visit Usa news marCh 2017
T H I S M O N T H ' S T O P S T O R I E S F R O M V I S I T U S A ' S M E M B E R S • V I S I T U S A .O R G .U K operator
Virgin has cruise add-on ViRGin Holidays has a three-night pre-cruise stay at the edgewater hotel, Seattle, included in its 10-night Alaska adventure option. Guests then board Ruby Princess for a seven-night cruise. Prices from £1,599pp for departures on May 3 and 10 2017. virginholidays.co.uk theme parK
Roll with it in kissimmee THE only wooden rollercoaster in the Southeast U.S. to include a 'barrel roll' is set to open this summer at Fun Spot America, a theme park in Kissimmee, Florida, The 2,256 ft, 82 ft high ride will reach speeds of of 48.5mph. fun-spot.com; experiencekissimmee.com
Attractions
The power of rock in Dc OnE of Washington D.C.’s main visitor attractions, newseum, has a major new exhibit: ‘Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics’. Created in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the exhibit explores how the power of rock has changed attitudes about patriotism, peace, equality and freedom. Through artefacts, images and multimedia experiences, the exhibit examines how music has influenced issues from political campaigns to civil rights. Among the exhibits are John Lennon’s acoustic guitar from his 1969 Montréal and Amsterdam ‘Bed-Ins for Peace’ with Yoko Ono; Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ jewellery; the Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix used to perform ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock; stage costumes worn by the Village People; and original handwritten lyrics to Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’. Louder Than Words will be on display until July 31. capitalregionusa.co.uk
hotels
Tapestry new from Hilton HilTOn'S new 'Tapestry' brand, described as an independent upscale option, will debut in seven U.S cities: Syracuse, Chicago, nashville, Warren (nJ), Hampton, (VA) and two hotels in Indianapolis. Their conversions should be complete later this year. hilton.com
THE USA in brief... hotels THE dualbranded AC Hotels by Marriott and Le Meridien is set to open in the heart of downtown Denver this summer. The 18-story hotel tower, the first new U.S. property to open under the recent Marriott and Starwood merger, will feature a 233-room AC Hotels by Marriott hotel and a 272-room Starwood-branded Le Meridien Hotel. It is due to start welcoming guests in August. achotels.marriott.com
airlines ViRGin Atlantic has become the first UK airline to offer the U.S. TSA Precheck scheme that lets passengers skip security queues when leaving the U.S. With 'TSA Pre' there's no need to remove shoes, jackets or belts and laptops and compliant liquids can remain in the hand luggage. To be eligible UK customers must join the US Global entry Service, which costs $100 plus a £42 fee to the Home Office. virginatlantic.com
attraCtions THE Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in nashville is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017. One of the most visited museums in the U.S. features more than 2.5 million artifacts. On June 26 the museum will open an exhibit devoted to Shania Twain, who has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. Her hits include 'That Don’t Impress Me Much' and 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman'. countrymusichalloffame.org
Look out for our Visit USA Association online travel Update for the pick of members' news