoot from a guest’s perspective, not a marketer’s. It’s about creating a mood, not staging a scene. I use natural light, and try to pay attention to the in-between — a half-eaten breakfast, footprints by the pool, messy beds. That’s where the magic happens.

Luke: Name one boutique hotel you walked into recently that totally blew you away. What made it so special and why would you go back?

Chloé: Le Galinier in Lourmarin, from Beaumier. It completely took me by surprise. You’re in the heart of one of Provence’s prettiest villages, yet the property feels like this secret estate tucked away from the world. It’s a huge domain—more like a private park—with gravel paths, towering trees, wild gardens, and even a little pond hidden at the end of the grounds. The main house is a charming old bastide, and everything feels more like staying at a (very chic) family home than a hotel. I’d go back just to wander the gardens barefoot at sunrise or read by the bassin-style pool with cicadas in the background.

Luke: Tell me your wildest travel story. Why does it stick out so much?

Chloé: Not sure if it’s the wildest, but definitely one I’ll never forget. I spent three weeks in South America shooting all of Belmond’s properties across Peru and Brazil with my friend Nicolas Quiniou—an incredibly talented photographer I admire deeply. We rode horses in the Sacred Valley, flew over Iguassu Falls, explored Machu Picchu at sunrise on the winter solstice, and even lived out a dream of ours: boarding a luxury sleeper train, the Andean Explorer. The Rio beach scene felt like a vintage postcard come to life—warm, golden, full of energy. And the people we met in Peru were some of the kindest I’ve ever encountered. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, made even more special by sharing it with a friend and doing what we love most: creating, exploring, and capturing beauty with one of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands.

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