United States Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Packages / W Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Hotel Parties / → All Tags
Party with Beyonce Courtesy of the W Times Square
If you want to party like a rock star, the W New York-Times Square offers a VIP package that'll get you into Esquire's seventh annual Signature Space Cocktail Party to get your hands up with the single-ladies queen Beyonce herself and other stars. But this last-minute deal is for one night only, November 5.
You'll party with celebs like Jamie Foxx, Chris Webber, Gavin DeGraw, Ne-Yo, Johnny Rzeznik, Natasha Bedingfield, The Fray, Tamia, 3 Doors Down, Venus Williams, who are all hosting the bash. OneRepublic will perform some acoustic tunes. The Rock Star Package includes two tickets to the partay, two cocktails in The Living Room bar to kick off the night and a "Fantastic Suite" for the after-party. The one-bedroom suite will offer views of hopping Times Square or Broadway, a voyeuristic shower and a floating bed.
Tags: Twilight Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Seattle Hotels / Hotel Contests / Hotel News / Kristen Stewart / Robert Pattinson / → All Tags
Hotel Monaco Seattle is Hosting 'Twilight' Look-a-Like Contest
We live in the Pacific Northwest, so we can say in complete confidence that Edward and Bella mania is at full-tilt levels of bat sh*t crazy. You can buy a replica of the heart-shaped crystal charm Edward gives to Bella, dine on mushroom ravioli at Bella Italia and even visit the Forks Community Hospital where Dr. Cullen works.
We’ve even heard that some hotels in Port Angeles, Forks and La Push on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula (the center of "Twilight" activity) are whoring out rundown motel rooms at $150 and up – because they can take the tourism bucks and run.
We love these coastal towns for a daytrip or an afternoon of waves, but they’re kinda depressing. Then again, that's absolutely perfect for a vampire series.
Tags: Snapshot / Halloween Hotels / Hotel Staffers / Hawaii Hotels / → All Tags
'Tinkerbell' Tends the Garden at the Kona Kai Resort
Before we left on Friday to celebrate the Halloween weekend we Tweeted for hotel staffers working in Halloween costumes over the weekend to send us some pics. And we have to say, Tinkerbell at the Kona Kai Resort, a B&B in Key Largo, Florida is the best. Not only does she look cute, but she's actually still able to water the garden. Where form meet functionality.
Rates here start at $244 a night but they do not take online reservations. Go here for booking information. Thanks for sending this in, Tinks!
We're still accepting hotel Halloween costumes if you want to send 'em along. And don't forget to follow HotelChatter on Twitter!
Tags: Fairmont Hotels / Eco-Friendly Hotels / Hotel Packages / Luxury / San Francisco Hotels / Green Hotels / Washington D.C. Hotels / → All Tags
The Fairmont SF and DC Deliver Luxury and a Lexus Hybrid
Luxury is synonymous with excess, which in the car world usually suggests the use of high smog-emitting vehicles. Bigger is not always better for Mother Earth, with all that carbon monoxide contributing to her degradation.
A depressing reality, to be sure, but with environmental awareness being so very haute these days, tastemakers and luxury providers are striving to make the good life the green life, too. It's no coincidence that you hear blatant plugs for hybrid cars as stars arrive on the Oscars red carpet, you know. Plush comforts and planet-friendly alternatives can coexist, as LuxuryLink, Lexus, and The Fairmont San Francisco and Washington DC are attempting to prove with special Eco-Chic packages.
Included in the three-night deal for two in San Francisco are accommodations in a special Lexus Hybrid Living Suite decked out in all organic or sustainable materials, use of the 2009 Lexus LS 600H Hybrid sedan, organic wine, and passes to three local green wineries in Napa. In DC, you get a two-night stay for four, including Living Suite digs, use of the same sedan, organic wine upon arrival, $150 in hotel dining credits, and a $100 donation to the National Geographic Society.
Tags: Thanksgiving Hotels / Five Best Hotels / Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade / Lists / Hotel News / Macys Parade Hotels / → All Tags
The Five Best Hotels for the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
Yes, once again it's time for our annual list of Best Hotels For Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is our fourth installment and while last year's choices and anything in the vicinity of Times Square still holds true, we decided to do away with the old and bring in some new choices. And it looks like the Macy's Day parade will be trying something new itself on November 26th.
This year the parade will go down 7th Avenue instead of the old Broadway. The start will still kick off at 77th and Central Park West.
Sadly, the cast of Glee will not be performing at the parade, a lame decision on Macy's and NBC's part but there's still plenty of traditional fun to be had. However, you may miss out on all of it if you don't book soon. As we said last year, the early bird totally gets the good, crunchy, still warm part of the stuffing here.
Tags: Hotel Openings / Hotel Hype / Kimpton Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Kimpton's Next Hotel in NYC Will Be Quite an Eventi
Now that Ink48 is up and running, it’s time for the seemingly unstoppable folks at Kimpton to start focusing on their next New York property: Hotel Eventi in Chelsea. As with some of its other properties (such as Miami’s Epic), the hotel will share space with apartments, in this case rentals. The Eventi will also share its entire-city-block with retail stores and an outdoor plaza with public seating.
Even better, the developers plan to construct a 20-foot wide screen to be used in the plaza for public and private events. The hotel’s restaurant will also have a long dining terrace overlooking the plaza.
Exterior construction has been progressing above Sixth Avenue in recent months, so it must be almost time to send in the interiors designer. Colum McCartan will bring Eventi’s 287 guest rooms to life, while Philip Koether Architects and Syd Mead will work on the multi-level bar and restaurant, which will be operated by China Grill Management, and the residential section of the building. There are no room renderings to peek at just yet but for an idea of McCartan’s work, take a look at his interiors at Le Parker Meridien New York, Hotel Adagio and Hotel Vitale in San Francisco, and Hotel Sax in Chicago.
Tags: Hotel Video Tours / Intercontinental Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Convention Center Hotels / → All Tags
Inside the Intercontinental San Francisco
Last week, we told you about the Michelin-starred grub at Luce, the restaurant at the Intercontinental San Francisco, but today, we’re going to take you on a video walkthrough of a standard guestroom there so you can get a feel for the entire hotel experience.
Our favorite features of the room? Enormous windows (though not such awesome views), a cozy work desk-sitting area, a huge flat-screen TV on which to watch Anderson Cooper spout off on CNN, an iPod docking station, huge marble bathrooms (though the sliding doors were kind of unwieldy and didn’t lock!), neutral-toned patterns and fabrics, and well stocked minibars.
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Brunch / Ace Hotels / → All Tags
We Do Brunch at The Breslin and the Verdict Is: It's Ace
At last! The Breslin restaurant inside the Ace Hotel New York is open, and HotelChatter was there on Saturday to sample the goodness. Either the hotel was well-booked this weekend or just as many New Yorkers have been salivating over this opening as much as we have, because the Breslin was jumpin’. We started at the bar, which is always a nice way to pass the time while waiting for a table, but in this case it was not the best introduction to a delicious meal served with just the right amount of attention.
The first sign that the staff are still finding their groove was the wait itself. We needed a table for two—and could see a smattering of them in the dining room—but we were still told the wait would be about 10 minutes. (The Breslin doesn’t take reservations so that was not a factor.)
Settling in at a rickety bar table, we decided to order a Bloody Mary (yes, they are serving booze, despite complaints from the mosque across the street), but just getting the bartender’s attention took 10 minutes itself. Even though there were two other people behind the bar with him, busying themselves with unknown tasks.
Waiting in this brand new but decked out to look old space is not a chore, at least this early in the game, but we hope the staff get into the swing of things soon.
Tags: Hotel Grafitti / Hotel Trend Watch / Hotel Trends / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Cooper Square Hotel Jumps on the Hotel Graffiti Bandwagon
Graffiti wall in progress at the Hotel Erwin in Venice, Calif.
The Cooper Square Hotel, a giant modern glass building that popped up in the Bowery of NYC, is now trying to fit in with the gritty feel of neighborhood by hiring graffiti artists to paint the wall of an adjacent building.
But their "We're cool, we promise" plan has been met with some resistance from the neighbors, who have expressed their displeasure with the hotel before. The NY Post reports:
In a wacky attempt at earning street cred, the swanky Cooper Square Hotel has commissioned four graffiti "artists" to tag the Fifth Street wall of an adjacent building it recently bought.
One of the taggers, Joyce Pensato, was going to town yesterday on her section of the mural, which the hotel owners hope will be finished by Nov. 10, and then updated annually.
Pensato and three others -- who go by Nick 1, Vizie and Shinique -- were each paid to fill one quarter the wall.
"All the work is going to be different," Vizie said. "The only real unifying theme is the colors, black and white."
Tags: Cute Hotel Doggies / Pet-Friendly Hotels / Pet Concierges / Halloween Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags
A Director of Pet Relations Gets Put to 'Work' On Halloween
More Hotel Halloween Doggies! What more do you want on this Friday afternoon before Halloween? These awesome photos come to us from the Hotel Monaco Alexandria, which held its Howl-o-ween Costume Contest on Thursday. And just to show anyone worried about puppy labor laws that canine concierges do have a chance to clock off and get loose, here is the hotel’s Director of Pet Relations, bichon frise Charlie getting into the Halloween spirit. He’s dressed as chef Derek Simcik from the hotel’s restaurant Jackson 20—right down to the tattoos.
Then there was Scooby, decked out in Oktoberfest lederhosen, who took home the Top Dog award of the evening. (Kudos for hitting two October festive occasions in one, Scoobs!)
Tags: Cute Hotel Doggies / Pet-Friendly Hotels / Halloween Hotels / Houston Hotels / → All Tags
Cute Hotel Doggie Friday: Howl-o-ween Edition
Friday is now officially Cute Hotel Doggie Day here at HotelChatter, and in honor of Halloween, we felt it was our duty to bring you Dogs At Hotels in Halloween Costumes. It looks like quite a few properties have had Halloween parties for their four-legged guests this week, including Houston’s Hotel Derek.
Dog Days Out are a regular affair at the pet-friendly Hotel Derek, but this Wednesday was a special Howl-o-ween Spooktacular. As you can see from these photos, it wasn’t just the dogs who dressed up: owners were welcome to come in costume, too. (Which seems fair, considering how silly and perturbed some dogs look when they’re in costume.)
Tags: Sweet Suites / Luxury Hotels / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Beverly Hills Hotels / → All Tags
The Beverly Hills Hotel To Get Newer, Posher Bungalows
We are suckers for old luxury hotels and the Beverly Hills Hotel is one of our favorites, not just because of its long history with silver screen stars or the guaranteed celeb sightings in the hotel's coffee shop but also because of the luxe bungalows that have been frequented by icons such as Marilyn Monroe (Bungalow #1), John Lennon and Yoko Ono (#9) and our personal fave, Phyllis Nefler.
The Pink Palace has 21 Bungalows in total (in addition to 200 rooms in the main building) and once you've stayed in one, you'll find it really hard to want to stay in the main building again. The bungalows feel like your own little apartment in the impressive 90210-zipcode rather than a standard hotel room. Yes, the furnishings might be a little too grand or fancy for your tastes but hello, this is Beverly Hills. And PS, the bathrooms are enormous.
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