Grand Hyatt New York “reinvents” room service

by Melanie Nayer on

Don’t you just hate it when you order room service, it takes close to an hour to arrive and when it finally gets to your room, the food is cold? Apparently, so does the Hyatt.

In an effort to “reinvent” the concept room service, the Grand Hyatt New York is mixing up the way room service has worked in the past and is putting the power of change into the hands of its guests. Welcome, Market – the Grand Hyatt’s new food and beverage venue in the hotel’s lobby. Market offers a little of New York‘s finest eats and treats from the Roasting Plant, Tisserie, Chickalicious and Macaron Café NYC and serves up breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, beer and wine for hotel guests who need a fast fix to curb their hunger. You simply walk into Market, pick out what you want to eat, charge the food to your room and take your meal with you. In other words, eliminate the service and do-it-yourself.

The hotel will continue to offer traditional room service for those who don’t want to walk downstairs.

The best airline safety announcement videos

by Gadling Staff on

Air travelers have all been there — the plane is about to take off, but first we have to awkwardly look away or bury our noses in magazines to avoid paying attention to the safety announcements. They’re the same every time, so we always know that the closest exit may be behind us. But a few savvy airlines have come up with better ways to grab passengers’ attention. From stripping down to rapping, here are some of the best airline safety announcements you’ll see on board.

Thomson Airways
British airline Thomson Airways knows that cuteness always gets attention. When a plane full of adorable kids tells you how to buckle your seatbelt, you’re sure to listen:

Air New Zealand
If cute doesn’t work, sex always sells. Take this Air New Zealand video, which encourages passengers to “take a second look” at safety — and the body-painted flight crew:

To further prove they have a sense of humor, Air New Zealand released a blooper reel of the clips that didn’t make the safety video. After all, reciting lines wearing body paint can’t be too easy:

Delta Airlines
Delta is a little more subtle with its sexy announcements — but every person in the video is ridiculously attractive, with perfect teeth and not a hair out of place. YouTube commenters have even dubbed the main announcer “Deltalina” for her resemblance to Angelina Jolie:

Virgin America
International airlines aren’t the only ones who get to have fun. Take Virgin America’s safety video, which pokes fun at the various characters found on a typical flight:

Southwest Airlines
Southwest is known for its funny flight crews. This flight attendant brings the entertainment with a safety rap:

This Southwest attendant makes announcements American Idol-style, singing a parody of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies:”

Virgin Atlantic
When in doubt, use flashy graphics. Virgin Atlantic puts passengers at ease with its calming music and intriguing animation:

The Elysian — Inside Chicago’s newest luxury hotel

by Grant Martin on

Chicago’s newest luxury hotel, The Elysian, opened up late last year, and Gadling finally got the chance to stop by for a look.

The Elysian Fields, for those not familiar with classical mythology, were the ancient resting places for those virtuous in life and battle, a place for the finest Greeks to one day lie. So with a name like “Elysian,” the standard for this hotel is set pretty high.

And high they are kept. One could easily describe the Elysian as unpretentious luxury with clean lines, styling and detail supplemented by a high level of attention, class and quality. Nothing is overbearing, with quiet, articulate staff, minimalist appointments and spacious, pristine rooms. Indeed, designer Lucien Lagrange’s commitment to the legacies of Chanel and Dior has been well held.

The lobby sums up the property pretty well. With high ceilings and broad, open space, one enters from the grandiose, stone courtyard to be greeted by two solitary, massive Greek sculptures. The atrium is bordered by a phalanx of waiting attendants and a sitting room on the left, while the reception desk pleasantly waits on the right. There are no kiosks, pantries, night clubs or dance parties to blur the experience.

%Gallery-89729%In a similar vein, The Elysian’s rooms boast a classy silver, white and brown color scheme, with simple, luxurious appointments and stylish design. Average rooms are just over 850 feet square, while our one bedroom palace had a massive, white marble bathroom, living room and bedroom, all facing the bustling promenade of Rush St. below.

Of particular note, the technological features of each room are phenomenal. Flat screen LCD televisions tastefully appoint the bedrooms and living rooms while some rooms even have in-mirror screens that you can watch while brushing your teeth. iPod ready docks are sprinkled about the rooms and even the freezer is tastefully tucked into a cabinet drawer.

Those looking to dine on-property will find two outstanding restaurants, Balsan and Ria serving European bistro and upscale fare respectively.

But the best of The Elysian’s luxury offerings is its spa, a 14,000 square foot mecca complete with a gentlemen’s lounge, lap pool, saunas, steam rooms and an outdoor terrace. One could easily spend a lazy evening in these facilities recovering from a long day of shopping on the Magnificent Mile.

Tickle your fancy? Check out Elysianhotels.com for more info. Rooms start at just under $400 though there are currently some specials running.

Los Angeles bans Hare Krishnas from airport panhandling

by Scott Carmichael on

Los Angeles airport has won a court battle allowing them to ban Hare Krisnas from collecting donations on its property. The California Supreme Court ruled that the ban does not violate free speech guarantees.

Apparently, Los Angeles airport has over 100 different individuals from 15 organizations that solicit cash at the airport, and the battle to allow them to continue doing so has been going on since 1997. According to the Judge, travelers have enough on their minds without having to deal with panhandling. The Judge had this to say about the inconvenience:

Panhandling may increase congestion, cause travelers to miss flights, and subject them to possible intimidation and even fraud.

Organizations are still free to distribute printed materials, and mention other ways they can donate, but they can not accept any more donations at the airport. A spokesperson for Hare Krishna called the decision “disgusting” and claims the ruling is all about getting rid of Hare Krishna. Of course, the whole story just reminds me of the awesome scene from “Airport” – which you can see in the embedded clip above.

What do you think about panhandling at the airport?

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Nation’s oldest amusement park to give ‘deserving’ family private access

by Leigh Caldwell on

To celebrate its 165th anniversary, Lake Compounce is “giving away the keys” to the amusement park to one family for 165 minutes.

Nominate a “deserving” family online by April 20 to enter the Win the Keys to Lake Compounce contest. Park officials say economic troubles, personal hardships and sacrificing yourself to serve others are examples of things they would consider deserving. You can nominate your own family if you would like.

Lake Compounce officials will judge the merits of each entry and announce a winner on the park’s 2010 opening day, May 15.

The prize will be awarded on the evening of May 28, when the winning family will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the amusement park, private access to the park’s rides and attractions and an overnight stay at a nearby Clarion Hotel in Bristol, Conn. The winners will also be given $100 to spend on souvenirs at Lake Compounce.