HotelChatter - All Star Map http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2008-08-21T21:05:28Z HotelChatter HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Marco Island: You've Been Overserved http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/8/17119/81151 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/james_suitcases.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>Ok, maybe we would need some help if we had this much luggage with us.</i><p>Think back on your most recent hotel stay. Was there an instance -if only a fleeting one--when you couldn't wait to escape some overzealous hotel staffer who was hell-bent on giving you "an experience" that you could go home and eagerly share with your friends?<p> For example, we still can't stop talking about a stay of more than a year ago at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Marriott+Marco+Island+Resort+Golf+Club+And+Spa/local/108"><b>Marriott Marco Island Hotel</b></a> in Florida. As soon as our cab pulled up in front of the hotel, a bellman was opening the door while a second was attempting to whisk our luggage away, into that purgatory where it seems ChristineM 2008-08-21T15:23:37-05:00 La Quinta Brings a Bright Spot to Life With Free Stuff http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/21/15538/7315 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/laquinta_brightspot.png" class="imgborder"> <p>Whenever we book a hotel room, we always feel this pang of guilt when we see the room rate -- no matter how low -- and tend to lament the loss of money that could have been used to purchase 1/4 of a pair of super expensive shoes. Or flowers for our mother. Or a bunch of pizzas, even. <p>But the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/La%20Quinta%20Hotels"><b>La Quinta</b></a> chain feels us on that one: right now when you book a room at any La Quinta, you can visit their <a href="http://brightspotchallenge.kewlbox.com/brightspot.aspx">Bright Spot</a> website, enter your confirmation code and gain access to discounts on stuff like rental cars, Dominos pizza and Borders books. Hooray! <p>And even if you're not booking a Jenna 2008-08-21T15:06:51-05:00 HotelChatter OpenThread :: Should We Tip Extra for Room Service? http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/21/141155/151

Tipping. Yikes. While most of us know to regularly tip our bellmen and some of us routinely tip our housekeepers (and all of us should!), things start to get a bit dicey when it comes to room service.

See, in most hotels, gratuity is included on a room service order. But then when you open up your folio to sign off on your charges, you breeze past the line detailing the auto-gratuity that's been added...and you encounter it: the additional gratuity line before the total. ]]> Jenna 2008-08-21T14:30:13-05:00 Chicago: Inside The James Chicago :: Setting a Standard http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/21/21735/1388

Returning to a city where we were once a local and having to stay in a hotel can be a jarring experience. So to soften the pains we opted to check out what is currently Chicago's hottest hotel property: The James.

According to The James' website, we are supposed to keep our eyes open for more properties to come in both New York and Miami, as Chicago is the standard-bearer. Turns out The James is exactly what the blustery old hotel scene of Chicago needs; it rivals the attentiveness of The Peninsula while standing out from other heavily-tapestried properties around Michigan Avenue.
]]> JetSetCD 2008-08-21T14:01:12-05:00 Prague: Kids Get the Better View From the Alchymist Hotel in Prague http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/21/13123/0464 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/kv_alchemist.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>A while back <b>Amy Langfield</b> from <a href="http://www.newyorkology.com"><b>NewYorkology</b></a> headed off to Prague and went through a little bit of drama pre-flight with Tablet Hotels about her lodging situation. But as we told you back then, everything worked out ok and Amy and family was sent to a nice suite at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Alchymist+Grand+Hotel+And+Spa/ian/227766"><b>Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa</b></a>.<p>Since today is <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Killer%20View">Killer</a>/<a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Anti%20View">Anti-View</a> day, we thought it fitting to post these views from her suite. <p>The above view is the Killer View from the kids room. While it's mostly buidlings, you can see the castle jutting out in the far background. So what kind of view did the master bedroom aka the parents' room have? Click after the jump juliana 2008-08-21T13:16:22-05:00 Search HotelChatter Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/