http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-15T12:22:23Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Starwood%20Luxury%20Collection http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/7/24/152858/208 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/slsentrance.jpg" class="top"> <p>Hooray. The <b><A href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+SLS+at+Beverly+Hills/local/1098">SLS at Beverly Hills</a></b> is now 50% off. But, much like the crappy boyfriend who starts being less crappy in teeny increments but still has a long way to go before he is totally non-crappy, this kickback still doesn't put the hotel into the realm of "affordable." <p>The Summer Looks Suite package boasts rates half-off, and the <a href="http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/travel-deals-sls-hotel-for-half-price/">NYT's In Transit</a> blog has the scoop on it: <br>&#183; The Studio Suite, regularly $670 a night, is $335 <br>&#183; The Signature Suite, regularly $750 a night, is $375 <br>&#183; The Lifestyle and Balcony Suite (which includes gym equipment), regularly $770 a night, is $385 <br>&#183; The 1,150-square-foot SLS Suite: regularly $2,500 a night, is $1,250</p></blockquote> Jenna 2009-07-24T15:29:45-05:00 34.0699461 -118.37640 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/5/15/135517/397 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/royalhawaiiannewcarpet.jpg" class="top"> <p>Ah, <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Royal+Hawaiian/ian/141177">Royal Hawaiian</a></b>. We're sorry for giving you <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/19/164245/471/hotels/The_Return_of_Fugly_Hotel_Carpeting">a hard time</a> about that fugly carpet of yours. It's Friday, we're in a good mood (and also we're beginning to suspect that one day we may get karmic retribution from the universe in the form of being placed in charge of a hotel that gets delayed for reasons beyond our control <i>and</i> has irreplaceable fugly carpet), so we will deliver a compliment: this carpet is good. See? There, we said it. We like it. It's tasteful and modern, yet not out of place in the famed "Pink Palace of the Pacific"! <p>Reader K sent over this shot of some Royal Hawaiian carpet: <blockquote><p>I live on Maui Jenna 2009-05-15T13:59:48-05:00 21.2773520 -157.82934 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/3/26/102931/442 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/xcanatun.jpg" class="imgborder"/><p> You may be inclined to feel sorry for the Mexican investor who turned five crumbling haciendas of Mexico's Yucatan region into Starwood Luxury Collection <a href="http://www.haciendasmexico.com/"><b>Hacienda Hotels</b></a>. Upkeep has to be a pain and it costs good money to market them, yet years after opening, they're still empty more often than they're full. We've seen this first hand, but a March 17 <i>Wall Street Journal</i> story summed it up with a round-up piece called <a href="http://www.google.com/notebook/public/11042669567024690051/BDQKXSwoQzLGGuoMi">"A Hacienda of Your Own"</a>. (Scroll down to second story.) Their point? The haciendas look grand, but you'll probably have the whole thing to yourself when you go. (A hint from us: <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Hacienda+Temozon/ian/186098"><b>Temozon</b></a> is usually the liveliest of the five and Tim L. 2007-03-26T12:28:13-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/