http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-15T01:20:56Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Hotel%20Trend%20Watch http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/7/19/15541/8523 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/mondrianpong.jpg" class="top"><p> The most common gripe about boutique and design hotels is often their <b>"cooler than thou"</b> mentality that seems to waft throughout the hotel--starting with the part-time model/doorman and ending with a denied request for late check-out, along with an $8 charge for that minibar soda.<p>So it was not surprising when hotel guests, HotelChatter included, started to prefer friendlier options like <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/kimpton hotels">Kimpton Hotels</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/jdv hotels">JDV Hotels</a> and boutique brands from bigger chains like <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/andaz hotels">Andaz</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hotel indigo">Hotel Indigo</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hyatt place">Hyatt Place</a> and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/aloft hotels">Aloft</a> and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/element hotels">Element.</a> After all, these places were giving us free WiFi, complimentary wine-tasting hours, free breakfast, fun games in the lobby like Wii and Xbox, juliana 2010-07-22T13:56:10-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/1/19759/1978 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/hotelerwingraffiti.jpg" class="top"><p> <i>Graffiti wall in progress at the Hotel Erwin in Venice, Calif.</i> <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Cooper+Square+Hotel/local/247"><b>The Cooper Square Hotel</b></a>, a giant modern glass building that popped up in the Bowery of NYC, is now trying to fit in with the gritty feel of neighborhood by hiring graffiti artists to paint the wall of an adjacent building. <p>But their "We're cool, we promise" plan has been met with some resistance from the neighbors, who have expressed their <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/25/903/72653/hotels/The_Cooper_Square_War_Rages_On_Now_With_D_Bags">displeasure</a> with the hotel before. <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/hip_hotel_the_place_to_spray_y33b4fBPby7wnv3gW8r3xJ">The NY Post reports</a>: <blockquote><p> In a wacky attempt at earning street cred, the swanky Cooper Square Hotel has commissioned four graffiti "artists" to tag the Fifth Street wall of an adjacent building it recently bought. <p> juliana 2009-11-02T09:07:55-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/9/20/17495/0866 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/slap_bracelets.jpg">Or at least it just seems like that to us as we scroll the hotel news. Some trends are new ones like illegal hotels in NYC and some are old like hotel fitness (seriously, we get it--you can work out when you stay at a hotel.)<p> But here at HotelChatter we are proud to announce that everyday is <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hotel%20trends">hotel trend</a> day.<p> <p>Some hotel trends to think about:<br>&#183; <a href="http://news.google.com/news?q=hotels&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;sa=N&amp;tab=wn">Luxury hotels are mixing in local "flavors"</a> [SF Chronicle]<br>&#183; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/09/19/fit.travel/">More hotels have 24-hour gyms</a> [CNN]<br>&#183; <a href="http://www.wnbc.com/news/14157892/detail.html">Manhattan's illegal hotels "trend" is gaining more steam</a> [WNBC]<br>&#183; <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7001313.stm">Across the pond, hotel fire safety is a big issue</a> [BBC]<br>&#183; <a href="http://www.franchising.com/pressreleases/1826/">China still a hot hotel market as Accor plans 62 juliana 2007-09-20T17:53:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/10/2/171054/512 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/slap_bracelets.jpg">Trends come and go (slap bracelets, anyone?) and the hotel industry is no different. Here are some things that we will be keeping our eyes on this month but with no guarantee we'll be talking about them in November. <p>&#183; <b>Insane Hotel Packages:</b> The Sales/Marketing teams at hotels are coming up with the most outrageous hotel packages to draw you in like mancations or the W Hotels' <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/promotions/promo_landing.html?category=WWOMAN&amp;IM=WH_HP_PRIM_WWOMAN">Chaka Khan package</a> but just remember there's a difference between a hotel package and a hotel deal.<p>&#183; <b>Concierges Under Siege</b>: There's been a bit of news about "fake" concierges at hotels that actually work for third party booking sites like Expedia. So what are the real concierges doing for hotel juliana 2006-10-02T17:10:54-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/9/7/111256/3895 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/hotel_phone.jpg">There's a new annoying hotel trend on the horizon. <a href="http://www.budgettravelonline.com">Budget Travel</a> talked about newest type of in-room advertising in their latest email newsletter filed under Pet Peeves. <p> For the most part, in-room advertising is not that new. Hotel have been encouraging you to hit up the hotel restaurant, spa, bars, fitness centers and whatever else the hotel may have on site for quite some time.<p>We see this all the time in Las Vegas. Our last experience at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Venetian/local/38"><b>Venetian</b></a> was during the marketing/advertising promo for the Phantom of the Opera. The music played in the elevators which we plastered with ads. Your key card was an ad for the show. There was a reminder on juliana 2006-09-07T11:12:56-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/