Hotel News We Noted: October 12, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

Awesome Amenity: A Food Truck Concierge
No matter what you’re craving – ice cream, tacos, dumplings, or more – Thompson’s Food Truck Concierge can assist. They offer a special Food Truck Concierge application, letting visitors know the exact cooking times and locations of their favorite mobile eats. Thompson’s New York hotels are also offering special food truck deals, using code ‘FOODTRUCK’ when booking online.

Hotel Trends: Same Night Booking
Two years ago, we would have told you that the biggest trend in hotel booking was the flash sale. Now we’ll tell you it’s “same night booking,” a platform (often in curated mobile app form) that allows hotels to lower rates for unsold same day reservations. Jetsetter did it earlier this week, HotelTonight even tells you what they do in their name. Hotwire Travelocity and Priceline all have web or application-based tools to allow travelers to book day-of reservations. The platforms all differ slightly. Some are opaque, meaning that they reveal details about the property but not its name until after booking. Others showcase the name of the property or its “type” to entice travelers.

We’re fairly confident that this development is a big one – and we’ll soon be seeing it migrate to other industries, such as fitness, spa and sports.

Hotels Get Social: Sofitel Launches Tumblr Blog
In an effort to engage better with guests of their nine North American properties, Sofitel has launched a new Tumblr blog, Life is Magnifique. The hotel chain says that the content, which is centered on an online concierge experience, will feature cultural activities, restaurant openings, key events and fashion updates by Sofitel staff in each city. We’re excited to see where this goes. Tumblr can be a fun and very interactive platform for hotels, but we have seen too many brands use blogs to push out PR content, leaving little value to the consumer. So far, however, the content seems fun and engaging, and the blog’s layout is easy to read.

Hotel Reviews: HotelMe
A new hotel review site is on the market. HotelMe is touting itself as an alternative to travel review sites like TripAdvisor that have recently been in the news for having fake or unverified reviews on their websites. This new site promises “verified” reviews by partnering with hotels to confirm the reviewer’s stay through a patent-pending method. We’re intrigued … would you use this website to scout out a potential hotel?

Sweet Suites: Diane Von Furstenberg’s Penthouse in Hayman, Australia
Acclaimed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has crafted a new penthouse on Hayman, Australia’s private island destination, and we’re already lining up for a stay. The two-bedroom is designed with DVF signature fabrics, freestanding tone bathtub and classic furnishings, but that’s not really what gets us excited. We’re coveting this space thanks to its prime positioning in the spectacular Great Barrier Reef, which can be viewed on the oversized balcony. Of course, Butler services and all meals don’t hurt either.

First look inside the Diane von Furstenberg hotel guestrooms

by Melanie Nayer on

Diane von Furstenberg, the iconic designer of the wrap-dress, has taken her designs from the catwalk to Claridge’s. Now, one of the world’s most revered fashion icons is collaborating with one of London‘s most glamorous hotels to design a series of 20 guestrooms and suites, the first of which were unveiled on June 23, 2010.

Each guestroom features contemporary prints, Chinese florals and animal prints – a few of the patterns synonymous with DVF designs. In addition, each bedroom will have a Diane von Furstenberg custom designed cashmere blanket and feature light fixtures created exclusively for the rooms using Murano glass. Boxes and trays positioned throughout the suites were hand-crafted in Bali and all the handcrafted rugs are from The Rug Company, a long time design partner Diane von Furstenberg’s.The window dressings, inset wall coverings and upholstery, are all part of DVF’s exclusive textile collection and will be made available to interior designers and consumers in September 2010.

According to Claridge’s, each room was inspired by Diane von Furstenberg’s travels. For example, the dressing table recalls trips to Italy, the traveling trunk evokes images of caravans and stylish steamer trunks, and the cocktail bar resembles jewelry boxes found in the Middle East.
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Diane von Furstenberg designs London’s Claridge hotel guestrooms

by Melanie Nayer on

Ask any jetsetter to show you what’s in her carry-on bag and it’s likely she’ll produce a Diane von Furstenberg dress. After all, the iconic fashion designer does have a way with wraps (her legendary wrap-dress caused a sensation back in the 1970s and today, those dresses are a must-have in many closets).

Now comes word that von Furstenberg is bringing her designer dresses straight to the hotel – Claridge’s, to be exact – the five-star London hotel that she’s been a regular in for almost 30 years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While Armani and Gucci work on the interiors of their new Dubai hotels, von Furstenberg is focused on decorating 20 rooms and suites in Claridge’s, four of which are scheduled to open next week.

“I’m very much a traveling soul. I have spent so much time in hotels. I know what people who stay in hotels need,” von Furstenberg told the newspaper.

According to the article, von Furstenberg had a hand in everything – from paint to furniture to art – in the new hotel rooms. The von Furstenberg designed rooms will also feature a vanity, traveling trunk, desk and cocktail bar that she designed specifically for the hotel.

Ever the traveler, and with a keen eye for fashion and photography, some of the rooms at Claridge’s will also feature personal photographs that von Furstenberg took during her travels to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

[via Wall Street Journal]

New York’s High Line Park stories

by Annie Scott on

In case you haven’t heard the hype, New York City had an abandoned, above-ground train track running from the Meatpacking District to Hell’s Kitchen. The historical track (authroized back in 1847) was going to be torn down, until some smart folks figured out how to save it: Make it a park.

The last train ran the track in the 1980s. A Chelsea resident and railroad enthusiast Peter Obletz worked hard to get the trains up and running again (in vain, but he was in part responsible for keeping the tracks from being torn down), but it was a group called Friends of the High Line, started by Joshua David and Robert Hammond in 1999, which finally found a way to save the High Line tracks for good. All they had to do was convince the city to make it into a protected park. They conducted a study in 2002 which proved that “New tax revenues created by the public space will be greater than the costs of construction.” Bingo!

One thing led to another, and then in 2003, a big Designing the High Line competition was held to figure out how to make the best use of the tracks. The winning design came from by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Their orginal designs were displayed at MoMa in 2005, and you can view the final designs here.

Completion is finally underway, and the first section, running from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened last month to the public! What’s it like? Well, it’s certainly unlike any park I’ve ever visited. But why listen to me yammer on about it when you can listen to Kevin Bacon, Diane Von Furstenberg and Ethan Hawke?

The Sundance Channel, as part of their “Online Only Orignal Content” series, has a collection of videos of public figures talking about the High Line called High Line Stories. You can watch Kevin’s commentary above, and click here to see the rest.