Scammer convicted for trying to sell London Ritz

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Got a few extra bucks to invest? Well, be wary of truck drivers selling hotels. Of course, if I need to tell you this, you should stop dining on paste for lunch.

Not only is the hospitality industry going to be under pressure for the rest of the year, which makes such an investment difficult, but there’s always the chance that the deal isn’t real. This happened in London, where Anthony Lee hit up some of the market’s top real estate pros for cash to buy the London Ritz.

A jury just convicted Lee, an unemployed truck driver, of trying to move the Ritz for a mere $380 million – a deal, when you think about it – and claiming to represent Frederick and David Barclay, the off-the-radar billionaire brothers who own the property.

Before getting busted, Lee’s efforts nabbed him $1.5 million, a down payment from property broker Terence Collins. This was far better than borrowing scratch from friends and family to pay the rent, which had been a problem for Lee.

So, why did Collins fall for it? Hell, he had a shot at one of the top hotels in the city at a crazy price. He rolled the dice with a million and a half on the table … and the wrong number came up.

[photo by takomabibelot via Flickr]

From four-wheeling to cattle roping, saying ‘I do’ just got a little more adventurous

by Melanie Nayer on

Weddings were never my thing. Between the dress, the invitations, the cakes, the chaos – the concept is too overwhelming for me to digest. I’ve participated and planned dozens of weddings for my nearest and dearest and while I couldn’t be happier for their nuptials, I’d be the first one barefoot on an island eloping without witness if I were to get married (sorry, Mom).

But for those who want a traditional wedding with a twist, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, in Tuscon, has a few options for you. At the resort, future brides and grooms have the option of exchanging vows reflecting a different approach to the traditional wedding ceremony. Some of the adventure wedding options include:

Four-Wheel Wedding Adventure: Hop in a Jeep tour into the High Sonoran Desert and recite your nuptials amid thousands of saguaro cacti and the desert landscape. Advice to the bride: Consider a dress other than white, as four-wheeling through the dessert isn’t the cleanest activity.Hiking Adventure Nuptials: You and your guests will hike to legendary Lower Javelina and Wild Burro trails to a private outdoor ceremony, where a Native American flautist performs a wedding song and the ceremony ends with a Native American sage blessing. Side note: You might want to leave your fancy shoes back at the hotel for this one. Who says hiking boots won’t look good with your white scalloped lace dress?

Mountain Bike Vows: Guests ride into the pristine Tortolita Reserve via mountain bikes. Seems like a lot of work required to reach your betrothed, but afterwards, the couple is treated to an outdoor a massage and a romantic breakfast is included on the following day. Don’t forget your he

Western Horseback Ceremony: Forget the flower girls and saddle up the steeds! The bride and groom are married on horseback while an acoustic guitar player follows you through the dessert.

Wedding Rodeo: You have to love any wedding ceremony that includes a lasso. Guests venture to the famous and exclusive White Stallion Ranch, where a cowboy minister performs the ‘western’ wedding ceremony. After the “I dos”, return to the White Stallion Ranch for your own Wedding Rodeo, where cowgirls and cowboys rope and ride.

As if getting married isn’t adventurous enough, the resort also offers hiking, canyoneering, birding, rock climbing, and archeological touring. I say go for it! After all, what better way is there to say “I do” then four-wheeling through the dessert or roping in cattle?

Daily Pampering: Miami’s ‘Rhythm Massage’

by Melanie Nayer on

When Dayalis Gonzalez was looking for a way to spice up her daily spa routines, she turned on the music in her car and let the beat guide her. The result? A unique massage that incorporates the rhythm of Latin and Spanish music into massage movements meant to connect your mind and body with sound.

“Massage therapy is a form of healing, and so is music, and I wanted to combine them both,” said Gonzalez, a massage therapist at The Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Miami. And so it was discovered – Miami’s Rhythm Massage, available to guests starting July 1 at the hotel.

If a massage were adorned in a red halter dress, stilettos and with Antonio Banderas on its arm, this would be that massage.

Guests choose from two variations – the relaxing or energizing version; or you can request a combination. The relaxing massage uses long strokes to the sounds of sensuous salsa harmonies. It’s the perfect way to wind down after a long day on the beach and before lounging under the stars on a steamy Miami night. The energizing rhythm massage blends cross-friction techniques to upbeat Latin music – you leave feeling completely energized and ready to get your groove on, Miami-style. The massage is unlike anything you’ve experienced — the strokes ‘dance’ over your muscles to the various beats of the music, and within minutes you’re transported to a dance club, salsa and samba-ing your way into a new mindset.

The Rhythm massage is one of 19 new treatments The Ritz-Carlton South Beach spa is introducing starting July 1.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.


Sofitel Luxury Hotels hotel signs new Shanghai hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Shanghai is becoming quite the envy of hoteliers. Just this week, the Ritz-Carlton opened its second Shanghai property, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, and earlier this year The Peninsula Shanghai opened its doors to China travelers. Both hotels come just in time for the flood of tourists descending on Shanghai for the World Expo 2010. Now comes word another luxury hotel group is hot on the heels of Shanghai hoteliers.

Sofitel Luxury Hotels announced it signed a new flagship hotel in Shanghai – Sofitel Shanghai Jing’an – which will open early 2011.

This will be the fourth Sofitel in Shanghai and will be located in the center of the city. The Sofitel Shanghai Jing’an will stand at the intersection of Beijing Road and Jiangning Road, steps away from the famous Nanjing Road and near the museums and the Shanghai convention center.

The future Sofitel Shanghai Jing’an will occupy 32 of the building’s 61 floors, offering 515 rooms, 82 of them suites, on levels 29 through 54. Guests will have the option of dining in the Lobby Lounge or one of two restaurant. The top level, on the 55th floor, will feature a bar with views of both the east and west of the city.

We want to know what you think: With all the luxury hotels opening in Shanghai, is Shanghai the new jewel of China?

Ritz-Carlton to put environmentally-friendly water bottles in hotel rooms

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s a human element to hotels that often goes unnoticed by its guests. Beyond the check-in desk and past the steel “Staff Only” doors are employees with real feelings and concerns about the communities in which they live, and those emotions are apparent in the social efforts made both inside and outside the hotel. From clean-up programs to rescue efforts, hotels have consistently offered ways their staff and guests can give back. Simply put: I love when good brands do good deeds.

The Ritz-Carlton announced today it will offer environmentally-friendly water bottles at its North American hotels and select properties in the Caribbean. This news comes at a time when many travelers are seeking information on the oil spill clean-up efforts, and is another example of how the hospitality industry is working hard to help build social awareness around our top environmental issues.

According to a statement from the hotel, an estimated 5 million, 16oz-plastic water bottles are used every year at Ritz-Carlton properties. Armed with this information, Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, challenged his team to find a more environmentally-friendly solution.”Four years ago I realized that we were sending 10 million plastic bottles to landfills in North America, and we have been working with suppliers ever since to change that,” Mr. Cooper told me.

Fast forward to today, and guests at Ritz-Carlton’s North American hotels and select properties in the Caribbean will now drink from a 16oz all-natural water bottle made entirely from plants. The co-branded water bottle, part of a new partnership between The Ritz-Carlton and Prima, can decompose in 30 days in a commercial composting facility, or can be reprocessed and remade 100 percent into new bottles.

Manufacturing the new bottle requires 49 percent less fossil fuels, 45 percent less energy, and 75 percent less greenhouse gases than a classic plastic water bottle. The renewable Prima water bottle is made from Ingeo, a performance plastic comprised of 100 percent renewable resources.

“Plastic bottles are made from crude oil, take a significant amount of energy to produce, and less than 20 percent are sent to recycling facilities. Even when recycled, these bottles cannot be used to make the same quality of plastic,” Cooper said.

Earlier this year, Marriott International (which includes The Ritz-Carlton Hotel brands) announced the launch of a water conservation project in China. The new Prima water is expected to transition to all North American and select Caribbean properties within the next few weeks.