Forget about over-the-top amenities, fancy linens, and cutting-edge cuisine—sometimes all you care about at a hotel is having a gorgeous pool to dive into. That’s never truer than in summer, when both locals and travelers flock to the best outdoor hotel pools for sunshine, swimming, and a lively scene. Whether you’re looking for rejuvenation in the world’s largest hot-springs pool, a thrilling swim over the edge of a building, or
Paris flings open its doors to an easy, breezy summer in its great urban landscape this season. City terraces, parks, and quayside spots are ideal for dining al fresco, picnicking over an outdoor concert or movie, walking, biking, or lounging on a green chair in the Luxembourg Gardens. Here’s a selection of events and activities en plein air to get you out both day and night. Exhibitions In summer’s must-see
By Engen Tham and Paul Carsten HANGZHOU, China/BEIJING (Reuters) – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s financial affiliate launched on Thursday Internet bank MYbank, targeting the small- and medium-sized Chinese enterprises that have struggled to obtain credit from major financial institutions. MYbank, which is 30-percent owned by Alibaba-linked Ant Financial Services Group, has 4 billion yuan ($644 million) of registered capital and will offer loans of up to 5 million yuan ($805,503),
By Michelle Price and Deena YAO HONG KONG (Reuters) – The U.S. securities regulator has obtained a court order to freeze the assets of a Chinese online gaming CEO over what it described as “suspicious” trading activity ahead of a $10 billion deal by U.S.-listed Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd. In a statement on Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Guangzhou resident Luo Haijian made more than $1
By Jim Drury The world’s first commercially available personal jetpack should go on sale to customers next year, at a cost of around $150,000. The Martin Jetpack has been developed over the past 35 years, the dream of then university student, New Zealander Glenn Martin. Tests in New Zealand of the initial prototype in 2011 saw the manned jetpack successfully fly at least 1,000 meters off the ground before landing
The old powers of market incumbents – massive scale, control over distribution, brand power, millions of customer relationships – are no longer seen as the obstacles they once were to agile rivals with innovative business models. A new survey finds business leaders believe four out of 10 top-ranked companies in their industries worldwide won’t survive the next five years. “Consumers are still unlikely to take an app if they
The explosion of electronic, mobile and other payment methods will ultimately make for a safer system, but the technology needs to be rolled out “in a prudent fashion” with recognition of possibly unexpected risks, Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell said on Thursday. As the U.S. relies more heavily on electronic payment methods and beefs up security with changes like chip-and-pin credit and debit cards, banks, data processors and merchants need
Hopes of a deal between Greece and its creditors faded once again, as European officials strived to come to an agreement over its finances.
U.S. consumer spending recorded its largest increase in nearly six years in May on strong demand for automobiles and other big-ticket items, further evidence that economic growth was gathering momentum in the second quarter. While other data on Thursday showed a modest increase in first-time applications for unemployment benefits last week, the underlying trend in jobless claims continued to suggest the labor market was tightening. The Commerce Department said consumer
The technology giant plans to build a new data center at the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Alabama.
