http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-21T14:10:59Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelhotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/local/1578 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/1/224247/538 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/macys2009tgiving_paa.jpg" class="top"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/2009-Macys-Thanksgiving-Parade-Hotels"><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/macysmapstory.jpg"></a> Yes, once again it's time for our annual list of <b>Best Hotels For Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade</b>. This is our fourth installment and while <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/3/114950/488/hotels/The_Five_Best_Hotels_for_the_2008_Macy_s_Thanksgiving_Parade">last year's choices</a> 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.<p> 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.<p> Sadly, the cast of <i>Glee</i> will <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2009/10/12/glee-thanksgiving-parade-nbc-dumped/">not be performing</a> at the parade, a lame decision juliana 2009-11-02T12:54:20-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/16/141720/29 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/empirelobbysatc.jpg" class="top"><p>As if <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/28/223247/069/hotels/Chuck_Bass_Takes_On_Sean_MacPherson_on_Gossip_Girl_">Chuck Bass</a> buying the place wasn't enough glitz and glamour for <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Empire+Hotel/ian/125729"><b>The Empire Hotel</b></a>, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/sex%20and%20the%20city">Sex and The City</a> crew were filming in the hotel lobby (pictured above) all day Monday and a spy sent us some scoop on what was going on. <blockquote><p> Someone saw a movie poster of Smith&#146;s new film. It looks like an epic war film shot in the desert where he&#146;s carrying a small boy to safety. <p>There were about 200 extras and Samantha was wearing a short, silver body hugging number with a cream wrap. SJP was in a floor length, black dress with a egg-shell colored wrap.</blockquote></p><p>Ok, so it's not that much but it looks like juliana 2009-10-16T14:58:38-05:00 40.7714740 -73.982534 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/28/223247/069 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/seanmacgossipgirl.jpg" class="top"><p><p>We know that <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/sean macpherson"><b>Sean Macpherson</b></a> was traveling in Bhuktan last week but we sincerely hope he made it back stateside to watch himself on the last night's episode of "Gossip Girl."<p>In the episode, Sean played himself--a New York City hotelier--who Chuck Bass approaches with his nightclub plans (and tries to retrieve a Patrick McMullan photo of Sean.) Interestingly, Sean's hotel on the show was <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Empire+Hotel/ian/125729"><b>The Empire Hotel</b></a> but we all know that he's the man behind <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Bowery+Hotel/local/220"><b>The Bowery</b></a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Maritime+Hotel/local/13"><b>The Maritime</b></a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Lafayette+House+NYC/local/399"><b>The Lafayette House</b></a> and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Jane+Hotel/local/923"><b>The Jane Hotel</b></a> as well as the restaurant, the Waverly Inn. <p>In the end, Chuck Bass thought, why own a nightclub in a hotel when you could juliana 2009-09-29T09:03:31-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/14/102733/441 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/17697/empire_nyc_lobby.jpg" class="top"></p> <p>The NYT shook things up a bit this weekend with their <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/travel/13check.html?ref=travel">Check In, Check Out column</a>. Rather than checking in to a new trendy hotel, the Gray Lady took another look at one of Manhattan&#146;s oldest hotels, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Empire+Hotel/ian/125729"><strong>the Empire</strong></a>, which underwent a renovation last year that the NYT says &#147;transformed it into a modern refuge.&#148; (Don&#146;t worry, its 1920s neon sign still glows.)</p> <p>We suppose it&#146;s a topical move, given this week being New York Fashion Week and the plans for next year&#146;s event to move from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center &#151; the Empire&#146;s stomping grounds. Or maybe it was the hotel's recent addition of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/11/142545/621/hotels/Sweating_It_Out_on_the_Empire_Hotel_City_Running_Tour">City Running Tours</a> that piqued the Times' interest. KatieK 2009-09-14T10:46:20-05:00 40.7714740 -73.982534 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/11/142545/621 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/30451/Empire.jpg" class="top"><p> Last week we told you about the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Empire+Hotel/ian/125729"><b>Empire Hotel</b></a> introducing <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/1/7308/97066/hotels/The_Empire_Hotel_Introduces_City_Running_Tours_"><b>City Running Tours</b></a>, and this week we actually tied on a pair of sneakers and tagged along on one.</p><p>We were a little nervous about not being fit enough to run the 5-mile route through Central Park and the Upper West Side, however, as they promise on their website, the City Running Tours team are laidback and accommodating. Not crazy, wired, running freaks at all! After signing our waiver form in the lobby of the busy Empire Hotel (it was the eve of Fashion Week), we set off with our guide. It was 7 p.m. so the streets around the hotel were pretty busy with people MsRebecca 2009-09-11T16:18:50-05:00 40.7714740 -73.982534 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/