http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2013-06-20T08:15:42Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/6/18/17557/8188 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/Strut___Swim_7.jpg" class="top"><p> Summer doesn't officially (like, calendar-wise) begin until Friday, but at <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/W+New+Orleans/local/1601"><b>W New Orleans</b></a>, things have been heating up since the beginning of this month, when the hotel kicked off its "Adults/Swim" series&#151;a weekly rooftop pool party with DJs, specialty cocktails and cabana packages. <p>Fashionistas will want to pay attention to this next part, though: <b>on the last Sunday of each month</b>, the Adults/Swim party will be followed by an <b>exclusive poolside fashion show</b>, presented through a partnership between W New Orleans and Fashion Week New Orleans. <p>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 <b>what to wear, how ASchechter 2013-06-19T11:40:56-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/6/10/55844/0812 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/36985/Rouxbeignets.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>Last Friday seems the whole country went nuts over National Donut Day. Even we moseyed on by the Doughnut Plant at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel/local/32">Chelsea Hotel</a> for our favorite tres leches variety (and get a free Classic Mini Cake doughnut with Carnival sprinkles!). Oh, and we <em>may </em>have taken advantage of the <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2013/6/7/173537/3723/travel/Some+of+the+Most+Exotic+Dunkin+Donuts+Flavors+are+7%2C000+Miles+Away">&#147;buy a drink, get a donut free&#148; deal at Dunkin&#146;.</a> Yeah, it was a good sugar-filled day. <p>However, if you live in New Orleans, you&#146;re one lucky duck. See, every Friday from 9-11 a.m. for the rest of the month, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel/local/1903"><strong>Sheraton New Orleans Hotel</strong></a> will celebrate the city&#146;s original ode to the donut&#151;the beignet&#151;by <strong>serving them at their Roux Bistro restaurant for only Chanize 2013-06-10T17:09:49-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/5/31/10174/4926 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/wneworleans_lemeridiennola.jpg" class="top"><p> Some sad news for <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/w hotels"><b>W Hotels</b></a> fans, there's going to be one less W Hotel in the world. But great news for <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/le meridien hotels"><b>Le Meridien Hotel</b></a> fans as Le Merid will take over the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/W+New+Orleans/local/1601"><b>W New Orleans</b></a> on Poydras Street (near but not in the French Quarter.) <p>The hotel was recently sold to the Chesapeake Lodging Trust for $65 million in April with a $29 million renovation expected to begin in April of 2014 (just after Mardi Gras) that will transform it into a proper Le Meridien Hotel. Here's what you can expect when the Le Meridien New Orleans opens in late 2014.<blockquote><p>Le Méridien New Orleans will offer 410 fully renovated guestrooms juliana 2013-05-31T14:43:35-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/3/12/95631/8397 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/113893/ritznola.jpg" class="top"><p> <em>UPDATE: We were informed after press time that the "privileges" for Courtyard guests at the Ritz Carlton come with a $25 fee when using the fitness center, pool, and spa (if not making an appointment)-- a resort fee, if you will. Disappointing, for sure and not our understanding when originally approached with this story. So, we now turn the question to you, reader: Is this still a deal you'd be interested in? Would you pay the $25 with the cash you save on the rate to take a dip or workout at the Ritz while staying at the Courtyard?</em> <p>Looking for a deal at the Ritz Carlton? Aren't we all. But now, thanks to an emerging hotel wakeandwander 2013-03-13T09:52:53-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/2/19/1079/43624 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/113893/bourbonst.jpg" class="top"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/2/10/163011/585/hotels/The_Super_Bowl_Really_Was_Super%2C_At_Least_For_Hotels">We've already talked about how good the Super Bowl was for hotels in the Big Easy</a>, but will it be the biggest blessing of the year? <p> While the city <a href="http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/mardi-gras-metrics/Content?oid=2150402">used to judge the success of Mardi Gras by the amount of trash</a> they cleaned up afterwards (seriously), they lean a little more on hotel performance these days. <strong>How does Mardi Gras stack up against the Big Game?</strong> New Orleans is still sorting through the hotel data from this year's Mardi Gras, but a look at the numbers from last year show one thing very clearly: <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/2/10/163011/585/hotels/The_Super_Bowl_Really_Was_Super%2C_At_Least_For_Hotels">The Super Bowl really was super</a>. <p> <strong>A <a href="http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/9906/Super-Bowl-trumps-Mardi-Gras-in-New-Orleans">study</a> that compared the peak days of each event wakeandwander 2013-02-21T15:04:06-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/