Hotel News We Noted: September 7, 2012

by McLean Robbins on




Greetings from Toronto, where we’re visiting our fair neighbor to the north during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, for short). There is much to be enjoyed in this bustling capital, where hotels like the new Shangri-La, Trump, Ritz-Carlton (can you believe that’s what has opened only in the last year?) and soon-to-launch Four Seasons are dominating the luxury hotel scene, and buzzy up-and-comers like ALT near Pearson Airport and boutique-chic The Drake (no relation to the Chicago property), which rocks on in Ace Hotel-like hipster fashion on the trendy Queen Street West.

But enough about Canada, as there’s plenty of hotel news to be had around the world this week. Welcome to the first fall edition of “Hotel News We Noted.” As always, send us a note if you have tips, comments or suggestions.

Viral Video: Ritz-Carlton Showcases “The Art of the Craft”
Ritz-Carlton is showcasing their commitment to service and their “staff as family” approach with a new YouTube series that goes behind-the-scenes to highlight the work of hotel staffers. From shoe shiners to housekeepers, the videos showcase the level of commitment that each staffer has for their jobs. We love how employees at every level within the company take such a sense of pride in their job and the organization as a whole.
Hotel Openings: Four Seasons Baku and Pudong
The Four Seasons has had a big week with the opening of two new properties, Four Seasons Hotel Baku, the brand’s first in Azerbaijan, as well as the second property in Shanghai, Four Seasons Pudong. Once a well-kept secret among oil industry executives, Baku, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is attracting interest of a much broader range of travelers, especially with its rich cultural history, vibrant art scene, designer shopping and developing wine industry. The Shanghai property is primed for business success, located in the newly built, 55-story 21st Century Tower. Is anyone heading that way who will report back on how these hotels look in person?

Hotel Revamp: Peninsula Hotels
YouTube videos must be all the rage this week, as Peninsula has also launched their own series, dubbed “Peninsula Moments,” offering a more film-like approach to what it looks like to go behind-the-scenes at the hotel. Part of a new brand campaign and revamp for their flagship Hong Kong property (to the tune of a cool $450 million), here’s what else you can expect:

  • Cool new city guides from LUXE, designed exclusively for the hotels.
  • The re-launch of the Hong Kong property, which features the same designer as the Getty, new rooms and suites, and upgraded technology and design enhancements. These include touch screen tablets pre-set in one of five languages offering full control of all room technology, complimentary long-distance VOIP phone calls from guest rooms and, from the hotel’s Rolls-Royce fleet, upgraded in-room technology including memory-card readers and the now ubiquitous in-mirror bathroom TVs.

Hot Amenity: Find Your Chi At Palace Resorts
This change alone is enough to let us book a stay at a Palace Resort (an all-inclusive brand located throughout Mexico) – they’ve added Chi amenities to all of their rooms. Not a woman? This means the industry’s best hair dryers (plus flat irons) in all rooms, as well as the brand’s own line of amenities. Looking good while traveling AND keeping our suitcase from going over the required weight limit? We’re all about it.

Sleeping Beauties: Westin and Diamond Resorts
People have long loved their hotel beds, and many brands, both luxury and mid-range, sell their sleeping products online so that you can enjoy the same comforts at home. If you’re a Westin fan, snag their signature “Heavenly Bed” online through September 22 for 20% off. If you’re not in the market (or the budget) to replace your mattress, we’d suggest a stay at a Diamond resort, which just launched the heaviest pillow in the hotel industry, a 51-ounce pillow that feels more like a memory foam than the typical “must fluff all night long for a good night’s sleep” variety. At just $27 on the hotel site, they won’t break the bank, either.

Hotel News We Noted: August 31, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! We hope you’re off to enjoy one last summer fling – did you like our roundups of hotel deals (some are still going on) and great hotel pools for one last dip?

Kids are back in school and it seems like the hotel world has woken from its summer slumber too – we’ve got lots on tap for you, below.

As always, if you have news or notes, please send us an email.

Still Haven’t Booked For Labor Day? Last Minute Hotel Apps
If you still haven’t booked your hotel for a weekend getaway, check out our last-minute hotel specials and these great road trip tips. You could also try an app like Hotel Tonight or Booking.com.

Sweet Treat: A Beer Float at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
We’ve heard of floats and we’ve heard of craft beer, but what about a craft beer float? That’s exactly what you’ll get at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, which is pairing craft beers with seasonal ice cream and sorbet combos. Sample New Belgium 1554 Black Ale 13 with Rocky Mountain Road Ice Cream and Raspberry-Champagne Sorbet, or Sam Adams American Kriek 24 with Black Cherry-Nutella Swirl, Dark Chocolate, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Yum.

Hotel Opening: The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna
The Ritz-Carlton opened its first hotel in Austria to much fanfare earlier this week (seen in the image, at right). The 80th hotel in the brand’s portfolio is composed of four 19th century palaces in the city’s downtown. You’ll find a rooftop bar, a restaurant serving authentic Austrian cuisine and a soon-to-open boutique spa by luxury skincare brand Guerlain.

Celebrity Not Welcome: Chateau Marmont
We’re not sure if Lindsay Lohan or Chateau Marmont looks worse in this situation. Word broke this week that LiLo is no longer welcome at the posh L.A. area hotel after refusing to pay a $46,000 bill that she claims should have been taken care of by producers of her upcoming “Liz and Dick” film. It’s not really a shock to us that Lohan is a bit of a train wreck – we’ve seen this for some time now. But it also appears a mark against the hotel itself – hotels of a certain caliber are supposed to have some level of discretion, particularly those that cater to the celeb set. What do you think? Who comes out looking worse here? Hotel staff or LiLo?

Hotel Opening: Refugia Lodge, Chile
It’s a week of far-flung hotel openings. This week, remote Chiloé Island in southern Chile, gets a touch of the luxe in a region known for its rusticity. The 12-room Refugia Lodge sits perched atop a rolling hill with beautiful views of the Reloncaví Sound and the snow capped peaks of the Andes in the distance, just 20 minutes from the capital city Castro. The all-inclusive lodge would be a great place to visit – a place the New York Times named one of the “45 Places to Go in 2012.” The Chiloé Archipelago is culturally and ethnically distinct from mainland Chile due to hundreds of years of relative isolation. Sounds like a real treat from $530 USD per night.

Hotel News We Noted: August 25, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over! Next week, we’ll bring you a selection of great Labor Day getaways, but for now, we’re tracking this week’s industry news on Hotel News We Noted.

Hotel Package: Get In Touch With Your Inner Dinosaur at Hotel ZaZa
We’ve long wanted to stay at a Hotel Za Za (mostly just so we can say the name and feel very glamorous), but we also love the idea of an “art focused luxury hotel.” The ZaZa in Houston has partnered with the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s new Paleontology Hall for a “Texas Triassic Tour Package” with overnight accommodations, admission for two, dinner, valet parking and Internet for just $249, a discount of 40%. No bones about it, this sounds like a good deal.

Hotel Package: Fast Cars and Fancy Resorts in the Cayman Islands
Ever had a fantasy that you were a racecar driver? Here’s your chance – spend five nights relaxing at the luxe Cotton Tree Grand Cayman, a sponsor of the Blancpain European Sports Racing circuit. After you’ve gotten your fill of the Caribbean, fly to Spain for a two-day race in October, where you’ll get VIP treatment in the team’s pit. For $6,500, this seems like a great deal for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Hot Hotels: In Memory of Marilyn
It’s the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death this month. If you’re a lover of the film icon, plan a stay at the historic Hotel del Coronado, the location for Monroe’s 1959 comedy, “Some Like It Hot.” Vacation like a star by staying at the ornate Victorian hotel where Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Monroe dazzled audiences in what is regarded as the number one comedy of all time by the American Film Institute.

Hotels in the Headlines: Taylor Swift Kicked Out of Fairmont Copley Plaza
Or so the rumors go. Apparently (according to the Daily Mail, anyway), Swift and beau, a member of the Kennedy clan, were attending a wedding of Conor Kennedy’s cousin and were politely asked to leave because Swift’s fame was causing a scene that upstaged the bride. Rumor has it that Swift was very polite, but returned again later that night to dance at the reception. What do you think? Was she wedding crashing in poor form or is the notoriously nice country singer just getting a bad rap for perhaps outshining the bride on her big day?

Hotel News We Noted: August 17, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

Greetings, from warm and muggy Florida! As we stretch into the last weeks of summer break, we’ve got some cool hotels on tap to keep you full with your weekly dose of “Hotel News We Noted.”

As always, if you have a tip, trend or topical idea you’d like to tell us about, send us a note.

Coming Soon: Hotel Openings
Want the scoop on where your favorite hotels are heading? The Delano announced plans to build in Moscow, we’ll be reporting live on the Capella in Georgetown, opening in early 2013, the Weekapaug Inn, in Weekapaug, Rhode Island, is re-opening from a $20 million renovation in October and QT Sydney, a new five-star design hotel in Australia, is coming September 17.

Branded Hotels: Ikea?
The budget furniture maker is primed to enter the hotel market in a big way. The Inter Ikea name will feature 100 budget-friendly hotels (they will not have the Scandanavian line’s famed flat-pack furniture), according to Reuters. The Inter Ikea brand already owns a few hotels, but this represents their first major move into the hospitality space. The first hotel will likely enter the market in Germany in 2014 and be run by a separate hotel operator.

Eco-Amenity: An In-House Bottling Plant at Shangri-La
We’ve heard of a lot of hotels going eco-friendly, but this is the first we’ve heard of an in-house bottling plant. Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa and Golden Sands Resort in Penang will see a reduction of approximately10,379 pounds of plastic drinking bottles per year through this new initiative. The complimentary drinking water will be packaged in 1.0-liter glass bottles and will replace the plastic mineral water bottles currently used. The resort is the first in Penang accorded this bottling license, and it will serve both carbonated and stilled water.

Hotel Packages: Le Divorce
Papers signed? Celebrate your single status with a three- to 30-day package at Kamalame Cay, a private island resort in the Bahamas. The package includes meals, a spa day and unlimited booze and cigarettes (okay, ew). For every three days on island, guests can choose from one activity from a special “Le Divorce Activities Menu,” including such items as spa treatments, fishing excursions and underwater adventures. Those booking this package can also fill out a “virtue and vice” form three weeks prior to arrival detailing favorite cocktail(s), preferred style of wine(s), favorite fruit(s), favorite candy or other “naughty” treats, favorite author(s), favorite musician(s), etc. Personalized “surprises” will then magically appear in a fun way throughout the stay. Rates start at $600 per night; those booking the full 30 days receive 20 percent off.

Hotel News We Noted: August 10, 2012

by McLean Robbins on

It’s hot and sticky and, judging by the amount of traffic we’ve seen headed to the beaches, everyone is on vacation this week. Still, we truck along to bring you this week’s “Hotel News We Noted,” featuring the latest and greatest from the hospitality world.

As always, send news, notes and general complaints or well wishes via email.

App Awesomeness: The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas
The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas have finally grown wise to the idea that navigating their 16 million square foot resort and casino complex can sometimes be, well, a bit complicated. We’ve gotten lost more than once on the way from Barney’s to the blackjack table, and not just because we had a few complimentary drinks that fuzzed our non-existent sense of direction. A new VP Pocket Concierge app (available on Apple and Android both) mixes turn-by-turn directions inside the hotels with the ability to make reservations, enjoy Grazie rewards club perks and more. Useful – we wish more Vegas hotels offered this technology.

Fashionable Perk: Vivienne Tam Slippers from Hilton
Keep your feet looking fashion-forward when you visit Hilton Hotels this fall with a limited-edition slipper designed by Vivienne Tam for their Hilton Huanying program, offered at 70 of the brand’s properties in more than 20 countries. Guests of the program will get the slippers free, but you can also buy them online at HiltontoHome.com (use VTHILTON to save 20% through 9/30) or try to win them in a Twitter giveaway through @HiltonHotels. The blue slippers, which feature dragons, are pretty snazzy. Will you be getting a pair, or would you prefer to hold out for the Loubs below?

Hotel Openings: Fairmont Jaipur
Travelers headed to India now have another hotel option thanks to yesterday’s opening of the Fairmont Jaipur, the first of the brand’s properties in India. The 255-room hotel was designed to reflect a traditional Mughal palace. In keeping with Fairmont’s commitment to offer local experiences to guests, travelers to the hotel can enjoy elephant rides, village walks and more.

Fashion Love: Mandarin Oriental Washington DC Offers Brides Louboutin Shoes
Chances are, if you’re paying to host your wedding at the Mandarin Oriental, you know at least a thing or two about style and luxury. The brand’s DC property is sweetening the deal, however, by offering a $1,000 credit towards the purchase of famed designer Christian Louboutin’s shoes for brides planning a wedding at the property. Not only do you get the iconic red soles, but you’ll also get a personal shopping experience at Neiman Marcus, where a Mandarin rep waits on you hand and foot (literally) offering champagne, treats and more. The cost? A mere $50,000 or more for the wedding. A fun perk for sure, although we think we’d rather have a cheaper wedding and buy our own shoes!