A Bavarian Castle in China, New SkyCouches, and How to Land an Upgrade

The Queens’ Quarters

Up on China’s northern coast, there have been some royal rumblings. No, Kate and William aren’t passing through: Starwood has just opened The Castle Hotel in Dalian. From the looks of it, it might better belong in a theme park—there's a palatial lobby, Bavarian-style exterior and lots of ornaments and artwork. The castle is wedged between the Lotus Mountain and the Yellow Sea, so the surrounds are equally as imposing.

A little about Dalian: It’s considered one of the most romantic and glamorous cities in China. And thanks to a long history of Russian and Japanese rule, the port city has a unique mix of architecture. If you qualify, Dalian is one of six cities in China that offers a 72-hour visa-free stay, and it’s also one of the only places in China where public spitting is prohibited. You can thank former mayor Bo Xilai for that one!

From $1,619. 600 Binhai West Rd., Shahekou District, Dalian, (+86) 411-8656-0000, www.luxurycollection.com/castle.

A princely new palace in... China?

Date Flight

Back in 2011, Air New Zealand introduced a very comfy concept to air travel: cuddle seats. These SkyCouches, as they call them, are aimed at couples and families who want to cozy up while they fly. I’ve never had the chance to sink into one of these, but now they’re a little closer to Hong Kong thanks to China Airlines. The Taiwan-based airline has licensed the seats and they’ll be aboard Boeing 777-300ERs this fall. How does it work? This cuddle class enables two adults to purchase a third seat for half off, which they can then convert to a couch for sprawling out. In addition to China Airlines, Air New Zealand has also introduced their cuddle class to more routes, including several Boeing 777-200s with routes in Asia. Most important question: who’s going to be the big spoon?