It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.

We already gave Public Chicago an award for Best Hotel Opening this year but when we combed through all the new services that hotels introduced this year--like cookies and lullaby, BMW bikes at Fairmont Hotels or the OCD coin-washing at the Westin St. Francis--we couldn't stop thinking about the "game-changing" room service option, called Public Express.]]> HotelChatter 2011-12-30T13:35:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/12/16/132539/06 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/15minroomservice.jpg" class="top"><p> A while back we expressed our love for <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/14/101214/788/hotels/Public_Express_at_Public_Chicago_is_a_Room_Service_Game_Changer">Public Express</a>, the new room service concept that <a href="Http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/ian schrager">Ian Schrager</a> unveiled for his <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/public hotels"><b>Public Hotels</b></a> brand.<p>With Public Express, you don't have to wait 45 minutes for your order to arrive and there's no hemming and hawing over how much extra gratuity to leave on the bill. Instead, you can choose from several different meal options and they all arrive within 10 minutes or less at your door, no signing a check needed.<p>Thanks to this speedy room service offering, it's one of the reasons why we called the Public Chicago a "game-changer" and now there's some more proof that the game has indeed been changed---<a juliana 2011-12-19T17:50:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/11/10/125724/79 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/ranchobernardospa1.JPG" class="top"><p> When we last left off with the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rancho+Bernardo+Inn+San+Diego+-+A+Golf+and+Spa+Resort/local/2659"><b>Rancho Bernardo Inn and Spa</b></a>, we told you that we got out of the room (<a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/11/2/164142/044/hotels/The_Rancho_Bernardo_Inn_Wants_You_To_Get_Out_of_Their_Room_">like they wanted</a>) and headed down to the spa for a little R&R. <p>The Rancho Bernardo Inn (RBI as it's known to the local folks) is a sprawling resort where the lobby, reception, the Bizcocho restaurant and the Granada cafe are housed in one Spanish rancho-style building while the guestrooms are divided amongst several others. The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn, however, is set up a little differently. <p>Seated near the bottom of a hill below the guestrooms and overlooking the golf course, the spa entrance is housed in a casita overlooking the juliana 2011-11-22T15:05:03-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/11/15/182518/67 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/goldentowerturndown.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>Chocolates at turndown are all well and good. <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/8/5/71956/32694/hotels/The_Free_Port_At_The_River_Inn_Will_Get_You_Rolling_On_The_Mississippi_River">Port, even better</a>. But, if we lay aside our greedy tendencies for a moment, we&#146;d say that this sincere wish for us to have a good sleep is probably better than both of them. <p>We found this on our pillow at bedtime during our stay at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Golden+Tower+Hotel/ian/324318"><b>Golden Tower Hotel</b></a> in Florence: a copy of the Brahms Lullaby, which sounds like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t894eGoymio">this</a> and reads like this: <blockquote><p>Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight <br>With lilies bedecked is baby's wee bed, <br>Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed <br>Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed <p>Lullaby and good night, juliab 2011-11-16T12:55:02-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/