Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. Legacy Archives

Reserve a Room, Plant a Tree

The Pacific Northwest is a region that is impossible to imagine without its iconic tree cover. Massive Douglas Firs blanket so much of Oregon that at times it feels like the land time forgot. Cedars make Washington State smell like the best cologne on earth, and without them, once you’ve downed a glass of the region’s excellent beer and/or wine and then gobbled up a plate of their hearty cuisine, you’d have no world class hikes to keep you from turning into a schlub.

The trees of Washington and Oregon are as much a tourism draw as their libations and food. To help keep things this way, Provenance Hotels—a Portland based boutique hotel chain—will be planting trees for every reservation made between Earth Day, April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 25th. They’re working with local non-profit, Friends of Trees, which has planted a half million native plants to support the Northwest canopy since their creation in 1989. The trees planted in honor of your hotel reservation will go towards creating green spaces in the Pacific Northwest’s urban zones.

Recommended Videos

Provenance Hotels have five award-winning urban boutique hotels in the Pacific Northwest. Our favorites? The rock n’ roll centric halls of Seattle’s Hotel Max, located in Capitol Hill with hallways lined with iconic music photos. Portland’s golden era of Hollywood inspired Hotel Deluxe, which has rooms that come with a “make it so” button that connects you to a butler that will do (almost) anything you ask. And newly opened Portland hotspot Sentinel, which makes some mighty tasty cocktails out of fresh honey harvested on hives found on the roof. Each worthy of a visit anytime…but if you’re going to be visiting the land of quirky cool, its best to stay in a room that has a tree planted in your honor.

Look for the code “Put Down Roots,” on the website between April 22 and 25th. Reservations can be made for anytime in 2014.

Matt Bell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Bell is a travel and grooming writer. He’s endured Thai face slapping massages, swam in a cage with crocodiles and… Read Full Bio
These 2026 island getaways are surging in popularity right now
Sandals St. Lucia Grande

Expedia just released its latest set of data: The 2026 Island Hot List, a trending list that compiles the emerging islands travelers are searching for before they become the next big thing. According to the newExpedia data, interest in these rising island destinations is up 55% on average year-over-year, while social media mentions have climbed 20% as travelers look for new experiences, better value, and fewer crowds. If you ask me, this is pretty surprising to hear it’s up 55%, especially when I thought islands were already one of the most popular year-round travel destinations.

Ranked #1 on Expedia’s 2026 Island Hot List is St. Lucia, an island I first fell in love with back in 2023 when I went on my honeymoon there. Once you visit here, it’s pretty easy to see why it’s ranked the best for romantic escapes. This destination has been a popular spot for anniversary and honeymoon trips for a long time now — and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. As travelers move beyond crowded Caribbean hotspots, many are willing to take the extra trek to destinations like St. Lucia for it’s dramatic scenery, romantic resort options like Sugar Beach, and soft adventure focus.

Read more
Six Senses Rome is a peaceful retreat in a beautifully chaotic city
the lobby at Six Senses Rome

Rome is one of the most visited cities in Europe, and by all accounts, it gets crowded. But considering that it’s one of the world’s most important epicenters for history, culture, food and architecture, we can forgive the crowds. After all, complaining about tourism when you’re a tourist is not the way. But booking yourself a peaceful respite to start and end each day most certainly is.

I chose Six Senses Rome as my home base during a recent four-day trip to the city. The property opened in 2023 in the restored 15th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini. The historic building sets the tone before you even check in, with restored 600-year-old columns in the main entrance, pale travertine floors, a light-dappled lobby overflowing with greenery, and a massive marble staircase that’s almost comically regal. And its neighbor is the gorgeous San Marcello al Corso Church—so you can start your sightseeing by literally going next door. 

Read more
5 Tips If You’re Traveling With Cigars: I Learned No. 2 the Hard Way
Wood, Hardwood, Accessories

Traveling with cigars can be challenging if you’re not prepared. The lack of preparation can lead to your favorite cigars getting smashed from inadequate storage, or they can peel because they weren’t kept at the proper temperature, among other issues. Sometimes you do all the right things, and still come away shaking your head.

I’ve been smoking cigars for two decades now, and it’s not beneath me to admit that I’ve made plenty of cigar travel mistakes in that span, and as recently as two weeks ago. You live, you learn, and hope you don’t waste a stogie on the next trip. My most recent cigar travel mistake is what inspired me to share these tips. Sure, there are plenty of articles out there offering similar advice. But this list comes from a cigar smoker and writer who has visited six countries and about a dozen states in the last year alone. And in that time, mistakes were made, and lessons were learned.

Read more