Hyatt’s Andaz opens new hotels in New York, California

by Melanie Nayer on

Hyatt’s boutique brand, Andaz, is making its way from coast-to-coast with new properties in New York and California. Andaz Wall Street opened Jan. 18 and another New York property will be unveiled on 5th Avenue later this year. In the meantime, Andaz San Diego is opening its doors on Feb. 1.

The Andaz Wall Street (photo) features 253 guestrooms with loft-like ceilings and seven-foot windows. Guests can dine at the hotel’s restaurant, Wall & Water, which overlooks the East River. Bar Seven Five, named for its 75 Wall Street address, serves cocktails and appetizers until midnight. Rates for the Wall Street Andaz start at $275/night.

Andaz San Diego will debut in the property currently known as Ivy Hotel in San Diego‘s Gaslamp Quarter at 6th Avenue and F Street. The 159-room hotel features 17 suites, one with exclusive access to a poolside cabana. The Ivy Rooftop features a pool overlooking the city skyline, and serves cocktails until you’re ready to dine at the Ivy Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar, which serves 88 wines by-the-glass. The multi-level Ivy Nightclub gets hopping late-night but don’t worry, the Quarter Kitchen will serve up your hangover recipe of choice the next morning.

Hyatt launched the boutique hotels in 2007 and currently has locations in London and West Hollywood.Rumor in the hotel world is that Hyatt will open an Andaz Austin later this year. We’ll keep you posted on details.

Valentine’s Day at The Pierre

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Nothing beats Valentine’s Day in Manhattan. You have an endless supply of amazing restaurants at your fingertips, Broadway is never far and at night, the city takes on new vibrancy. To anchor your Valentine’s Day experience, the hotel must be nothing short of perfect. So, kick around a stay at The Pierre this time around. Located on the southeast corner of Central Park, this year’s package for the most romantic day of the year includes two nights in a suite, dinner for two at Le Caprice, a surprise confection from the pastry chef to be enjoyed in your room, a bottle of champagne and breakfast in bed. And, you can enjoy it for only $1,100 a night with a two-night minimum.

So, start planning your stay now. Maybe get a ride through the park on one of the horse-drawn carriages that line up along Central Park South, or catch a show only a short cab drive away.

Daily Pampering: Dash off to the Bahamas in style

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Travel would be great if it weren’t for airports, right? Even if you fly first class, there are still plenty of ways for the experience to go sour — from the morons in line at front of you at the security checkpoint to the long wait for your bags at the carousel. And on the plane, you have to cope with flight attendants and first class seating that falls short of the luxury you’ll experience at your destination. The solution, of course, is exclusive jet travel, and Linear Air has just what you need.

This upscale service takes the headache out of travel, making your experience top-shelf from start to finish — not just from arrival to departure. If you’re in New York or Boston and want to escape the cold for a while, take advantage of a special that Linear Air is running, with one-way fares dipping below $9,900 to the Bahamas. Once you set foot on one of the company’s Eclipse 500 jets, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to fly with the
prolies.

Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

[Photo courtesy of Linear Air]

The James New York to debut summer 2010

by Melanie Nayer on

New York is rolling out the red carpet for new hotels in 2010. Next up, the James New York, a new luxury hotel set to open at the southwest corner of SoHo at Grand and Thompson Streets in the summer of 2010.

The hotel will offer 114 guestrooms, and claims each one has “unobstructed views of Manhattan.” The new hotel will be the sister property to the James Chicago, and will feature an urban garden, and a rooftop pool deck and bar with views of the Manhattan skyline. The hotel will host local artists’ collections throughout its public space.

For those looking for a little luxury in the new space, the Penthouse Loft will welcome you to one full bathroom with a free-standing tub and a double shower, a dining room, a wet bar, a master bedroom, and a grand living room with views of both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

The James New York plans on opening a restaurant on-site, but no official announcement has been made.

New York, Miami and Los Angeles most popular ports of entry

by Tom Johansmeyer on

As usual, 15 ports of entry were responsible for 84 percent of overseas entries to the United States last October. This is an increase of two percentage points from October 2008, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The top three ports were New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles, together accounting for 39 percent of all arrivals from overseas. These three ports gained one percentage point of “arrival share” year-over-year. But, only four of the top 15 ports of entry posted increases from October 2008 to October 2009: Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. These changes come based on an increase of 1 percent in foreign visits to the United States.