Don’t Be the Tuluminati
Don’t Be the Tuluminati
Tanja Cotoaga on Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico-and-central-america/mexico/the-riviera-maya/places/tulum/experiences/news/photos/dont-be-the-tuluminati-and-discover-the-best-of-tulum-beyond-the-beach
All the incredible things to do besides the beach in this famous beach town.
In Tulum, locals have a name for the archetypal boho festival tourist dressed in bathing suits and combat boots: the Tuluminati. They descend on the tiny beach town in waves, transforming Tulum’s once laid-back shoreline into something closer to Ibiza during peak rave season. But there’s a far better way to experience this corner of Mexico than bouncing between beach clubs and EDM sets. Beyond the scene, Tulum and its surrounding jungle are full of quieter, wilder pleasures: swimming solo in cenotes, climbing Mayan pyramids with only a few other travelers around, ziplining without the lines, drifting down a river with no one else in sight. In a town famous for its beach, some of the best experiences have nothing to do with the sand at all.
Keep your fierce independent streak going by staying at the locally-owned, boutique Kahatsa Hotel. Or better yet, have Intrepid Tours, a well-known B Corp–certified tour company that prioritizes responsible travel and locally rooted experiences, organize the whole thing for you. Their new Short Breaks offerings take just 4-5 days and fully immerse you in not only the best of the secret gems and undertraveled points of interest, but experiences that actively engage local communities and support regional economies rather than bypass them. The Tulum to Chichen Itza Short Break is a dream itinerary for Yucatan Peninsula travel–plus they do all the work.
PHOTO: RACHAEL LEVITT
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Cenotes
The Tankah community is the Maya stewards of Tankah Pueblo, a 750-acre stretch of jungle home to four stunning cenotes and countless ways to experience these mythical caves to the underworld. In Maya cosmology, cenotes were believed to be portals to Xibalba—the mysterious realm inhabited by gods, spirits, and ancestors—giving the crystal-clear pools a spiritual significance that still lingers today. Swim, canoe, zipline, and snorkel through the sparkling turquoise waters and explore limestone caves full of dripping stalactites and flying bats. After your adventures through these 65-million-year-old natural wonders, enjoy a meal cooked by the Tankah community–fresh tortillas and churros abound. The handmade crafts are a joy to peruse, and you’ll feel great knowing you’ve scored a one-of-a-kind souvenir that directly benefits the artist.
PHOTO: DR JUERGEN BOCHYNEK/ISTOCK
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Cobá
Once a powerful Maya city and major trade hub between 600 and 900 CE, Cobá is now one of the Yucatán’s most compelling archaeological sites. Unlike many of its cohorts, Cobá is based in the jungle and is shaded. This means a visit is far more relaxing than under the blazing sun of most Mayan ruins. You can walk, bicycle, or take a bike taxi across the stone roads that lead you to the tallest pyramid in the Yucatán region (about 138 feet). Underrated and under-the-radar, Cobá is worth going to for the shaded roads alone–you’ll get to spend more time actually looking at the details, like skull carvings and the hoops of the main ball court, rather than fanning yourself and reapplying sunscreen. The details are incredible. Get even closer through a hands-on workshop with the Xunaan Kab Maya community, who live in and around the region and help preserve traditional knowledge passed down for generations. In these intimate sessions, community members guide you through the ancient process of creating Maya Blue—a striking turquoise pigment that once held both artistic and ceremonial importance across the Maya world.
PHOTO: INSPIRED BY MAPS/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
Possibly the most unique natural ecosystem to be found on the Yucatan Peninsula, don’t miss the unbelievable Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (in Mayan, it was referred to as “The Gate of Heaven”). The preserve boasts tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes, and is home to ruins, cenotes, and coral reefs. Seek out marine wildlife like manatees, crocodiles, and stingrays under skies full of colorful tropical birds (over 300 species!). The color of the water is like nothing you’ve ever experienced–a range of electric blues that sparkle clear to the bottom.
PHOTO: TOM ROBAK ON UNSPLASH
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Boat and Float the Canals
Within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, ancient canals were built through mangroves to serve as trade routes by the Mayans more than 1,500 years ago. Today, you can boat through these incredible channels, observing the myriad wildlife all around you in the marsh. Speed across the turquoise centotes into the gnarled mangrove forests, where a boat will drop you off (and pick you up) so that you can float the crystal waters of the Mayan canals. It’s magical.
PHOTO: RACHAEL LEVITT
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Chichen Itza
The New Seventh Wonder of the World and UNESCO Heritage Site is a short two-hour drive from Tulum, and more than worth the hike. There’s a reason this Mayan pyramid is a World Wonder–between its architectural and archaeological preservation, the ruins are in pristine condition. Its iconic pyramid, El Castillo, was used as a temple and calendar reflecting astronomical events. Chichen Itza also features ball courts, temples, and ceremonial platforms that show the Maya’s advanced knowledge of architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, and the preserved details of the ruins include original artistry in etching and pigment.
PHOTO: RACHAEL LEVITT
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Eat and Drink
There’s no wrong taco in Tulum. Everything from taco trucks to brick-and-mortar stores will satisfy your every desire for conchinita pibil (slow-roasted pork famous to this area). A couple of stand-outs include El Capitan, where the margaritas flow like water; Meli-Melo, a vegan haven set in a cozy home garden; Taqueria Don Honorio, where the quesadillas are beloved by locals and tourists alike; and Mestizo Gallery Hotel restaurant, where you’ll be treated like family. After you’re full, don’t miss La Guarida, Tulum’s coolest bar–part treehouse, part house party. You’re sure to love the people watching, and you can’t beat the cocktails.
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Tuluminati Spotting
Tulum has a reputation as a boho playground for wellness influencers and luxury-minded spiritual seekers, and while that stereotype exists, it’s far from the whole story. The town itself is surprisingly small—home to only about 35,000 residents—which makes the steady influx of tourists especially noticeable. Locals even have a nickname for a certain type of visitor: the Tuluminati. Join the locals in spotting the Tuluminati–the brightly dressed, combat-boot-clad, spirituality-chasing, EDM-dancing influx of travelers who are seeking a particular scene. You’ll find the “Tuluminati” everywhere you look–it’s like Burning Man at the beach.
Skip the Airport Security Line Entirely With This New TSA Experiment
David Tran/iStock
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/massachusetts/boston/experiences/news/boston-logan-launches-remote-tsa-screening-program-for-travelers
Boston Logan International Airport is testing a remote TSA screening program that lets passengers clear security in Framingham before heading directly to their gate by shuttle bus.
The Boston Logan International Airport is conducting an interesting three-month trial: screening passengers remotely at a facility around 25 miles away from the airport. Once screened, passengers would be ferried straight to their gates by bus. The initiative was launched to help reduce wait times at the airport and make the process smoother for passengers. If the pilot is successful, the program could become permanent.
Starting June 1, passengers in the Boston area can skip the snaking airport lines and travel to the remote terminal in Framingham to drop off their baggage and get screened. There, TSA agents will screen them under the same rules used at the airport, with TSA PreCheck available. After clearing security, passengers will wait in an area with bathrooms and vending machines before boarding a secure bus to the airport gate.
The Landline Company, which operates shuttles between smaller airports and larger hubs, will operate the secure buses. TSA agents will conduct screenings, while airline staff will meet buses at the gate to transfer luggage.
The service is one of a kind in the U.S., although passengers can access exclusive airport services for a price. At New York’s JFK and Los Angeles International Airport, Delta offers a private screening service for Delta One passengers. Meanwhile, PS offers private TSA screenings, along with other benefits, at Los Angeles and Atlanta for up to $4,850 annually (base membership starts at $1,250).
This remote screening service, however, is available for all passenger classes without added costs.
Opting for the service will require additional planning. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), which operates the airport, recommends arriving 45 minutes before the scheduled bus departure to clear security and check checked bags.
Rich Davey, CEO of Massport, said passengers in the area now have a stress-free way to reach the airport. “Imagine arriving at the airport having already checked in and cleared security and then being dropped off just steps from your gate. This is the kind of stress-free process we’re working to make a reality for everyone.”
For now, passengers traveling with JetBlue and Delta between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. can use the service. One-way tickets cost $9, while children travel free with ticketed parents. Parking at the remote facility costs $7 per day. The pricing itself could be a deciding factor for travelers in the area, as it may save them money on gas and parking fees at Boston Logan, where parking costs $37 per day.
Another reason Framingham may appeal to travelers, especially those in the suburbs, is Boston’s notoriously heavy traffic. The buses will follow the same routes as regular traffic, and the trip to the terminal will take about 50 minutes or more, but it could make the process smoother, especially for families and larger groups.
Passengers can already reserve spots on the 55-passenger buses. Reservations can be made online between 90 days and 90 minutes before departure, and the buses will run hourly.
The program could also inspire other airports to explore similar solutions to decentralize airport operations amid growing travel demand. Boston Logan also plans to expand the program to passengers flying with additional airlines.
Choice Hotels International CEO steps down
Patrick Pacious served in the role since 2017
Choice Hotels International President and CEO Pat Pacious will step down from his role and serve as an adviser to the company through Aug. 31 to help with its transition. (Bryan Wroten)
https://www.costar.com/article/285975870/choice-hotels-international-ceo-steps-down?
Patrick Pacious has stepped down from his role as president and CEO of Choice Hotels International.
Choice's board of directors has appointed Dominic Dragisich, chief growth and strategy officer, as the company's interim CEO. It will conduct a "comprehensive search" for a permanent replacement and will consider both internal and external candidates, according to a company news release.
Pacious has served in the role since 2017 and has been with Choice for nearly 21 years. He will serve as an adviser to the company through Aug. 31 to support the transition of the position.
"Leading Choice Hotels has been the greatest privilege of my career," Pacious said in the release. "Having laid the foundation for a customer-centric, AI-enabled business, in alignment with our long-term strategic plan, now is the right time for a new leader to guide Choice Hotels into its next phase of growth."
During his tenure as president and CEO, Choice grew from 11 to 22 brands, including the acquisitions of the WoodSpring Suites and Radisson Hotels Americas brands. Pacious led Choice's efforts of a hostile takeover bid of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in 2023 before abandoning the proposal in early 2024.
Dragisich has been with Choice since 2017, serving as the company's chief financial officer for the bulk of that time. This will be his first CEO role, albeit in an interim position for the time being.
"I am honored to step into the role of interim CEO and look forward to building on the company's strong foundation," he said.
C. Patrick Scholes, managing director of lodging and leisure equity research at Truist Securities, said in a note to investors that Dragisich and Choice's Chief Financial Officer Scott Oaksmith told analysts that Pacious' departure was "amicable." Scholes also noted that Dragisich is viewed as the top candidate to fill the permanent CEO position.
"Certainly, the most recent earnings call ... the results disappointed, and there was a little bit of friction on the earnings call. In that regard, one might have initially thought that [Pacious' departure] might have had to do with stock underperformance and the recent earnings that were light," Scholes said in an interview with CoStar News. "I had a conversation with the management team, and they cleared up some initial misconceptions as to those two being related — it just sounded like this had been in the works for some time, it wasn't related to earnings or anything."
Choice posted decreases in revenue per available room, average daily rate, and occupancy in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period a year ago, with executives pointing to a tough comparison to the 2025 first quarter, boosted by hurricane-related travel. Choice left its full-year 2026 revenue per available room outlook unchanged.
According to the company's latest earnings report, Choice's global portfolio has 7,588 hotels with 658,348 rooms across 22 brands.
The evolving legal landscape of hotel franchise agreements
As more owners turn to this model, greater numbers allow for pushback against brands
As more hotel owners turn to the franchise model, the franchise agreement environment is changing. (Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/405186412/the-evolving-legal-landscape-of-hotel-franchise-agreements?
By Bryan Wroten
HOUSTON — There is an ongoing shift in the relationship between hotel owners and the brand companies.
Jennifer Nellany, a member at the law firm Cozen O'Connor, said that 15 years ago, she barely saw franchise agreements in her work
“Now that’s all I see,” she said at the Hospitality Law Conference.
Everyone wants to convert their brand-managed hotel to a franchise because it gives them more control, Nellany said. There has been significant growth and record market activity in hotel owners moving to the franchise model.
It’s a further evolution of the hotel brands moving from being hotel owners to the asset-light model, she said. Brands like the franchise model and the money it makes them.
“They certainly don’t want to own them,” she said. “For the most part, they don’t want the brand-managed hotels because brand-managed hotels come with the headaches of all the employment issues that we’ve talked about, so they don’t want that responsibility.”
Fee structures are under a lot of pressure because the hotel brand companies are moving to a primarily fee-based system, Nellany said. They’re focused on where they can get fees, so anyone working with brands will see as they set their budget year after year they have a whole suite of fees to figure out which bucket the services are for.
Having a strong asset manager who can come in and negotiate with the brands is essential, especially for those who are inexperienced, she said.
Jennifer Nellany, a member at the law firm Cozen O'Connor, speaks at the Hospitality Law Conference about changes in the hotel franchise agreement environment. (Bryan Wroten)
“You need to really have a sophisticated asset manager who can sit on top of these fees and really focus on what bucket they're all in, and how much you're getting charged, because there's a lot of pressure now as the franchisee base is growing,” she said. “They're pushing back on the franchisors.”
When negotiating with a hotel management agreement or franchise agreement, the strength of the negotiation depends on how much money the owner can make for the other side, Nellany said. A significantly profitable hotel can translate to more favorable terms in a franchise agreement not found in most others because the franchisor wants that particular hotel in its portfolio.
Having a track record of having successful hotels will also provide some leeway, she said.
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association is essentially the biggest group lobbying back against hotel franchisors, and it has created its 12 Points of Fair Franchising for owners, Nellany said.
“They are really pushing a lot of the disclosures and transparency in pricing and pushing back on the aggressiveness of the increase in pricing,” she said.
Because of the size of the organization, AAHOA has a lot of negotiating power with the hotel brands, she said.
A disclosure document tells franchisees what they to know about the franchise, Nellany said. It’s a large document that owners’ attorneys certainly read, but more hotel owners should as well.
Hotel owners and their attorneys should map specifically the service provided to the fee charged, she said.
“Oftentimes you’ll see the fees buried in some sort of technology services agreement, not in a franchise agreement itself,” she said.
Franchise agreements come with non-compete provisions that say after an agreement terminates or expires, it restricts the franchisee from competing with the franchisor within a certain area for a certain amount of time, Nellany said. These now have specific geographic coordinates showing the restrictive territory.
“You want to be very careful about defining exactly what you can and can’t do within the territory restriction, the brand restrictions, and whatever other specifics that people have in their territory restrictions,” she said.
Virginia passed a new retail franchising act that goes into effect July 1 and makes it unlawful for a franchisor to restrict a franchisee from competing against it after an agreement expires or terminates, she said. There is a small exception on the mutually agreed-to sale to a third party that can have a two-year, non-compete agreement, but it’s both a narrow situation with some ambiguity about what it actually means.
“I would fully expect over the next year or two to see a lot more states follow suit, and also to implement more strict provisions, even beyond the territory and non-compete restrictions,” she said.
The American Franchise Act, written to standardize rules about franchising and joint-employer standards, has been gaining a lot of steam, she said. The bill was introduced to Congress in 2025 to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, but it currently remains in the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
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