Tipster Kal B sent another Starwood hotels tip our way: plans for a W Hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The W will be part of the Icelandic National Concert-Conference Center and Hotel which will house the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, according to this presentation report. (Note: The link opens a PDF).
There's not much here about the hotel except that it will have 400 rooms. The concert hall center is expected to open sometime in 2009. Somehow we are more excited for W Reykjavik then W Hoboken.
In a country like Iceland where some parts of the year are simply drearily dark and cold, the interior of your hotel takes on a new importance. Which is why the entrance of capital city Reykjavik's first boutique hotel was a significant moment. The 101 Hotel also includes the 101 Bar and Restaurant, and the same owners are responsible for the nearby 101 Gallery. PR peeps try to explain that the 101 somehow captures the whole essence of Iceland:
The 38-room hotel adds extra appeal to the pure landscape of the land - the spouting geysers, active volcanoes, tumbling waterfalls, towering mountains, vast lava plains and stunning lakes ... 101 Hotel complements this natural Nordic coolness with the warmth of its heated oak floors, lounge fireplace and little spa Jacuzzi.
And while the designer aspect of being a boutique hotel has clearly been taken care of well, the service aspect might be a little lacking, if some of the guest reviews are to be believed: adjectives like "perfunctory" and even "horrendous" crop up when describing how hotel staff handled problems. For sheer building and room admiration purposes, however, it's a good stay. And at least the flacks never claimed to offer really great service.
50 Cent changed his name to Fiddy, flew to Iceland, checked-in to the Nordica Hotel in Reykjavik, and then began to tap into local culture, so to speak.
According to the NY Post, 50 kept such a long queue of Nordic blondes outside his suite, his G-Unit posse had to attend a show after party without their cash cow.
So how is the hotel you ask?
One recent guest quipped:
This hotel is well decorated with modern furnishings, but has poor soundproofing which makes a good night's sleep tough unless
you are a sound sleeper. I could hear the person next door...
Here we go again, cue the overly dramatic theme music, "oh hee ha". The Amazing Race Six started last night, and we at HotelChatter are back to do our post episode hotel chronicle and post them in the Misc. section.
Here is a quick refresher: We watch Amazing Race, and let you know the dirt on the hotels the contestants are staying in, or properties that are involved in the show. At the request of our readers, if no hotels are featured during an episode, we take a look at hotels surrounding that weeks pit stop. Really, this isn't as complicated as it sounds.
First a comment on the overall race cast. While it is difficult to get a grasp on the cast during the first couple episodes, we still think it is safe to say the Amazing Race finally went totally Hollywood, or at least Surreal Life. Is everyone on the show a model, a wrestler or in show biz in one way or another? Maybe it was just the first episode blues. Anyway, on to this week's pit stop: Blue Lagoon Iceland.
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by juliana
