HotelChatter

W Hotels / Austin Hotels / NYT Reviews / Hotel News / → All Tags

The NY Times Avoids the Falling Glass at the W Austin

Where: 200 Lavaca Street [map], Austin, TX, United States

Finally, there's some good news for the W Austin which recently had to deal with not one but two separate incidents involving falling glass from their hotel, the latter which actually forced closure of the hotel for 11 days.

The New York Times has just written a rare glowing review of the hotel with the reporter not even mentioning the shattered glass which injured guests by the pool or the recent closure but rather highlighting the hotel's four bars:

Austin doesn’t have many good hotel bars, so the four on the ground floor of the W are welcome additions. The rooms flow into one another and feature circulating waiters and scattered chairs and sofas (and two fireplaces) that make them comfortable spots for hanging out. There are thousands of vinyl records you can have played on a stereo.

more ›

Celebrity Scoop / Nicki Minaj / Dallas Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags

The Curious Case of Nicki Minaj and the Suitcase at the Hotel Palomar Dallas

Where: 5300 E. Mockingbird Lane [map], Dallas, TX, United States, 75206

Rapper Barbie Nicki Minaj slayed us last year with her guest rap on the Kanye West song, "Monster" but it looks like she's been battling some of her own demons recently, namely her assistant.

TMZ reports that Safaree Samuels struck Minaj with a suitcase (ouch!) after arguing by the outdoor infinity pool at the Hotel Palomar Dallas.

According to the police report, Nicki followed Samuels up to the room they were sharing, to make sure he didn't take any of her stuff. Nicki was in the room looking into her suitcase, which had some of Samuels' belongings, when she says he "grabbed the suitcase and as he was picking it up, he shoved the suitcase across [Nicki's] chin and lower lip."

more ›

Hotel Reopenings / W Hotels / Austin Hotels / → All Tags

The W Austin Reopens With A Hint Of Confidence

Where: 200 Lavaca St , Austin, TX, 78701-3935

Glass panels may be sexier, but for now, wood will have to suffice at the W Austin, which re-opened this weekend after an 11-day hiatus. The accident-prone hotel had to concede defeat when cascading glass panels were quickly turning the surrounding area into a hazard zone. So far, only one lawsuit has been filed against the W.

The above photo shows construction workers diligently re-installing 1,000 industrial wooden panels into the same balcony fixtures where the glass had once been. A city building official explained that in order to fully endorse the re-opening of the hotel, W required the approval of not one but two local engineering firms.

more ›

Hotel Developments / Marriott Hotels / Austin Hotels / → All Tags

It's Not All Falling Glass in Austin as Two Convention Hotels Get Underway

Well, it looks like Austin does have room in their hearts—and their wallets—to accommodate the $4.3 million break in development fees for Austin's newest mega-hotel, a 1,003-room Marriott Marquis. The Austin City Council decided on Wednesday that an influx of steady jobs, the reliable hotel tax base, and new lodging (the city is home to several conventions and trade shows, not least of which is the wildly popular South By Southwest) would outweigh the inconveniences of construction.

An article by the Statesman alluded to another major hotel construction project also commencing in Austin, this time by Manchester Financial Group (Grand Del Mar, San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina)—so it looks like Austin will be treated to some dueling convention hotel action over the next few years! The Marriott Marquis' developer, White Lodging Services, however, has an impressive portfolio of 162 various iterations of the Marriott and Hilton brands. So we're not too surprised we learned of their project before Manchester's.

more ›

Hotel Emergencies / W Hotels / Hotel Windows / Austin Hotels / → All Tags

This is the Letter the W Austin Gave Out to Guests During Glass Freefall

Where: 200 Lavaca Street [map], Austin, TX, United States, 78701

While the W Austin is taking the necessary steps to make its hotel safe from falling glass, it has wisely decided to relocate guests to another hotel.

We've got a copy of the letter the hotel gave to its guests on Monday. Indeed the guest who sent us this letter actually witnessed some of the glass carnage on Tuesday (glass fell from the building on Monday and Tuesday) as he was having lunch at Wich Wich across the street. (You can see a larger version after the jump.)

more ›

Hotel Emergencies / W Hotels / Hotel Evacuations / → All Tags

The W Austin Says Bye-Bye To More Windows...And Its Guests

Where: 200 Lavaca Street [map], Austin, TX, United States, 78701

For the third time in just two weeks, the W Austin shed more glass panels from its increasingly hazardous steel frame. The 36-story building, which houses both the hotel and condominiums, lost several of its window panes on two separate occasions throughout Monday and Tuesday, and now has evacuated all of its guests to a separate hotel until further notice.

Local reporters were all over the story yesterday and this morning, and we enjoyed a particularly well-angled candid photo from FOX reporter Sara Talbert (@saratalbert, see above), taken this morning—can you spot the missing three panels?

more ›

Fourth of July Hotels / Hotel Pools / Dallas Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Luxury Collection Hotels / → All Tags

To Do After The Fireworks: The Midnight Pool Party at the Joule

Where: 1530 Main St. [map], Dallas, TX, United States, 75201

The best place to spend a hot, sticky Fourth of July is in a pool. But to really do it up in style, you'll head to The Joule for its July 3 midnight pool party that's part of a stay-two-nights, get-one-free deal.

The Dallas hotel's pool is incredible—we named it one of our top 10 death-defying rooftop hotel pools. It hangs off of the side of the building and gives the illusion that you are swimming off of the edge. A plexiglass window allows you to see the city while you splash about.

more ›

Convention Hotels / Marriott Hotes / Austin Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

Can Marriott Win Austin's Heart?

Where: Congress Avenue [map], Austin, TX, United States, 78701

This week, voters in Austin, Texas get to decide if the Marriott is worthy of a $4.3 million break in building fees for a prospective 1,000-room-hotel they're planning to open on Congress Avenue and East 2nd Street.

The huge scale of the property would make it a Marriott Marquis, putting it on the same level as the giant Times Square tower. The Austin Marquis would have between 27 and 30 floors, and create around 300 new jobs for the city (at a time when unemployment is rearing its ugly head in almost every corner of the country)—maybe this is reason enough to condone the multi-million dollar allowance?

News of the development comes exactly one year after a report showed Austin suffered a six-year low in hotel occupancy. Though those figures still stand, it seems the mayor is counting on Austin strengthening its foothold in the competitive tourism market:

more ›

Hotel Safety / W Hotels / Hotel Windows / Austin Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

What is Wrong With The W's Windows?

UPDATE, 3:42PM: W Hotels has released this statement on the two incidents.

The W Austin and W Atlanta Midtown incidents are completely unrelated.

The circumstances of the two incidents are quite different and they are totally unrelated. At the W Austin, a panel of glass broke on balcony railings on two unoccupied condo residences located above the hotel. As such, these are two completely separate incidents, at two very different types of buildings and locations (balcony railing versus window).

Teams of experts are currently investigating each event independently.

We thought last month's horror hotel story about the two women falling through a guestroom window at the W Atlanta was bad enough but it's happened again! there's been another scary incident involving glass at a W Hotel. This time, at the new W Austin in Texas.

more ›

Hotel Delays / Candlewood Suites / Hotel Hell / Hotel Websites / Hotel Booking Tips / → All Tags

And This is Why We Hate Hotel Delays

Where: 4631 Cohen Avenue [map], El Paso, TX, United States, 79924

Some hotel folks say we are too hard on them about their hotel delays but there's a good reason for it---guests who make reservations, heck, center their whole travel plans around staying at a hotel, often get left stranded when a hotel decides not to open on time.

Now with the higher end properties, like Gansevoort South, guests with reservations are often made full aware of the delay and the hotel will also have them set up at a sister property.

But at budget properties like Candlewood Suites, it seems the reservation just gets completely forgotten about. Consumerist.com reports:

more ›

Hotel Openings / Omni Hotels / Dallas Hotels / Convention Center Hotels / Hotel Opening Rates / → All Tags

Omni to Do Dallas Again Nearly Two Months Ahead of Schedule

Where: 555 S. Lamar [map], Dallas, TX, United States, 75002

Don't Mess with Texas when it comes to opening hotels. The massive Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel will open two months early on November 11. This will be the third Omni Hotel in the Dallas area but it will be the biggest with 1,001 guest rooms, including 67 luxury suites and three presidential suites.

The rooms will go big too, starting at around 400-sq.ft. and featuring authentic artwork, floor-to-ceiling windows, LCD TVs, TVs in the mirror and free WiFi, for members of Omni's Select Guest loyalty program.

The 11.11.11 opening day is not wishy-washy either, like so many other hotels, as the Omni is planning a large Veteran's Day event with the hotel's ribbon-cutting to happen right after. The hotel will then host a sales convention from Dallas-based Freeman November 13-15.

But once that all dies down, guests will finally be able to get into the rooms on November 16. Rooms start at $149 a night for a deluxe king. You can book via OmniHotels.com or Facebook. Yes, Facebook. Remember?

Final Four Hotels / Houston Hotels / Hotel Indigo / March Madness Hotels / → All Tags

Hotel Indigo in Houston Still Has (Funky) Rooms for the Final Four

Where: 5160 Hidalgo Street [map], Houston, TX, United States, 77056

If you're a fan of Virginia Commonwealth University, you probably never thought this weekend would happen. But if you're a fan of VCU, then that means you're probably looking for a hotel room in Houston, Texas for the NCAA Final Four. After all, you'd be crazy to miss this appearance.

While hotel rooms in Houston are in high demand this weekend, they aren't at exactly Super Bowl rates. Looking at HotelRates.HotelChatter.com, we were psyched to see the Hotel Indigo Houston at the Galleria going for $209 on Saturday and Sunday night. That includes free WiFi, very bright guestroom decor and hardwood floors (perhaps this could come in handy if you need to dribble out the nerve?). And it's actually $20 less than the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. Does HGI put haikus in the guestroom? No, they do not.

more ›