After last week's attacks on the JW Marriott Jakarta and Ritz-Carlton Jakarta hotels where suicide bombers killed a total of nine victims (including themselves), Marriott is responding by assuring the public that security measures were in place at the time of the blasts — and that the company will be looking into ramping up security in their properties.

Sadly, this is not the first time in the last several years that Marriott hotels have been a target of major attacks. In 2003, another attack on the JW Marriott Jakarta killed 12 people, and in 2008, dozens were killed in a Marriott Islamabad bombing. ]]> Jenna 2009-07-20T08:56:10-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/7/16/222223/696 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/jakartablasts.jpg" class="top"> <p>Some very sad news to report: at least two explosions hit the <b><A href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ritz+Carlton+Jakarta/ian/198034">Ritz-Carlton</a></b> and the <b><A href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Jw+Marriott+Hotel+Jakarta/ian/233429">JW Marriott </a></b>hotels in Jakarta today. <p>According to the AFP: <blockquote><P>Witnesses said they saw injured people being evacuated by car from the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the upscale Mega Kuningan business district in the centre of the city. <p> Police sealed off the area near the Ritz-Carlton and the JW Marriott hotels, an AFP correspondent said. Windows had been blown out of a second-storey restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. </p></blockquote> <p>The number of injuries is still unknown, though the <a href="http://twitter.com/BreakingNews/status/2680944725">Breaking News Wire Twitter</a> is reporting six dead and 18 injured so far. <p>Sadly, this JW Marriott was also the site Jenna 2009-07-16T22:28:21-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/4/1/12521/27776 <![CDATA[<p><i>Every so often we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">Send it in</a>.</i> <p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/bulgaribali1.jpg" class="top"> <p>We fished this snapshot out of the <b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/pool/">HotelChatter Flickr Pool</a></b> and, upon first glance, this photo of an Ocean Cliff Villa at the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Bulgari+Hotel+Bali/local/1485">Bulgari Resort Bali</a></b> looks gorgeous, no? From the looks of this photo, we'd be down for staying here. <p>But, um, reader who submitted the shot &#151; hotel maven <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/benlee123/3394004004/in/pool-hotelchatter/">lyh1</a> &#151; sheds a little bit Jenna 2009-04-01T14:32:30-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/3/27/132924/825

A couple of readers (full disclosure: our parents) hit up Bali this week, and though they were not kind enough to take us with them, they were generous enough to send some snapshots of a villa at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay to show us what we were missing.

Standard rates for just a room at this resort start at 680 USD, while a villa like this one will run you upwards of $1,800. The spa, with a collection of Ayurveda-inspired treatments, is not to be missed.

Two more snaps after the jump.]]> Jenna 2009-03-27T13:57:56-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/