http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2008-11-22T15:45:59Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/sam%20chang http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/17/163520/175 <![CDATA[<p><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/theplaza_charles.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>The three most important words in real estate: location, location, location. And with people from around the world rushing to visit <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotels/city/us/NY/New%20York"><b>New York</b></a>, the Big Apple's hotel industry is sitting quite pretty. <p> From Grand Central Terminal to the Lincoln Center, Times Square to the Financial District, supply cannot meet the demand. Here in the city that never sleeps, even more hotels are being planned and are under construction. City figures early last year showed that 50 hotel developments were in planning stages all over the city, with more than 8,000 rooms in various states of construction.<p> Of course, whether they'll actually open is another story, say some of the experts who spoke to the <a href="http://www.nysun.com/real-estate/hospitality-industry-weathers-real-estate-storm/"><i>New mytwocents 2008-04-18T11:38:58-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/2/18/13045/5372 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/gkaufman.jpg" class="imgborder">If you haven't already heard, Manhattan is going hotel crazy. The Big Apple is going to add a much-needed <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/12/12/03554/256/hotels/2008_New_York_City_Hotel_Openings_Preview">20,000 rooms by 2010</a> but those rooms aren't going to be found in the next Andre Balazs or Ian Schrager hotel.<p>Nope the big box chains are doing most of the adding here and they all have the same man doing their designs: architect <b>Gene Kaufman.</b><p>In a profile with the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/realestate/commercial/17sqft.html?em&amp;ex=1203483600&amp;en=9793f3f9150d1f17&amp;ei=5087%0A">NY Times</a>, Kaufman points out his renderings for Sheraton, DoubleTree and a Marriott. In all, he is designing <b>36 new hotels in Manhattan.</b>. To put in perspective:<blockquote><p>On one block near Times Square -- 39th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues -- Mr. Kaufman, 50, has five hotels juliana 2008-02-18T13:35:08-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/9/5/161555/4694 <![CDATA[<p><p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/q_n_a.jpg">Today we got a comment from an upset <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/homeowner">homeowner</a> who is pretty pissed off with <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Sam%20Chang"><b>Sam Chang's</b></a> latest development plan. <p>Said homeowner writes:<blockquote><p>Homeowner's in East Elmhurst, Chang's plan to put a hotel in the middle of our block. We are outraged! He has destroyed a dozen of trees, two homes, yards. We will put up a fight to save our homes that will be worth zero along with our quality of life. How will we protect our castles?</blockquote></p><p>First, we had to take a second and locate East Elmhurst on a map. After finding it in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Elmhurst,_Queens">Queens</a>, we wondered why the heck Sam Chang would put up a hotel in Queens. But then again, this man juliana 2007-09-05T16:27:12-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/12/7/105126/865 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/loft_duane_hotel.png"><p><br> The Loft Hotel Tribeca, which was scheduled to open back in April 2006, and is now scheduled to open in December 2006 as the Duane Street Hotel, according to what seems to be <a href="http://www.lofthotelny.com/">the official hotel website</a> (and verified by a pre-recorded message at the pre-sales office) could be opening soon. At the very least we see the original renderings back on the official website. &nbsp;We did some further investigation after our original tipster, who <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/12/4/17020/8387/hotels/HotelChatter_Tipster_Loft_Hotel_Tribeca_Sleeps_With_The_Fishes">we quoted earlier this week</a> when we received an email where the header read LOFT HOTEL TRIBECA asked us to correct the tip.<p> <blockquote><p> Please correct your header - the information that was sent to you (below underlined) is regarding another markj 2006-12-07T10:57:44-05:00 40.715879 -74.007477 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/12/4/17020/8387 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/duane_street.jpg"><p><br> We just got an email tip about the ever changing status of Loft Hotel Tribeca.<p> If you are following along, Loft is/was Sam Chang's Tribeca hotel project that was suppose to open back in April of 2006, promising would be guests "to have a unique refuge of timeless comfort, service with unrivaled care, and courtesy that is not found elsewhere." Here we are in December, still waiting for timeless comfort in Tribeca.<p> The latest:<p> <blockquote><p> Sam Chang has sold the building to Robert Winston of Winston Hotels who is leasing it to Hilton Garden Inn to operate.<p> There have been many delays with the construction schedule, the hotel is now due to open Spring 07.<p> Meanwhile about 90% markj 2006-12-04T17:04:04-05:00 40.715879 -74.007477 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/