Latest (worldwide) travel news. Read the latest worldwide travel news, right here, in peace. (If you can't see the travel news below, try turning off ad blockers). refresh. Delaware North launches Waybound(TM), a new premium alternative lodging brand. Waybound Yosemite debuts as first property BUFFALO, N.Y., and FISH CAMP, Calif., July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts Inc. (Delaware North Parks & Resorts), a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies Inc. (Delaware North), today unveiled Waybound(TM), a purposefully-designed premium alternative lodging brand. The new brand debuted this month with Waybound Yosemite, located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park in Fish Camp, California. The Waybound(TM) brand features separate premium [detached] cabins called The Havens - modern and thoughtfully designed retreats that blend elevated comfort with seamless access to one of the world's most renowned destinations. The Havens serve as a contemporary basecamp for exploration and reflection. Each two-bedroom cabin features spacious interiors with large picture windows, front porches and back patios that bring the landscape into the living space. Guests have access to signature amenities, including Cocktail Chests offering craft mixology and Spa Boxes providing wellness items tailored to their locale. The Commons serves as the central hub of Waybound(TM), operating as a center for gathering, dining and programming that embodies the brand's service philosophy of hosting guest experiences. Dining spans multiple venues: The Coffee Counter, featuring breakfast bites and dedicated barista service; Plates + Pours, a social hub with afternoon and evening bartenders and a la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner service; and The General Store, offering curated provisions, merchandise, and grab-and-go options. Just outside The Commons, a resort-style swimming pool and hot tub sit within a pool deck featuring abundant shade and lounge seating. Adjacent to the pool, lively firepits create gathering spaces, with a complimentary s'mores bar available in the evenings. Throughout their stay, guests experience daily Waybound Moments - multi-sensory touchpoints designed to deepen their connection to the location and surrounding landscape. "Waybound(TM) is grounded in a philosophy that spaces designed to foster genuine human connection with nature and with oneself and others enhance rather than diminish the places they occupy, underpinned by a commitment to sustainable stewardship," said Derek Zwickey, chief operating officer of Delaware North Parks and Resorts. "Travelers are seeking more than traditional lodging - they want elegant, private spaces combined with authentic outdoor experiences. "This market hasn't been developed at scale, which represents a genuine opportunity for innovation and leadership. We don't want to operate just the four walls of a hotel; we want to operate the whole guest experience. Waybound is our answer to that shift. With Waybound Yosemite, we're establishing the blueprint for the Waybound(TM) brand as we expand it across our portfolio in the years ahead," Zwickey said. Waybound Yosemite Waybound Yosemite features significant enhancements to the former Explorer Cabins at Tenaya that opened in 2019. Delaware North has refined its cabin model across multiple locations since introducing Explorer Cabins in West Yellowstone, Montana, in 2013, later expanding to the greater Yellowstone region, Tenaya at Yosemite and more. With 50 Havens, Waybound Yosemite represents the evolution into the more elevated Waybound(TM) experience of the former Explorer Cabins and its clubhouse, now The Commons, near Delaware North Parks & Resorts' Tenaya at Yosemite resort. Waybound Yosemite operates under the independent Waybound(TM) brand - a wholly distinct experience with its own identity, design philosophy and approach to hospitality. PRESS IMAGES: HERE About Delaware North Parks & Resorts Inspired by the great outdoors, Delaware North Parks and Resorts operates lodging, food, beverage and retail services, along with recreational activities and educational programming at destinations throughout North America, Australia and New Zealand. The portfolio includes lodging in and near many iconic national and state parks, including Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Olympic National Parks and Niagara Falls State Park, as well as at cultural attractions such as Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Delaware North Parks and Resorts is part of global hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North Companies, Inc. Learn more at www.DelawareNorth.com and connect with Omventure on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. About Waybound(TM) Waybound(TM) is a premium alternative lodging brand designed for discerning travelers seeking an elevated connection to the outdoors. Built on the belief that comfort and nature belong together, Waybound(TM) removes the friction of travel to make space for what matters most: connection with oneself, with those who matter most, and with the world around Omventure. Each Waybound(TM) property offers purpose-built Havens, The Commons, and curated service signatures tailored to its unique outdoor setting. Waybound Yosemite - the brand's debut property - is located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park in Fish Camp, California. Learn more at www.waybound.com. SOURCE Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts Inc.

Delaware North has unified its casinos, digital gaming and loyalty programme under a new brand, Ember Entertainment, creating an integrated gaming ecosystem. The global hospitality company is connecting its brick-and-mortar casinos, online gaming, sportsbook and rewards programme for the first time. The rebrand includes Ember Rewards, replacing Lucky North Rewards, which now works across all properties and digital platforms. Ember Casino has launched in New Jersey and West Virginia for online gaming, whilst Ember Sportsbook covers sports betting. The company's social casino becomes Ember Jackpot Casino. Delaware North's gaming portfolio includes properties across eight US states and Australia. The company has raised $295 million in total funding to support the integration, which aims to create seamless customer engagement across all channels.

Above the Roar virtual reality attraction opens at Niagara Falls State Park. June 19, 2026 Delaware North Parks and Resorts on June 18 revealed a new attraction for the millions of guests visiting Niagara Falls State Park. Above the Roar, located inside the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Welcome Center at the park, is a fully immersive, multisensory virtual reality (VR) experience and takes participants on a thrilling journey around the most powerful waterfall in North America. Through exclusive aerial footage, motion-enhanced seating and immersive sound, participants will soar along the U.S. side of the Niagara River just above the rapids and then over the American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls before gliding through the gorge and plunging into the depths below. There, under the water, they will encounter seven species of fish native to the river before returning to the brink of the American Falls and ending back inside the welcome center. Delaware North - which has operated food and beverage, retail and other visitor services at the park since 1995 for New York Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation - developed and will operate the new VR attraction. "Above the Roar offers a completely new way for people to experience Niagara Falls as part of their visit to the park," said Derek Zwickey, chief operating officer of Delaware North Parks and Resorts. "We are proud of our partnership with New York State Parks and thrilled that Delaware North could bring this attraction to life as another way for visitors from around the globe to experience Niagara Falls State Park." MDSX, an award-winning experiential design and media production firm that has helped develop several attractions at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, also developed the Above the Roar experience. The company produced a festive holiday story that was projected onto the visitor complex's Gateway to Space building during Holidays in Space and several projection experiences for the Planet Play attraction. Caption: Derek Zwickey (third from right), chief operating officer of Delaware North Parks and Resorts, on June 18 prepares to cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of Above the Roar, the fully immersive, multisensory virtual reality (VR) experience that Delaware North developed and will operate at Niagara Falls State Park. With Zwickey from Delaware North are Scott Socha (third from left), Delaware North senior advisor, and Michael Barnes (fifth from right), general manager for Delaware North at the park. They were joined by Mark Mistretta (fourth from right), regional director for New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino (second from right); and other local and state government officials. "Working with MDSX, we used cutting-edge virtual reality content to create a perspective that has never been accessible to the public - a cinematic, awe-inspiring journey that is as emotional as it is exhilarating," Zwickey said. "Every moment is designed to bring guests closer to the scale, power and beauty of Niagara Falls in a way that feels immediate and unforgettable." Above the Roar is open daily year-round via a timed entry ticket, with advance booking on the website, and walk-ins welcome based on availability. In addition to Above the Roar, the "Voices of the Falls" interactive exhibit is open this summer, exploring the past, present and future of Niagara Falls - the park as well as the surrounding community - in the voices of those that have been part of its history. Featuring first person perspectives, historical narratives, artifacts, hands-on interactive and video presentations, the nearly 5,000-square-foot exhibit highlights the cultural, environmental and personal connections that have formed the nation's oldest state park, including those of local indigenous communities.