http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T11:01:12Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Heard%20Around http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/1/11/12436/3766 <![CDATA[<p><p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/heard_around2.png" class="imgborder">&#183; Legendary "Mayor" of Hollywood Johnny Grant <a href="http://defamer.com/343323/hollywoods-honorary-mayor-gets-star-on-heavens-walk-of-fame">died on Wednesday night</a> at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hollywood+Roosevelt+Hotel/local/11"><b>Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel</b></a>. Now, maybe he and Marilyn can haunt the hotel together.<p>&#183; The scariest lodgings in all of Hollywood? The suites at the <b>Celebrity Centre</b> run by Scientology. <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/01/14/080114fa_fact_goodyear">The New Yorker</a> says there are 39 hotel rooms to accommodate visiting Scientologists. (One suite is even designed by famous Scientoloigists like Kirstie Alley.) If you don't want to stay overnight, the Centre has a restaurant called Renaissance that's open to the public. Enter at your own risk.<p>&#183; In their latest edition of <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/travel/13hours.html?ref=travel">36 Hours</a>, the NYT goes to Hollywood. A hotel recommendation aside from the Roosevelt is the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hollywood+Hills+Hotel/ian/221105"><b>Hollywood juliana 2008-01-11T13:06:18-05:00 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/2007/12/14/155237/54 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/heard_around2.png" class="imgborder"><i>We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.</i><p>&#183; &nbsp;Our Vegas sources say that the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/thompson%20hotels"><b>Thompson Hotel</b></a> inside the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425"><b>Rio Hotel &amp; Casino</b></a> is getting closer to a deal. <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/stephen%20brandman">Stephen Brandman</a>, everyone's favorite hotelier, was in Sin City on Tuesday at the Rio checking the place out.<br>&#183; Prive nightclub inside the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Planet+Hollywood+Resort+%26+Casino/local/958"><b>Planet Hollywood Hotel &amp; Casino</b></a> will open on New Years Eve with Avril Lavigne set to host.<br>&#183; <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/kor%20hotels"><b>Kor Hotels</b></a> have announced yet another expansion of the Viceroy Hotel juliana 2007-12-14T15:57:00-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/11/30/151848/25 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/heard_around2.png" class="imgborder"><i>We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.</i><p>We had a little surprise bit of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/11/28/95548/356/hotels/Heard_Around_the_Mexican_Hotel_World">Heard Around the Mexican Hotel World</a> earlier this week and now we bring you our regularly scheduled programming.<p>&#183; <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/britney%20spears">Britney Spears</a> has reportedly been blacklisted from the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Peninsula+Beverly+Hills/local/550"><b>Peninsula Hotel</b></a> in Beverly Hills after a paparazzi there got into a scuffle with a hotel security guard. Apparently, the Peninsula is not willing to sacrifice the peace and quiet of their swank hotel and their other high-profile guests for juliana 2007-11-30T16:22:38-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/11/28/95548/356 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/senshotel_cancun.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>It turns out we have our own sort of <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/maps/Gossip-Girl-Map">"Gossip Girl",</a> a fellow travel writer huffing around the Yucatan who has sent us some hotel gossip on Cancun and the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Our anonymous tipster can't be so scathing in the guidebook text. However, we at HotelChatter are not known for being diplomatic, so here's the straight scoop on a few hotels: <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/ME+by+Melia+Cancun/local/972"><b>ME Melia Cancun</b></a> <br>"The doormats at ME say 'It's all about YOU!' Ack. Their signature thing seems to be heavily scented air. Someone had really gone nuts with the essential-oil-diffuser thing. They were also playing Foreigner at Volume 11 in the pool area." <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Azul+Blue+Hotel+And+Spa/ian/260205"><b>Azul Blue</b></a> <br>"This resort is not 'Azul Tim L. 2007-11-28T11:40:05-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/