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Ashlea Halpern on Muck Rack

Ashlea Halpern

Verified
(She/Her)
Minneapolis-St.Paul
As seen in: Condé Nast Traveler, Apple Podcasts, Medium, MSN, MSN Canada, The New York Times, Yahoo Life, Bloomberg News, Buy Side WSJ, Forbes, MSN France and
Covers:  Under-the-radar destinations; luxury and boutique hotels, cruise lines, and travel outfitters; art, culture, food & drink, shopping, adventure, wellness, entrepreneurship, and toddler/family travel.
✍️ Contributing editor at @cntraveler, @TIME, @afarmedia, and @OprahDaily 🏆 @TravMediaUSA Travel Writer of the Year 2026 💌 ashlea.halpern@gmail.com

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Ashlea Halpern’s Biography

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I'm a longtime contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler, where I write feature stories, edit special projects, produce a cruise column spotlighting the most interesting people working on the world's best ships, and cover family and adventure travel. In late 2024, I completed a three-month, six-continent trip around the world with my toddler, which I documented for the brand across print, web, social media, and a limited-run newsletter series.

I am also a contributing editor at Oprah Daily, wh…

Ashlea Halpern’s Journalist Portfolio

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How the Japanese Concept of Omotenashi Became the Latest Hospitality Trend

How the Japanese Concept of Omotenashi Became the Latest Hospitality Trend

The tradition of anticipatory hospitality is now shaping a more intuitive kind of travel across the world.

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Meet the Cruise Ship Performer Who Found Her Biggest Stage at Sea

Meet the Cruise Ship Performer Who Found Her Biggest Stage at Sea

Singing Bocelli and rapping Eminem are both part of the job for Celebrity Xcel vocalist Bettina Lobo.

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A Meditative Motorcycle Trip Through the Winding Canyons of the Badlands

A Meditative Motorcycle Trip Through the Winding Canyons of the Badlands

Across the wilds of the Dakotas, Ashlea Halpern joins a cohort of women bikers to live out a long-held dream …

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Staying Connected to Your Kids When Traveling for Work Is Possible-Here's How

Staying Connected to Your Kids When Traveling for Work Is Possible-Here's How

From FaceTime room tours to AI bedtime stories, these tiny rituals can help kids feel included from afar.

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Everything You Need to Know About MSP Airport

Everything You Need to Know About MSP Airport

Most airports are a means to an end: places to be navigated, tolerated, and escaped as quickly as possible. M…

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Why SSSS Appears on Some Boarding Passes—and What It Means

Why SSSS Appears on Some Boarding Passes—and What It Means

The mysterious ‘ssss’ boarding pass code does not mean you’re banned from flying–but it can make getting to y…

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Articles

How the Japanese concept of omotenashi became the latest hospitality trend

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By Ashlea Halpern Verified
| Condé Nast Traveller (Middle East) Verified
On a bumpy, dusty track between Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, two safari vehicles pulled over on a remote stretch of road. One carried an American couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The other carried two milkshakes. This did not happen by accident. Days earlier, during a conversation with their Micato safari director, the couple mentioned that they had shared milkshakes on their first date and repeated the ritual every anniversary since.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

How the Japanese concept of omotenashi became the latest hospitality trend

|
By Ashlea Halpern Verified
| MSN Verified
On a bumpy, dusty track between Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, two safari vehicles pulled over on a remote stretch of road. One carried an American couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The other carried two milkshakes. This did not happen by accident. Days earlier, during a conversation with their Micato Safari Director, the couple mentioned that they had shared milkshakes on their first date and repeated the ritual every anniversary since.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

How the Japanese Concept of Omotenashi Became the Latest Hospitality Trend Original

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By Ashlea Halpern Verified
| Condé Nast Traveler Verified
On a bumpy, dusty track between Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, two safari vehicles pulled over on a remote stretch of road. One carried an American couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The other carried two milkshakes. This did not happen by accident. Days earlier, during a conversation with their Micato Safari Director, the couple mentioned that they had shared milkshakes on their first date and repeated the ritual every anniversary since.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (3) Issue with article?
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

Assistant editor at Magnet Magazine

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes, but not for filing real work.

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

Email only. Please don't DM me on social media.