Jennifer Allen

Chef, Travel Expert, Author

I am a full-time, nationally syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer and the President of Food Drink Life (fooddrinklife.com). As a published cookbook author and former chef, I bring professional culinary expertise to my writing, with content featured in major outlets worldwide.

I am a regular contributor to Associated Press wire and Blox Digital wire, with additional features on MSN and Newsbreak. As a result, my articles reach millions of readers.

My focus is on luxury travel, and I love to write articles that highlight the intersection of cuisine, culture and destination.


A woman in a white top stands in a kitchen with marble countertops, holding a bottle opener on a wine bottle next to an open book, two lemons in a bowl, and a folded green cloth.

My reach spans major distribution networks

The Associated Press

The AP Wire service provides national and international coverage of breaking news, politics, health, finance, entertainment and more. The syndication network includes content from 5,000 television stations and publications across the country.

BLOX Digital

BLOX Digital is a leading digital solutions provider for media organizations across the United States and beyond. With over 2,000 clients in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories, BLOX Digital has established itself as a reliable and effective partner for media companies of all sizes.

MSN

My articles and slideshows generate 11 million monthly page views and are published daily.

A woman with gray hair stands in front of an old stone castle, wearing a navy jacket and smiling at the camera.

Let’s Collaborate

I work with destinations, hotels, and lifestyle brands across the globe, producing stories that are widely syndicated and reach readers looking for unique travel and luxury experiences.

Every proposal I receive is reviewed personally, and many collaborations have grown into features that resonate strongly with my audience. Depending on the project, I can travel independently, with my family of four, or with a plus one.

I’m currently scheduling media trips and brand partnerships into early 2026. If you’d like to connect about opportunities or be added to my professional contact list, I’d love to hear from you.

Work With Me
A woman with gray hair and a white shirt stands in a kitchen, smiling and flipping through a cookbook on a marble countertop.

Articles

Two cruise ships are docked at a pier with snow-capped mountains and blue sky in the background. The nearest ship, Celebrity Solstice, stands out against the stunning scenery.

Celebrity Solstice’s refresh focused on something most cruise ships overlook

Fox 54 News, May 11, 2026

Celebrity Cruises invested more than $250 million in modernizing its Solstice Series ships, beginning with Celebrity Solstice, and after spending a week onboard in Alaska, it became pretty obvious why this redesign works so well there.

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The TWA Hotel entrance at JFK Airport features retro architecture, large glass windows, and a vintage TWA sign in front of the building.

Historic buildings reimagined as high-end stays as adaptive reuse expands

WPGX Fox 28, April 28, 2026

Old buildings are getting a new lease on life as many are being converted into boutique hotels and resorts. Developers and hotel brands are turning historical sites into high-end stays that keep their original architecture while meeting current hospitality demand. The approach is becoming a go-to move across the hotel sector, pairing preservation with standout accommodations that come with a backstory you can actually walk through.
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Full moon shining in a dark night sky, partially obscured by tree branches silhouetted in the foreground.

Noctourism gains momentum as travelers plan trips around after-dark experiences

WTNZ Fox 43, April 13, 2026

Travelers are increasingly planning trips around what happens after sunset, a shift known as noctourism that is changing how destinations structure their offerings and how visitors spend their time. From guided night tours to scheduled hotel programming, after-dark experiences are becoming a central part of itineraries rather than downtime between daytime activities.
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A hand opens a bottle of rosé wine on a picnic basket with a gingham cloth. A platter of crackers, fruit, and cheese sits on top of the basket.

Vacation resorts turn picnics into scenic dining experiences

CBS19 News, March 31, 2026

At luxury resorts around the world, the picnic is being reimagined as part of the travel experience. A morning safari might end with breakfast in the African bush, while a canoe ride across a private lagoon can lead to a garden picnic waiting on shore.
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Person holding a smartphone stands outside while a driver in a car looks out of the window and smiles, suggesting a rideshare or pickup situation.

Rideshare etiquette draws attention as ride apps grow

The Greeneville Sun, March 30, 2026

Five-star rideshare reviews require more than good driving, as rider behavior can make or break a trip. With 26% of rideshare app users booking trips monthly and 36% of Americans having used the service at least once, passenger conduct inside the car gets harder to overlook. Those small habits come with real consequences on trip timing, safety and driver earnings that add up quickly behind the wheel.
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Woman with long hair, wearing a blue top, brown skirt, and black boots, sits on a stone railing outdoors, reading a book in sunlight.

Literary travelers follow the footsteps of famous authors around the world

WFMZ 69 News, March 30, 2026

Readers are increasingly packing their bags with a favorite book in mind. From historic homes to literary festivals and themed hotel suites, destinations linked to famous authors are drawing travelers who want to see the real settings behind the stories they love.
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A person in a sunhat relaxes on a white lounge chair by the water, reading a booktok favorite with calm waves and a hazy sky in the background.

Reading retreats grow as travelers trade adventure for quiet time with books

WPGX FOX28, March 27, 2026

Book-centered getaways gain attention as more Americans look for trips built around rest, with about 57% saying they are interested in a reading retreat. Set in countryside lodges, coastal inns or mountain cabins, these stays give guests time to open a book and settle in, without the pressure to chase the next stop.
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A man in a white shirt lies in bed covering his ears with a pillow, appearing frustrated or disturbed by noise.

Hotel etiquette returns to the spotlight as travel crowds test patience

CBS 19 News, March 26, 2026

Vacation is supposed to mean rest, but hotel stays are getting noisier by the night. With more than 100 million Americans planning to travel with family each year, slamming doors, early alarms and crowded shared areas turn routine stays into a test of patience. As demand grows, etiquette is no longer a side issue but a daily factor affecting guest comfort and hotel operations.
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A woman with long brown hair reads a menu at a table in a bright café, with rising restaurant prices on her mind. Purple flowers and blurred background details are visible.

Rising restaurant prices put diners’ habits under new scrutiny

The Greeneville Sun, March 25, 2026

Menu prices continued to rise in February across both full-service and limited-service restaurants. Over the past year, prices have climbed 4.6% at full-service locations and 3.2% at limited-service spots. Operators cite higher costs for food, labor and daily operations as key drivers behind these increases.
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Enjoying a bleisure travel moment, a person relaxes on a lounge chair on a sandy beach, using a laptop with palm trees and the ocean in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Bleisure travel continues to reshape the business trip

WFMZ 69 News, March 24, 2026

Business travel no longer ends when meetings do. Across the United States, conference attendees increasingly add personal time to work trips, turning what once looked like a quick flight in and out into a long weekend or short getaway built around a few days of meetings.
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A person lying on a spa table receives a facial massage from another person, with eyes closed and a relaxed expression.

Glowcations replace traditional spa trips as beauty-focused travel surges

WTNZ Fox43, March 20, 2026

Suitcases now leave room for serums and sheet masks, as glowcations, a travel trend centered on skincare and beauty treatments, appear on travel plans. The interest in the concept is rising among younger travelers, with about 38% of Gen Z planning to seek out beauty treatments and skincare stores while traveling this year. These trips pair travel with self-care routines while giving visitors access to treatments and services that may not be easily available at home.
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Neuschwanstein Castle stands atop a forested hill, surrounded by autumn foliage and mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

Romantasy travel turns fantasy novel escapes into real-world trips

WPGX Fox28, March 19, 2026

Romantasy travel gives readers a new way to follow the plot, and this time, it comes with a passport in hand and a castle on the itinerary. The trend influences tourism planning, with fans looking to relive the scenes they once imagined on the page. In response, tour operators design trips that transform the traveler’s imagination into real-life experiences.
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A woman wearing a straw hat harvests leafy greens and herbs, placing them in a basket while enjoying the farm charm of a sunlit garden or field.

Travelers trade spas for soil as farm charm shapes 2026 bookings

CBS19 News, March 18, 2026

As winter lingers across much of the United States, a different kind of spring planning is already taking shape. Agricultural calendars, from bud break to calving and planting, operate on fixed schedules regardless of when travelers book. That timing pressure helps drive growing demand for hands-on farm and field experiences in 2026, a trend some industry forecasts have labeled farm charm.
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A modern waterfront hotel with balconies overlooks a canal lined with yachts, palm trees, and a pool area; inspired by Bimini, it offers stunning ocean views and blue skies in the background.

50 miles from Miami lies an island few Americans have explored

The Seattle Times, March 2, 2026

Bimini sits just about 50 nautical miles east of Miami, closer to the United States than many Americans realize. The 7-mile-long island is the westernmost district of The Bahamas, long familiar to anglers and private boaters but less visible to mainstream travelers. For decades, it served as a fishing stop, a cruise port of call or a destination for those who already knew it well.
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Two people in swimwear relax on lounge chairs by a pool, surrounded by greenery; both wear sunglasses while enjoying drinks—capturing the perfect vibe for a spring break or March travel getaway.

March travel trends show adults claiming spring break for themselves

FOX 28 Spokane, February 25, 2026

Spring break is no longer just for plastic red cups and crowded sandbars; adults are claiming it with better plans and earlier reservations. Across the country and overseas, travelers are filling March with wine-focused weekends, European rail itineraries, composed coastal stays and performance-driven retreats built around clear goals rather than partying and chaos. Read Full Article

A green Victorian-style house with a lit porch named “Dunton Town House,” surrounded by snow, trees, and a mountain slope at dusk—an inviting retreat that embodies the charm of ultra-boutique hotels.

The smallest hotels making the biggest statement in luxury travel

WFMZ-TV/69 News, February 25, 2026

The smallest hotels making the biggest statement in luxury travel
In luxury travel, size is no longer a status symbol. Across global destinations, a growing number of hotels are deliberately shrinking their footprint while maintaining the staffing, service standards and operational rigor of full-service properties. These ultra-boutique hotels reject the labels of bed-and-breakfasts, private villas or buyout-only retreats, operating as hotels in every practical sense, just at an unusually intimate scale.
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A three-story riverboat named "Delfin II" highlights river cruise growth as it glides on calm water near a forested shoreline under a cloudy sky.

Americans drive record bookings on rivers

February 19, 2026

River cruising expands well beyond its European stronghold as American travelers fuel demand for longer itineraries, more remote rivers and culturally immersive sailings that look significantly different from the industry’s traditional model.
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Two people enjoy equine travel as they ride horses across a shallow river, with two more riders following along the scenic trail in the background.

Year of the Horse puts equine travel at the center of luxury and adventure vacationing

February 17, 2026

Horses in travel are often treated as background: a quick trail ride, a photo op or something to do between spa appointments. That’s starting to change. As the Lunar New Year turns to the Year of the Horse in February 2026, more travelers are choosing experiences where horses aren’t a sideshow but the focus of the trip itself.
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Embracing sauna culture, a person in swimwear stands at the entrance of a modern sauna beside an icy outdoor plunge pool surrounded by snow on a winter day.

Sauna culture breaks out of the spa as travel drives a revival

February 11, 2026

Sauna culture is heating up, and not in the quiet, niche way it once did. What began as a regional tradition closely associated with Nordic life has moved into the global mainstream, propelled largely by travel. Floating river saunas, glacier-edge steam rooms, forest saunas carved into rock and communal bathhouses have turned heat and cold into experiences travelers actively seek out.
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White sand beach with clear turquoise water, a wooden pier to the left, palm tree shadow in the foreground, and blue sky with scattered clouds.

Tired of winter? Sunny Costa Mujeres is closer than you think

February 10, 2026

Winter fatigue hits before the calendar says it should. Much of the United States is still dealing with snowbanks, delayed flights and gray mornings that make warmth feel distant long before spring arrives. Costa Mujeres delivers sun, white sand beaches and a polished resort experience without asking travelers to commit to a marathon journey or complicated logistics.
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A hot dog topped with diced tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, and relish, served in a paper tray with a roasted pepper on the side.

Regional hot dogs turn a simple sausage into a local statement

February 9, 2026

Regional hot dogs turn the humble sausage into ambassadors of local pride, served hot and loaded enough to require extra napkins. Across the country, various styles show off their own bragging rights, from poppy seed and bolillo buns to bacon-wrapped franks and bright red beef-and-pork links. Each version carries a reputation locals stand behind and visitors look for upon arrival.
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From A-list jewelry designer to hotelier, the Kat Florence Hotel sparkles

February 9, 2026

Kat Florence is best known for her work in jewelry, where production is intentionally limited and materials are selected with precision. Her business operates on small runs, high-end materials and close oversight of design and execution. Those same priorities carry into the Kat Florence Hotel, which was developed on a deliberately small scale.
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A growing number of vacations are designed to be walked

January 26, 2026

Walking-led vacations are gaining attention as travelers increasingly choose trips organized around daily miles on foot rather than postcard-worthy attractions. Across destinations, tour operators and properties are expanding multi-day itineraries, where walking determines how travel unfolds, appealing to travelers seeking deeper engagement with landscapes, culture and local life.
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Costa Mujeres is not Cancun, and that’s the point

January 22, 2026

Costa Mujeres was never meant to be Cancun. Just north of the city, this newer, carefully planned resort area has been built around luxury properties, wider beaches and a noticeably slower pace. It attracts travelers who want space, privacy and a resort experience that feels self-contained rather than kinetic. For those who already know what Cancun offers and are looking for something quieter and more deliberate, that difference is exactly the point.
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The shift toward nature-based travel and what’s driving it

January 15, 2026

Crowded cities get bumped down the wishlist as travelers trade packed itineraries and constant pings for dirt trails and open skies. Nature-based travel keeps winning over Americans craving real rest, from farm stays that tie meals to the land to hikes that leave room to wander without an exhausting checklist.
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Private villas are rewriting the rules of luxury travel

January 14, 2026

Marble lobbies, exclusive addresses and posh furnishings no longer define luxury travel. Today, affluent travelers are increasingly choosing private villas, chalets and ultra-exclusive retreats over traditional five-star hotels. As privacy and personalization rise in priority, demand has shifted toward properties that limit access by design rather than scale for visibility. 
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Luxury, lineage and local flavor define Tipperary’s global moment

January 12, 2026

Ireland’s Golden Vale isn’t the kind of place that shouts for attention, but this year, it’s earning it anyway. Named one of Lonely Planet’s Top 25 Places to Visit in 2026, County Tipperary is suddenly on the global travel map, and not just for its emerald hills and medieval castles. Here, ancient abbeys share the skyline with the Rock of Cashel, Michelin stars glint in the shadow of centuries-old stone, and horses still thunder across fields where history is infused in every step. 
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7 ways Celebrity Xcel surprises even seasoned foodies

December 30, 2025

Celebrity Xcel, the fleet’s newest launch, takes cruise dining beyond familiar territory, with chefs actively leading the experience and menus built around where the ship is headed. Guests cook alongside chefs, sample regional lineups and watch venues flip their personalities as the days pass by slowly.
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From snow to sunshine, global destinations shape Christmas in unexpected ways

December. 10, 2025

Christmas looks different depending on where you are in the world. It might be a frosted garden outside an Irish manor, a family suite transformed into a tropical holiday playground or a mountain lodge where the season settles in with firelight, glittering snow and the kind of quiet you only find in the Rockies.
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Stepping into the story behind the ‘House of Guinness’

November 12, 2025

Two of Ireland’s most storied hotels, Cashel Palace and The Merrion, are joining forces to unveil Houses of Guinness: A Grand Irish Adventure, a four-night luxury journey that brings the real history behind the drama to life.
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Big names and bold flavors at Charleston’s Food & Wine Classic

October 22, 2025 

Charleston gears up for a star-studded weekend as the much-awaited second annual Food & Wine Classic brings together Southern cooking and national talent on one stage. Set for Nov. 14-16, 2025, the event brings multi-awarded chefs, TV personalities and wine experts to the city’s historic venues for a full weekend of flavor.
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From steam to snow: The Nordic spa boom is reshaping where we travel

October. 8, 2025 

Morning light spills across Bergen’s harbor, glinting off rows of colorful wooden buildings that have watched ships come and go for centuries. Framed by seven mountains and freshened by sea air, the city feels both timeless and alive with a blend of history, culture and coastal beauty.
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Italy’s Jubilee Year and Truffle Festivals make this year the best year to visit Italy

August 13, 2025

One draws millions of pilgrims to Rome for a rare spiritual celebration tied to the Catholic Jubilee, while the other attracts culinary travelers from around the world to a seasonal event that showcases the country’s most prized delicacy.
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180 destinations, 1 cruise line: Celebrity Cruises unveils 2027–2028 sailings

 August 12, 2025 

Celebrity Cruises expands globally with 180+ destinations, adding overnight stays and new routes in the Mediterranean and Alaska.
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From steam to snow: The Nordic spa boom is reshaping where we travel

 August 7, 2025 

The Nordic spa boom is reshaping where wellness seekers travel. This rapid rise reflects a broader transformation in global wellness tourism, projected to hit $1.35 trillion by 2028.
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Lough Eske Castle Hotel is drawing travelers to Ireland’s northwest coast

August 6, 2025

Lough Eske Castle Hotel is drawing travelers to Ireland’s northwest coast as County Donegal emerges from under-the-radar to a must-see destination. More and more visitors are trading packed itineraries for spontaneous detours, cozy cafes and misty mornings that stretch into memory. Read Full Article

Donegal’s coast offers a front row seat to Ireland’s green hills and rugged shores

 July 28, 2025

Ireland’s tourism revenue is projected to reach more than $3 billion in 2025, and travelers are looking beyond the usual spots. In the northwest, Donegal’s coast offers a front row seat to Ireland’s green hills and rugged shores, drawing visitors with its sea cliffs, stone forts and scenic drives.
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Chef’s tables and tasting menus are redefining dining experiences

July 14, 2025 

Currently a mainstay in Europe but gaining popularity in North America, chef’s tables and tasting menus are quickly becoming the ultimate experience for curious diners who want more than just a good meal.
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A man wearing a straw hat, yellow sunglasses, and a floral shirt takes a selfie on a sandy beach, holding up a peace sign with the ocean and hills in the background.

90% of Americans have been a victim of tourist traps—here’s how to avoid them

February 15, 2025 

Some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations are rife with scams and traps for unsuspecting tourists. Travel expert Jennifer Allen shares her tips for avoiding the traps in the Bahamas, Barcelona, Venice, and Croatia, as well as how to be a savvy traveler no matter where your journey takes you.
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