Hotel News We Noted: June 22, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

It’s finally summer, and outside isn’t the only thing that’s warm in this week’s edition of Hotel News We Noted. Here, we explore some of the world’s most sizzling new hotels and promotions, as well as cool amenities that can keep you traveling in style.

As always, if you have a suggestion or a comment, feel free to email us.

Hotel Trends: U.S. Hotels Catering to Chinese Travelers
Chinese travel to the United States is up 36 percent over last year, to the tune of more than $1 million. This article from the Seattle Times explored what that means for hotels. Chains like Marriott and Hilton have already rolled out special programs for tourists, while Starwood and The-Ritz Carlton have relocated managers to China to help them gain cultural awareness. Fairmont has just rolled out a new Chinese menu. Just one example includes the nation’s strict hierarchy – employees should not be placed on a higher floor than their boss, no matter the room type. Chinese guests are also not housed on floors with the number four, which sounds like the word for “death” in Mandarin – a strange request for a U.S. audience, but something that these tour groups have greatly appreciated. And, at the tune of $5.7 billion per year spent by the Chinese in the United States, or $6,000 per traveler, hoteliers can’t afford not to take note.

Cool Perk: Leave the Workout Gear at Home, Thanks to Westin
Westin is making it easier than ever to stay fit on the road (and still avoid checked bag fees). For $5, guests can get an entire New Balance outfit – from a sports bra to shoes – delivered to their room as part of an exclusive gear-lending partnership with New Balance.

Money We Wish We Had: Larry Ellison Buys Lanai, Two Four Seasons
Oracle CEO and billionaire Larry Ellison has gone and done it again. This time, he bought Lana’i, one of Hawaii’s seven islands, which has not one but two Four Seasons Resorts. Purchased are the 236-room Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay and the 102-room Four Seasons Resort Lana’i, The Lodge at Koele. We didn’t realize this was even possible, but apparently it is – he purchased the island to the tune of $500 or $600 million from David Murdock, another billionaire.

Unique Amenity: An On-Site Bagpiper
Guests at Sea Island’s (image of their luxe property The Cloister above) can relax after a day of shooting school or playing one of the resort’s three championship golf courses and enjoy the sounds of the resort’s resident bagpiper, who plays on the golf course every day at sundown. Shockingly, this isn’t the only U.S. hotel to offer the amenity – the Inn at Spanish Bay near Pebble Beach has the same thing. Who would have thought?

Soon-to-Open: Hotel BPM, Brooklyn
It’s no shock to us that Brooklyn will be the home base for the boutique Hotel BPM, or Hotel Beats Per Minute in Sunset Park. The hotel, opening August 1, has one cool program we’re keeping an eye on – guests can request one song that will be played throughout the hotel sound system at some point during their stay. At just $139 a night for the opening rate, it might be worth it to go and request something terrible like “Ice Ice Baby” or country music just to see the reaction of other guests. Sorry, we’re terrible.

Hotel News We Noted: May 11, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to our first weekly roundup of “Hotel News We Noted,” a compendium of our favorite clicks, posts and fun packages we spotted each week. If you have a tip, send if over – we’re hoping to target this column to the news and notable events you as readers find most interesting.

Opening Spotlight: Hipster Cool at Chicago’s ACME Hotel Company
A new trendsetter is in town, thanks to Chicago’s newest hotel, ACME, which opened this month in River North. Boutiquey-chic is the name of the game with an offbeat, retro vibe and tech-friendly amenities, like Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin wireless sound systems, lipstick printed in-bathroom nightlights and album cover-plastered elevator interiors. It’s not totally ready yet – the restaurant won’t open until fall, but we’d suggest taking stock of the rates, starting in the $150 range, before they go up.

Destination Spotlight: Acapulco is Hot Hot Hot, Thanks to J.Lo
Jennifer Lopez chose Acapulco as the latest destination for her new music video (which made waves because she released it via Twitter) and hotels in the area are clamoring for a piece of the marketing pie. Hotel Encanto, the hotel where she stayed during filming, is offering a special three-day, two-night package for just $825 per person, including daily breakfast, suite upgrade, ground transportation and a late check-out.

Social Media: Four Seasons Gets All About the Bridal Buzz
According to industry data, Four Seasons is the world’s buzziest hotel brand. Its recent website overhaul and prolific social media accounts across multiple platforms ensure that they set the gold standard for other brands to follow. Now, the brand is taking note with a special weddings-focused website, iPad app, magazine, Twitter and Pinterest presence, all geared towards making real brides want to tie the knot at a Four Seasons hotel. We’d be all about that, if we could only afford it. Still, the sites are a fun perusal for wedding and hotel enthusiasts. FYI, if you’re on Pinterest, share your best pins and enter to win a $2,500 gift card.For the Travel Searcher: RoomKey Expands out of Beta
Roomkey.com, the hotel search engine founded upon a partnership from leading hotel companies like Marriott and Hyatt, has officially gotten out of beta. What does that mean for travelers? More partners, and an expanded suite of tools, including comparison features, social sharing and consumer reviews. Soon, the site will even expand to include independent and boutique brands. This is one site we’re definitely keeping an eye on.

Luxury Travel: A Custom Trip to the Scottish Highlands Combining Shooting and Style
Owning a custom bag or piece of luggage crafted by one of Europe’s finest luxury brands is something that is enjoyed by only a select few. Traveling to the heart of Europe’s famous wild estate lands in the Scottish Highlands to experience a sustainable wild red deer hunt with a third-generation deerstalker, resulting in the leather to create your own bespoke bag with a designer kicks it up a notch, as Emeril would say. Nestling into the down covers of Relais & Chateaux property’s Inverlochy Castle, a home-cum-hotel that kings and queens have praised for over 100 years, makes this a journey one would never forget.

Social Media: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Hops on Instagram with #LovingTheMoment Campaign
Instagram is arguably one of the hottest social trends right now, and Shangri-La Hotels is hot on the campaign with its new initiative, which encourages guests to submit photos of their location using the hashtag #LovingTheMoment. The brand is also adding its own photos that showcase the unique aspects of each hotel. You’ll also find that the brand has upped the ante with expanded presences on other social sites, including Facebook and Twitter, plus new easier-to-use mobile sites.

Four Seasons relaunches hotel websites in $15 million brand initiative

by McLean Robbins on




Four Seasons has today launched the latest upgrades to their brands hotel websites, a $15 million corporate initiative that places a greater emphasis on images, social media, special offers and destination “experiences”.

Looking almost Tumblr-esque in layout, the sites use real-time social media data from Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor to show reviews from visitors, both positive and negative.

Such a bold move could be risky for hotels, but, as we’ve noted before, Four Seasons as a brand excels at social media,training hotels and staffers in how to respond properly to individual messages.

Hotel expert Barb De Lollis of USA Today quoted the brand’s marketing chief Susan Helstab, who said that “there’s no room for smoke and mirrors in today’s socially networked world.” She cited a brand survey saying that 33% of guests rely heavily on TripAdvisor when making booking decisions, but that one person’s “bad” may be another person’s value-add.

“If you find that not every experience is equally positive, you will understand the framework for that experience. Maybe it was from a traveler who wasn’t quite like you,” she says. “Maybe you want an active kids’ pool with lots of amenities (unlike the writer of a particular review that complains about the pool scene).”

We’re happy to see the new website playing up the destination as much as the property – lush, vivid photos and an extensive “Destination” and “Highlights” page play up what there is to do in the area. Meetings and Weddings, while extensively built out, take a back seat in the main navigation for tiny, top-level tabs, indicating that this is a site that is speaking to the leisure consumer rather than the corporate one that forms much of the brand’s base. UGC content from sites like Flickr also gives a more personal touch, and fully-functioning mobile sites allow on-the-go travelers to book.

While there are still a few kinks to work out (not all room types load with images and we caught a few typos) the site looks impressive and modern, more like what we’d expect from a boutique chain rather than a big brand with 86 hotels under their belt.

We’re excited to see if other hotels follow suit.

Maldives reverses spa ban

by McLean Robbins on

Just days after a blanket ban on spa services in the Maldives was announced, the country’s President announced that services will be made available to tourists.

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said he expects the court to rule that the law is unconstitutional. “We have lifted the ban and all the services will be available for tourists,” President Nasheed told Reuters today.

The ban, described as “essentially a political standoff between the Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and the opposition Adhaalath Party” by Hotels Magazine is partially in response to a protest organized in December by Adhaalath advocating for stricter enforcement of Islamic law in this relatively liberal Muslim country. The ban also included alcohol and pork.

For the most part, hotels ignored the ban, including Banyan Tree and Four Seasons.

“Several have raised concerns over our decision,” tourism minister Mariyam Zulfa told the press. “We are considering allowing resorts to operate spas.”

This is great news for the hotel industry in the area – so rest safely, Maldives visitors… you can now get your massages without worry. You just might have to forego the bacon and martini sides.

Image via Four Seasons Hotels.

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore opens

by McLean Robbins on


“Charm City” gets its first real branded luxury property with the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore in the Inner Harbor’s chic Harbor East neighborhood. One of America’s oldest cities, Baltimore has gotten more media attention for its portrayal in shows like “The Wire” than it has for its luxe offerings, but, in recent years, has seen the growth of a number of high-end offerings, including Ritz-Carlton Residences, a Kimpton hotel and numerous fine dining restaurants.

Still, this 18-story waterfront hotel is the city’s first true “luxury” branded property.

“All around us the city is coming alive with new excitement and vigour,” said Julien Carralero, general manager of the 256-room hotel. “Now at last we are part of that as we open our doors and invite Baltimore inside, and send visitors who stay with us out into the city to experience the local arts and culture, get to know our neighborhoods, cheer on our sports teams and shop to their heart’s content.”

%Gallery-139407%
Like many Four Seasons hotels, the Baltimore iteration features a large amount of artwork, including John Wigmore’s huge installation of light and paper behind the reception desk. The wide lobby and grand staircase are lit by handblown murano glass fixtures, with pieces that form part of the city’s largest hotel art collection gracing the walls. Throughout the hotel, modern works by contemporary American and international artists are on display, with special emphasis on those associated with Washington Color School.

Of course, our favorite parts of the hotel aren’t what’s on the walls, but what you can do within them – dining options include Michael Mina’s first Baltimore outpost, Wit & Wisdom, a contemporary tavern, as well as a coffee shop, named LAMILL COFFEE after Baltimore native Edgar Allen Poe. In February, the hotel will also open Pabu, an isakaya-style Asian restaurant.

The hotel will also have what is primed to be one of the area’s best spas – an 11 treatment room oasis with two couple’s suites featuring their own soaking tubs. The hotel also has a massive pool overlooking the harbor that will remain at 85 degrees all year round, and a pool bar and grill that is set to open this spring. Of course, there’s also a full-service fitness center and a “unique “wet deck,” a pool-size area immersed in three inches of water that invites splashing toes without messing up your hair.

The hotel is offering $279 rates November 20 through February 29 (excluding December 30 and 31).