http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-09T03:29:50Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Richard%20Branson http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/12/123623/197 <![CDATA[<p><embed src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1321361467" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=11873803001&playerId=1321361467&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="400" height="300" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed> <p> Someone over @ <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/tag/Virgin%20America">Virgin America</a> knew what they were doing when they booked Boston's Liberty Hotel for Richard Branson's BOS route opening soiree last night. <p> Ok, ok, the old jail building's gorgeous atrium lobby is not exactly conducive to stellar ways of egress for the legendarily large posse Sir Richard tends to bring to a party, however, the historic Charles Street Jail turned <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Liberty+Hotel/local/794"><b>Liberty Hotel</b></a> possesses some of the coolest mixing of new and old that we have seen, and we have been around the hotel block. <p> <b>Room:</b> 1301<br> <b>Type:</b> 16-story Tower Suite<br> <b>Square Footage:</b> ~750 square feet<br> <b>Best Feature:</b> 240 degree Panoramic markj 2009-02-12T14:46:04-05:00 42.3619680 -71.070175 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/11/17850/1456 <![CDATA[<p><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/bob_marley_resort.jpg" class="top"><p><i>There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.</i><p><p>&#183; <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/bob-marley/42703"><b>More Bob Marley Hotels?</b></a>: Bob Marley's eldest daughter, Cedella, says her family is considering franchising the Bob Marley name to include beer, clothes and hotels. There's already a <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Bob%20Marley%20Hotel">Bob Marley Hotel</a> in Jamaica. [NME]<p>&#183; <a href="http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/02/octuplet-mom-living-in-hotel-are-taxpayers-paying.php"><b>Octomom's Hotel Stay</b></a>: The controversial woman who gave birth to octuplets after getting in-vitro, although she already had six children, has apparently been staying in a hotel for the past week. Let's hope California taxpayers aren't footing the bill. [Radar]<p>&#183; <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=14&articleId=9127679&intsrc=hm_topic"><b>Hotels.com Lays Off juliana 2009-02-11T17:08:50-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/10/21/0488/4780 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Noosa_River.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>There's some accommodation opening up in Queensland that most of us won't be able to visit--unless you're one of the 35,000 employees of Richard Branson's Virgin mega-empire. <p>After buying <b>Makepeace Island</b> about five years back, Branson and his co-owners have been lovingly getting it fixed up as a place for Virgin employees and their families and friends to vacation. They call it an "eco-tourism retreat" and the three villas will apparently house about 20 guests. There's a swimming pool and tennis court and it sounds like no expense was spared to make everything look good.<p>Makepeace Island, which is in the middle of the Noosa River, is nearly ready for visitors, according to recent reports, and we're wondering amandak 2008-10-21T09:15:48-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/7/2/121051/4971 <![CDATA[<p><p><img src="http://www.jaunted.com/files/3/richard_branson_jfk.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/richard%20branson"><b>Richar Branson</b></a> billionaire mogul/hotelier has managed to take time away from his busy space-travel planning schedule to outline a plan for an eco-resort on <b>Mosquito Island</b> in the British Virgin Islands (of course.) <a href="http://www.hdmag.com/hospitalitydesign/content_display/industry-news/e3iccb6491f194a7ce96036b6998a8fecaf">The AP</a> reports: <blockquote><p>The plan calls for 20 villas and a beachfront restaurant. The resort would be powered by wind turbines and solar panels, while captured thermal flows would cool the buildings. Guests would eat food from an organic orchard, and they would have access to beach buggies that run on biofuels.<br> </blockquote></p><p>Branson's eco-friendly plans are being reviewed by the government but the word is they "seem to like" his ideas. More on the eco-resort can be found <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-07-01-branson-mosquito-island_N.htm">here.</a><p>Branson is in the juliana 2008-07-02T12:21:28-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/5/16714/96502 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.jaunted.com/files/4912/virgin_atlantic_feel.jpg" class="imgborder"><br> <p>Last week, we wondered <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/28/171322/476/travel/What+is+Virgin+Atlantic+Introducing+on+June+12%3F">on Jaunted</a> what <b>Virgin Atlantic</b> was announcing via an email to loyalty club members. We thought it might be something like in-flight massage chairs, but according to <i>Marketing Week</i> it's probably three new <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Virgin%20Hotels"><b>Virgin Hotels</b></a> that we first heard of back in <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/3/26/35828/4327/hotels/Richard_Branson_Not_Satisifed_with_Dominating_Airspace_Wants_to_Open_Virgin_City_Hotels_">March.</a> <p>Bossman <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Richard%20Branson"><b>Richard Branson</b></a>, who already has a few luxe hotels under his belt, says the product will be sorta like Starwood's W Hotels:<blockquote><p>Urban, townhouse-style properties, half way between a hotel and a private club.</blockquote></p><p>Apparently other brands have approached his company for ideas, but Branson is ready to just start up some new hotels himself. Rumor has it that the first three properties will be in New pbb 2008-06-05T16:15:12-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/