From Page Six Magazine:

Top Chef gets more vicious every season, but that doesnt mean judges Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio are putting a cork in the glamour. When the hit show returns in '09, it'll finally be back in New York City, with a brand-new headquarters: the Benjamin Hotel. A source tells me the midtown establishment has been procured to host the show's quick fire challenges, special guests like Anthony Bourdain and even the contestants when filming begins this month".

Sadly, the contestants won't be staying there. They will be shacking up in Brooklyn.

The Benjamin, an Affinia hotel, is an executive all-suite hotel, popular more with business travelers than sightseeing groups. Most recently, the hotel was mentioned by the NY Times for its anti-insomnia arsenal of weapons like a pillow menu, soundproofed windows and "sleep-inducing foods, like banana bread with peanut butter." Maybe that will be some sort of Quickfire challenge here for the Top Chefs?

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