Cornell University's renowned School of Hotel Administration (full disclosure: this HC-er's alma mater, where she learned everything she knows about hotels that the Internet couldn't teach her) has just announced a partnership between its Center for Hospitality Research and Thompson Hotels.

Thompson's co-owner, Stephen Brandman, will now sit on the research center's advisory board, contributing his insights and hopefully sharing the secrets to the "sophisticated but personal approach to service" Thompson is known for.

Turning the Cornell Hotel School into a breeding ground for baby Jason P's, perhaps? Maybe... ]]> Jenna 2008-11-10T09:00:10-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/28/113347/665 That's right. Thompson Hotels, having finished with their monopoly on New York, is expanding overseas to Seoul, Korea.

We have to say, this destination is shocking. We thought for sure a London property was in the works. Yet today a press release was making the rounds of the interweb that Jason Pomeranc and co. are heading off to Seoul.]]> juliana 2008-08-28T12:11:23-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/10/173754/561 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/hootersnothomp.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>A travel blog called <a href="http://www.agoldpalace.com/update-hooters-deflating.html">Travel Blog</a> is reporting that <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/thompson%20hotels">Jason Pomeranc and co.</a> was involved in the group that was set to buy <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hooters+Casino+Hotel/local/37"><b>Hooters Casino Hotel</b></a>. As we reported <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/10/9453/18183/hotels/Hooters_Hotel_and_Casino_Lives_Another_Day">this morning</a>, that group failed to make a payment by June 6 and the entire deal went through. <p>However, we got a call from <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/stephen%20brandman">Stephen Brandman</a>, a Thompson Hotels co-owner who adamantly insisted that Thompson Hotels and Jason Pomeranc were not involved at anytime with this project. Brandman counters:<blockquote><p><b> We haven't looked at it. We haven't walked by it. We have nothing to do with that project.</b></blockquote></p><p>Of course, that isn't to say that Thompson isn't looking to expand in Vegas anymore. The interest is juliana 2008-06-10T17:51:59-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/9/102510/1765 In continuing our Hotel WiFi Week here at HotelChatter we decided to ask some of the hotel groups that made our Best Hotel WiFi list just why they have decided to offer complimentary internet for their guests.

Thus we spoke with the chief operating officers at the Gansevoort Hotel Group, Thompson Hotels and Kimpton Hotels as well as with the hotelier behind Personality Hotels.

Keep on reading to see what they have to say about the WiFi offerings in their hotels. ]]> juliana 2008-05-09T13:51:32-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/2/17/234549/958 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Thompson_Toronto.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Listen up, Canadians: Thompson Hotels co-owner Stephen Brandman says "We think of Toronto as a great extension of cities where we already have hotels, in New York and Los Angeles."<p> Sure, we might be taking him a little bit out of context, but that's what the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Thompson+Hotel+Toronto/local/877"><b>Thompson Hotel Toronto</b></a> really is: a test case for expanding the brand outside of the US.</p><p>Due to open in the summer of 2009, the Canadian expansion of the Thompson brand will be a 102-room hotel paired with a 340-unit residential project, all with some fairly spectacular features. A few of these include:</p><blockquote><p>floor-to-ceiling windows, 42-inch plasma TVs, private 40-seat screening rooms ... an outdoor skating rink with an ice-side lounge, and amandak 2008-02-18T09:40:01-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/