HotelChatter - Tag: Odd Hotels

Tulum: In These Tough Economic Times, Mexico Puts Its Money On The Pop-Up Hotel

ASchechter — 2011-12-14T09:00:02-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/PapayaPlaya.jpg" class="top">After learning last week that <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Design%20Hotels%20Collection">Design Hotels</a> had been partially <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/12/6/141158/682/hotels/Eek_Design_Hotels_Now_Partly_Belong_to_Starwood_Hotels">taken over</a> by <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Starwood%20Hotels">Starwood</a>, we worried that the originality and flair of the former might start to be undermined. Starwood's great and allbut running a multi-brand corporation is certainly different than running a small, design-oriented boutique collection like Design Hotels. For now, our worries have been put to rest by some exciting news about a new pop-up hotel being launched by DH this month in Tulum, Mexico. According to <a href="http://itineraries.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/09/9325267-hotel-pops-up-on-caribbean-coast-in-tulum-mexico">MSNBC.com</a>, Papaya Playa is a 99-cabana resort on the Mayan Riviera, and boasts a spa, private suites, and several restaurants. Unlike other flashy resorts along the Caribbean, this spot has an expiration date of May

Frankfurt: Condé Nast Traveler Picks Its Favorite Hotel Bathrooms

ASchechter — 2011-12-08T09:00:01-05:00

A lot of ink gets spilled on this site about hotel bathrooms, and all the different kinds there are to explore. Some are pretty, some are dangerous, and some are downright sexy.

This week, Con Nast Traveler took a minute to examine some of the world's most unique and gorgeous hotel bathrooms. Ever. Sure, a few classics made it onto the list—like the Mandarin Oriental New York and the Hyatt on the Bund—but the above photo caught our eye. It's of the public mens bathroom inside the Goldman 25hours in Frankfurt, Germany. We wonder what gets used to clean these things: a toilet swab, or a toothbrush?

Basra: Would You Stay At A Former Iraq Prison Camp?

ASchechter — 2011-12-05T10:25:10-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/04BASRAsub_articleLarge.jpg" class="top">What does it take to convert a bunch of old US military trailers into a select service hotel? Apparently, just a little indoor plumbing and some catering. That's what's happening over at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/world/middleeast/camp-bucca-in-iraq-once-a-prison-base-now-houses-a-hotel.html?_r=1">Camp Bucca</a> in Iraq, just outside the town of Basra. Among hundreds of other US military bases across Iraq that have been recently abandoned, an Iraqi developer saw the potential to develop this particular site into a hotel. The only drawback? It's a former prison camp. The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/world/middleeast/camp-bucca-in-iraq-once-a-prison-base-now-houses-a-hotel.html?_r=1">NY Times</a> reports that many, if not all, of the recent guests have been oil company executivesand boy, were they shocked when the bus dropped them off in front of an empty, dirt-walled trailer park enclosed by

Brooklyn : In Brooklyn, A Hotel Room Is Cheap When You're A Jehovah's Witness

ASchechter — 2011-11-09T17:38:29-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/WSTM_Zefferus_0086.jpg" class="top">It's a scenario most New Yorkers would only dream of: stumbling upon a historic hotel built in 1909 that's still in good condition, and then learning you can stay there for free. For three nights! <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/nyregion/free-lodging-in-elegance-but-just-for-a-select-group.html?pagewanted=all">The New York Times</a> picked up a story this weekend about the Bossert Hotel, which is allowing certain guests that exact privilege. Unfortunately, the hotel, located near the Brooklyn Bridge, is only targeting Jehovah's Witnesses who have done international missionary work and need a place to stay. D'oh! You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? According to the article, prospective <del>freeloaders</del> guests must submit an application, and, if accepted, be willing to integrate into the Brooklyn Jehovah's Witnesses' communitythe

Hey Look, A New Yotel. For Your Fish.

ASchechter — 2011-11-03T09:00:02-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/61268/umbra_fish_hotel.jpg" class="top">OK, so Christmas is still a long way off (we don't usually get in the spirit until <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/holiday%20cocktails">these</a> start popping up in hotel bars), but in case you wanted to get a head start on your shopping, this one's a winner. You know those times when you look at your fish tank and just think, 'I can do better'? Well, now's your opportunity to make things right: Umbra has designed a modern-looking, compact fish "hotel" and it's selling on Amazon for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0033FGDRS/uncrate-20">$27</a>. Customer reviewsunlike those for certain human hotels <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/10/28/91211/986/hotels/TripAdvisor_Names_The_Top_Ten_Dirtiest_Hotels_Hotel_Owner_Gets_Mad">we've heard about</a> recentlyseem pretty positive, with most people approving the cool mod design and relatively low maintenance. It's practical. It's minimalist. It's easy to clean.