No more sleeping on his brother’s couch in Manhattan for rising National Basketball Association Star Jeremy Lin. The Knicks point guard — who came off the bench a few weeks ago to set records in points, assists and turnovers in his first NBA starts and to become a global celebrity — has just scored a rental condo at the W New York Downtown’s Sunshine Select residences. A Starwood spokeswoman (W is in its stable ) confirmed that this afternoon after a New York Post article quoted unidentified sources saying Lin was getting a 1,182-square-foot condo that had been on the [ ... ]

The two men drinking coffee at the table next to me were talking about hunting mountain lions when the conversation took a sharp turn — to hunting hogs. More specifically, how, when given chase by a particularly adept hunting dog, a hog would always end up backing into a hole in the bank of a creek. The dog would then corner him before the hunter moved in. The punch line: “You had to be careful not to shoot the dog.” There are probably hog hunting conversations going on at any given time in West Texas, but I didn’t expect to hear [ ... ]

In a sign of enthusiasm for the Washington D.C.-area hotel market, HEI Hotels and Resorts on Wednesday snapped up a high-end, Kimpton-run hotel in the suburbs, Hotel Check-In has learned. HEI bought the Hotel Palomar in Arlington, Va., and is going to renovate the hotel and convert it into one of Starwood’s sophisticated, European-style Le Meridien hotels, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, which handled the sale on behalf of the owner. The hotel’s name, in fact, changed once the sale closed earlier today. MAKEOVER MONDAY:  Louisville Hyatt, Miami HiltonMAKEOVER MONDAY:  Loews Annapolis, Delano South BeachTWITTER:  Follow Hotel Check-In’s BarbDelollis A purchase price was not [ ... ]

The two biggest companies — Carnival Corporation, the parent of more than a half-dozen lines, including Princess and Costa Cruises, and Royal Caribbean — saw bookings drop by percentages in the midteens in the weeks after the Concordia ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio on Jan. 13. The accident, in which 32 people lost their lives or are presumed dead, led the industry to suspend advertising campaigns temporarily and focus on reassuring cruisers about safety instead of sales during its most critical booking time. About a third of all cruises [ ... ]

The objects are what the TSA deems weapons or other threats to flight security. They’re surrendered at checkpoints by forgetful or harried passengers who would rather give them up than miss a flight or return to the check-in counter and pay extra to put them in a checked bag. Among the most common: Swiss Army knives or similarly sharp multiuse pocket tools, though the gamut runs to swords or even fuzzy handcuffs that are more for bedroom use than law enforcement. STORY: Bill would give loose change left at airports to USO not TSA And despite cynical suggestions from angry travelers [ ... ]

Courtesy Alfredo Jaar and kamel mennour, Paris“Cien Anos de Soledad” by Alfredo Jaar. Paris Its name derived from neos, the Greek word for new, neon emits colored light when in contact with electric current. The French physicist and chemist Georges Claude developed the first neon tube in 1912, presenting it at the Paris World Fair. After evolving from a scientific invention to a means of urban advertising, neon became an artistic medium in its own right during the 1960s. The exhibition “Neon: Who’s Afraid of Red Yellow and Blue? — whose title borrows from Maurizio Nannucci’s 1970 work of the same name — highlights, so to [ ... ]

Now, five special commissions and two acts of Congress later, shovels and backhoes are set to break ground Wednesday on the National Mall in Washington for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. President Obama, the nation’s first black president, will take part. The $500 million museum, created by an act of Congress in 2003, will have the task of chronicling more than 200 years of black life in the United States. Its seven levels over more than 323,000 square feet are planned to provide a sweeping history that confronts racial oppression and highlights the achievements of the famous and [ ... ]

Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times PreCheck, a security program intended to speed the screening process for airline passengers who volunteer information about themselves before flying within the United States, will expand to 28 airports this year, the Transportation Security Administration announced this month. Prescreened travelers will usually not have to take off items like shoes and jackets, or remove approved liquids from carry-on bags when they pass through security lanes. The travelers are referred to designated lanes after information embedded in the barcodes of boarding passes is scanned at security checkpoints. The move away from a one-size-fits-all [ ... ]

Google has extended its Google Flight Search tool to mobile devices, the company announced today. Google says users can now access its Flight Search feature via browsers on iPhone and Android devices. All the options on the desktop version also are available on the mobile platform, Google says. ARCHIVES:  Google offers new tool to shop for airline flights (Sept. 14, 2011)ON THE WEB:  Google Flight Search vs. Kayak (The New York Times)ON THE WEB:   Google Travel site doesn’t strike fear into competitorsARCHIVES:  Google-ITA deal approved, but govt. imposes restrictions (April 9, 2011) Google promises users that they’ll be able to: Find flights quickly [ ... ]

Beall and Thomas. Many people go to a restaurant or hotel as a respite from household obligations like grocery shopping and preparing meals. But for the person who views cooking as leisure, one hotel and a few restaurants are allowing guests to play chef for a day. Blackberry Farm hotel near Knoxville, Tenn., for example, has a new program in which guests shadow the executive chef, Joseph Lenn (above). The day begins with several tasks on the property, including helping pick seasonal produce and herbs and selecting cheese. Then, it’s on to the kitchen to help prepare dishes for the hotel’s restaurant. [ ... ]

Beginning July 1, United Airlines says it plans to add nonstop service from its hub at Newark Liberty to Istanbul. United will fly one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 767 aircraft. ALSO ONLINE:  United Airlines to upgrade, rebrand premium cabinsALSO ONLINE:  Final day of Continental Airlines’ name is nearALSO ONLINE:  Passengers get Oscar surprise on United Airlines 757 United says it will initially fly the route using three-cabin Boeing 767-300s with 183 seats – six in United Global First, 26 in United BusinessFirst and 151 in United Economy, including 67 Economy Plus seats with added legroom. Starting Aug. 28, United will switch to [ ... ]

Correction Appended Marjana Jaidi/Cultivora. The Web is full of guides that cater to specific types of travelers. Outdoor enthusiasts, foodies, even thrill-seekers can easily find a consolidated resource for their travel needs online. Now, a new Web site, cultivora.com, is catering to music festival fans with destination guides. “Cultivora means a consumer of culture,” said Joseph Sunder, a founder and the company’s chief marketing officer. “It’s not just about the music, but the community and culture that surround the festival.” So in addition to practical information, like the best way to get to and from the concert grounds, the site recommends places to [ ... ]

So she pulled workout pants and a T-shirt out of her carry-on bag and stopped by the airport’s new yoga room. Afterward, she changed in the bathroom, cleaned up with some antiseptic wipes, and boarded her flight in time. “I try to find a fitness option, especially for long layovers, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time,” she says. “It kind of de-stresses you.” As the country becomes more conscious of its obesity problem, even airports are getting into the fitness craze. With delays and long layovers increasingly common, airports are offering travelers alternatives to passing the hours on [ ... ]

Lukas KaderabekMraky 2, a work to be presented at the festival. Prague The best of Czech theater is coming to the stage in Prague from Feb. 21 through Feb. 29 as part of Mala Inventura (Small Inventory), a festival that gathers the best new theater performances from the last year and presents them all on six stages throughout the city. The event is intended to provide a second chance to see shows that have had their premieres but have no permanent home in which to stage repeat performances. Twenty-one Czech pieces will be performed this year, the 10th festival, as well as, for [ ... ]