Hotel News We Noted: March 8, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the week’s best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world. Have a tip? Send us a note or leave a comment below.

The hotel world has been buzzing this winter with new and planned openings, extreme amenities and packages galore. Here’s our take on what you need to know this week:

Shangri-La Goes After Saudi Princess Who Skipped Out on $7.5 Million Hotel Bill
The Shangri-La hotel in Paris is going after the Saudi princess who left in the dead of the night and skipped out on her $7.5 million hotel bill, Business Insider reports. The princess spent six months on the 41st floor of the hotel, and her father, the King, has refused to pay her debts. The king has since confined the princess to a palace in Saudi Arabia after she left a trail of unpaid debts across Europe. Nothing quite says “princess” like palace confinement, hmm?

Hotel Openings: ME London
The first ME by Melia hotel in the UK and the fifth in the brand opened last week in one of the world’s hottest cities for hotel growth – London. ME London is located in the heart of the West End, on the site formerly inhabited by the famous Gaiety Theatre. The 157-room property will feature a rooftop bar, Radio, offering panoramic views of the city, as well as the brand trademark penthouse, SuiteME – a two-level superlative experience offering a fire-pit warmed private terrace, a private lounge, separate dining room, three 3-D televisions, a pillow menu and much more. (Remember the crazy Cancun penthouse from the Real World Cancun?) NYC-based The ONE Group is the hotel’s official F&B provider, with two of its iconic brands opening venues within the property – STK London and Cucina Asellina.

Luxury Hotels Coming Your Way: Four Seasons Madrid, An Aman In Venice and Multi-Billion Dollar Las Vegas
While much of our hotel news is often focused on newly opened or revamped properties, this week seemed to have much to offer in the way of “soon-to-come” luxury hotels. Four Seasons announced their first property in Spain, Four Seasons Madrid, in the next four years, Aman is coming to the Grand Canal with a new ultra-luxury property opening on this summer boasting 24 suite-style rooms, and a Malaysian investment firm has paid $350 million for a multi-billion dollar hotel complex to come in the former Echelon site in Las Vegas, USA Today reported.Tech Tips: Eventi Offers Hi-Tech Amenities For Travelers
Sick of traveling with tons of gadgets? Eventi, a New York City Kimpton property, now has a “Business Bar” where travelers can rent gadgets ranging from iPads and MacBook Pros to Kindles, Nooks and even digital cameras. This free service is geared to help travelers who like to pack light, but who would love to sample some of these gadgets as a trial before buying, particularly the cameras!

Sleep Better: Accor’s Ibis Offers a Sleep App
We’ve certainly written about hotels with great sleep programs before, but this is the first time we’ve seen a hotel brand unveil their own sleep app. ibis Styles and ibis budget are transforming your restful night into a digital work of art. Every morning, it allows iPhone users to see how their night’s sleep has been transformed into an original digital work of art. Once the Sleep Art app has been programed, the iPhone becomes a sensor that captures movements and sounds. This data is converted real-time into a virtual “work of art” as the user sleeps. Every night is different. These virtual works of art are stored in the gallery and users can therefore compare each night’s sleep and share results by email or on Facebook, so that as many people as possible can also find out about this unique digital experience.

The President Dines at The Jefferson in Washington, DC
Much buzz has been heard in the news this week about President Obama’s dining with 12 republican leaders. But we’ve got the inside scoop on where he dined – most outlets only called it a “discreet” Washington hotel. The property was, in fact, The Jefferson, a Preferred Boutique property in downtown Washington. The congressmen and President dined on everything from Blue Crab Risotto to Lobster “Thermidor” to Peanut Butter Crumble. We hear that the president picked up the tab!

[Image Credit: The Jefferson Washington, DC]

Hotel News We Noted: February 22, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the week’s best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world. Have a tip? Send us a note or leave a comment below.

The hotel world has been buzzing this winter with new and planned openings, extreme amenities and packages galore. Here’s our take on what you need to know this week:

Quirky Hotels We’d Love To Visit: 134-Year-Old UK Fortress, Spitbank Fort, Now a Luxury Hotel
A mile off the Hampshire coast in the United Kingdom, the 134-year-old Spitbank Fort used to defend the English shores. Now it’s a nine-room luxury hotel featuring three bars, three restaurants, a rooftop champagne bar, wine cellar, library, rooftop hot pool, sauna and sun decks. There’s a private boat or helicopter option for arrival and rent-out options for “ultimate” weekends away. A night starts at $565. Check out the photos – we’re pretty sure this sounds like a place we’d love to visit.
Buzzy Hotel Destination: The Bronx
If the New York Times has it right, the newest destination for a luxury hotel just might be … the Bronx? A philanthropist has revamped a 10-room hotel called The Andrew Freedman, charging between $130 and $250 for a room, The Empire Hotel Group is planning a $10 million renovation of a historic opera house, turning it into a 60-room luxury property, and Marriott will open a Residence Inn in 2014. Is the transformation of this area best known for crime and poverty a good idea? The article has mixed reports. See for yourself here.

Travel Trend: Experiential Hotel Stays
A new article in the Wall Street Journal details how luxury hotels are attracting guests by offering one-of-a-kind experiences like private cooking lessons, celebrity makeup artists and even alligator tracking experiences. Would you pay more to stay somewhere that offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? The article thinks so.

Pampered Pooches: SoHo Grand Creates a Dog Park
There are dog menus and dog walkers and even dog massages, but what about a hotel with an on-site dog park? SoHo Grand is the first hotel in New York City to create a special outdoor area for furry friends, including cherry trees, boxwoods and ornamental kale. The park opens May 1. Will you be bringing Fido with you to the Big Apple? (h/t Luxury Travel Magazine)

Haute Packages: Oscar Ready
Even if you can’t make it to Los Angeles to celebrate the Academy Awards, you can enjoy special offers and packages at some fun hotels around the country. Here are a couple of our favorite packages related to Oscar-nominated films:

  • Beasts of The Southern Wild at The Blake Hotel, New Orleans. It’s a simple promo, but an effective one if you’re traveling with kids: mention code “Beasts” at check in and you’ll receive free VIP passes to the Audubon Institute, which features an amazing zoo, aquarium, insectarium and butterfly garden.
  • Lincoln at W Washington, DC. What better place to celebrate a president than in Washington, D.C.? This overnight package ($399) includes a chauffeured tour for two and visit to historic locations including Ford’s Theater, the Petersen House, the Lincoln Memorial, and President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home.

[Photo by Spitbank Fort]

Hotel News We Noted: February 16, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

It’s that time again. We spent the week rounding up the world’s best places to go over the top for your love, but now Valentine’s Day is over and we’re back to tracking the best news in the hotel world, price not a factor.

Here’s this week’s “Hotel News We Noted“:

Get the Travel Bug: Tweet To Win
Relais & Châteaux’s “Winter Scene Around the World” Twitter contest runs through today. One lucky winner will enjoy a one-night stay in each of the Relais & Châteaux Northeast properties: The Surrey, Blantyre, Windham Hill Inn and The White Barn Inn, as well as a private cooking class with Grand Chef Jonathan Cartwright at The White Barn Inn. To win, tweet your favorite winter photo and using hashtag #RCWinter. Particularly for those of you that got the brunt of the Nemo storm, this should be a pretty easy way to win!

Hotels We’d Love to Visit: Where the Swimsuit Models Stayed
We heard lots about the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue this week, but most of the news was focused on cover girl Kate Upton’s shoot, which took place in Antarctica (Classic Antarctica with Abercrombie & Kent aboard ‘Le Boreal’). We’re a bit more interested in the exotic – many of the models spent close to two weeks at Rapa Nui on the remote Easter Island. It wasn’t cheap, either. Rates at Posada de Mike Rapu, explora Rapa Nui start at $2,385 per person for a three-night, all-inclusive stay.

Crazy Hotel Mascot: Falcons on the Team at Fairmont Jaipur
The falcon may be classified as a highly-endangered species, but the animal has found a new home at this luxury hotel. In the ancient times, falconry was a sport practiced by the Royal families, who hunted wild quarry using trained birds of prey. Shahid Khan, the only living Indian UNESCO certified falconer in India, is the proud owner of four falcons, and even boasts his own captive breeding program. Originally from Jaipur, Shahid comes from a long line of falconers and works with Fairmont Jaipur to keep pigeons away from the hotel.

Cool Hotel Deal: The Colder It Is, The Cheaper Your Upgrade
The Grand Hotel Minneapolis is embracing the winter weather and offering complimentary upgrades based on the temperature at check-in, and here, you pray for cold. If, for example, it’s 25 degrees on average, an upgrade is just $25. Added perks? Free hosted wine hour (red, whites and even hot toddies) from 5-6 p.m. every night and free Wi-Fi Internet and $10 worth of Mini Bar items for InTouch Members (it’s free to join). We wonder what happens if the average dips below zero …

[Image Credit: Grand Hotel Minneapolis]

Hotel News We Noted: February 9, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the week’s best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world. Have a tip? Send us a note or leave a comment below.

It’s Valentine’s Day: Kindle The Romance With One of Travel’s Richest Names
We’ve been tracking all things over-the-top this Valentine’s Day in an ongoing series, but we couldn’t resist passing on just one more piece of information we came across this week. Enjoy this Business Insider article about 2013’s wealthiest hotel owners in America. No word on the relationship statuses of these wealthy ladies and gentlemen, but we’re sure that girls (and guys) could dream.

Snap a Shoe: Four Seasons Gets Down At Fashion Week
Four Seasons Hotel New York is celebrating New York Fashion Week (now through Valentine’s Day) by offering up #FSShoeCam. The first-ever shoe photo booth will snap photos of the most fabulous shoes seen at fashion week – from booties to heels – worn by bloggers, fashion enthusiasts, Four Seasons guests, and just about anyone who wants to submit a photo. Of course, you could also tweet your own using the hashtag. We’re pretty sure that it’s a good excuse for you to don your most fashion-forward shoes, even if you’re watching live from Topeka, Kansas. Photos will be Instagrammed and Tweeted from @FSNewYork and @FourSeasons.

Haute Hotel Deal of the Week: Loews’ Academy Award Package
Loews Hotels & Resorts is joining in on the Oscar fun by offering guests the Hollywood treatment. Their “Red Carpet Room Service” package would make a great staycation at any of their numerous properties around the country. The package features Loews’ best available rate; a complimentary in-room film, which includes many of this year’s Best Picture contenders like “Life of Pi,” “Argo,” and “Silver Linings Playbook”; a $25 food and beverage credit; and buttered gourmet popcorn delivered to your room. It’s available through the end of the month.

[Image Credit: Loews Hotels]

Hotel News We Noted: February 3, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the week’s best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world. Have a tip? Send us a note or leave a comment below.

Welcome to February, friends. We’re feeling full of romance this month (have you checked out our series on over-the-top Valentine’s Day packages?) and of course, full of hotel news too … here’s this week’s latest.

Haute Hotel of the Week: Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Chances are, if you’re not already in New Orleans for the Super Bowl, you won’t be getting a room for tomorrow night. But if, in fact, you head to the Big Easy soon, check out this week’s Haute Hotel, Hyatt Regency New Orleans – the closest property to the former Super Dome (now Mercedes-Benz Superdome). The famed stadium has been completely re-done post Katrina, as has the aforementioned Hyatt. From the rooftop fitness center (formerly a revolving restaurant) to the airy atrium lobby and the James Beard Award-winning chef in the kitchen, this hotel deserves a visit.

News of Note: W Tops The Digital IQ Index
We’ll be reporting further on this later in the week, but the latest hotel research report is out and Starwood’s W Hotels and Resorts has topped the world’s list of the most digitally savvy hotel brands. From its online web presence to social media, W far exceeded all other brands in the biz.

A Hotel Fit For a Queen: The Goring Gets a Royal Warrant

The Goring in London has been famous for some time – and is now even more so thanks to its most well-known celebrity guest, Kate Middleton, who stayed at the hotel the night before her wedding in 2011. Now the hotel is enjoying another honor. It is the only hotel in the world to be granted a Royal Warrant by her majesty the Queen. What makes this even more special? It’s the first time a monarch has ever given this distinction to a hotel. The Goring has welcomed Royal guests ever since it first opened its doors in 1910 with the Coronations of George VI and since then, the present Queen filled the hotel with foreign royalty (she holds her annual summer garden party at the hotel).

Daring Designs: Sofitel Taps Karl Lagerfeld
The Sofitel brand has invested a large amount of money into its Asian expansion and they’re dong their best to ensure that the entrance to the market is well received. To celebrate their latest opening in Singapore, Sofitel Luxury Hotels has commissioned the famed head of the house of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, to design the emblem of the new Sofitel So Singapore, the third of the boutique line’s new luxury properties worldwide. The emblem will be displayed on the hotel’s exterior as well as on branded items throughout the property. This isn’t Lagerfeld’s first foray in to hospitality – he has worked in Monte Carlo and even created a chocolate hotel room.

[Image Credit: The Goring Hotel]