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Tags: Snapshot / W South Beach / Miami Hotel Mambo / → All Tags

First Look at W South Beach's Rooms

Where: 2201 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

Our tipsters are awesome. A big, huge, incredibly grateful hug goes out to the anonymous reader who sent in these snaps of his digs at the W South Beach, which we assume to be a suite based on the separate bedroom we're seein' here.

The place officially has three guest reviews posted on TripAdvisor, and by the looks of things, the building itself seems to be ready to go — but folks are saying the service still leaves a bit to be desired ("service is very uneven," said one guest who had some issues at the front desk during check-in).

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Tags: Insane Hotel Packages / Miami Hotel Mambo / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags

The Setai Once Again Opens Up Its Recording Studio for 'Idol' Wannabes

Where: 2001 Collins Avenue [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

So you wanna be a rock star? Just think, a few hours in The Recording Studio at >The Setai, and you too, could rocket to super rock stardom just like Mark Wahlburg (as Chris “Izzy” Cole) did with the heavy metal rock group, Steel Dragon, in the 2001 flick, Rock Star.

The slick 2,500 square foot, two-floor penthouse recording studio is the brainchild of sexy muscled, tattooed and pierced rocker Lenny Kravitz and his Kravitz Design studio. The decor fits in with The Setai's soothing Asian look (a far cry from college garage band, as well as the latest and greatest music geek gear for both analog and digital recording. And you (provided you got the dough) can have a chance to record here.

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Tags: Miami Hotel Mambo / Hotel Restaurants / Gansevoort Hotels / W Hotels / → All Tags

The Gansevoort and W South Beach Already Engaged in a 'Chow-Down'

The W South Beach has finally opened and we've been expecting a war to break out with the Gansevoort Hotel any minute now. But while all is quiet on the guest front now, there is a bit of a legal fight brewing between the Gansevoort's Philippe Chow restaurant and the expected Mr. Chow restaurant which will open at the W South Beach in August.

We're calling it the "Chow-Down." (Sounds a little better than "Chow-Off", dontcha think?)

The NY Post reports:

Michael Chow, the original Mr. Chow, has been furious with Chak Yam Chau ever since the former "food chopper" for Michael resigned in 2005, changed his name to Philippe Chow and opened restaurants in New York, according to a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed yesterday in a Florida federal court. The final straw came in 2008, Michael says, when Philippe opened a Miami outpost 100 yards from a long-planned location Mr. Chow will open next month.

The new Chow says that claims that no one could confuse the two brands while the original Chow says that Chak Yam Chau claimed he was an executive chef when in fact he never had anything to do with the Mr. Chow restaurant menus. Now Mr. Chow wants some money for Philippe Chow ripping off his name. Dee-rramma!

Whoever wins, all this makes us think is that Miami Beach is going to be the place to visit for all-star Chinese cuisine from celeb chefs. Rates at the W South Beach are hovering at $350 a night while the Gansevoort South start at $295 for this weekend.

Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Pools / W South Beach / Miami Hotel Mambo / → All Tags

First Look at the W South Beach Pool

Where: 2201 Collins Avenue [map], Miami, FL, United States, 33139

Although we haven't been able to get our pale and pasty butts down to Miami just yet to check out the W South Beach for ourselves (it's open! Really! Seriously! Rejoice!), a very generous tipster shot a couple of pics of the pool area for us and sent 'em our way.

We don't have much to say here, since we cannot accurately get a reading on the pool scene without a shot of the hardbodies and fake boobies and the women who will undoubtedly be stomping around poolside in high heels and lots of jewelry (why do people do that?), but we suspect it will be bumpin' and colorful and, you know, W-pool-ness merged with what a typical swanky South Beach-y pool scene might be.

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Tags: Hotel Openings / Waldorf Astoria Collection / Hilton Hotels / Hotel Giveaways / → All Tags

Hilton's Massive Bonnet Creek Development Set to Open Oct. 1

Where: 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane [map], Orlando, FL, United States, 32821

When the Waldorf Astoria Collection became just that — a collection of hotels, not merely one storied entity in Manhattan — Hilton tacked the brand onto a few already-standing properties that warranted an extra push of posh.

But scheduled for Oct. 1, the “first-ever newly built Waldorf Astoria outside of New York,” the 497-room Waldorf Astoria Orlando, will open for business alongside the new 1,000-room Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. Together the development is being described as Hilton’s largest project in history.

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Tags: Miami Hotel Mambo / Hotel Uniforms / Bellmen / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

The Betsy's Bellmen Wear Bushmen Duds

Where: 1440 Ocean Drive [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

In a city known for its Art Deco trappings, the new look of The Betsy Hotel is more of an interior design mash-up. It may have been designed by Deco granddaddy L. Murray Dixon, but the “Florida Georgian façade” and airy interiors are more colonial plantation than clean modern lines. And, wait, there’s more!

First, you’re greeted by friendly bellman wearing safari green shirts, shorts and bushman hats, then you enter the polished, palm-tree dotted lobby and slick BLT Steak restaurant. Photos of Bono, Sting and co. from the Rockarchive line the hallways, alongside architectural images by Richard Bluestein, and reportage from Bobby Sager. Finally, the cool, white rooms with pastel accents return you to a plantation frame of mind—if, say, Ralph Lauren was the plantation owner.

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Epic Hotel's 'Virtual Nightstand' Does Not Seem Particularly Epic

Where: 270 Biscayne Boulevard Way [map], Miami, FL, United States, 33131

Huh. Yeah. So we got excited about Amazon Kindles at the Algonquin. And yes, we even got excited enough to put down our poolside go-to literature (Us Weekly, let's be real with each other here) when we heard about the sunshine-friendly Sony Readers offered by the Gansevoort. But for some reason we're not quite as excited about the "EPIC Page-Turner" program that's being heavily touted by Miami's new (and highly-praised!) Epic Hotel and Residences.

Here's the deal: the hotel offers up Sony Digital Readers "on a complimentary basis to Club Level guests and those spending their day lounging at the hotel’s 16th floor pool deck." Which is cool — and the readers are loaded with one complimentary book only. You are allowed to request other titles to read during your stay for the cost of the eBook — "plus a nominal download fee that EPIC will donate to the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe." Which is nice. We can't hate on charity.

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Tags: W South Beach / Hotel Openings / Trip Advisor / Refereeing Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

W South Beach Gets Its First Review

Where: 2201 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

We're sick of seeing renderings of the W South Beach. Got a real snapshot of the new hotel? Send it to us.

As we'd been highly (highly) anticipating for a very long time now, W South Beach is now open. Glorious! And after its inaugural weekend, the place has gotten its very first review on TripAdvisor. Even more glorious.

Not so glorious: it's not very good.

Okay, yes, so it's the very first review on TripAdvisor — we understand that one person's experience does not necessarily represent the quality and performance of a brand new hotel (nor is the quality and performance of a brand new hotel necessarily representative of how the hotel's going to operate later on), but it's worth taking a look at only because it's the very first review.

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Tags: Hotel Openings / W Hotels / W South Beach / Hotel Delays / → All Tags

W South Beach Is Open!

Where: 2201 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

The day has come: W South Beach is open. Yes, open. It is July 2nd, 2009 and, presumably, there will be heads on brand new W SoBe pillows this evening. Surreal, isn't it? Consider it your very special Fourth of July holiday present. Or consider it a sweet, sweet miracle.

As we've already noted, this weekend appears to be sold out — but if you're really jonesin' to get in there, you can get a room on Sunday night (there appear to be some available) — and rooms are actually down below the $300 mark; you're looking at $295 (before taxes) for a king.

But don't go booking a bikini wax, a massage and a romantic meal just yet: the on-site Bliss Spa isn't opening until December 15, and Mr. Chow isn't supposed to open until August 15.

Are you inside the W South Beach this weekend? Send us pics and tell us what the scene is like!

Tags: Stalking W SoBe / W South Beach / Miami Hotel Mambo / → All Tags

The Making of W South Beach: A Dramatic Play in Too Many Acts

Where: 2201 Collins Avenue [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

Next week is the glorious, magical week: W South Beach is opening. On this, the almost-eve of the property's birth, we felt it was appropriate to take a look back at our favorite and least favorite moments of the dramatic saga that has led up to those doors opening.

Sort of like Seinfeld and Friends did when the series' ended, come with us on this series-finale-esque montage.

HotelChatter presents: W SoBe, a Dramatic Play in Too Many Acts.

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Tags: Regent Hotels / Miami Hotel Mambo / Hotel News / → All Tags

Here We Go Again: The Regent Bal Harbour Is No Longer a Regent Hotel

The Regent Hotels has a problem picking and sticking with hotels. Today, tipsters sent us word that the hotel management company has effectively stopped managing the The Regent Bal Harbour in Florida. The hotel will now be known as The Bal Harbour Hotel.

The Regent brand dismissal is actually due to the bankruptcy of the hotel's owner, WCI Communities. Regent Hotels has put forth this statement:

Regent Hotels & Resorts is proud of its tenure managing The Regent Bal Harbour since its opening, having achieved strong positioning in the South Florida luxury hotel market. For example, the hotel was ranked by Travel + Leisure magazine among "15 hotels to watch" in the most recent "World's Best" issue. The brand is continuing to expand globally, including the opening of eight new hotels over the next three years in locations that span the world, from Puerto Rico to the Maldives.

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Tags: Stalking W SoBe / Hotel Opening Rates / W South Beach / Miami Hotel Mambo / → All Tags

Florida Residents Get 20% Off Rooms at W South Beach

Where: 2201 Collins Av [map], Miami, FL, United States, 33139

So, as we continue to stalk the W South Beach this week (leading up to the hotel's still-supposedly-happenin' July 2nd opening date), we're going to go ahead and ask if anyone down in Florida is up for goin' and checking it out for us since we can't make it down there ourselves — cause they get 20% off the best available rate at the hotel. Just saying.

We were cruising the special offers section of the hotel's website where we found not only a package that involves a bar crawl through the hotel's various drinking establishments (it's called the "Heat of Haute" package, should you be interested), but also a Florida Resident Rate that knocks 20% off your room's price.

We managed to snag a room for 265.68 (well, that is, if we would be able to present a valid state ID at check-in) and the promo runs for rezzies booked by December 31, 2009 for stays through June 30, 2010.

What else is goin' on with W SoBe? Send us some dirt.