http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T04:25:09Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelhotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/local/22 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/17/45054/7025 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/banyantreeritz.jpg" class="top"> <p>The Banyan Tree restaurant at <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/6/19/231839/312/hotels/Fore_Play:_Ritz_Carlton_Kapalua"><b>The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua</b></a> is arguably one of the top dining dogs on Maui, with unbeatable views of the Pacific Ocean, the island of Moloka'i and the Pailolo Channel. But, like a lot of the super swank resort&#146;s services and amenities, it&#146;s not exactly budget friendly. <p>The restaurant is bringing its five star dining experience within not-just-for-special-occasions-only reach with its new <b>three-course 50/50 menu deal for $50</b>, which includes mea &#145;ai mua (perfect starter), mea &#145;ai nui (entrée), and mea &#145;ai momona (dessert). <p> For another $50, you can buy a bottle of wine from a select list that changes weekly, including plenty of picks we would gladly recommend: Family Vineyards Viognier globetrotting gourmet 2009-06-19T09:44:20-05:00 21.0007492 -156.65401 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/3/3/51910/39927 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Cathay_Che_in_Hawaii_Videos.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>Pictures are worth a thousand words, so that must make videos worth millions of words, right? That seems to be the theory behind Concierge.com's <a href="http://www.concierge.com/ideas/hotels/tours/500364"><b>Insider Guide</b></a> to Hawaiian hotels, with a series of seven short videos narrated by Hawaiian-turned-New-Yorker <b>Cathay Che</b>. The idea is that the video should give you a better idea of the real quality of the resorts she checks in to compared to the glossy photos you usually see (<a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Hotel%20Video%20Tours">sound familiar?</a>) <p>A handful of hotels that you might consider for a Hawaiian vacation are featured in the video series, including the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ritz+Carlton+Kapalua/local/22"><b>Ritz Carlton Kapalua</b></a> and the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Four+Seasons+Resort+Lana%92i+at+Manele+Bay/local/562"><b>Four Seasons Resort Lana'i</b></a>. The web guide gives you a brief overview of each amandak 2009-03-03T09:51:14-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/7/14051/56322 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/heard_around2.png" class="imgborder">&#183; When <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Allen+Street-Thompson+LES/local/31"><b>The Thompson LES Hotel</b></a> opens sometime in April/May, the guest rooms will be tricked out with HDTV. The hotel recently <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/12/22/thompson-lower-east-side-hotel-getting-hdtv/">signed a deal</a> with RCN has signed a multi-year deal to provide digital cable TV and high-definition services.<p>&#183; Speaking of Thompson, while BondSt inside the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Thompson+Beverly+Hills/local/806"><b>Thompson Beverly Hills</b></a> was set for a <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/3/153836/1257/travel/BondSt+Coming+to+LA+Soon%2C+So+They+Say+Again">January 7th opening</a>, we hear it's more likely to be open by Friday, January 11th.<p>&#183; More <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hotel%20renovations">hotel renovations</a> are coming in Las Vegas. This time to the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Mirage/local/104"><b>Mirage</b></a> which will unveil its contemporary guest rooms in February.<p>&#183; Remember the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/2/13523/28539/hotels/Maui_s_Ritz_Carlton_Kapalua_to_Unveil_Pricey_Renovations_on_Jan_7th"><b>Ritz-Carlton Kapalua</b></a> has officially re-opened today for all guests after a $160 million renovation. Call the hotel juliana 2008-01-07T17:30:37-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/2/13523/28539 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/ritz_kapalua_reno.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>We fantasized about leaving our <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/10/7/82321/4416/hotels/Room_with_a_Killer_View_When_the_Ritz_Carlton_Kapalua_Re_Opens_">cubicles</a> for the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ritz+Carlton+Kapalua/local/22"><b>Ritz-Carlton Kapalua</b></a> in Maui last October thanks to the hotels killer view but we were saddened to discover the resort was closed due to a $160 million make-over.<p>But on Jan. 7th, we are free to flee our cubicles again--not just in our mind but in reality as the hotel is set to re-open then. The hotel actually opened its doors last Friday for the PGA Mercedes-Benz Championship but even then crews were still working to get things all fixed up.<p>All 445 guest rooms as well as the lobby, fitness center, restaurants and other public areas have been upgraded. A new spa will open in March and residential suites juliana 2008-01-02T13:14:07-05:00 21.000735 -156.65401 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/10/7/82321/4416 <![CDATA[<p> <i>We are suckers for a room with a killer view. &nbsp;We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/">HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool</a>, or by <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">sending the photo along to us</a>. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/KillerViewKapaluaRC.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>...we are so hitting this place up. <p>When you want to take a holiday in paradise, check into Room 2609 at the <a amandak 2007-10-11T09:15:01-05:00 21.000735 -156.65401 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/