Ritz-Carlton Demonstrates Customer Service Excellence With Missing Stuffed Animal

by McLean Robbins on




I think I must be hormonal, because this story just made me tear up. The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Amelia Island, Florida, is getting some social buzz this week because of the video posted above, which details their quest to go above and beyond for exceptional customer service.

The story is simple: a family went on vacation and left behind their son’s beloved stuffed animal, Joshie. Riley, the family’s child was notably upset at the loss of his favorite toy giraffe. Luckily, the Ritz-Carlton notified the family that the giraffe had been found safely in the laundry and would be returned as soon as possible.

But here’s where the magic happened: dad Chris Hurn, seen in the video above, asked if the hotel would help substantiate a little white lie that he’d told his son, namely that Joshie was taking a few extra days of vacation and that he hadn’t been forgotten.

What arrived? In addition to Ritz-Carlton swag, Joshie came home with a storybook binder detailing his trip, including photos at the spa, the pool, with the resort’s parrot and even in the loss prevention office (where he got an honorary security badge).

The work surrounding the story was substantial, and from what we’ve seen of Ritz-Carlton hotels, isn’t out of the ordinary – one time we entered the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown to find a photo of us and our dog by the bedside table.

But it’s certainly a heartwarming tale, and one we particularly love because it wasn’t part of a PR stunt or media blitz. It’s simply a great example of a luxury brand proving why people would want to pay extra to stay in a hotel of this class.

Kudos, Ritz-Carlton.

Unusual Tourist Attraction: Japanese City Unveils World’s Largest Toilet

by Jessica Festa on

While most travelers spend time visiting sites like churches, castles, parks and museums, Ichihara City in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan is hoping to bring in tourists with a new kind of attraction: the world’s largest toilet. In fact, they’re so hopeful that the unusual attraction will bring in travelers; they’ve spent 10 million yen (about $125,945) on the project.

The site, which sits in front of Itabu Station on the Kominato Railway Line, is actually your average-sized toilet; however, it’s housed in a giant clear box and sits on an expansive 2,153 square-foot plot of land. While it doesn’t provide much privacy on the property, there is a surrounding fence to hide the toilet from outsiders. The city is hoping the beautiful new toilet will provide an enjoyable reprieve for drivers and passengers of the train, as well as attendees of next year’s Ichihara Art Festival.

Right now, the lavish restroom is only open to women, although the designer of the toilet, Sou Fujimoto, wants it to be open to the public for everyone to enjoy.

“I could enjoy the spectacular view while still feeling protected,” the architect told the Japan Times. “No other toilet would allow you a feeling like that.”

Hanoi’s Oldest Hotel Will Open Secret Bunker To Visitors This Week

by Jessica Festa on

During hotel renovations last August at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in Vietnam, construction workers discovered an unknown bunker thought to be used during the Vietnam War. While drilling near the poolside bar, they found a flooded hallway, numerous rooms and a staircase leading to the secret 500-square-foot bunker. Moreover, wine bottles, unbroken light bulbs, graffiti and air ducts were also found, according to VietNamNet.

“In the hotel’s history, there is a story of the American folk singer, Joan Baez, who sought shelter in this bunker during the Christmas Bombings in 1972, and who sang some songs beside a Vietnamese guitarist,” explains Kai Speth, the hotel’s General Director. “We don’t know of any other hotels, in Vietnam or anywhere else for that matter, that maintained a shelter for guests and staff.”

The luxury hotel is the oldest in Hanoi, boasting a 110-year history that has welcomed guests such as Charlie Chaplin, Jane Fonda, Fidel Castro and Somerset Maugham. That will be celebrated, along with the opening of the bunker to guests, on May 21, 2012. Likewise, people who actually spent time in the bunker, such as Bob Devereaux, the Australian diplomat who carved his name into the bunker in 1975, will also be present at the opening ceremony.

[image via The Metropole Blog]According to the hotel’s blog, some guests were given a sneak-peek of the Bunker. As a recording played of “Where Are You Now My Son,” a song Baez made there in 1972, each guest was brought back in time to those scary days.

“I knew that my guests were the beneficiaries of a powerful feeling for a place, and the past,” writes Speth on the blog. “Usually, people travel beyond the confines of a hotel for such experiences. But how lucky, I thought standing there with those 10 Americans, that my guests could experience that right here with us.”

Luxury Travel: Six Hotels To Spot The Rich And Famous

by McLean Robbins on




Over the next two weeks, celebrities galore are flocking from Hollywood and New York to Cannes, where they’ll be celebrating the industry’s biggest film festival of the year. Don’t have the money to anchor your mega yacht in the southern French waters? Don’t worry, neither do we.

Instead, we’ve gotten the inside scoop from Hotels.com on where the celebs like to hang out in the states, so you can enjoy a little luxe pampering of your own – without the price tag of a transcontinental flight.

Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
Built in 1927, generations of artists, novelists and screenwriters have produced work within the hotel’s walls including: Hunter S. Thompson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tim Burton and Sofia Coppola. More recently, Emma Roberts, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Kirsten Dunst have been spotted lounging on the overstuffed couches and sipping cocktails at Bar Marmont. It’s even where Ashton Kutcher had his rumored affair.

Metropolitan Hotel, London
Contemporary, chic, and with stunning views of Hyde Park and the London skyline, the Metropolitan Hotel has hosted A-listers such as Madonna, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Tom Hanks and Cameron Diaz. Enjoy dinner at the Japanese-Peruvian, Michelin-starred restaurant, Nobu, then retreat for post-dinner cocktails at the exclusive Met Bar, which is open to hotel guests and members only.Soho Grand Hotel, New York City
Celebrities are commonplace at this luxury hotel. Lindsay Lohan, Heidi Klum, Kevin Spacey and even local Manhattanite Sarah Jessica Parker have been spotted at this trendy hotspot. Guests enjoy complimentary iPad and MacBook Pro access, top-notch service at Prive Salon, and can even adopt a pet goldfish during a stay.

Geejam,Jamaica
The trendy, uber luxury Geejam Hotel draws a mix of celebrities from actresses like Sharon Stone and Grace Jones to artists like Gwen Stefani and Bjork. Guests can enjoy state-of-the-art technology, Apple TV and a private beach. Upon arrival, guests are provided a cellphone to use throughout their stay – a perk we’d love to see more of.

Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara
Perched on the beach just north of Santa Barbara, this Spanish-influenced luxury resort features direct beach access and world-class golf. Fergie, Josh Duhamel and Jennie Garth are a few of the Hollywood stars to have relaxed at this oceanfront property. The resort has an array of leisure and recreational activities to please guests including four lighted tennis courts, three zero-edge swimming pools, four restaurants including the four-star Miro restaurant, the Spa at Bacara and much more.

The Little Nell, Aspen
The Little Nell, one of the legendary star-studded hotels in this mountain town, is internationally renowned as a glamorous playground for the famous and wealthy. This resort has hosted Hollywood idols such as: Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey and Kate Hudson. Enjoy a variety of adventurous pursuits such as the Audi Test Drive Program and heli-skiing.

Luxury Hotel App: The Most Perfect View

by Jessica Festa on

Have you ever wished you could choose your hotel based on the view from the guestroom window? Now you can, with the The Most Perfect View.

Launched last October, the booking site allows travelers to browse over 250 properties – each with breathtaking views – across five continents. For example, searching the site’s hotels will show you Paris hotels with views of the Eiffel Tower, Venice hotels with rooms facing Venice’s lagoon and the Doge’s Palace and remote hotels in Africa where guests can watch herds of elephants.

“Most of the chosen views are already recognized as symbols of quality and luxury, and are strategically positioned in places of rare beauty,” explains the website’s creator, Paulo Palha, in a release.

To use The Most Perfect View, users do a search on the country of interest. From there, they can choose a hotel based on their favorite view. While the tool does overlap in certain ways with the hotel booking site Room 77, The Most Perfect View focuses more on view itself. For example, when searching for Venice, Italy, hotels, the only hotel information I am shown is the property’s name and a large, high resolution photo of the view from the room. Moreover, while Room 77 helps travelers find a great room in properties from 1 star and up, The Most Perfect View only lists handpicked 4 and 5 star properties with excellent window views.

This spring, The Most Perfect View will be launching a new website, with a more specified search engine. Users will be able to type “Eiffel Tower” or “Taj Mahal” and be instantly taken to corresponding hotels.