What Not to Touch in Your Hotel Room (and Where to Get Free Wine)

Welcome back to Happenings—your midweek cheeky travel column for globe-trotting group chats and hotel-obsessed inboxes. This week, HAP Editor Luke Abrahams shares how to get four years of free wine in Spain (yes, you read that correctly), which corners of your five-star suite are secretly festering with germs (sorry), and why Madonna’s back with a vengeance—and a synth. Oh, and of course, we give you the low-down on top-notch hospitality happenings in New York via our resident NYC Know-It-All, Megan Shelton. Read on, y’all.

Here's how. I love wine, especially a fine Chablis. For all you other booze lovers out there, I have some fantastic news... You can get bottles of the stuff for free in beautiful Spain. There is a catch, however: it is all in the name of research. Scientists in the country are basically conducting the world’s largest clinical trial on the health effects of moderate alcohol consumption, tracking 10,000 adults aged 50–75 over four years. To find out how to get involved, click here.

When I read this, I was genuinely quite grossed out. Shocked even. I have stayed in some of the most beautiful suites on earth, and from now on, I will be bringing an infrared light to check for stains every time I check in. To think, I have been breathing in all sorts of nasties because they may have been overlooked by housekeeping teams will give me nightmares for years to come, from unwashed decorative pillows to dirty curtain rods. Dramatic hyperbole aside (I have to write something, remember), the dirtiest parts of a hotel room are the spots you least suspect. Word of advice: Pack the Detol and come dressed hazmat-style. Discover the lurgies here.

Now I do love me some fast food. It is, after all, America's lasting gift to the world. There's been many an instance where I have found myself scoffing Maccy D's on a street corner at 3 am post London booze up. And yes, the double cheeseburger minus the pickles has saved my life many times. Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, and Smashburger are among some of the unhealthiest fast food joints in these United States, but some are, of course, far "worse" than ever. Here's what to know before you shove that Sonic down your gullet.

Our weekly column from hospitality-obsessed city native Megan Shelton 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 her Substack, Turndown Service.

I have an honest aversion to labeled amenities right now. Especially the ones that say "don't take me." Now, I get some guests like to pack their suitcases full of hotel goodies (me included) but if you really want to avoid your posh toiletries from being swiped, the solution is simple: pop the product in a nice ceramic dispenser and voila! You don't look cheap. Discuss.

Mother is back, and this time she's gone total electronica again. That's right, the pop icon that is Madonna is releasing her previously unreleased electronica album, Veronica Electronia. There are already some bangers available to stream on Spotify, of course. The full drop hits the music streaming service today, so make sure you worship every beat. Because, Madonna.

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