Insider Today: Italian reno nightmare

Welcome back to our Saturday edition! One 60-year-old CEO says she's been aging in reverse for the past four years with simple and cheap tricks.

That's cause for celebration, and we know a thing or two about that: Our docuseries, "Quiet on Set" just nabbed two Emmy nods. Wahoo!

On the agenda:

But first: A vacation where you don't need your wallet.


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This week's dispatch

Vacation in Santorini.
Vacation in Santorini.grinvalds/iStock

Busy travelers' favorite words: all-inclusive

All I want to do on vacation is sit in a beach chair, book in hand, while ever so often peering up at a beautiful sunset. If that type of laid-back vacation is your speed, get in: We're talking about all-inclusive vacations.

As the person often tasked with planning and making decisions for my family, all-inclusive vacations offer a reprieve from the never-ending decision-making.

"The convenience of all-inclusive is that it does all of the homework for you. You are presented with this mapped-out series of days," Travelzoo's senior editor Gabe Saglie told Business Insider. "It can make the planning aspect of a vacation easier."

But all-inclusives aren't completely rigid. Some are customizable, offering options for excursions, multi-generational families, adults-only, and even solo travelers.

And if the idea of an open bar 24/7 isn't your cup of tea, sober travelers can also enjoy the all-inclusive experience, writes Terri Peters.

She enjoyed "zero-proof cocktails and mocktails" along with "tons of fresh juices and coconut water" while vacationing in a new all-inclusive resort with her husband in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

If you're convinced, one travel planner rounded up the best all-inclusive resorts of 2024.


Victoria Craparotta and Flavio Fabiani sitting at the edge of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Victoria Craparotta and Flavio Fabiani have been living together in Rome for over a year.Courtesy of Victoria Craparotta and Flavio Fabiani

Renovation devastation

Hell hath no fury like TikTok's comment section — a lesson one couple learned the hard way. After remodeling a dusty old Italian apartment and sharing the results on social media, they received some unexpected backlash.

Some commenters said the couple "destroyed" the home's vintage aesthetic. But the pair defended their makeover, which modernized the 1950s apartment.

Inside the controversial renovation.


Photo collage featuring an older woman balancing, a person checking heart rate on a smartwatch, and lifting weights
Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

Live long and prosper

Three essential fitness metrics can help you maximize your workouts for longevity, according to a personal trainer at a longevity clinic.

"It's not necessarily one-size-fits-all," the trainer said. But paying attention to cardio fitness, muscular health, and stability can help streamline your workouts.

Metrics for a longer, healthier life.

Also read:


Photo illustration of man and cruise ship
Crispin la valiente/Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI

The perks of cruising solo

After discovering his wife didn't share his love for cruising, Bradley Carroll started going on cruises alone. While the first few trips were lonely, he said he slowly learned how to make them great.

Instead of forcing himself to attend ship events and dine with other passengers, Carroll stopped prioritizing socializing. He started only doing the things he wanted to do — and has since been on more than 30 solo cruises.

The key to enjoying solo cruises.

Also read:


Pvolve founders facing off in a studio
Getty Images; Christian Northeast for BI

Who gets the company in the divorce?

Billionaire heiress Rachel Katzman has been hailed as the visionary behind Pvolve, the trendy fitness juggernaut she built with her then-husband Stephen Pasterino.

But when Katzman and Pasterino's personal relationship imploded, its fallout included an arrest and a legal battle.

The rise and fall of a pilates power couple.


Photo illustration of a TV with a Love Lies Bleeding still.
A24; Business Insider

What we're watching this weekend

  • "Abigail": One of the best horror movies of the year is now streaming on Peacock.

  • "Cobra Kai": The final season of the Netflix hit kicks off with the premiere of its first batch of episodes.

  • "Big Brother": The long-running CBS reality show returned this week for its 26th season — featuring a controversial AI twist.

See the full list.


A red shopping bag surrounded by $100 bills.
iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI

Deals we love


More of this week's top reads:


The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief of life, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

Read the original article on Business Insider