HotelChatter - Tag: Budget Hotels

San Jose: Aloft Costa Rica Won't Cost-a You Too Much

ASchechter — 2012-01-30T10:07:14-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/AloftDoubleBeds.jpg" class="top"><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Aloft%20Hotels">Aloft</a> launches its second Latin American hotel this month with the opening of <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3637">Aloft San Jose</a> in Escazú, close to the Juan Santamaria airport. Though Aloft Bogota opened last year, this is the company's first location in Costa Rica. The budget, easy-in-easy-out appeal of Aloft must have outweighed its flashier big sister, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/W%20Hotels">W</a> when it came time for Starwood to decide which brand to introduce. A quick <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/TripAdvisor">TripAdvisor</a> search reveals that until now, Escazú has boasted little in the way of hotels. While Real InterContinental Costa Rica and Marriott San Jose are both viable options (and also both boast killer spa servies) $149/night rates will make Aloft very attractive to cost-conscious travelers. And all

London: London Moves Forward With a 600-Room Capsule Hotel In Picadilly Circus

ASchechter — 2012-01-17T09:00:02-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/YotelHeathrowGuestroom.jpg" class="top">Say cheese!How much does London like its budget hotels? A lot, we tell you, a lot! Just two weeks after the Malaysian-based, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/1/3/114532/9715/hotels/Tune+Hotels+Will+Honor+The+Beatles+With+Liverpool+Hotel%2C+Edinburgh+On+The+Way">Beatles-loving</a> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Tune%20Hotels">Tune Hotels</a> announced plans for two new London hotels before the Olympics (and plenty more UK ones on the way), we now have <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21542760">The Economist</a> reporting on a brand new 600-room capsule hotel planned for London's West End. The only catch? None of the rooms will have windows. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2014 inside the Trocadero, a 450,000 square foot entertainment and shopping complex in Picadilly Circus that at one time housed the Segaworld theme park and Pepsi IMAX cinema. Madonna also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Trocadero">apparently</a> shot her Hung Up video

London: The Z Hotel Soho in London is Easy on the Wallet, Not So Easy On Your Wingspan

juliana — 2011-12-14T12:35:01-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/zhotelsoho_1.jpg" class="top"> Our spies on the ground in London have told us there's yet another new hotel open for us to check out. And fortunately, this one is billing itself as "designer label but without the designer price tag." The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Z+Hotel+Soho/local/4943">Z Hotel Soho</a> is located off Charing Cross Road, south of the Soho Square Garden, with 85 rooms built around a central courtyard. While the exterior is described as having "classical architectural proportions", the rooms boast a way more contemporary look with 40" flatscreen TVs, glass partitions around the bathroom, iPod docking station which plays through the TV and our fave amenity, free WiFi. For your toiletry whores, they've got Thierry Mugler in the bath. But don't get

Courtyard By Marriott is Courting Europe in a Major Way

juliana — 2011-11-22T12:05:03-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/courtyardbymarrioteurope1.jpg" class="top"> Last year, we were tres excited by the opening of the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/parac-courtyard-paris-arcueil/">Courtyard By Marriott</a> in Paris as Paris is one of our favorite cities and Courtyard is one of our favorite budgie brands. Starting at 81 euros a night, we don't have to fret about spending all our money on a hotel room, just train rides into the center of town. (And sadly, on WiFi which is not gratis here as it is stateside.)And it looks like Courtyard is tres excited about being in Europe as well since they are planning on adding <a href="http://news.marriott.com/2011/11/courtyard-by-marriott-announces-bold-new-prototype-for-europe.html">80,000 rooms in Europe by end of 2015.</a> These rooms will also be brand-new room layouts, designed to be a "haven for

London: Premier to Welcome a Whopping 3,245 New Rooms to London in the Next Two Years

Heidi Atwal — 2011-09-27T08:50:01-05:00

In a manner quite characteristic of Londoners, we found ourselves getting sulky over recent news that European hotel rates are soaring up, up, away and out of affordable reach. London is regarded one of the world's most expensive destinations, inspiring vague resentment among travelers desperate for a jaunt to the land of Royals and all manner of pies.