http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2008-09-05T06:55:54Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/13/195317/112 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/villatrapp.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>It seems the hills are alive again with the <i>Sound of Music</i> with the home of the famed von Trapp family singers being refashioned into a new 14-room hotel named <b>Trapp Villa</b> <p> Located on the outskirts of Salzburg and once filled with all of the family's favorite things, the property hasn't changed much over the years. But there's no call for major alterations with the conversion, just some new paint, rewiring of the building and guest room furnishings. In a perfect world, they'll have wi-fi access, too.<p> The hotel will open July 25th with a big reception, where fans of the Trapp family singers and the movie can tuck themselves in for the night in the very mytwocents 2008-05-14T09:15:49-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/8/7545/44867 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/TheRing_Lobby.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Any idea what a "casual luxury" hotel is? We're not sure either, but apparently Vienna's new <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Ring/ian/258863"><b>The Ring Hotel</b></a> is a shining example of one. We have a feeling it doesn't mean that you can run around in your oldest shorts and flip-flops, but instead it sounds like they're trying to saying The Ring is a place where you can get everything you want but without any snootiness. Sound okay?</p><p>It's called The Ring--not the name we'd choose thanks to the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Ring/ian/258863">scary movie franchise</a>, but there is a reason--because it's located on Kaerntner Ring, one of the streets that forms a loop around the center of Vienna. Actually it's in a great spot, almost opposite the amandak 2008-04-08T11:23:22-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/2/8/131841/6538 <![CDATA[<p><p> <i>Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? <a href="tips@hotelchatter.com">Send the story our way</a>.<p> In this episode, editor <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/juliana/stories">Juliana</a> fantasizes about the perfect place for a drink. Enjoy.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/onyxvienna.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Lately, I haven't had time for much Cubicle Dreamin' but today it's finally juliana 2008-02-08T13:28:17-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/8/7/84626/30251 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Vienna_Mercure_West.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/Hotels-Near-Eurail-Stops"><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/mercure_wien_story.jpg" align="right"></a>Depending on your destination, a number of Eurail trains in and out of Vienna stop at Wien Westbahnhof, loosely translated as the West Vienna rail station. Directly opposite the Europaplatz side of Westbahnhof, you can find the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/MERCURE+WIEN+WESTBAHNHOF+4/ian/178831"><b>Mercure Wien Westbahnhof</b></a> which as well as being handily located to a main train station is also served by the underground train, airport bus and trams.</p><p>Apart from the great location and reasonable price (you can often get a room for around $100 a night), the Mercure Wien Westbahnhof isn't really a special hotel. There are about 250 roooms and sometimes large tour groups are put up there, and the central transport location can mean it's sometimes a amandak 2007-08-07T15:59:48-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/6/7/65830/73777 <![CDATA[<p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Schloss_Velden.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Luxury in an Austrian castle is a special kind of luxury, we think. And it's just opened up in the form of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Schoss+Velden/local/630"><b>Schloss Velden</b></a>, a magical yellow palace on the shore of Lake Woerth. Built in 1607 and later serving as a hotel for a century, it closed down in 1991 and has recently reopened as a Capella Resorts property.</p><p>Well known amongst the "elite" of Europe over the years as a high standard retreat, the new version of the Schloss Velden has an eye on modern luxury, with standard features like this:</p><blockquote><p> a central computer system that controls all of the room's functions from the bedside, rainforest showerheads, LCD televisions, wireless Internet access, iPod docking amandak 2007-06-07T09:54:42-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/