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U.S. News Travel Methodology

The U.S. News & World Report travel rankings are based on an analysis of expert opinions and traveler reviews. We also rely on our in-destination writers and editors for their recommendations and insider knowledge.

How We Do Our Travel Rankings

Even though our rankings of hotels, vacation destinations, cruises, things to do and more are based on a wide collection of independent opinions, the best options for you may not be those ranked at the top of the list. Travel experiences are personal ones. Nonetheless, we hope that our rankings serve as helpful guideposts as you plan your next trip.

Hotel Rankings

For a hotel or resort to be considered for U.S. News & World Report's rankings, it must meet the following requirements:

Vacation Rankings

We rank travel destinations against one another on a variety of lists covering topics such as the World’s Best Places to Visit and the Best Places to Visit in the USA . Most U.S. News vacation rankings are updated once per year on a rolling basis.

Things to Do Rankings

We rank the best things to do within each travel guide that we cover. 

Travel Rewards Programs Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks the  Best Travel Rewards Programs  in two categories:  Best Airline Rewards Programs  and  Best Hotel Rewards Programs . Considering highly coveted factors, such as how easy it is to earn a free flight or stay and what extra perks (think: complimentary  checked bags  and discounted room rates) are awarded to members, the Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings aim to help everyday travelers find the best loyalty program for them. These rankings are updated once a year.

Cruise Rankings

The U.S. News & World Report Best Cruises rankings are designed to help you find a cruise that best suits your needs. Using the following methods, U.S. News has identified the best cruise ships and cruise lines in a variety of categories. We currently rank cruise ships within 17 of the most popular ocean cruise lines. To rank the best cruise ships and cruise lines, we use the following scoring components. Cruise Ship Scoring

Travel Insurance Ratings

U.S. News & World Report rates the best and the cheapest travel insurance providers to help travelers determine what policy will best help them protect their investment in their vacation. U.S. News evaluates travel insurance companies that specifically offer trip cancellation and interruption protection.

If you have any questions about the U.S. News Travel rankings' methodology, please feel free to contact us .

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Making a splash: U.S. News & World Report recognizes Bonita Springs resort's luxury pool

The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs has something to brag about: a national prize for its pool.

The Hyatt learned last week it has been recognized in U.S News & World Report's “Best Hotels” Awards. The hotel is ranked among the “Best Pool Hotels in Florida” category.

According to a press release about the recognition, the resort ranked as the 17th top pool hotel in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hotel” awards. The awards are based on an evaluation of rankings from awards, hotel class, and guest ratings.

The 2024 list highlights more than 35,000 hotels across numerous countries, regions and destinations to help travelers find the hotel that’s right for them.

Needless to say, the prestigious pool award has the team at the Hyatt beaming with pride.

“We are honored to be recognized in U.S News & World Report’s prestigious ‘Best Hotel’ awards ,” said Brianna Guzman, Area Director of Marketing & Communications at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa. “We are proud to provide an unforgettable travel experience that is immersed in the tropical beauty of our Southwest Florida location. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team.”

More: Condé Nast Traveler readers have spoken: They are big fans of these two Naples resorts

What makes the Hyatt Coconut Point pool award-worthy?

When it comes to all things water, the Hyatt features an array of options.

• The resort features a lazy river complex that is home to the resort's iconic dueling waterslide and inner tube slide.
• Guests can also enjoy the waterfall pool, scenic lap pool, and adventure pool which features an impressive corkscrew waterslide and a smaller waterslide for younger children.
• The resort offers several luxury cabana options which include a comfortable chaise lounge and sofa seating, a mini fridge stocked with sodas and water, and a large-screen television, and dedicated food and beverage service.

U.S News' travel methodology

The U.S. News & World Report says on its website that its travel rankings are based on an analysis of expert opinions and traveler reviews. It also relies on in-destination writers and editors for their recommendations and insider knowledge.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Making a splash: U.S. News & World Report recognizes Bonita Springs resort's luxury pool

Travel | US News and World Report’s 10 most gorgeous…

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Travel | us news and world report’s 10 most gorgeous islands on the planet.

US News and World Report is known for its “best college” and “best high school” lists, of course. But their travel editors do rankings too, including a list of the most stunning islands in the world. It’s a rough job, but someone has to do it — evaluate the clarity of the turquoise water, the softness of the sand and the snorkeliest of recreation possibilities.

The recently released list for 2024 gives shout-outs to 24 incredible destinations, starting with Palawan in the Philippine archipelago, where beaches beckon and abundant sea life and reefs draw divers and snorkelers. The diversity of wildlife on Madagascar helped the world’s fourth largest island snag the No. 6 spot, while a heady mix of sandy beaches and ancient ruins puts Cyprus at No. 7.

It’s a globe-circling list that includes French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora) and Europe (Sardinia, Santorini), the African coast and the Caribbean Sea. And the Hawaiian island of Kauai provides the sole U.S. representation at No. 24. (We’re not quibbling with that. Alcatraz is pretty spectacular, but it’s no Zanzibar.)

Here’s a peek at the top 10. Find the full 24 — along with all the reasons these islands belong on your bucket list — at https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/. You can cast your vote there, too, on whether their choices belong on the list.

Top 10 islands in the world

1 Palawan, Philippines

2 Sardinia, Italy

3 Zanzibar, Tanzania

4 Mauritius

5 Santorini, Greece

6 Madagascar

8 Tahiti, French Polynesia

9 Whitsunday Islands, Australia

10 Bora Bora, French Polynesia

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2024 World Happiness Report: Happiest countries revealed, US fails to crack top 20

The us is out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time. while older folks are thriving in the us, younger people are the least happy..

The 2024 World Happiness Report , a list of the happiest countries in the world, has been released today on International Day of Happiness . And spoiler alert, the United States isn't at the top.

For the first time since the World Happiness Report was first released 12 years ago, the US isn't ranked in the world's top 20 happiest countries. It sits at No. 23, the United Arab Emirates is ranked at 22 and Slovenia at 21.

World Happiness Report: So which are the top 20 happiest countries?

According to the World Happiness Report , the following are the happiest countries:

• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom

World Happiness Report: Nordic countries top the list

There isn't much difference in the top 10. Nordic countries are still dominating the happiness charts. But to get a better picture, folks need to look at the top 20 as a whole.

There are barely any countries with large populations at the top.

"In the top ten countries only the Netherlands and Australia have populations over 15 million," states the report's website. "In the whole of the top twenty, only Canada and the United Kingdom have populations over 30 million."

Youth and social media: Ohio, more states push for social media laws to limit kids’ access: Where they stand

World Happiness Report reveals youth aren't happy in the US

The report did a break down and also ranked the happiness of different age groups. The United States ranked in the top 10 when the report analyzed the happiness of "the old," people aged 60 and over.

But, when it came to the happiness of the young, folks younger than 30, the country was ranked at 63.

What is the World Happiness Report?

According to its website, its a partnership between Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the WHR (World Happiness Report) Editorial Board, which produces the report.

"The World Happiness Report reflects a worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and well-being as criteria for government policy," states its website. "It reviews the state of happiness in the world today and shows how the science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness."

How do World Happiness Report researchers measure happiness?

According to the UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network , SDSN, global researchers analyze data from the Gallup World Poll.

The poll gathers responses from over 100,000 people from all around the world.

People in different countries rank their happiness by imagining a ladder with 10 steps. The first and lowest step of the ladder represents the worst of the worst a person's life can be. The tenth and highest step represents a person's best life. Researchers then ask people which step they believe they're on.

World Happiness Report: What factors impact happiness?

SDSN lists six factors that can explain the different levels of happiness.

• Social Support- This is the best predictor of happiness. If people feel like they have at least one person they can reach out to when they're in need, they are more likely to feel secure.
• GDP per capita- This is how much a country produces divided by its population.
• A healthy life expectancy- The researchers look at the physical and mental health of a country's population.
• Freedom to make life choices- This plays a key role in how happy one feels.
• Generosity- This factor looks at how charitable a country's people are.
• Perception of Corruption- How corrupt are a country's government and business policies? This factor looks at both and researchers use what they find to estimate happiness levels.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture.   You can follow her on  X, formerly known as Twitter ,  Instagram  and  TikTok : @juliamariegz.

Judge Seems Skeptical of Hunter Biden's Request to Dismiss Tax Charges

Judge Seems Skeptical of Hunter Biden's Request to Dismiss Tax Charges

FILE PHOTO: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, is seen as he makes a surprise appearance at a House Oversight Committee markup and meeting to vote on whether to hold Biden in contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a request to testify to the House last month, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

By Chris Kirkham and Andrew Goudsward

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A U.S. judge gave a skeptical reception on Wednesday to an attempt by President Joe Biden’s son Hunter to dismiss his criminal tax-evasion case on the grounds that he was selectively targeted for prosecution due to political pressure.

At a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi asked whether Hunter Biden's lawyers had any evidence that prosecutors had caved to pressure from Republicans, other than the fact that they filed charges after months of accusations by Republicans in Congress and former President Donald Trump that he had been treated leniently.

"Do you have any evidence other than the timeline?" Scarsi asked Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

Lowell acknowledged that "it's a timeline, but it's a juicy timeline."

Scarsi also voiced skepticism about Hunter Biden's defense team's argument that prosecutors had been pressured by two Internal Revenue Service agents who went public last year with information about his tax returns.

"How are they responsible for what's in the indictment?" Scarsi asked.

“I can’t make the connection that that’s why that happened,” Lowell said, later adding that “it was those two agents that started the dominoes.”

Leo Wise, one of the prosecutors on the case, said it was "patently absurd" that the agents had influenced prosecutors.

Hunter Biden, 54, pleaded not guilty to failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019, while spending millions of dollars on drugs, escorts, exotic cars and other big-ticket items. Lowell has said he paid back the money in full.

The trial is due to start in June, a few months before Americans vote in a November presidential election that looks set to be a close and deeply divisive contest between Joe Biden, himself the subject of an impeachment probe, and Donald Trump, who faces four criminal trials.

Hunter Biden, the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges, also faces a separate criminal case in federal court in Delaware over his alleged purchase of a handgun while he was using illegal drugs. He has pleaded not guilty and made similar arguments to dismiss the charges in that case.

Special Counsel David Weiss, who brought both cases, has accused Hunter Biden’s legal team of spreading “conspiracy theories” about the prosecution. 

Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, which are detailed in the tax indictment, are at the center of an impeachment investigation by Republicans in the House of Representatives into whether Joe Biden profited from his son’s activities. 

The probe has so far turned up no evidence that the president personally benefited. 

Hunter Biden's defense team has also argued that the case is barred by an earlier plea deal the president’s son struck with prosecutors.

The deal, which collapsed under questioning from a federal judge last year, called for Biden to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. Prosecutors have said it never took effect.

(Reporting by Chris Kirkham in Los Angeles and Andrew Goudsward in Washington; Editing by Costas Pitas and Stephen Coates)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Led by Its Youth, U.S. Sinks in World Happiness Report

For the first time since the first World Happiness Report was issued in 2012, the United States was not ranked among the world’s Top 20 happiest countries. The drop was driven by people under 30.

By Sopan Deb

Each year, it’s no surprise that Finland tops the annual World Happiness Report. And this year was no different, marking the country’s seventh consecutive year doing so — though some Finns have bristled at the title .

But the 2024 report, released on Wednesday , had a note of alarm that was less about who was at the top of the rankings and more about who wasn’t: Americans — particularly those under 30 — have become drastically less happy in recent years.

The report, compiled annually by a consortium of groups including the United Nations and Gallup, was the latest data point in what some researchers have described as a crisis among America’s youth.

For the first time since the first World Happiness Report was published in 2012, the United States fell out of the Top 20 and dropped to 23rd, pushed down by cratering attitudes of Americans under 30.

Americans have long been an unhappy bunch. They have never ranked in the Top 10 of the World Happiness Report, which is based on how respondents in different countries rate their own happiness.

But this was the first time that the consortium separated results by age, finding disparities in the views of younger and older Americans. Among the 143 countries surveyed , the United States ranked 10th for people 60 and older, but 62nd for people under 30. The happiest young people are in Lithuania, while the unhappiest are in Afghanistan.

“I have never seen such an extreme change,” John Helliwell, an economist and a co-author of the report, said in an interview, referring to the drop in happiness among younger people. “This has all happened in the last 10 years, and it’s mainly in the English-language countries. There isn’t this drop in the world as a whole.”

To collect the data, Dr. Helliwell and his collaborators interviewed about 1,000 people in each of the more than 130 countries surveyed annually from 2021 to 2023. Respondents were asked — among other prompts — to think of their life as a ladder and to rate it on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the best possible life.

Dr. Lorenzo Norris, an associate professor of psychiatry at George Washington University, who was not part of the World Happiness study, cited the disruptions to life brought about by the coronavirus pandemic as a chief cause of mental health challenges among younger Americans.

“The literature is clear in practice — the effect that this had on socialization, pro-social behavior, if you will, and the ability for people to feel connected and have a community,” Dr. Norris said of the pandemic. “Many of the things that would have normally taken place for people, particularly high school young adults, did not take place,” he added. “And that is still occurring.”

Jade Song, a 27-year-old novelist , counted herself among those who had become increasingly unhappy in recent years.

“It’s mostly because as an adult you suddenly become aware of all the world news and you pay attention more to what you can control, and you realize that there is so little you can control,” Ms. Song, who was not part of the study, said in an interview. “Even if you’re going to protests or paying your rent and bills all on time, it’s so difficult, especially now, to break free from how you’re living your life when you realize how little impact your actions actually have on a broader level.”

In 2022, a Harvard University study showed that well-being among young adults in the United States had declined in the previous 20 years. Young people — those between the ages of 18 and 25 — reported the lowest levels of happiness compared with other age groups, as well as the poorest mental and physical health, sense of purpose, character, virtue, close social relationships and financial stability. Similar findings have emerged in Britain and Canada.

“One factor, which we’re all thinking about, is social media,” said Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. “Because there’s been some research that shows that depending on how we use social media, it lowers well-being, it increases rates of depression and anxiety, particularly among young girls and women, teenage girls.”

In addition, Dr. Waldinger said, the negative feedback loop from news consumption has become a contributing factor.

“There’s also a lot of anxiety about the state of the world,” he said. “About climate change. About all of the polarization that we’re seeing.”

Of course, the United States is not the only country dealing with the pandemic, social media and climate change. But in some other countries, such as Croatia, Switzerland and Austria, the World Happiness Report shows that young people are becoming happier.

Happiness has long been an object of fascination in the United States. The right to the “pursuit of happiness,” of course, appears early in the Declaration of Independence as a self-evident truth. Exploring it as a concept has been a mainstay of American pop culture. Think of the earworm hits “Happy” by Pharrell Williams or “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. In the television show “Mad Men,” Don Draper laments: “What is happiness? It’s a moment before you need more happiness .”

“ Part of the problem is that we have this huge expectation of happiness in America,” said Eric Weiner, the author of “The Geography of Bliss,” and so we suffer partly from the unhappiness of not being happy and the expectation that we should be happy. And not every country in the world has that.”

For that book, Mr. Weiner, a former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, traveled to several countries ranked among the world’s happiest places.

“There’s an assumption that if you’re American, you’re wealthy and you’re high tech and you’re successful; you should be happy,” he said. “There’s a lot of data that shows that the greater your expectations, the less you’re happy.”

The expectations for young people like Ms. Song, the novelist, said have shifted.

“We have less to look forward to,” she said. “Because in the future, there’s going to be climate change that will affect the way we live. I think there’s less of a clear-cut trajectory for our life paths, because for so long, it was so easy just to know that you could go get married and have your 2.5 kids, and then pay for your house. But now that path is a lot more closed.”

There is a silver lining, though, for the report released on Wednesday, Dr. Helliwell said.

“ A, this angst is very local and, B, it’s very recent, which means, C, it’s not fundamental and going to last forever,” he said. “If it has been created that quickly, it could be removed that quickly.”

Sopan Deb is a Times reporter covering breaking news and culture. More about Sopan Deb

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