Tag: Anti-view
View All TagsHotelChatter 2012 Awards / Anti-View / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Worst Anti-View of 2012: Fenced In At The Out NYC
It's that time of year again: the 2012 HotelChatter Awards! Today and Monday, we'll be showcasing the best (and worst) of hotels over the past year. But we couldn't do it without you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or shoot us an email. And the Award goes to...
Last summer, a lot of buzz surrounded the opening of The Out NYC, New York's first-ever gay-themed hotel, located in midtown, several blocks west of Times Square (and right across the street from Yotel).
However, unlike its neighbor Yotel, which towers 27 floors above 10th Avenue, there was one thing missing from this place: a good view. When we checked into the hotel shortly after it opened in March, we were greeted by the above view from our Superior King—bright green astroturf, funhouse mirrors and an assortment of beanbags. Can you really blame us for feeling like we were trapped inside a daycare center, dressed up as a hotel?
Hotel Books / Hotel Art / Killer View / Anti-View / → All Tags
Killer View or Anti-View, Hotel Windows Get Their Own Photography Book
It may be a bit too early to consider holiday gifts, but it's always the right time to blow some cash on hotel-themed coffeetable books. Our latest pick comes from photographer Andrew Hetherington, who just self-published A Room With a View, featuring unsettlingly droll hotel interiors contrasted with the breathtaking (or spirit-breaking) vistas out their windows.
Each entry includes details like reason for stay, amenities and attractions in the area. It's not a hotel guide, however; it's still very much a book to be savored for the images, but the inclusion of a few details satisfy our hotel geek need to know things like which hotel and which room. We have our own series showcasing stellar (and sucky) hotel room views, but they're not meant to become print pages in your bookshelf.
Anti-View / Marriott Hotels / Airport Hotels / Chicago Hotels / → All Tags
An Anti-View is a Chance You Take with an Airport Hotel
Typically, one doesn't expect much by way of views from an airport hotel, but we had heard good things about the upper floors of the Marriott Chicago Midway. Unfortunately for us, our evening check-in came after all the good rooms were taken—the place was hosting what seemed like three rollicking wedding receptions as well as a kids soccer convention—and we landed on the second floor. With this view. Of the HVAC system.
Higher floors (we're talking like one or two higher) enjoyed watching departing aircraft with a sunset backdrop, aka our fantasy. At least we can admit that this was our fault, and we've learned a valuable lesson when it comes to airport hotels touting airport views: check in early, before the conventioneers do.
[Photo: HotelChatter]
Hotel Snapshots / Manhattan Hotels / Gay Hotels / Hotel Courtyards / Anti-view / → All Tags
New York's Newest Day Care Center for Gay Men Is Now Open For Business
Here's your first look at The Out NYC, New York's first-ever "straight-friendly" hotel, which opened this past weekend after a rainbow ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.
Our full review of the hotel is coming later in the week, but we thought we'd share this snapshot of the hotel's interior courtyard, which is lined with astroturf, framed by funhouse-like mirrors, and dotted with over a dozen brightly colored beanbag chairs.
At first, we found this cute. Then, upon realizing our room faced directly onto the courtyard, we started to feel a little exposed. No music, no bar, no scene—just an eerily quiet, slightly exaggerated looking playpen. And then we were welcomed with a packet of gummi bears (packaged in a plastic mini hard hat, to apologize for the ongoing construction). Quickly, we realized we'd arrived at New York's newest daycare center, dressed up like a hotel.
HotelChatter 2011 Awards / Anti-View / Baltimore Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Flickr / → All Tags
Worst Anti-View: Up Against A Wall In Baltimore
It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in the comments below.
We're not sure about you, but the first thing we always do when checking into a new hotel room is head for the window, throw open the curtains and take in the view. City views. Sunrise views. Views of the country. It really doesn't matter as long as we're high enough up that cars below turn into little dots on the ground.
And then sometimes, you get stuck with an anti-view like this one. After a prior positive experience getting a free upgrade at the Hotel Monaco Baltimore, we were suddenly confronted with this vista of cinder block, exhaust vents, and medieval-style window slits a mere 20 feet from her window.
Anti-View / Ibis Hotels / London Hotels / Airport Hotels / → All Tags
You're Definitely Not Paying for the View at the Ibis Heathrow
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
The good news this week is that Accor Hotels Ibis Hotels is getting a much-needed brand makeover which will see an upgrade in hotel bedding, a reconfiguration of the common areas, better food and beverage offerings and some technology upgrades.
Sadly, that makeover won't be able to fix this anti-view at the Ibis Heathrow Airport.
Celebrity Scoop / Kathy Griffin / Anti-View / Naked Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Kathy Griffin, What Are You Doing?
So, it was Friday afternoon. Another week of hotel news was over. We'd seen Facebook hotel rivalries, nationwide Hyatt strikes, and killer views in Vegas. But as we sat browsing our Twitter feed, what we weren't prepared for was this killer view, taken in a New York hotel room, of Kathy Griffin showing off her bangin' bod to a window washer.
Tweeted by @kathygriffin at around 6pm EST, the photo quickly went viral on the internet, even prompting a story by NY Daily News (headline: Kathy Griffin Parades Around In Sexy Bra And Underwear For Window). Guess Fashion Week doesn't have the same effect on everyone.
Anti-View / Ace Hotels / Portland Hotels / → All Tags
You Get What You Pay for With This Portland Anti-View
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
This is a classic case of "you get what you pay for." A stay at the Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon comes with the hipster cache that the other three Aces also enjoy, but oftentimes that means sacrificing things like valet parking and chocolates on your pillow at turndown. For rooms starting from $95 per night, however, that's completely understandable.
Hotel Advertecture / Hotel Hell / Viva Vegas / Anti-VIew / → All Tags
Strip Views May Just Be A Mirage In These Swanky Vegas Suites
For once, you may not want to stay in the penthouse
We may have been unimpressed by our Strip view being obscured by Donny and Marie at the Flamingo Las Vegas, but we - and the Flamingo - aren't the only ones.
HotelChatter reader Stan contacted us to say that he felt for us, having experienced the same at the Mirage. Only problem is, he wasn't talking about a $45 room as we were. He was talking about a high falutin suite.
Anti-View / Kimpton Hotels / Baltimore Hotels / → All Tags
Down in The 'Dungeon' at the Hotel Monaco Baltimore
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Ah...such a bummer. We love our Kimpton Hotels for their complimentary wine hour, quirky animal-print bathrobes and free WiFi (for InTouch members) but this view from the Hotel Monaco Baltimore, in the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad HQ, has us feeling trapped in the dragon's dungeon in Super Mario Brothers. And despite our enthusiasm for Nintendo games, that's not a good thing.
But it's not all doom and gloom at this hotel. The Flickr member also took this shot from the hotel. Things are looking up already. Next up, World 2 underwater!
Rates at the Hotel Monaco start at around $209 a night. Before you book, read our in-depth hotel review, with a video tour, right here.
[Photo: Criminal Intent]
Guess the Hotel / Anti-View / → All Tags
Guess the Hotel with the Graffiti View
We're very excited to reveal the answer to this Guess the Hotel, because—to put it plainly—it's not your average hotel. But first, before we give you the goods with a video room tour and full photo gallery, we're going to test your hotel knowledge (or Googling abilities).
The rules are the same: put your best guess in comments below and then return tomorrow for the full room reveal.
For this Guess the Hotel, we're wondering if you can name the hotel with the view of the inoffensive graffiti. We're peering out of our room window here, and there are small visual clues as to the location, but here's some more hints for help:
Anti-View / Hilton Hotels / Hilton Garden Inns / → All Tags
The Trade-off of Staying at a Hilton Garden Inn for Its Free WiFi
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
While the internet charges at Hilton Hotels vary in price, you can usually count on their budget brand, Hilton Garden Inn, to offer up free WiFi. But the tradeoff? This anti-view from your room. Yeah, and the snow piles aren't doing much to help.
HotelChatter Flickr member Bnilsen dropped this in our Flickr pool last month and while we don't expect much from a suburban budget brand hotel, this view still put us in funk.
And the scene looking in wasn't that much better either.
