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Try Not To Get Your Hair Wet At W New Orleans' Poolside Fashion Show
Summer doesn't officially (like, calendar-wise) begin until Friday, but at W New Orleans, things have been heating up since the beginning of this month, when the hotel kicked off its "Adults/Swim" series—a weekly rooftop pool party with DJs, specialty cocktails and cabana packages.
Fashionistas will want to pay attention to this next part, though: on the last Sunday of each month, the Adults/Swim party will be followed by an exclusive poolside fashion show, presented through a partnership between W New Orleans and Fashion Week New Orleans.
Dubbed "Strut +Swim," the shows will take place on the fourth floor Wet Deck, featuring local designers, boutiques, and hair and makeup artists telling you exactly what to wear, how to wear it, and why it's trendy. (This could be especially helpful for those of you trying to revamp your wardrobe this summer—these guys are experts, after all). Different designers and beauty experts
Hotel Design / Swissotels / DesignLab / Hotel Club Lounges / Hotel News / → All Tags
Swissotels' Executive Lounges are Getting a Swish New Look
Swissotels is glamming up their hotels' executive lounges and to start, they've created a mini-version at their headquarters in Zurich. But unlike most hotel companies who keep their model rooms under lock and key, Swissotels is putting theirs on full display to the public.
The new DesignLab, as it's called, resembles a modern “Arvenstübli” or pine parlour which combines traditional Swiss design with contemporary design and technology. Here, DesignLab creator Karsten Schmidt and Director of Interior Design for Swissotels, breaks down the pine parlour elements:
“Drawers and furniture have been decorated with ornaments in the style of traditional Swiss Sgraffito, which is still to be found on the facade of many buildings in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
The engravings and carvings originate from the Appenzeller wood-carver Roman Räss, who has created a name for himself outside of the well-known woodcarving town of Brienz, with his contemporary work and art projects. Selected design pieces such as the Bell Tables of Sebastian Herkner for ClassiCon, the book merry-go-round of Roderick Vos for Linteloo, the Etch Lights of Tom Dixon, the moooi chairs by Marcel Wanders or the Eames Rocking Chair of C. and B. Eames for Vitra, supplement the ambience in the new DesignLab."
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Catch the World's Fastest Hot Dog Eater At Eventi Hotel
Food has been one of the main attractions over at Eventi Hotel since 2010, when they opened a fancy-pants food court called FoodParc next to the lobby. So it's kind of fitting that the hotel will be hosting a July 4th hot dog eating contest, next month featuring none other than Takeru Kobayashi, the world's greatest hot dog eater.
This is great news for Kobayashi fans who usually have to trek all the way out to Coney Island to watch their hero scarf down wieners (his personal record is 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes).
The event will be hosted at the outdoor plaza in the back of the hotel, where Kobayashi will compete with seven other "acclaimed competitive eaters." We still can't believe that some people make a living in this world as "competitive eaters," but hey, if it pays the bills…
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An Ace Hotel Will Open in Shoreditch, London
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ace Hotels opening in one of our favorite cities, London!
We stumbled upon this news yesterday as we were hunting down more info on their Los Angeles property, opening in the fall. The Ace's Facebook page posted picture of construction but not much else. Yet a link in the comments sent us to a jobs opening site for "London Shoreditch." Was this for an actual Ace Hotel or for some sort of Ace-related pop-up experience, we wondered? We got our answer almost immediately when we went to the Ace home page and saw a link for London.
The hotel is going up at 100 Shoreditch High Street, which is currently home to a Crowne Plaza. Now, that sounds very un-Acey as they usually choose older buildings for their hotels. But Ace is aware of this challenge and is going to do its best to give the site an Ace makeover. Here's what Ace Shoreditch has to say about the property:
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Gazing at The Acropolis in Athens from the Hotel Melia Rooftop
Everything you've heard about the city of Athens being packed tighter than a New York City subway car is absolutely true. On a recent trip to the capital of Greece, we fell in love with the pace and pulse of the city (not to mention the gyros), but boy, talk about a maze. Navigating those Greek-named streets was by no means a walk in the park, and while the city is surrounded by mountains and dotted with hills, it can be tough to get a grip on where you are due to the limited sight lines and endless infrastructure.
But, like New York, the rooftops of hotels and restaurants give you a whole new perspective on the chaos below, turning those closed-in, clustered feelings to ones of awe and appreciation. One such opportunity is found at the Hotel Melia, located right downtown in the heart of the city and boasting a view of Athens' most infamous attraction, the Acropolis.
The view, as you'll notice, is indeed killer, especially at night when the Acropolis is lit up like a torch over the city. But beyond the aesthetics, the Sky Lounge Rooftop Dining Bar turned out to be one hell of a nest, a relaxing pool scene by day and a delicious dining area at night. When in town, you've got to have a few drinks during the sunset and watch the lights of the Acropolis turn on as the daylight dwindles down. Check out the photo gallery below!
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Say, Who's Been Ripping The Sheets In Our Hotel Bed?
Over the weekend, a friend sent us this snapshot from a Sheraton Hotel near San Diego, saying " Apparently, this sheet is in Sheraton's "still usable" category." Sheet! That ain't good. And it kinda takes the excitement out of sleeping on that Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, right?
Sadly, we've seen tears like this rather frequently on hotel sheets. We *think* it's due to the giant machines that press the sheets after they are laundered. Inevitably a corner gets stuck in the machine and is accidentally ripped. It definitely doesn't look like a guest made such a clean tear, unless they we're just goofing off with a pocket-knife while in bed. And that's possible, given this list of shameful hotel habits.
But is there another explanation? Does anyone know what else might be causing such a sheety disaster? And should a hotel discard an otherwise perfectly good sheet? Tell us in comments below!
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New Hotel Deals for Adventurists, Vacationists and Altruists Alike
Deals: you want 'em, and surprisingly, everyone has 'em. Take a look at some of the latest hotel deals going around the internet today from booking sites, social media sites, flash sale sites and more. Don't forget to scroll down to see the HotelChatter-approved deal either. Who knows? You might just find what you're looking for. (But don't forget to tell us about your stay!)
DEALS, DEALS, DEALS*
· COCONUT WAIKIKI HOTEL: Do the opposite of the mountain thing and instead book a room at the Coconut Waikiki Hotel in Hawaii. The JDV hotel is offering a bunch of discounts that increase if you stay longer. So stay two nights and get 10 percent off the Best Available Rate. But stay four nights and the discount goes up to 18 percent off the rate. The hotel also throws in complimentary coconut water, a sunburn survival kit and a behind-the-scenes neighborhood guide for all stays. Go here to book. Rates start at $289 on weekends.
· BUTTERMILK FALLS INN + SPA: This Hudson Valley hotel is offering a Summer Sojourn package that includes two nights in a deluxe inn room, daily country breakfast, a $50 spa credit towards any 60-minute or longer spa treatment and lunch for two prepared by the Inn's chef. Rates start at $480 for a two night stay (regular rate: $680.) The deal is only good for Sunday-Thursday stays and does not include taxes or fees. It's available until July 31 so call (845) 795-1310 to book.
· FOUR SEASONS, PEAK TO PEAK: Like to pamper yourself after a few days of roughingt? This summer the Four Seasons Hotels of Jackson Hole, Vail and Whistler are offering a Peak to Peak Summer Passport Package that will save guests up to 40 percent off on lodging if they book at all three hotels on their summer adventure quest. (The breakdown is (15% of nightly room rate at the second resort, and 25% at the third). If you book before October 27, Four Season will throw in a complimentary backpack filled with a customized selection of outdoor and adventure gear, including GoPro Cameras and mountain biking gear. To book, call one of the hotels directly. The package is good through October 27 but only at the three mountain resorts listed above. Just so you have an idea of what you're getting into, the Four Seasons Vail starts at $825 a night. Maybe that should be your last stop.
Geek Hotels / Hotel Technology / Lists / Awesome Hotels / → All Tags
8 Hotels for Geeks of All Ages
You know how much we love cool hotel technology here on HotelChatter but today we're spotlighting some hotels that go far beyond offering giant flat-screen TVs, bedside control panels, TVs in the bathroom mirrors and even gold iPads. While we've yet to find a hotel that allows guests to borrow a pair of Google Glasses during their stay, these hotels are truly forward-thinking in their amenities and their experiences,except for the one that offers a cassette tape player in the room. But we had to include that one. We had to!
THE SCI FI HOTEL
Whatever sci-fi fantasy tickles your pickle—perhaps plugged into the grid like in "The Matrix," abducted and organ-farmed by aliens—the 9hours Hotel in Kyoto, Japan is about as close to it in real life as you can get. The property is a simple, nearly windowless building in an alley near Kyoto's Kawaramachi Station and, like other Japanese capsule hotels, it specializes in giving the weary worker or traveler one solid night of bare-bones rest in a sparkling clean, sex-segregated environment.
Unlike other Japanese capsule hotels, however, it's prime focus is on good living through good design. Alarms are soundless; ambient lighting gradually awakens the sleeper without disturbing other capsules. Pajamas and basic toiletries are provided, and the WiFi is free (but kept out of sleeping quarters). We paid 4,900 JPY ($48) just a few days ago and would do it again, sci-fi fantasies or no.
THE AV GEEK HOTEL
Speaking of capsule hotels, Japan has actually expanded upon the concept to create a small chain of sleeping pod rooms called The First Cabin. Modeled after the semi-private quarters of airplane first-class suites, each guest is assigned one room identical to the rest. Inside is a large Sony flatscreen TV (only watchable by using the provided noise-cancelling headphones so as not to disturb others), pajamas, basic toiletries, a lockable storage drawer and several power outlets and free WiFi.
Since it's a chain, we chose the Osaka location as the geekiest owing to its libraries of manga novels and its location near Dotonbori, a mecca for foodies. Even better is they're growing; First Cabin currently has branches in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo's Haneda Airport, but this June they'll debut in central Tokyo's Akihabara district, a name synonymous with "otaku" or geek culture. Rates start at 3,300 JPY ($32) in Osaka and only 2,800 ($27) in Kyoto.
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A First Look at Ian Schrager's London Edition
We recently told you hotelier extraordinaire Ian Schrager would bring The London Edition to the UK in October. Now Schrager has finally released more coveted details on this project (the brand he created with Marriott International), as he returns to London after the 15 years since he introduced both the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane hotels.
The London Edition sets out to preserve the original Berners Hotel, built in 1835 as five luxury Georgian townhouses and turned hotel in 1908. But don't think that means this'll be another stuffy-puffy London property. Schrager makes it clear:
“The hotel is inspired by the grand traditions of Great Britain: the traditional, aristocratic English country manor and the quintessential London private gentleman’s club with a modern, edgy, urban feel.”
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5 Hotels In Lower Manhattan For River Gazing
For most of us, we're just happy that our hotel room in Manhattan doesn't look out onto a brick wall. But for those of you who are particular about your views, we've rounded up the best hotels in lower Manhattan for river gazing. And no, you don't have to spend a fortune to do it, which is another reason to consider downtown versus uptown when planning your stay.
5 SCENIC WATERFRONT HOTELS IN LOWER MANHATTAN
1. It's all about the views at Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, which also took quite a beating during Hurricane Sandy (everything's back to normal now, though). The 298-room hotel often gets overshadowed by its uptown counterparts (Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons New York), but actually this place outshines all of them put together when it comes to fresh sea breezes and plenty of open spaces around the hotel The rooms even come with telescopes!
Rates from $395/night.
Four more after the jump!
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Happiness Is an Empty Pool Cabana At Parkroyal On Pickering
If you had to pick your favorite hotel poolside cabana anywhere in the world, where would it be?
To be honest, it's not something we've ever given much thought to (seen one cabana, seen 'em all)—until, that is, we visited the fifth floor garden terrace of Singapore's Parkroyal on Pickering the other week.
We mentioned last year, before it opened, that the hotel would drip with tropical gardens, and indeed, it is certainly one of the lushest hotels we've seen in a while. Wild flora grow up and down the building's exterior, creating a sort of "secret garden" 120 feet above ground.
This effect is best seen from one of the poolside cabanas—large, sturdy structures that look like human-size birdcages—that are built right on the edge of the fifth floor terrace. Mini-worlds unto themselves, the cabanas are furnished with mountains of pillows and cushions so that once you've entered and plopped down on the floor (preferably with a cold Tiger beer in hand), you never want to leave. Ever.
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A Year Away, Four Seasons Disney Has Its First Opening Rates
Well, color us surprised. Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World might still be a year away from opening, but hot on the heels of its GM appointment, the apparent interest in the 434-room resort is already so significant that a first series of rates for meetings and groups has been released. Talk about planning ahead.
We’ll get to those rates in a second, but alongside there’s an indication what us normal people will be paying to live it up with Mickey. Unfortunately, the same seems to hold true here as it does for Disney itself these days: bring your wallet. Rooms will start at $595 in September 2014, going up to $645 from October onwards. Family packages aside, with a room and one-day admission for four, you’re looking at a grand a day just like that. Eeeek.
