http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T19:49:15Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Hotel%20Takeovers http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/12/21/95439/984 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/Mint_ToL_25275_2.jpg" class="top"><p>Exactly one year since <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Mint+Hotel+Tower+of+London/local/4763"><b>Mint Hotel Tower of London</b></a> debuted its jaw-dropping panoramic <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/4/28/123730/451/hotels/The_Only_Place_To_Have_Summer_Drinkies_In_London">Sky Lounge</a>, the dreaded <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/doubletree%20hotels"><b>Hilton DoubleTree</b></a> takeover that we announced back in September has finally come to pass. The hotel is now known as the <b>DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London- Tower of London</b> (bit of a mouthful, eh?)&#151;and this is just <b>one out of eight Mint hotels across the UK and the Netherlands</b> that DoubleTree plans to re-brand over the coming year. <p>Second up is the <b>Mint Hotel London Westminster</b>, which is now the <b>DoubleTree by Hilton London- Westminster</b>. <p>But things aren't looking so bad! Aside from their newly-extended tongue-twisty names, both hotels will get to hang onto the the design elements ASchechter 2011-12-21T09:57:43-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/10/4/122541/235 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/gvoortbustedview.JPG" class="top"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Gansevoort+Miami+Beach/local/125"><b>The Gansevoort Miami Beach</b></a> underwent some managerial woes nearly <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/2/16/194652/377/hotels/It_s_Official_Gansevoort_Hotel_Group_No_Longer_Managing_Gansevoort_South">two years ago</a> and it looks like the scuffle has started to affect the hotel rooms.<p>A HotelChatter reader sent us this note along with the following photos about the sad state of the rooms, particularly <b>room 536</b>. They write: <blockquote><p>I just got back from the Gansevoort in Miami Beach. After some research, I found your article which may explain why our rooms were in such sad shape. While the public areas of the hotel are beautiful, the room seemed to be one of the forgotten ones. The balcony was pretty shoddy looking (see photos), a handle to the shower controls was constantly falling off. One of juliana 2011-10-04T14:05:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/6/03547/54057 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/Edition_PoolDeck.JPG" class="top"><p> We all had a three-day weekend thanks to the Labor Day holiday but down at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Waikiki+Edition/local/1703"><b>Waikiki Edition</b></a> (or Edition Waikiki or Modern Honolulu, whatever team/side you're on), the employees were still working--both to serve guests and to fight against their new bosses, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/aqua hotels hawaii">Aqua Hotels and Resorts.</a><p>As far as we know, Aqua is still running the hotel as the Modern Honolulu and Marriott is begrudgingly respecting the hotel owners, M Waikiki's recent <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/1/174359/6495/hotels/Here_s_The_Latest_Edition_on_The_Waikiki_Edition_">bankruptcy filing.</a> In the meantime, Marriott plans to sue M Waikiki up the wazoo, or for tens of millions of dollars in damages for breaking the management contract. As for the guests, Marriott is now urging them to call the juliana 2011-09-06T09:20:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/1/174359/6495 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/editionwaikiki_grommits_.jpg" class="top"><p> The takeover and the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/1/3036/23893/hotels/The_Waikiki_is_Now_The_Waikiki_Edition_Once_Again_But_For_How_Long_">takeback</a> of the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Waikiki+Edition/local/1703"><b>Waikiki Edition</b></a>is moving so fast that we're finding it hard to keep up with all the developments especially as we're attending a work conference in Vegas (for realz! and we are actually sober!) So we're sitting here trying to recap all that we can as we get the time. Fortunately, it's only 12:30pm in Hawaii right now so we're not too late! <p>First off<b> BANKRUPTCY!</b> M Waikiki LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today. No doubt they blame Marriott for their financial woes but the filing also prevents Marriott from filing any countersuits against them. Tricky! Marriott, meanwhile, has called the move <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110901-714927.html ">"desperate."</a> As juliana 2011-09-01T19:42:09-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/1/3036/23893 <![CDATA[<p><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/editionwaikikiemployees.JPG" class="top"><p>Some late-breaking news yesterday--a New York judge has ordered M Waikiki LLC, the owners of the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Waikiki+Edition/local/1703"><b>The Waikiki Edition</b></a> who dumped the brand in favor of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/8/29/16395/8770/hotels/The_Edition_Waikiki_Er_Modern_Honolulu_Now_Has_a_New_Website">The Modern Honolulu</a>, to reinstall the Edition team which is owned by <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/marriott hotels">Marriott Hotels.</a> <p>The <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=hotel&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn">Wall Street Journal</a> reports: <blockquote><p>On Wednesday, a New York state judge issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that stated that Marriott should be allowed to return to its management role at the hotel by 2:30 p.m. local time, replacing Aqua Hotels & Resorts, the management company installed by the owners on Sunday, according to a copy of the judge's order.</blockquote></p><p>But despite the ruling, the WSJ said that by late Wednesday juliana 2011-09-01T09:05:01-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/