http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-23T15:42:38Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Virgin%20Hotels 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/2008/6/5/16714/96502 <![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 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/29/61934/9707 <![CDATA[<p><i>We are suckers for a room with a killer view. &nbsp;We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/">HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool</a>, or by <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">sending the photo along to us</a>. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.</i><p><p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Killer_View_Kasbah_Morocco.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Thanks to HotelChatter tipster <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/sr1/">srte</a> for dropping this in our Flickr pool. It's from Richard Branson's <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Kasbah+Tamadot/local/1174"><b>Kasbah Tamadot</b></a> in Morocco, amandak 2008-05-29T08:52:58-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/8/133933/0652 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kasbah_tamadot.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>If you've seen <i>Casablanca</i>, you've dreamt of nights spent at the kasbah, no? Rest assured there are plenty of riad and kasbah accommodations throughout Morocco; some remain empty and some like the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Kasbah+Tamadot/local/1174"><b>Kasbah Tamadot</b></a> have been turned into luxury retreats. <p> <p> At the bidding of his mother, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Richard%20Branson">Sir Richard Branson</a> bought this property as he began a round the world hot-air balloon excursion from Marrakech. He renovated the magical walled-in building and, in 2005, it became the latest addition to his <b>Virgin Limited Edition</b> portfolio. <p>Amidst the fairy-tale setting, you'll find 18 individually designed guest rooms, each one offering some sort of outside space, be it a balcony, terrace or private rooftop area, with magnificent mytwocents 2008-04-08T17:27:37-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/3/26/35828/4327 <![CDATA[<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">Richard Branson</a> pokes his nose into everything and has sticky fingers in every business pie. Now we hear he's got his beady eyes on a skyscraper hotel in <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/city/Manchester"><b>Manchester</b></a>.<p> <p>If the deal comes off, there'll be a shiny <b>Virgin City Hotel</b> sign on a 44-storey skyscraper on Aytoun Street, Piccadilly. The four-star hotel would only take over 23 floors of the building, and the rest would be taken up by whatever brings most profit to the Albany Crown developers - offices and shops mostly.<p> Virgin City Hotel is a baby brand and has not actually yet signed any deals with any hotels anywhere. But if it follows the Virgin style, we can imagine the hotel - femmefatale 2008-03-26T09:15:00-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/