Welcome back to The Check-In, your touchpoint for all things travel.
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Explora Enters the World Cruise Arena with Endless Worlds, its First Global Sailing
Luxury cruise provider Explora Journeys has opened reservations for its first global circumnavigation: Endless Worlds, a 128-day sailing departing January 6, 2029, aboard Explora I. The round-the-world voyage will span four continents and 63 destinations, including 44 maiden ports for the brand.
Guests of Explora’s maiden mega-trip will travel across the Indian Ocean, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, and South America, with 12 overnight stays allowing extended time ashore. Seven curated passages form the full itinerary, connecting Dubai with Sri Lanka, Bali and Komodo, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Easter Island, Peru, and the Azores, before concluding in Europe.
On board, the ship is home to 461 oceanfront suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces. While out at sea, passengers will be able to enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and thermal area, open-air decks, and nine dining venues.
Guests can book the full Dubai–Barcelona journey, from January 6 to May 14, 2029, or opt for shortened versions ending in Miami or New York. The fare will include international Business Class flights, a one-night pre-cruise stay in Dubai, private transfers, visa and luggage assistance, curated destination experiences, and three celebratory shore events.
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COMO Makes Its Bordeaux Debut with Cordeillan-Bages
COMO Hotels and Resorts is expanding its French footprint with the opening of COMO Cordeillan-Bages on May 1, 2026, marking the brand’s debut in Bordeaux. The project has been realized in collaboration with the Cazes family, owners of Château Lynch-Bages.
The 19th-century estate sits in Pauillac in the Médoc, among some of the region’s most recognized vineyards. Italian designer Paola Navone has overseen the transformation of the 28-room property, including two COMO Suites.
Guests will have access to private experiences at Château Lynch-Bages, and the hotel sits in proximity to three of Bordeaux’s five First Growth estates. The property is also a short walk from the restored village of Bages and sits along the Route des Châteaux, within reach of pine forests and the Atlantic coastline.
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Regent Launches Its First Regent Spa in Bali
Regent Bali Canggu has unveiled Regent Spa & Wellness, the first of IHG’s new Regent Spa concept. The concept was developed with wellness consultancy Raison d’Etre, taking inspiration from Bali’s deep-rooted wellness culture and traditions.
The Regent Spa lies between the Indian Ocean and Bali’s rice fields, and treatments combine Indonesian healing traditions with modern restorative therapies. The experience begins with The Reset, a pre-treatment ritual held in wooden garden cabanas. Guests take part in a guided meditation and soundscape designed to slow breathing and prepare the body before treatment.
Signature treatments include Massage Revolution, performed on a warm quartz sand bed; Crystal Cure, combining exfoliation, massage, and crystal work; and Healing Zen, focused on stress relief through breathwork and heated stones. The Facial Revolution treatment blends botanicals with LED and EMS technology, or for a whole-family affair, guests can book a Together Massage, designed for parent and child.
