1. The South Beach magazine has the skinny on the rooftop pool at Gansevoort South:

After some negotiations, the Rooftop Lounge has now been approved for a closing time of 3am and an occupancy of 425....The Rooftop Pool will have a strict dress code and nightly DJs to set the vibe. Access to the Rooftop Lounge will be via two express elevators from a dedicated entrance positioned near Jeffrey Chodorow's restaurant.

Ooh, strict dress code. That's interesting considering most people on the Miami scene aren't wearing that much clothing. However, there's still no real set opening date. But we say by January 2008.

2. The famous Plaza Hotel in New York (which will never ever be as good as the original) has set an opening date for January 2008. According to Kitty Beyonce, rooms will go online after December 3rd and guess what? They are totally overpriced at $750.

Also interesting, this will be a Fairmont Hotel. The hotel website says there will be 282 guestrooms while Kitty is reporting only 130. Also inside will be the Caudalie Spa, Fitness Center by Radu, Warren Tricomi Salon, the fully restored Palm Court, legendary Oak Room and Oak Bar and a new Champagne bar in the lobby.

3. The MGM Grand Detroit will open on Oct. 2. Yup, in Detroit. An MGM Grand. Did we mention in Detroit? There's already an MGM Grand but that's closing on Sunday. The WSJ ponders why MGM Mirage chose to open an $800 million property in this "wounded city" and it turns out the city is hoping a sleek new casino-hotel will turn around the sluggish economy.

Let's hope so but aside from the General Motors workers recent contract dispute, Michigan may also have to shut down Detroit casinos on Oct. 1st because of a state budget deficit.

Nevertheless, inside the casino hotel is 335 rooms going for about $300 a night, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant (natch), two Michael Mina restaurants,  4 nightclubs/lounges, a poker room with a bar made of solid ice, retail stores and an Immerse Spa.

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