When we looked at the Adelphi Hotel in Melbourne about 18 months ago, our conclusion was that it just didn't match the hype. Turns out others agreed with us but since some new owners took over just about that time, things have been looking up.
It's a slow process because, according to the new owners, it's all about "evolution, not revolution". They have opened a spa complex on the ninth floor, and in quite a unique deal, this spa is run by staff from a beauty therapy college nearby--and even wait staff in the restaurant and reception staff are graduates of the college, so whoever you speak to knows all about the spa treatments too.
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on April 29, 2008 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]
We've said it many times in many ways: a package with a word like "romance," "honeymoon," or "lovers" in it is almost always going to be a bad deal. Like, oh, 99 times out of 100 in our experience. This week we're happy to report that we found the elusive number 100, in the "Passion Package" at the new Affinia Hotel Chicago.
We went looking at boutique hotels in Chicago to answer a question. How bad would the damage be if a husband wanted to take the mother of his children away for the weekend? We pulled up the nights of May 9 and 10 (with preferably a late check-out on Mother's Day) and didn't expect much.
But we quickly found a score at Affinia. As featured in the shot here, the Passion Package includes that late check-out, as well as plenty of goodies to spice up a weekend away from the kids. Best of all, this rate was better than the plain old room rate we found on seven of the eight third-party booking sites we checked, at $228 a night for a standard room before taxes.
We recommend upgrading to the Junior Suite though for $60 more a night. You might need some extra space for, umm, recreation.
Once again, HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around Mexico, checking out the hotel scene in the colonial heartland. If you have a question about where to stay in Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
Dos Casas, on the site of what was once "two houses," shows that a place with only seven rooms and suites can still wow guests with the best of them. This elegant boutique hotel offers the most luxurious small hotel experience in a town overrun with beautiful inns: San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico.
Located three blocks from the Plaza Principal, it is run by an attentive staff that has gotten good at wearing different hats. Your bellhop may also bring you a cocktail later and the managers double as sommeliers and concierges. There are several rooms for lounging, a well-regarded restaurant, and a nice wine bar, but the big attractions are the impressive rooms.
Anna Fendi and her daughters own one in Rome called the Villa Laetitia It's a boutique hotel or residenza with only 15 rooms, most of them suites with all the sweet bells and whistles. What makes it particularly special - and better than most boutique hotels set up by hoteliers - are two things.
As one of Seville's most sought-after properties, it's surprising that Casa No. 7, a boutique property in the upscale Santa Cruz district, doesn't charge more exorbitant room rates.
Of course, price is relative when examining luxury hotels. But given Casa No. 7's cachet--a restored 19th-century mansion laced with balconies, filled with antiques and an honesty bar in the lobby--it's one of Seville's best high-end deals. (Don't worry, we didn't know what an honesty bar was at first either. According to Wikipedia, it's an unattended beverage bar where payment is left to the patron's discretion.)
Current prices are 275 Euros (roughly $425) per night and that includes VAT and breakfast. Compare that to a similar offer at the Hotel Alfonso XIII, which includes a deluxe room and breakfast--but no VAT--and expect to pay $625 per night. (Plus, no honor bar!) All-inclusive, off-season rates are even more of a steal at about $273.
Of course, there's always a catch. This one happens to be that the hotel, which prides itself on being more like a stay in a private residence, only has six rooms, so reserving well in advance is strongly recommended.
With exclusive boutique hotels becoming all the rage, some hotels are getting smart and creating a boutique hotel within their large hotel--putting aside a couple of floors to make a semi-separate hotel with separate check-in and services, but with the advantage of guests being able to access all the restaurants, gyms and pools of the larger hotel if they want.
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort was one such example, and now the latest to follow this trend is the Fairmont Gold in Dallas. They've turned the top three floors of the Fairmont Hotel into a boutique hotel space for "gold guests". There are 47 rooms in the Fairmont Gold, include six deluxe rooms and six suites, and the area includes two lounges with drinks and snacks in the evening and a continental breakfast in the morning.
The Fairmont Gold must have hit the mark, because it's already getting some celebrity visitors--they say that John McCain stayed in the presidential suite of the Gold recently. With rates ranging from $250 to $1,000, it's not at all out of the question that you could be a gold guest too.
What do London, Kent, Essex and Surrey counties all have in common? Answer: Ultra-pricey hotel rates higher than England's famous Sterling church steeple.
This weekend the New York Times reviewed The Rockwell, an old Victorian townhouse now transformed into a high-style Kensington hotel that offers guests understated elegance, impeccable service, and a detailed attention to their every want and desire.
Paris, Paris, Paris. All we talk about is Paris. Paris is great - but it knows it. And it gets enough publicity as it is.
Toulouse is the next best thing to Paris. A human-sized city pulsating with all-night student parties (120,000 of them) and shot through by the Garonne river, a cleaner, faster-moving version of the Seine. It's right down in the south, near the Pyrénées mountains, so as well as having ten times better weather it's top for anyone who likes hiking, biking and skiing in one of Europe's most superb mountain ranges.
The next best thing to Paris's design hotels is Toulouse's Hôtel Garonne, a 14-room boutique hotel by the river in the city's cobbled Old Town.
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by amandak
