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    Polaris Preview

    Polaris preview: United's new international business class promises a luxe experience

    Clifford Pugh
    Nov 30, 2016 | 4:19 pm

    United Airlines launches its new Polaris business class service for international travelers on December 1, promising a special "lounge to landing" experience for well-heeled travelers.

    To offer a glimpse of what's in store, the airline built a mock-up in the lobby of Terminal E at Bush Intercontinental Airport a few months ago showing the new seats and amenities, such as a "build-your-own" Bloody Mary and mimosa bar, plush bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, and amenity kits with products from Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa.

    The new bedding and amenities will be immediately available on trans-continental flights. The suite-like pods with new business seats are being gradually added to the fleet of Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, with some in place next year, as well as on retrofitted Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 planes. United created a new custom-designed seat that offers direct access to the aisle, 180-degree flat bed recline and bed space measuring 6-feet, 6-inches long and 23 inches wide.

    United conducted more than 12,000 hours of research over three years before rolling out the new service, said Nick Depner, senior manager of brand identity and brand marketing, who gave me a tour. "We really tried to put a lot of thought into the design. Ninety-four percent of passengers said that sleep was their No. 1 concern."

    Each passenger's suite will feature mood lighting, one-touch lumbar support, several storage areas, multiple surfaces for simultaneous working and dining, a 16-inch high-definition entertainment screen, a "Do Not Disturb" sign, and electronic privacy dividers for seats in the center of the cabin. Even the size and design of the mirror on the back of a small door in the suite was made with the customer in mind. "We want you to be as comfortable on the aircraft as you would be in your own home," Depner said.

    Amenities include designer bedding, duvets, three kinds of pillows, slippers, PJs for flights of 12 hours or longer, ergonomic eye shades, and even an aromatherapy mist that you can spritz on your pillow before you go to sleep. Meals will be tastier, United vows, but service times will be shorter so passengers will have more opportunity to sleep.

    As part of the new service, United is building a separate airport lounge for Polaris travelers at nine airports. The first one opens December 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport; a lounge, which aims to replicate the experience of a four-star hotel, is planned at Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2017, with a private elevator, marble floors, relaxation suits (with white noise pumped in), showers, a concierge, a barista, bartender and waitstaff, and a self-serve gourmet buffet as well as "thoughtfully done" small plates, with a kitchen on premises in the event you want your ravioli cooked a different way.

    "We want to make the lounge a destination for people and make sure they use it," said Depner. "We're trying to amp up the service level."

    But the new lounge will have only one TV. “That's very intentional,” Michael Landers, United's managing director of airport lounges, told Crain's Chicago Business magazine. “Our Polaris customers found the TVs in our other lounges to be an annoyance. They want to be in here to relax or be productive."

    A "build-you-own" Bloody Mary and mimosa bar will be a feature of United Polaris service.

    United Polaris Bloody Mart cart
    Photo by Clifford Pugh
    A "build-you-own" Bloody Mary and mimosa bar will be a feature of United Polaris service.
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    ROAD TRIPS

    7 quirky and unusual places to stay in the Texas Hill Country

    Luke Applewhite
    Luke Applewhite
    Sep 11, 2025 | 2:06 pm
    Missing Hotel
    Missing Hotel/ Facebook
    Missing Hotel's cabins perch high on the hill tops.

    For weekend warriors looking to escape Houston, the Hill Country offers more than just wine tastings and antique shopping. The rolling hills hide some of the most unique properties in the world. From safari ranches with rhinos to a life-sized bird's nest, these are the weirdest, wildest, and most unforgettable places to rest your head in Texas — because your hotel should be as memorable as your road trip.

    Cypress Valley — Spicewood
    If you've ever wanted to build a treehouse, but only had a few spindly saplings in your suburban backyard, this adventurous hideaway might cure some lifelong FOMO. With a winding tangle of rope bridges and trellises, the compound might look like a particularly elaborate rope course, but the rooms are more Jane than Tarzan. Snap a few shots of the distressed wood walls and oversized pendants for post-trip design inspo, then turn the cell phone off for the weekend.

    Barons Creekside Yes, you can sleep in this wagon.Barons Creekside/ Facebook

    Barons CreekSide Glamping Wagons — Fredericksburg
    Yes, playing The Oregon Trail video game caused a generation to distrust covered wagons, and the iffy salad bars at K-Bob's probably didn't help. These replica Conestoga settler's wagons don't have a risk of typhoid fever. The 220 square feet spaces have roomy showers, sinks, and all the conveniences of home. But guests will probably want to spend most of their time outdoors, lounging in a hammock near the fire pit.

    Longneck Manor — Fredericksburg
    You might expect to find goats, cows, and chickens on a Hill Country ranch. Longneck ups the ante with ambling rhinos and wagging Labradors. Founded by Rick Barongi, a former director at the Houston Zoo, the safari resort works with conservation groups to quell any Joe Exotic-style ethical concerns. Overstuffed furnishings and luxe linens give all the comforts of a high-end hotel, but there are some amenities that the Four Seasons can't replicate. The suite offers a private window into the barn, where baby giraffes happily munch on leaves.

    Missing Hotel— Marble Falls
    If Swiss Family Robinson's hardworking patriarch studied Modernist architecture, he might have drafted something like this Marble Falls enclave. The various cabins and geodesic domes may have urban niceties, but the canopy of old-growth trees is light-years from the hustle and bustle. Don't expect to make a stay into a working vacation — even the owners admit the Wi-Fi is spotty. Instead, give yourself the permission to forget about time by taking a dip in a private plunge pool or swaying along to a record.

    Onera Fredericksburg The Diamond is Onera Fredericksburg's unique take on an A-Frame. Photo by Jeff Jones

    Onera — Fredericksburg
    This Hill Country resort is a CultureMap obsession, both for the breathtaking natural setting and the avant-garde architecture. In August, the spot debuted 23 new units with striking geometric forms that look more like minimalistic monoliths than buildings. Inside, the owners provide few distractions. Why nibble on tchotchkes when you can feast on spectacular vistas?

    Skybox Cabins — Glen Rose
    Although all of the cabins on this compound have charming themes, ranging from a tribute to 17th-century French pigeonniers to buzzy pollinators, the most coveted is The Nest. It isn't just a catchy name. Guests can actually perch in a human-sized aerie outfitted with pillows and twinkle lights. Bring up a portable speaker and cuddle into a tête-à-tête. Recommended listening: Billie Eilish's "Birds of a Feather."

    Kerrville Texaco Station Recharge your batteries at the Kerrville Texaco Station.Photo courtesy of Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau

    Texaco Texaco Station — Kerrville
    Yes, you read that right. You can actually spend the night in a repurposed Texaco gas station without having to wear a pair of coveralls. The 40s building is pure Americana, filled with quirky touches like a Dr. Pepper machine, a row of sporty vintage toys, and a trash can fashioned from a Mobil oil drum. And the recreational areas could be pulled straight out of Life magazine. Put on a bowling shirt and play table tennis or grill hot dogs inside a courtyard sodded with artificial turf.

    hill countryfredericksburgmarble fallsglen rosespicewoodkerrvillehotelsglampingairbnbstravel
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