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Only at The Omni Dallas Can You Get a Pimped Out Bicycle As Seen on 'Shark Tank'
Where there's a reality show, there's bound to be a hotel connection. And that's just what we found while catching up on some old episodes of "Shark Tank" this past weekend.
Villy Customs is a high-fashion bicycle designer that lets you customize your ride from the seat to the wheels right down to the bell that you put on the handles.
While Villy Customs is mainly an online business (and a pricey one too with full bikes costing about $500+) we did some research and saw that they have a partnership with Omni Hotels. As it turns out, you can buy a piece of Villy at the Omni Dallas at the hotel's expansive Collections store.
This hotel gift shop puts all other gift shops to shame with products from well-known Dallas retailers ranging from scented candles by fragrance designer Niven Morgan; vintage-style jewelry from local designer Andrea Barnett; J-Dig greeting cards and Texas chocolates and everyday sweets from Oak Lawn Dallas-Based Chocolate Secrets. But there's even more.
Like 6,500 individual pieces of art from Dallas-area artists which can be purchased in the store directly from the artist through an interactive art station. Since there's so much to see here, it also makes sense that Omni's signature coffee bar is located within Collections as well.
Music Hotels / Hotel Music / Texas Hotels / Odd Hotels / Getaways / Hotel Events / Hotel Bathrooms / → All Tags
Musicians Can Get Kozy In A Trailer In West Texas This Month
Built on a 17 acre tract of land outside of Marfa, TX, El Cosmico is more than just a hotel—teepees, yurts, and campsites are all available for guests to stay in. But on the hotel side of things, the site offers five funky restored vintage trailers, each named Vagabond, Branstrator, Royal Mansion, Imperial Mansion, and Kozy Coach (pictured above).
We think the spot is pretty much ideal for the kind of low-key, long weekend, artsy getaway we love, but later this month, the hotel/campground is hosting a "songwriter's retreat" that should prove irresistible to music-makers and -lovers alike.
Titled "Music Is A Family," (May 17-20), the retreat will offer musicians the chance to hone their songwriting skills, while enjoying a whole weekend of guitar-strumming in the desert and impromptu campfire jam sessions. Si, señor!
Twitpic of the Week / Twitter / Star Wars Hotels / Austin Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / Hotel Lobbies / Hotel Snapshot / → All Tags
A Hotel Stay Is Never Boring When Jedis Fight In The Lobby
In the ever-expanding universe of Twitter, there is one particular trend @HotelChatter happens to quite enjoy: candid hotel photos. These pics range from stunning views to anti-views to celebrity tomfoolery and everything in between. And we can't get enough of 'em! Every Monday, we commemorate our favorite "Twitpic of the Week." Got a favorite of your own? Want to show off your sweet suite? Send it in!
We don't know exactly what might have prompted this awesome public display of nerd-dom (Star Wars convention? Flashmob? Family reunion?), but we are so very glad @k4ng took the time to capture these saber-wielding Jedis in the lobby of the Renaissance Austin. And what better place: with all the rooms looking down onto the lobby, pretty much every guest had front row seats to the show!
On our last visit to Austin, most of the hotels were full up with SXSW musicians, filmmakers, attendees and media types. But clearly, the real magic happens about a month later...
Hotel Woes / Hotels with Revolving Restaurants / Hyatt Hotels / Houston Hotels / Texas Hotels / Killer View / Hotel Restaurants / OpenThread / → All Tags
When Bad Revolving Floors Happen To Good People
Or is it the other way around...?
We didn't think it was possible to have a bad time at a revolving restaurant on top of a hotel, but one family in Katy, TX has found a way. Back In October, reports The Houston Chronicle, while dining at Spindeltop atop the Hyatt Regency Houston with her parents, a four-year-old girl got her foot stuck in the gap between the slowly-rotating floor and the window. A few panic-stricken moments ensued as they struggled to free her, but luckily the girl came away with her foot intact, and only a few lacerations. Scary!
The bad news? The family is now suing Hyatt for the incident, claiming the gap didn't have any warning signs, and that the hotel handled the situation badly.
Well, gee.
Video / Hotel Snapshots / Hotel Elevators / Killer View / Austin Hotels / Omni Hotels / → All Tags
Ooh-ing and Aah-ing From The Glass Elevators At Omni Austin
You don't really want to look down when you're plunging nineteen stories in a glass elevator. But of course, you do look down. Because the view is awesome. Here's a quick snapshot we took from inside the elevator at Omni Austin, which, we admit, we rode like a five-year-old on a Ferris wheel over and over again.
Interestingly, the hotel is housed under the same roof as an office tower. So when you look down on the lobby from above, you can also look directly across and into the windows of the neighboring offices. Whose occupants didn't look nearly as amused to be inside their glass cages as we were to be inside ours. Then again, theirs weren't motorized.
Hotel News / Austin Hotels / Texas Hotels / Motels / Vintage Hotels / → All Tags
Old-School Roadside Motor Court Hotels Will Soon Be Popping Up All Over Southeastern USA
Nevermind the untold legions of Best Westerns, La Quinta Inns and Econolodges that dot highways all around the country. A Texas-based hotel company is attempting to bring back the classic American motor court with a new brand of "ranch tech" properties that are modeled on the old roadside motels from the 1950s.
Which technically went out of style in the 60s during Eisenhower's Federal Aid Highway Act. But hey, that was fifty years ago, and who's to say Americans still can't be thrilled by a cool motel concept? The first of these, named the Lone Star Court, will open in Austin in 2013, and, appropriately, will feature live music, a fire pit, and a dipping pool.
Room Trashing / Rock Star Hotels / Austin Hotels / Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags
SXSW Hotels Might Want To Keep An Eye Out For This Rapper
Ah, hotel room trashing. Sure, it's a bit of a cliche, but clearly it hasn't gotten any less cool for musicians and celebrities who have a little extra energy—and cash—to burn.
Last year, Complex magazine ran a video of young Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller offering his "guide to hotel living." And as you can probably imagine, he isn't the most attentive of guests (think loose cigarette butts, alcohol spills, food fights, and plenty of other, weirder messes).
Right now, we're down in Austin checking out the bands for SXSW. And we couldn't help smiling a little when we spotted Mac Miller out and about. He certainly looks harmless, but then again, maybe his animal side only comes out once the hotel room door closes...
Fashion Hotels / Rachel Ashwell / Texas Hotels / Bed and Baths / Shabby Chic Hotels / → All Tags
Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Lodgings Down on The Prairie
Rachel Ashwell, the Queen of Shabby Chic, not only does furniture but she does hotels too. Well, she does at least one hotel, which is actually more a country bed and breakfast--The Prairie down in Round Top, Texas about an hour and a half from Austin.
You can read the story behind The Prairie and how Rachel Ashwell came about owning it here but as expected, the place is full of shabby chic decor like vintage fixtures, faded flowery linens, crystal chandeliers and even floral hats for the deer hanging on the walls.
My vision for the inn was to balance the sweeping, rustic, primitive soul of the architecture of the five houses and 46 acres of beautiful open landscape with a certain "Marie Antoinette" touch.
Comfy Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture sofas and crystal chandeliers are mixed with tattered lampshades, vintage fixtures and original floorboards. The taxidermy that came with the property has been brought into my fold by being crowned with lovely floral vintage hats.
Celebrity Scoop / The Kardashians / Kim Kardashian / Khloe Kardashian / Dallas Hotels / W Hotels / → All Tags
The W Dallas is Krawling with Kardashians
The Gansevoort Park was so Kim's last failed marriage ago! The new place to find your fave Kardashians is now the W Dallas Hotel & Residences where Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are renting a two-bedroom penthouse condo.
Naturally, where there's one Kardashian, there's always at least a couple of more visiting. That's what happened last week when Khloe was visited by Kim, Kourtney and mom Kris. Later on, brother, Krobert, er, we mean, Robert arrived and the fam headed to watch Lamar play for his new team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Since there probably wasn't enough room for the rest of the Kardashians in Khloe and Lamar's apartment, we're gonna go ahead and presume they grifted booked the best suite in the hotel which is the E-WOW Suite which includes 1,323 square feet of space on the 15th floor, a master bedroom and bath, a dining table for six, a wet bar, kitchen, living room and a 60" plasma screen TV, good for watching the Kourtney and Kim Take New York marathons on E!
Hotel Openings / Omni Hotels / Dallas Hotels / Texas Hotels / Infinity Pools / Hotel Pools / Sports Hotels / Hotel Rates / Opening Rates / → All Tags
Omni Dallas: It's Definitely Opening, And It's Definitely Got An Infinity Pool
Omni Dallas, which is set to open on 11/11/11, will include an infinity pool
Whoever said 11/11/11 would mark a pivotal world-changing event must have been cc'd on development memos issued from Omni Hotels' corporate office. That is to say, Omni's latest creation, Omni Dallas, a 1,001-room convention hotel on South Lamar St, will be opening on the portentous date—and with $111 rates, no less.
As part of the "Definitely Dallas" package (this name is putting dirty thoughts into our head), guests who book rooms through December 30, 2011 will receive $111 deluxe guest rooms. Inside the rooms, you'll find a 111-inch flat-screen TV; and on top of the beds, you'll rest your head on 111 pillows. And in the bathroom....OK, we're just kidding. In fact, the bathrooms do come with mirror TVs (which we remain undecided over), and the rooms all feature pieces by local artists.
Hotel News / Autograph Collection / Marriott Hotels / Houston Hotels / Historic Hotels / Magic Johnson / → All Tags
Bringing a Little Magic To The Autograph Collection
The Hotel Icon in Houston has been around since 1911, and used to house the Union National Bank. But in January, the struggling landmark was acquired by a company known as Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, a side project of NBA legend Magic Johnson.
The new ownership had decided the hotel would be re-branded by an unnamed "major luxury national hotel chain" at some point over the summer. It has now been revealed that the Icon will be inducted into Marriott's exclusive Autograph Collection, and will officially relaunch in two weeks.
This will be the Autograph Collection's twenty-fifth hotel, though properties in the Caribbean and in other parts of Europe are planned for 2012.
Football Hotels / NFL Hotels / Football Packages / Insane Hotel Packages / → All Tags
This Fantasy Football 'Widow Package' Disappoints, So Here's Our Version
The Ames in Boston is actually a great place to watch sports--you can watch games from the shower!
Ah, pre-season football is here! And with it, the start of the hotel football packages.
But one in particular caught our eye, mostly because it is so bizarre. The La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa, just outside of Houston, is offering a Fantasy Football Widows Package, for "loved ones who slowly become widows to the digital fantasy roster that consumes a football fan’s every thought through the very last day of the NFL season."
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