We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
We've already sent kudos the way of the Radisson SAS Edinburgh because they're doing a bunch of nice green stuff. But, as all the best home shopping networks say: there's more!
The Radisson in Edinburgh also has truly incredible views. This killer view was from one of the loft rooms--guest Robin said they couldn't remember the room number, but "it felt like a long way from reception". We would happily accept a long hike from the lobby to our room if the reward is this kind of view.
This hotel is on the "Royal Mile" in Edinburgh and is between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, so you're already in the thick of things. Average room rates are close to $300 but at least you won't need to pay for too many taxis.
Oh, Harry Potter fans. We smiled when we passed by the bookstore the night you were all camping out for the midnight release of book 7, costumes and all. And we like to think we were very understanding when you retreated to a quiet spot to read the book for the next 20 hours. And then we tolerated our Google newsfeeds with a good attitude as they were flooded by the news that a certain characters' sexual preference was revealed.
But even we, as supporters of crazy Harry Potter fanpeople worldwide (even though some of us at HotelChatter haven't read a single one of the books), think this is a little much.
See, room 552 at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland is where author J.K. Rowlingfinished the very last book in the series back in January of last year. The hotel renamed the 180 square-foot room in her honor, and now, according to the Telegraph, Harry fans fly in from all over the world to stay in the legendary room.
We probably couldn't come up with a cornier name for a Valentine's Day package if we tried, so we'll just cut straight to the chase: the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh is offering a Valentine's season special called Dare to Bare.
Yes, it is as odd as it sounds, because this package includes a professional photo shoot of naked or semi-naked pictures (of you), which will be turned into a 12-page glossy book exclusively for your loved one. The Scotsman has roped in multi-award-winning photographer Trevor Yerbury to take your pics, and hair and make-up done by pros is also included in the deal.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, you'll need to fork out £1,249 (over US$2,400) for one night's accommodation, champagne, massage oil, chocolates, breakfast, and use of the health club. And of course, the whole Dare to Bare photo shoot and souvenir book. You can add extra nights for £450 ($880) a night, and the deal is valid from February 2 - 17, 2008. Do you Dare to Bare?
Being shortlisted for an industry green award doesn't necessarily make a hotel green, but the environmentally friendly actions of the Radisson SAS Edinburgh in Scotland are fairly admirable.
To begin with, they hired a full-time "green guru" in charge of eco-friendly measures at the hotel. Her first action was to install energy-efficient light bulbs which immediately saw a 26% drop in energy use for the same month of the previous year. Pretty impressive.
But it doesn't stop at lighting. We're quite impressed with the "e-cube device" they use in fridges at the Edinburgh Radisson. These clever gadgets measure the temperature of the food rather than of the (often empty) fridge space and don't overcool the air: another saving of around 30% of energy costs, they say.
From the guest point of view, there are the usual "don't wash my towel" programs, a reminder to turn off taps and an optional one pound per night levy to "carbon neutralize" your stay. Plenty of simple things but with a big effect: that's the green philosophy at the Edinburgh Radisson.
We've heard of hotels recycling in an effort to go green, but the Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor is placing a funky twist on the idea of new uses for old things.
In an effort to boldly launch a 1.2 million pound refurbishment and draw a goodly amount of publicity, the hotel recently announced it will be auctioning off all 66 of its beds as part of a charity drive, beginning April 29.
That's right - for a mere 20 pounds, you can have a mattress that Boy George slept on. Or maybe Billy Connelly? Or perhaps other "big names from the world of sport and stage?" The imagination boggles.
Proceeds will go to the Hilton in the Community Foundation, which supports young people worldwide wherever there are Hilton chains (though a large portion of their income derives from from initiatives held "primarily in in the UK.")
According to Tripadvisor reviews, the rooms are in desperate need of makeovers, so we applaud the initiative, the charity, and the celebrity, uh, dirt.
It seems like we're all becoming so huggy and friendly that we all want to sleep in the same hotel room: and so some hotels are starting to provide something that seems like a backwards step to a youth hostel, but is actually filling a need: rooms that sleep up to eight people.
The latest "big room" can be found in Edinburgh's Osbourne Hotel, and they're claiming their 4.5 by 5 meter room as "the world's biggest hotel room".
Apparently the trend towards family and group travel, particularly strong in Europe with the surge in budget airlines, means hotels are more often getting requests for big rooms rather than interconnected ones. Hotel staff say guests arrive in packs "for a weekend of fun and mayhem", especially for stag and hens' nights. Party on! The reviews of the Osbourne, however, are pretty mixed, so if you don't really need the world's biggest hotel room then perhaps your pick in Edinburgh should be the hallowed room where Harry Potter reached his end.
Actually, a luxury hotel is where author J.K. Rowling finished writing the final Harry Potter chapter ever. The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh reported that Rowling signed a marble bust in her luxury hotel room after she finished the last Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
"J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in this room on 11 Jan 2007," read the message.
Reports have it that Rowling used a black marker on the antique-style bust. Which is fine because antique-style surely means it was acquired from some large mass producing hotel furniture supply store and not worth anything. Hmmm...you're paying how much for rooms at this hotel?
The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown is still trying to keep the code-cracking fever alive.
Brown recently checked out of the Witchery Hotel in Edinburgh but not before leaving behind a cryptic code (93065) in permanent ink under one of the rugs in his £275-a-night Armoury Suite and leaving a riddle in the guest book.
Since the staff has no clue what either code means, the hotel's owner and the nearby Prestonfield Hotel's owner have teamed up to offer a luxury prize to whoever can solve it. Hint: the code is in reference to some of the paintings found in the Armoury Suite.
Now before you go ahead and call Dan Brown a "mondo douchebag" for leaving behind such impossible clues (in permanent ink, nonetheless!), the hotel's other famous guests have a history of leaving behind some mementos. Reportedly, Jack Nicholson drew a self-portrait in the guest book and Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons show drew some pics of Homer.
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by amandak
