Destination Pulse: News and Notes for Nov. 17

Why the $75 Million Renovation of Ashford Castle Was Totally Worth It The renovation made the castle even more magical, if that's possible, adding a movie room, a billiards room, a cigar terrace, a cottage by the lake, wine cellars and a children’s room. Source: The Real Deal

Why San Francisco Is Awesome for the Holidays The Bay Area doesn't have snow, but it has just about every other holiday staple from performances of the nutcracker to holiday tree lightings and more. Source: San Francisco Travel Association

The 5 Best Things About Each Midwestern State Thrillist identifies the five greatest things about each state in the region that everybody should be more familiar with. Source: Thrillist

Celebrate the Magical Holiday Season in London with Red Carnation Hotels To complement its legendary festive atmosphere, these luxurious boutique hotels have organized an extraordinary "Magical London" holiday package filled with yuletide experiences and seasonal surprises, providing a truly enchanting winter escape. Source: Luxury Travel Magazine

Discover Alice in Wonderland's Oxford, England, in the sesquicentennial year of the telling of the story, from the Christ Church Cathedral to the shops overflowing with "Alice"-related merchandise. ... Read more from the New York Times.

Bucking the tradition of the moment of silence, television satirist John Oliver responds to Paris attacks with "a moment of premium-cable profanity" on HBO's Last Week Tonight. ... Read more from The Guardian.

Space may be the final frontier, but humans are getting ever closer to being able to explore that frontier as privately funded space exploration takes hold and the Houston Spaceport has a moment in the spotlight as SpaceCom launches Nov. 17-19 in Houston. ... Read more from PR Newswire.

Several travel agencies in Japan have canceled tours to Paris through Wednesday and more are allowing customers to opt out of Paris travel plans. ... Read more from Japan Today.

Survey says Airbnb is more likely to hurt traditional travel agencies than it is to hurt the OTA giants....Read more from Barron's.

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