http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-24T01:16:54Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/marriott%20hotels http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/20/94614/108 <![CDATA[<p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/fireandsageresto.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>In recent years, Washington DC's downtown has transformed into a destination you might actually want to hang out. Or at the very least, those safe-clean-friendly claims being made about it a few years ago are now much closer to being true! Think haute restaurants, quality theatre and galleries, and much, much more foot traffic. (There's even a trendier name for the 'hood: Penn Quarter.)</p> <p>For Marriott's part, they've responded to the neighborhood's spiffier image with an $11 million renovation at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Marriott+At+Metro+Center/ian/107184"><strong>Washington Marriott at Metro Center</strong></a>, just in time to celebrate the hotel's 15-year anniversary. The 459-room hotel recently unveiled its new contemporary look and feel, which includes 32-inch plasma screen TVs, tech-friendly plug-in panels, KatieK 2009-11-20T12:09:30-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/17/9310/5985 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/ritzmarinadelrey.jpg" class="top"><p> Back in <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/26/21443/5697/hotels/Is_Marriott_Taking_Out_a_Hit_On_The_Ritz_Carlton_">August</a>, we had heard whispers that <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/marriott hotels"><b>Marriott Hotels</b></a> would be changing things up with its <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Ritz-Carlton%20Hotels">Ritz-Carlton Hotels</a>. The rumors were that Marriott would be making Ritz more Marriott-y by handing over some of the operations to Marriott corporate folks. <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/26/21443/5697/hotels/Is_Marriott_Taking_Out_a_Hit_On_The_Ritz_Carlton_#1">A commenter</a> lamented the change saying:<blockquote><p>It is at General Manager level in Ritz Carlton that is causing the biggest effect. Marriott GM's are coming onboard and don't have the passion or understanding that "Old School" Ritz Carlton GM's have. The 15 year Ritz Carlton Veteran becoming a GM is a thing of the past.</blockquote></p><p>And then that was pretty much we heard about all of that. Until <a href="http://www.travelweekly.com/hotels/article3_ektid206404.aspx">Travel Weekly's</a> article about juliana 2009-11-17T17:32:23-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/12/10958/001 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/autographbook.jpg" class="top"><p> The news is official: <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/marriott hotels"><b>Marriott Hotels</b></a> has unveiled a new brand, <b>The Autograph Collection</b>. <p>As we mentioned the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/10/84421/502/hotels/Could_You_Soon_Be_Sleeping_in_a_Marriott_Hotel_And_Not_Know_It_">other day</a>, this new collection will consist of independent hotels that will retain their individuality but have access to the Marriott reservations systems and guests can use and earn Marriott rewards points here. <p> Here's the official statement from Marriott's VP of brand management, Don Semmler. <blockquote><p> <p>"The Autograph Collection will take the innovative approach of grouping these iconic hotels according to the unique experience that guests are seeking whether it's a resort, historic hotel, boutique arts, or urban edge hotel in a dynamic gateway city. Each hotel will be highly unique and distinct with its juliana 2009-11-12T12:16:48-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/10/84421/502 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/RPM_Bed.jpg" class="top"><p><i>This is a Marriott Hotel bed but will your next hotel bed be so forthcoming? </i><p>It's not hard to ever miss the presence of the all-mighty <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/marriott hotels"><b>Marriott Hotels</b></a> during your hotel stays. For one thing, chances are the Marriott name is a part of the hotel name. Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott and etc.<p> Secondly, whenever you booked your hotel stay you probably had to go to Marriott.com where if you didn't know before, then you certainly know now that Renaissance Hotels are part of Marriott as are Fairfield Inn and Suites, Townplace Suites and SpringHill Suites. The only one that kind of trips people up is Ritz-Carlton. But yes, that's a Marriott hotel juliana 2009-11-10T14:02:33-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/6/10233/7063 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/17697/Champions_Bar_Blue.jpg" class="top"></p> <p>Hey, Red Sox fanatics: Looks like you might have a new favorite game day destination in Beantown (Fenway Park notwithstanding, obviously). As part of the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Marriott+-+Boston+%28Copley+Place%29/ian/106307"><strong>Boston Marriott Copley Place&#146;s</strong></a> $22-million, year-long renovations, the hotel has a new restaurant, Champions, that boasts &#147;one of the largest HD projection screens in New England,&#148; or so they claim.</p> <p>Champions&#146; 12-by-24-foot screen seems poised to become one of the hottest places to watch the Sox, if you ask us. Especially since the resto also has more than 40 flat-panel TVs, a high-tech sound system, and 36 beers on tap.</p> <p>But enough about Champions &#151; that $22 million didn&#146;t all go the jumbo screen. Copley Place also features a completely renovated KatieK 2009-11-06T11:43:20-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/