NEW YORK – The research firm Harris Interactive has released its 2010 rankings of tourism brands. There are some surprises. Hilton is the most notable in the list and now leads Marriott. Cheap hotels are lower on the list, but luxury brands also have lower scores due to the obviousMORE HERE

PALM SPRINGS – Any person who owns a silly little motel by the side of the road ought to look at Hope Springs Motel Resort in Palm Springs, California. It’s an utterly nondescript motel that has turned into a Travel & Leisure favorite. The recipe? A hip approach, minimalist designMORE HERE

BEVERLY HILLS – Hilton Hotels Corp. announced Wednesday, Jan. 21 that it would move its headquarters from Beverly Hills to the Washington D.C. area, either the Maryland or Virginia suburbs. As a former Virginian who would love to see Hilton in the Commonwealth, I still think it is a horribleMORE HERE

CALISTOGA – A great brand can come from doing something simply and well for just a few decades. Take the case of Dr. John Wilkinson and his Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort of California. Today, his children Mark and Carolynne are the owners, and have run the mud zone forMORE HERE