Hotel News We Noted: April 5, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Hola and buenos tardes from sunny and warm Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, “Hotel News We Noted” readers. This week, as always, we round up the best, the worst and the most interesting news in the hotel industry, tracking resort openings, pampering packages and other reportings from our travels.

Stay tuned next week for a special edition, including a full recap of our Cabo exploration. We welcome your feedback and comments, so feel free to shoot us an email or leave a note below with ideas and thoughts.

Hotel Wi-Fi: IHG Announces Free Global Wi-Fi for Travelers … An Innovative or a “Finally, What Took You So Long” Moment?
Late last month, InterContinental Hotels Group announced that they were offering free Wi-Fi to all loyalty members worldwide, regardless of whether or not a guest was staying at the hotel. The announcement bandied about terms like “first in the hotel industry.” We wanted to do some digging before reporting this to you. The statement was bold, and in some respects, it’s true. When we asked, IHG told us the following:

While some of our competitors do offer free Internet in some of their hotels or in some regions, IHG is the first and only global hotel group to offer free Internet to all of our loyalty program members in all hotels, regardless of whether they are staying with us, conducting a business meeting with colleagues, or simply stopping in for coffee. In other words, our IHG Rewards Club, as the program will be named come July, members do not have to be staying in the hotel to take advantage of free Internet access.

Another key factor that separates IHG from our competitors is our sheer global scale – more than 4,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories – and likewise for our loyalty program, which has more than 71 million members (the largest of all hotel loyalty memberships).

They are right: IHG is the first global hotel company we can find to offer free Wi-Fi to loyalty members, although there is a caveat: Wi-Fi is free to Elite status members from July 2013 on, and for all members beginning in 2014.

That said, they aren’t first to market. Luxury brand Capella offers gratis Wi-Fi to all travelers, as do most Four Seasons. Kimpton, which currently has only U.S.-based hotels, offers free Wi-Fi to loyalty members (without requiring a stay) and has since 2009. While we’re glad to see IHG touting their new benefit, perhaps they shouldn’t be so excited to push that they are offering a service that several of their competitors have been offering for years.
Hotel Openings: The Sirtaj Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills’ newest boutique hotel destination is now open. Marketed as a “chic, sexy retreat with a scent of spice and a nod to the east,” the SIRTAJ is named for the Indian word meaning “highest crown.” The 32-room hotel features contemporary decor and luxurious touches like 42-inch smart TVs and Lavazza espresso makers in each room. The indoor-outdoor restaurant dishes up organic cocktails and craft beers, and nice touches like complimentary breakfast either in-room or in the hotel restaurant are welcome perks.

Haute Hotel Package: Pie Camp at Paws Up
We’ve loved this ultra-luxe Montana resort ever since we visited a few years back to explore the glamping trend, and now Paws Up is at it again with a new “Upper Crust” weekend for baking enthusiasts. By day, visitors will enjoy baking, wilderness and food photography lessons from Kate McDermott, of the famed Art of the Pie in Seattle, and New York Times photographer Andrew Scrivani. At night, they’ll retreat to the resort’s private vacation homes and enjoy food prepared by Robin Leventhal (of “Top Chef” fame) and wine pairings. The event doesn’t take place until October, but spots fill fast. Three all-inclusive nights are $5,361 for two or $3,102 for one.

Luxe Hotel Amenity: Ritz-Carlton Turns to Asprey
The Ritz-Carlton has made the shift from Bvlgari in-room amenities to Asprey’s Purple Water fragrance. The ultra-luxe Brit-based brand boasts a purple jacquard print tube and will now be found in all guest rooms and suites. It’s a notable change for the brand, and, to the best of our knowledge, Ritz is the only hotel partnering with Asprey for in-room amenities.

Green Hotel: Fiji’s Turtle Island Goes Almost 100 Percent Solar
Fiji has always been an escape for travelers seeking extraordinary natural experiences, but now the island nation is better than ever. A multi-million dollar renovation has rendered Turtle Island the greenest place in Fiji, with nearly 1,000 solar panels providing, on average, an island powered by 85 percent solar power. The new solar installation on Turtle Island produces 1 mega watt of power a day, enough to cover 100 percent of the power needs of the island on a sunny day. Even on rainy or cloudy days, the backup generator reduces the total solar power to about 85 percent, maintaining outstanding energy efficiency. As if we needed yet another excuse to visit the all-inclusive luxury retreat.

[Image Credit: The Sirtaj]

Hotel News We Noted: March 22, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world. As always, we welcome your tips, so feel free to leave comments below or send us an email.

Hotel Opening: Capella Washington, D.C., Georgetown
Finally, after what seems like months of waiting, our “Birth of a Hotel” feature property has opened its doors. The 49-room ultraluxury hotel features personal assistants for each guest, 24-hour check in and check-out, a locally-focused restaurant, The Grill Room, and a spirits focused bar, The Rye Bar. Boasting a prime location along the C&O Canal in the city’s prime Georgetown neighborhood, the property has been called one of the States’ most exciting openings of 2013.

Gansevoort Las Vegas To Open in Early 2014
Style seekers jet-setting to Las Vegas now have more than ever before to be excited about. Along with the new Nobu hotel and the planned 2014 opening of SBE’s first Las Vegas property, Gansevoort Hotel Group and nightlife guru Victor Drai have announced plans to build their first Las Vegas property in the former Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon location. A planned $185 million renovation will transform the property into 188 Parisian-style guest rooms, including 19 suites, plus a 40,000-square-foot casino, destination restaurant and high-end retail shops. The resort will also include Drai Beach Club and Nightclub, a 65,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor nightclub/pool experience. The After Hours by Drai club will remain, and this venue will be included in the planned LINQ development, opening in late 2013.Hotels Celebrate Earth Hour on Both Coasts
March 23 (tomorrow) marks “Earth Hour,” the world’s largest single environmental event. Hotels coast to coast are turning off their lights at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow for an hour, making a commitment to the environment. Hotels are participating in the event in various ways, including:

  • Fairmont Miramar will have lighted candles around the property, which will produce a very picturesque sight under the iconic Moreton Bay Fig Tree at the hotel’s entrance.
  • The Sheraton New York Times Square is dimming the lights and offering guests several “green” treats, including a special “Green Cocktail” for guests in their 44th floor club lounge.
  • Ritz-Carlton hotels around the globe well also participate in the celebration, including candlelight yoga at the Doha property, LED candles in Barcelona and a naturalist guiding guests in constellation spotting at the Laguna Niguel property.

Something Borrowed, Something Brewed: Hotel Offers Special “Wedding Beer” Packages
Brides and grooms might not think of Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport as a great destination for beer, but they should perhaps think again. The new “Hoppily Ever After” package from the hotel leverages the trend of offering custom cocktails at the wedding reception and takes personalization one step further – the couple can work hands-on with a brewer to create a custom wedding beer through a partnership with local Enegren Brewing Company, where they can create up to 30 gallons of beer to be served on their special day. The hotel also has an onsite beer restaurant and pub, Brewster’s – a Beererie, featuring an extensive 100-beer menu including many local, regional, national and international craft beers and microbrews. The Hoppily Ever After Package must be booked at least three to four months in advance to ensure the brewing process is completed by the reception date but is just $1,500 – $2,000.

[Image Credit: Four Points by Sheraton]

Hotel News We Noted: March 16, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Luck o’ the Irish to you, hotel fans. Welcome to this week’s edition of “Hotel News We Noted,” where we round up the best, most interesting and just downright odd news of note in the hospitality world.

As always, we welcome your tips, so feel free to leave comments below or send us an email.

Hotel Opening: The Ritz-Carlton, Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
The 532-room luxury resort is the first Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi and the ninth property in the Middle East for the brand. This ultra-luxury destination has seen a slew of new properties in recent years, and the Ritz-Carlton will likely become a favorite. Inspired by the architecture of Venice, the waterfront hotel is actually comprised of ten buildings set in a crescent overlooking a large pool with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as the backdrop. A highlight for luxury seekers? The hotel features 85 private one- and two-bedroom villas, as well as five F&B offerings, ensuring that travelers never get bored of eating on property.

Blame it on the Booze: Man Arrested After Flashing Guests at South Carolina Hotel
Here’s an item for news of the weird. A 20-year-old man was arrested last weekend after flashing guests of a Charleston, South Carolina DoubleTree hotel. The guests were gathered for a wedding and spotted a young man waving at them from his hotel window. Minutes later, the man returned and showed the guests his “goods,” shall we say politely. We’ll spare the sordid details: the full story is here, at the Daily Mail.

Spring Break Savings at Stylish Hotels
We’ve got quite a number of discounts to show you this week. Check out our favorites:

  • More than 50 members of Preferred Hotel Group worldwide – including some of the newest hotels on the market – are offering some pretty great discounts for their suites, a discount of 20-50% on the regular rate. Discounts include 20% off rooms at The Mark Hotel in NYC, Hotel de Paris Saint-Tropez in Saint-Tropez, France, and the new ME London as well as Miami’s hot, hot, hot SLS South Beach. For families heading to Disney World … the newly renovated Villas of Grand Cypress is offering 30-50% off its one-bedroom villas (discount dependent on date).
  • The oceanfront 13-villa Trident Hotel opens next month, and the first guests are enjoying a suite deal – 50% off rates (which means rooms start at $375 per night, normally $750) for travel until April 17. We spilled details a few weeks ago about the hotel – but this sounds like a great deal for value-conscious jetsetters looking for a last-minute getaway.
  • Viceroy Hotel Group is offering a flash sale starting Monday, where you’ll save a minimum of 15% at their stylish selection of worldwide hotels (50% in the Maldives and Riviera Maya) and resorts, plus enjoy upgrades, resort credits and more.

Adorable Amenity: Bedtime Snack Cart at Vanderbilt Grace
Newport, Rhode Island’s Vanderbilt Grace hotel (part of the Grace collection) has a kid-friendly amenity we can’t help but think is pretty creative. The hotel rolls in a “bedtime snack” cart for kids (with parents’ permission, of course) with items ranging from fruit and cereal to cookies and popcorn.

[Image Credit: Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi]

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]