http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-21T14:53:53Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelhotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/local/315 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/9/10/7429/72272 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Marriott_Surfers_Paradise_Pool.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Warm sunny days are just starting up in most parts of Australia with the hint that summer--and days by the pool--is not too far away. So it's no surprise that the Aussie media is starting to pump out articles about the most gorgeous hotel pools Down Under and there are quite a few to choose from.<p>Our personal favorite is the pool at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Marriott+Surfers+Paradise+Resort/ian/129950"><b>Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort &amp; Spa</b></a> on the Gold Coast: this pool is a heated seawater paradise that even includes hundreds of tropical fish and you can go snorkeling in it! There's an artificial sand beach on half of the pool. When the Queensland coast can sometimes get closed down due to nasty amandak 2008-09-10T09:38:58-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/2/15/32042/0905 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Observatory_Hotel_Restaurant.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>We've already figured out that the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Observatory+Hotel/local/315"><b>Observatory Hotel</b></a> in Sydney well deserves its spot on Travel+Leisure's list as the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/12/27/142028/87/hotels/The_Observatory_Hotel_Is_The_1_Hotel_in_Australia">best hotel in Australia</a>. So we just wanted to give you one more reason to try it out. This time, it's because they've combined an environmentally respectful event with a great meal in their Galileo Restaurant.</p><p>The deal all takes place on March 29, 2008, when Earth Hour strikes. Earth Hour is a green movement started in Sydney last year, when private individuals and businesses agree to turn off their lights and other appliances for one hour. This year it's between 8pm and 9pm in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, plus a bunch of other cities including Chicago, amandak 2008-02-15T09:30:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/12/27/142028/87 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/observatory_exterior.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Yesterday we wondered if Travel+Leisure had <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/12/25/22228/961/hotels/Travel+%2B+Leisure+Misjudges+Down+Under+Hotels">made a mistake</a> when they deemed the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Four+Seasons+Sydney/ian/106005"><b>Four Seasons Sydney</b></a> the #1 hotel in Australia when clearly <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Observatory+Hotel/local/315"><b>The Observatory Hotel</b></a> had achieved a higher score of 87.41 to the Four Season's 86.93.<p>Today we have our answer from T+L: <blockquote><p>You're right - the Observatory Hotel in Sydney is, in fact, the number one hotel in Australia in the T+L 500 2008. We've updated the list on www.travelandleisure.com/tl500 so the correct information is available online.<p> </blockquote></p><p>To be honest, both hotels are deserving of the #1 spot. After all, the ranking scores are very close. But in the end, it depends on what you prefer. The Four Seasons rises up in the juliana 2007-12-27T14:43:54-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/12/25/22228/961 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/tl500_sydney.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Travel + Leisure has put out yet another list of best hotels--this time it's the <a href="http://travelandleisure.com/tl500/2008/">World's Best 500 Hotels</a> for 2008 compiled by the mag's "global team of reporters and editors" from the results of the their World's Best survey.<p> Predictably, the lists is filled with Ritz-Carltons, Four Seasons, Peninsulas and Mandarin Oriental Hotels, although there are some small gems listed throughout.<p>However, there appears to be a mistake in the best hotels in <a href="http://travelandleisure.com/tl500/2008/region/australia-newzealand-southpacific">Australia</a>. In the hard copy of the magazine, T+L has listed the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Four+Seasons+Sydney/ian/106005"><b>Four Seasons Sydney</b></a> as the #1 ranked hotel in all of Down Under placing a special #1 logo next to the hotel description. But the Four Seasons only had a juliana 2007-12-26T13:15:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/3/21/24520/8565 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/concierge_desk.jpg" class="imgborder"/><p>Down Under the <i>Sydney Morning Herald</i> just did a neat expose on the inside life of two champion concierges. Seems they both come from the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Observatory+Hotel/local/315"><b>The Observatory Hotel</b></a>, already very familiar to HotelChatter after our <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/2/27/16140/6025/hotels/The_Honeymooners_Down_Under_The_Observatory_Hotel">honeymooners crashed there</a>. The goss at the time was that although &nbsp;it wasn't real special, there were a couple of highlights, including "the extremely helpful concierge who made all our dinner reservations". One of these lovely guys, perhaps?</p><p>On the gossipy side, we can report that these nice concierges, apparently, have a more positive opinion of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/3/6/16273/18004/hotels/Ralph_Fiennes_Continues_World_Sex_Tour_at_Hotel">Ralph Fiennes</a> than some: they call him a "lovely, lovely man" and related the story of when he came downstairs in just his bathrobe. Not amandak 2007-03-21T11:24:18-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/