Annie Fitzsimmons, Travel Creator & Editor, Returns to Share 10 More "If These Walls Could Talk" Hotels Plus Revisits Her One Way Ticket to Switzerland
Release Date: 01/10/2023
Sasha Zabar - Founder of Glace
The One Way Ticket Show
Sasha Zabar, son of iconic New Yorker Eli Zabar, is the culinary dreamer and founder of , the Upper East Side ice cream and sweet shop. Sasha spent his childhood working at his father’s various businesses, including and and then went on to attend the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell. His unshakable foundation in food, family, and business drew him back to Manhattan’s rich culinary scene, working stints at acclaimed restaurants like Daniel, Jean-Georges and The Mark between semesters. Following graduation, he worked with his father and twin brother Oliver to open Broome...
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General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.)
The One Way Ticket Show
General David H. Petraeus is a retired United States Army general and a prominent commentator on contemporary security issues, military developments and global affairs, widely respected as a leading warrior intellectual. The General graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy and earned a PhD from Princeton University. He served in the US Army for thirty-seven years, concluding his time in uniform with six consecutive commands as general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and the International Security Assistance...
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Daniel Libeskind - Architect
The One Way Ticket Show
An international figure in architecture and urban design, the architect Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory and is informed by a deep commitment to music, philosophy, and literature. Mr. Libeskind aims to create architecture that is resonant, original, and sustainable. Born in Lód’z, Poland, in 1946, Mr. Libeskind immigrated to the United States as a teenager and with his family, settled in the Bronx. After studying music in New York and Israel on an American-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship, he developed into a musical virtuoso, before eventually...
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The Points Guy, Senior Reporter – Zach Griff
The One Way Ticket Show
For more than five years, Zach Griff has been a Senior Reporter at The Points Guy. His contributions range from news about the airline industry to travel and product reviews to deep dives into loyalty programs. Zach is also pursuing his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. An avid traveler for over a decade now, Zach first redeemed miles for a last-minute, business-class ticket to the Middle East. He’s since been to 58 countries and counting — and can’t wait to keep writing about his travel experiences. On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Zach...
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Koryo Tours General Manager - Simon Cockerell
The One Way Ticket Show
Simon Cockerell is from the south-west of England. He moved to Beijing in 2000, becoming Koryo Tour’s General Manager two years later. Having traveled to North Korea 182 times, he has probably been to the country more than any other westerner. Simon is a respected speaker on the DPRK and appears regularly in international media. Simon’s tireless work, alongside Koryo’s partners in Pyongyang, has been essential in opening up new territories within the DPRK to tourists. You can follow Simon’s adventures on his Instagram account: @simonkoryo. On this episode, Simon...
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Matthew Shollar - Founder & Chief Visionary, Transcend Cruises
The One Way Ticket Show
Matthew’s passion for all things travel began in his childhood. He brings 25 years of entrepreneurial leadership experience in the luxury travel marketing, sales, and hospitality business development arena to Transcend Cruises. Matthew co-founded and served as CEO of e-Cruise, an online industry wide marketing and retention program, and created and led Chosen Voyage, a niche cruise charter company that has operated numerous full-ship programs with luxury ocean and river cruise lines. Matthew subsequently served as a senior VP at INTRAV, a leading specialist cruise and tour...
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Scott Shelley - Traveler to 192 of 193 United Nations Member States
The One Way Ticket Show
Originally from the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, Scott Shelley is a Physics Laboratory Instructor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He moved to the US in 1997. Scott has spent the last thirty years attempting to systematically visit every country in the world, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of flights. He believes that planning trips is half the fun. To date, he has visited 192 of the 193 United Nations Member States. He lives in an old house with his extremely patient and understanding wife Julie (who quietly worries but never objects when he chooses a dangerous...
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Linda Gray - Actor & Director
The One Way Ticket Show
Mark your calendars for Saturday December 2nd, 2023. That’s when the Lifetime Channel will be releasing an original holiday movie, Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas. It stars Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, Nicolette Sheridan and Linda Gray, our featured guest on this episode of The One Way Ticket Show. In an acting and directing career spanning well over 50 years, Linda is perhaps best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of JR Ewing on the mega hit TV series Dallas, which premiered 45 years ago. During our conversation, Linda shares her...
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Karen Gershowitz - Travel Addict, Travel Writer, Travel Photographer
The One Way Ticket Show
In Karen’s own words: “I was 17 years old, traveling alone, when I boarded a plane to Europe. Living in a different culture I experienced the world in new and surprising ways and discovered myself. My love of travel was born. I didn’t return to the US for three years. Since then I’ve traveled to more than 90 countries. I climbed Kilimanjaro, conquered my fear of falling to go on an elephant trek in Thailand, spent time in Berlin shortly after the wall came down, stayed with a Japanese family who taught me to make sushi and made friends across the globe. In pursuit of my passion for...
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Michelle Lawton - Founder, Joyful Plate
The One Way Ticket Show
Michelle Lawton is a food and wine lover and founder of joyfulplate, a food and beverage research and branding consultancy. She is a happy home cook to her “Irishman” (aka her partner, Michael) in New York City, where she enjoys brainstorming on bike rides in Central Park and the kitchen -- her happy places. Michelle holds an Advanced Wine Certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and shares her wine, food, and travel experiences on Instagram @joyfulplate and joyfulplate.com/inspiration. Michelle is passionate about community, volunteering with the West Side Campaign...
info_outlineAnnie Fitzsimmons is a travel creative and editor and has worked in the travel industry for more than 17 years, traveling to six continents and reporting–on destinations, people, culture, hotels, and restaurants, and more – through numerous content platforms.
Annie is currently writing and researching her book for National Geographic and Disney Publishing, “Hotels of a Lifetime," to be published in 2024.
Most recently, she worked as Luxury Travel + Advisor Editor for AFAR Media, also hosting AFAR Live and Live from AFAR. Prior to AFAR, she was an editor at Virtuoso - one of the industry's leading networks for travel advisors - and held many roles at National Geographic over nine years, as their first and only Urban Insider, traveling the world and reporting on cities, culture, and lifestyle as their major female brand voice. She was a founding member of their Editorial Council, as well as spokesperson and foreword writer for two NatGeo books, The World’s Best Cities and The World’s Most Romantic Destinations.
Annie has been a keynote speaker and panelist on travel trends, media, and content at events around the world, including SXSW in Austin, World Travel Market in London, the International Tourism Conference in Latvia (sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Riga), the Hospitality World Congress in Barcelona, and ILTM Americas in Mexico.
She is based in west London with her family, after living in her beloved NYC for more than a decade. She has been a licensed NYC tour guide since 2008.
On this episode, Annie returns to the show to revisit her one way ticket to Switzerland, to update us on her book, and to share 10 more “if these walls could talk” hotels. They are:
1. Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, Côte d’Azur
2. Hotel Sacher, Vienna
3. Hotel d’Angleterre & Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen (tie)
4. Baur au Lac, Zurich
5. Carlton, Cannes
6. Reid’s Palace, Madeira
7. Hotel Jerome, Aspen
8. Hotel Eden Rock, St. Barts
9. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
10. Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express, Train
Annie is just one of the engaging personalities featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Former CIA Director, General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Icon, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former Senator, Joe Lieberman; CNN Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; "1000 Places to See Before You Die" Author, Patricia Schultz; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, etc.