NEW YORK (AP) ― A new Marriott in New York City is claiming to be the tallest single-use hotel building in North America. The Courtyard-Residence Inn Central Park is 228.6 meters high, according to Marriott spokeswoman Nina Herrera-Davila. The hotel opened Dec. 29 at 1717 Broadway at 54th Street. It’s 68 stories tall, with 378 rooms in the Courtyard hotel and 261 suites in the Residence Inn. The term single use means there are no private residences or offices in the building. Nightly rack rates

Agoda.com, the hotel booking site of Priceline Group, announced a list of hot travel spots in Milan, as well as hotel suggestions for those planning a winter vacation there. Milan, the second-largest city in Italy next to Rome, is known as a cultural city and industrial and financial hub of the country. The country also is a desirable winter destination with cool winter weather, not terribly cold, for skiing. Some of the attractions for sightseeing include the UNESCO World Heritage Site Santa Ma

Hana Tour is donating $1 per tourist to help the Philippines rebuild the region devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. The donation campaign saves $1 per tourist visiting the Philippines and expects to deliver the amount to the typhoon-struck region at the end of February. The tour agency also collects used clothes and daily necessities from customers and plans to send them to residents affected by the natural disaster. Those who wish to participate can send items to Hana Tour offices in Korea or deliver

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― Five months out from the World Cup, Brazilian authorities seem unsure about how to handle the crunch of international visitors, many of whom are expected to rely on air travel for the month-long tournament.The chief of staff for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said this week that a presidential decree was being considered to open more air routes to foreign carriers, partly aimed at keeping down soaring prices. The state-run tourism agency Embratur, which expects about 50

NEW YORK (AFP) ― An Indian diplomat whose arrest in New York sparked an intense row was leaving the U.S. Thursday as she was hit with federal charges over treatment of her servant, officials said.After weeks of escalating tensions between the usually friendly countries, the U.S. and India reached an agreement under which diplomat Devyani Khobragade leaves the country but still faces charges if she returns.Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, informed a judge th

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― The fans made their top picks in television, music and film at the 2014 People’s Choice Awards and deemed Ellen DeGeneres their favorite daytime TV host, making her the woman with the most People’s Choice honors ― a total of 14 trophies.“As a young girl growing up in New Orleans, if anyone would have told me I was going to win 14 People’s Choice Awards, I ... I mean 12, yes. Thirteen? Maybe. But 14?” joked DeGeneres, who said she wanted to make “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” the s