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    Coffee College

    Coffee College: A trek to Italy delivers the inside scoop on what makes a great cup of joe

    Tarra Gaines
    Jul 5, 2016 | 11:20 am

    As a writer and teacher, I know that sometimes immersion is the best way to fully comprehend a new subject, so when United Airlines invited me to Trieste, Italy to learn more about their new partnership in premium coffee with illycaffè, I packed my bags. I’m all about knowledge for knowledge’s sake, and studying coffee by the sea in the country that first introduced that elixir to Europe is just good, sound educational practice.

     

    Starting July 1, United serves illy coffee on all its flights around the world. With 72 million cups a year about to be served, they want to make sure coffee-loving passengers understand the taste significance of this change, so they invited a few journalists to the illy headquarters in Trieste for some intensive coffee tutelage.

     

    This is my student evaluation of coffee college.

     

     The Student
    Full confession (that I did not make until I arrived in Italy): I did not fulfill the basic prerequisite for this course, that of being a coffee drinker. As a four cups of tea (black, iced, green, hibiscus) a day kind of girl, I might not be the best candidate for coffee school, but I figured, if illy and United could get me to appreciate a cup of coffee, that would have to be some damn fine coffee.

     

     The Campus
    The Adriatic Sea city of Trieste is not exactly the Italian town atop every tourist’s must-see list. In fact, for a significant part of its history–still seen in some of its amazing Hapsburg-influenced architecture–Trieste was part of the Austria-Hungary Empire. But as a major port for coffee beans for centuries, it’s still a coffee lovers paradise.

     

    At illy headquarters in Trieste, the company has set up educational facilities amid their coffee plant to offer training and discovery courses for anyone even remotely connected to the industry, from coffee growers to baristas. I attended coffee class in what looked like a modern grad school lecture hall that just happened to contain state-of-the-art cappuccino and espresso machines as lab equipment.

     

     The Curriculum
    The first day of coffee school was spent learning the complex, global process it takes to bring together the simple ingredients of a single illy cup of coffee: Arabica beans from four continents selected to have nine qualities for their signature blend.

     

    What I found surprisingly fascinating was the science needed to take that blend up to 40,000 feet. The company is producing custom “pillow packs” that will fit into United’s coffee brewers, but the design and coffee blend of those packs went through quite the trial and error process as illy had to factor in issues like cabin pressure, humidity, water quality, and turbulence. Not only do flavors change up in the air, some things we take for granted, like the temperature water boils, is different at higher altitudes.

     

    After half a day of theoretical knowledge, with some tastings sessions, it was on to the practical and a tour of the illy factory.

     

    Maybe it was the hours of travel or a bit of sleep deprivation, maybe it was the earlier lecture on how to wean out the bad beans from the good beans, but as we entered the immense rooms devoted to the roasting, blending and packaging of coffee, I felt that United had transported me into the real-life, coffee version of Willy Wonka’s palace of chocolate, and I was now exploring illy Wonka’s Coffee Factory. When we finally went out to tour the floor, I couldn’t help but to hum a bit of the “Pure Imagination” song as I watched robots and illy employees whirled around me checking and herding the beans were roasted, ground and then sealed into canisters, pods and rather adorable little capsules.

     

     The Field Trip
    The second day of coffee school we ventured out into the wilds of coffee culture, a.k.a went on a Trieste café and coffee house tour. These independently owned houses of coffee worship became our second classroom as we attempted to discern how differences in preparation and barista artistry could lead to different cappuccino outcomes. It wasn’t much of an arduous hike because there were multiple cafés and restaurants serving illy brand on every block and in every square. The whole city smells of coffee as much as it does the sea.

     

     A Moment of Enlightenment
    I admit, I’m still a tea girl, but during that second lecture session, as we sampled different blends for the in-flight packets, I began to get it, that coffee thrall that puts billions of humans under its spell everyday. Until that moment the allure had eluded me. Going back and forth between samples 1 and 3, I actually said aloud “Okay, that’s good coffee.”

     

    On a more poetic level, I also had to marvel a little at that strange journey those coffee beans take across the world by sea to land in Trieste, in order to be transformed, packaged and then launched into the skies, brewed in midair and poured into that paper cup a United flight attendant will hand to you as your cross the globe on your own journey to somewhere else.

     

    So yes, this coffee skeptic might ask for a cup on my next flight. One note, though, United, if you ever decide to switch your inflight tea brand to illy’s Dammann Frères, I’m ready to register for a follow up semester at tea school.

    Taking a coffee break under a cup chandelier at illy headquarters.

    illy coffee/Trieste, Italy
      
    Photo by Tarra Gaines
    Taking a coffee break under a cup chandelier at illy headquarters.
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    news/travel

    2025 world's best awards

    6 Houston hotels ranked with the best in the world by Travel + Leisure

    Amber Heckler
    Jul 8, 2025 | 2:30 pm
    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    The Houstonian is back on top as the best resort in Texas.

    Several renowned Houston hotels and resorts were just declared the best in the world by Travel + Leisure readers, according to the publication's annual World's Best Awards.

    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was honored as the No. 1 best resort in Texas, while the prestigious Post Oak Hotel ranked as the No. 7 best hotel in the nation. Among T+L's list of the 15 best hotels in Texas, four more distinguished Houston properties made the cut.

    Every year, Travel + Leisure surveys its readers to determine the ultimate travel experiences around the world, which include the top hotels, resorts, travel destinations, and more. The 2025 survey had more than 180,000 responses from T+L readers with over 657,000 votes across 8,700 accommodations, cruise lines, and other properties.

    The Houstonian Hotel reclaimed the top spot for 2025 after previously slipping into No. 4 in 2024. The publication celebrated this "serene sanctuary" for its numerous sports and fitness activities, plus its rejuvenating 26,500-square-foot spa, pool, and jacuzzi. The resort's location next to Memorial Park also provides guests with the feeling that they've escaped the hustle and bustle of the city.

     The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa “The staff treats you like you are a long-awaited family member," said a T+L reader.Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa

    "Resort guests receive complimentary access to the fitness club, which has dedicated spaces for a myriad of sports, including nine tennis courts, a shaded jogging trail, an indoor track, and a lap pool," the report said. "On top of the unbeatable facilities and location, the Houstonian’s memorable hospitality had our voters eager for repeat visits."

    In a press release, general manager Steve Fronterhouse said the entire Houstonian team was honored to receive the worldwide recognition.

    "To be named the best resort in Texas by the discerning readers of Travel + Leisure is not just a reflection of our 27 acres and amenities; it’s recognition of the Southern hospitality and warmth our staff delivers every day," he said. "We are grateful to all of our guests who continue to make The Houstonian their home away from home.”

    The full list of best Texas resorts, in order, are:

    • The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston
    • Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, Frisco
    • JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio
    • Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin
    • Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine
    Best hotels in the U.S.
    In addition to being ranked among the top 10 best hotels in the U.S., The Post Oak Hotel was also hailed as the No. 1 best hotel in Houston. The hotel succeeds at providing guests with a flawless level of service and accommodations, while its on-site restaurants and bars add to the overall opulence of the property's amenities.

    "And naturally, there's a world-class spa on site and a Rolls‑Royce showroom in case you need to pick up a new ride," the report said.

     The Post Oak Hotel Stay in style at The Post Oak Hotel.  Photo courtesy of The Post Oak Hotel  

    A T+L reader said The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel is "a destination in itself" and noted that guests could still have a memorable experience in Houston even if they never step foot off the 700,000-square-foot premises. But if guests did choose to explore everything the city has to offer, the hotel provides an over-the-top travel method.

    "There is a rooftop helipad so that you don't even have to sit in Houston traffic if you don't want to," the reader said.

    The full list of Houston winning hotels, in order, are:

    • No. 1 – The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
    • No. 2 – Hotel ZaZa
    • No. 3 – Four Seasons Hotel Houston
    • No. 4 – JW Marriott Houston Downtown
    • No. 5 – Hilton Americas-Housto

    Other Texas awards
    San Antonio's Hotel Emma and Fort Worth's Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection were the only two other Texas properties to earn acclaim in T+L's list of the "15 Best City Hotels in the U.S."

    San Antonio was also deemed one of the best U.S. travel destinations in 2025, ranking 12th out of 15 total cities.

    In a release, Travel + Leisure editor in chief Jacqui Gifford said the 2025 World's Best Awards "reflect a travel landscape in motion."

    "From a high-desert city in the American Southwest to a quiet Greek island, our readers are seeking depth, character, and a strong sense of place," Gifford said. "We're thrilled to honor the hotels, destinations, and travel companies that are delivering those transformative experiences."

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    news/travel

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