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Crowne Plaza Hotels
Knoxville Crowne Plaza Does it Up Pilgrim Style
November 20, 2008 at 9:20 AM | 0 Comments
With a symbolic nod to the pilgrims, the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville thanked their clients and vendors yesterday with a Thanksgiving feast aboard the Mayflower. Well, OK, not the Mayflower, but the next best thing: a Mayflower moving van.
The guests of honor were surprised upon arrival with their unconventional venue, which was bedazzled with holiday décor and apparently transformed into a fine-dining area. The hotel held both lunch and dinner events, with about 40 guests at each. Event coordinator and Crowne Plaza director of sales Tammy Knight says she picked the moving van as setting because it "represents the company's willingness to reach out to clients in unusual ways," explaining that Crowne Plaza hotels are all for thinking "outside the box." Tight quarters apparently inspired more fervent networking (or at the very least probably more convivial cranberry sauce passing).
We think it’s a funny idea. But even funnier is the comment on the Knoxville News Sentinel newspaper article left by reader et_vol_fan: “It's called double booking the dining room and they needed a plan fast. I liked it better when it was an episode of "Saved By The Bell." Well played, et_vol_fan.
[Image: Emily Spence for the Knoxville News Sentinel]
Bigfoot
Breaking News: CNN Reporting Live on Bigfoot from Cabana Hotel
August 15, 2008 at 3:32 PM | 1 Comment
Bigfoot hunters are speaking live in Palo Alto at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel about their Bigfoot discovery. We just started watching and one of the guys is saying that all the disbelievers are just "jealous." Also, the Bigfoot corpse smelled "like something dead." We'll be updating. Again...let's hope the Bigfoot DNA is kept away from the kitchen.
Update: No DNA evidence was presented. That's good news for hotel guests...bad news for Bigfoot hunters trying to attain credibility.
Update, 8.21.08 Just a joke! Like, duh.
If anyone is on the scene at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel let us know what's going on.
Hotel News
WTF Hotel News:: "Bigfoot" DNA Analysis at The Cabana Hotel
August 15, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments
Guess what folks--people have found the elusive Bigfoot! And he's totally dead! And some guys in Georgia who found him in the woods are holding a press conference in California today to announce their discovery!
Yes, that is all true, according to Searching for Bigfoot.
The creature was found by Matthew Whitton (AKA Gary Parker) and Rick Dyer (residents of Georgia) in the woods in northern Georgia. (The exact location is being kept secret to protect the creatures.)
DNA testing was done on the body of Bigfoot, which looks like "it is part human and part ape-like." Bigfoot also walks upright. Apparently, the Bigfoot hunters spotted several more creatures on the day that they found this dead Bigfoot. (So do we call them Bigfeet?)
Ok, we can't even believe we're writing this right now. But the press conference announcing the DNA findings will be held at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto from noon to 1pm today. Sadly, only credentialed members of the press are allowed.
It's been a busy summer for this hotel. This is also the hotel where a case of hotel sick struck in early July. Ew...let's hope they keep the Bigfoot DNA away from the guests.
Flight Attendants
Drunken Qantas Flight Attendants Cause Trouble at a Crowne Plaza in New Zealand
August 12, 2008 at 10:46 AM | 5 Comments
Uh-oh sounds like someone had too much fun raiding the mini-bar at the Crowne Plaza in Queenstown, New Zealand.
According to reports, two Qantas flight attendants got wasted in their crash pad hotel room and set off the fire alarm at the hotel:
Many of about 200 guests at the Crowne Plaza hotel were dragged from their beds and sent into the street and two fire engines rushed to the hotel after a fire-alarm access point was smashed on July 31.
The false alarm cost the flight attendant $1500 to cover damages and the cost of the call-out.
But the next day when the hotel confronted the Qantas staffer they believed pulled the alarm, she apparently had no idea what she had done.
It was a fairly big stuff-up by the guest and when she was asked why she did it, she said she had no idea and she was upset and disappointed with herself. She left next day.
Needless to say the flight attendants have been suspended.
Hotel Hell
Hotel Sick Strikes Again, This Time in Palo Alto
July 3, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 1 Comment
For at least 21 people who visited the Crowne Plaza Cabana hotel, this holiday weekend is going to be extra-special because they now have "a diarrheal illness" to keep them company.
While the exact cause of the illness has yet to be determined, the outbreak seems to have only affected people at the Cabana, so the hotel invited the Health Department over to check things out.
The San Mateo Daily News reports the Cabana is safe for public use again (even though they didn't know what was wrong in the first place) and they're making sure some changes are made:
they've put together a program for the hotel to prevent future incidents, including sanitizing walls, floors, ceilings and bathrooms, Gale said. Employees also will undergo a one- to two-hour food handling course and managers will receive training on how to recognize a contagious employee.
Uhh, we hope you mean they will be re-training employees about all this stuff.
Hotel Trends
Two Hotels, One Building: The Trend Moves to Las Colinas, Texas
May 23, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 0 Comments
Save the Las Colinas Mustangs!...From the hotel invasion!
Much like what developer Sam Chang is doing in New York--putting two or three hotel brands in one building--the Intercontinental Hotels brand is hoping to do the same thing in the master-planned community of Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, a sort of suburb close to Dallas.
Las Colinas has been a breeding ground as of late for these new types of boutique-y chain brands aimed at business travelers since the community is home to 2,000 companies and serves as the global HQs for a few Fortune 500 companies. Already, Las Colinas will be getting an Aloft and a NYLO.
Now Intercontinental plans to house a Crowne Plaza and a Hotel Indigo under one roof. The Dallas Business Journal writes:
The Hotel Indigo Las Colinas will feature design elements such as guestrooms with hardwood flooring and spa-inspired showers and amenities such as a fitness studio, hotel bar, a 24-hour business center and meeting space for business functions or special events. Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access will be available throughout the hotel.
The Crowne Plaza Las Colinas will offer more than 8,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space and include a restaurant, lounge, business center and gift shop.
Both hotels will have separate entrances yet will share a fitness center and swimming pool. We're guessing there should be some rate differences as well but no word on what those will be. The hotels (hotel?) will open in 2010.
[Photo: Armstrks]
Viva Vegas
An Asian-Themed Crowne Plaza Coming to Vegas?
February 8, 2008 at 11:06 AM | 0 Comments
That's what it looks like. Hotel+Motel Management has posted a press release from Crowne Plaza Hotels about plans for a new, 386-room hotel just west of the Strip, that will open in 2010.
For those looking to actually get some sleep in Sin City, the new hotel will offer the signature Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage program, which includes new bedding, designated quiet zones, drape clips, sleep CDs, sleep tips and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.
For those who could care less about a night's sleep here's what else will be at the hotel.
The new Asian-themed Crowne Plaza will include a casino, three restaurants, three lounges, a full-service spa and outdoor swimming pool, as well as a fitness center, business center and retail. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet will be available throughout the hotel.
Free WiFi in Vegas? Um we're there.
Crowne Plaza Hotels
Crowne Plaza Hotels: They Love Their Chairs
November 30, 2007 at 1:08 PM | 0 Comments
Sometimes, we get press releases. (Okay, more than sometimes.) Usually, they're pretty dry, but occasionally, we get one so absurd we have to share it with you despite the tenuous news hook. Hope you're ready to learn more about hotel chairs than you thought possible!
An astounding 60 percent of professionals surveyed said that a more comfortable ergonomic chair would help them focus during meetings. Among frequent business travelers, 53 percent complained that meeting room chairs lack proper support for their backs or necks and 48 percent responded that seating is the one aspect they wish could be upgraded at offsite meeting locations.
And guess what? Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts--who commissioned this survey--has great meeting chairs. What a coincidence! They'll have swanky Herman Miller Caper chairs in all their breakout rooms by the end of the year.
Related Stories:
· Crowne Plaza Hotels coverage [HotelChatter]
Monica Guy
Noisy Hotels? Shut It
November 9, 2007 at 8:25 AM | 0 Comments
Unless you're paying by the hour, you get a hotel room so you can sleep, no? How irritating is it when you end up with your head stuffed under the pillow and your fingers stuffed in your ears, trying desperately not to hear the showering/TV-watching/copulating sounds from next door?
A recent survey by TripAdvisor put noisy hotel rooms a close second to dirty rooms on the list of irritations suffered by travellers. We don't mind a bit of dirt, myself. Give us quiet any day.
Acapulco Hotel Guide
Acapulco Hotel Rundown: Crowne Plaza Acapulco
October 23, 2007 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel left Hungary and the Czech Republic and headed for warmer climates in Acapulco, Mexico. For the next few days, we'll be running his hotel reports. If you have a question about where to stay in Acapulco, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
The Crowne Plaza Acapulco may be a typical chain hotel without a lot of personality, but when you can score an off-season rate of $79 a night as we did, who cares?! It's got killer views of the bay (like this one pictured, from room 2703), there's ample terrace space around the three pools, and you can walk right out to the beach and loads of restaurants.
It's hard to go wrong with any room in this high-rise, since all but the premium ocean front rooms face either one side of the bay or another and this hotel is smack in the middle. There's a bar at the pool, one with live nightly entertainment in the lobby, and restaurants on two levels. The friendly staffers speak fluent English.
You'll pay $14 to log on to the WiFi system here and coverage is iffy at rooms far from the elevator and at the pool. This hotel started out as something else before it became a Crowne Plaza, so expect smallish rooms with basic furniture and fabrics. In other words, this one won't wow you apart from the view, but with good rates and a convenient location for walking to other bars and restaurants, it's a good "no surprises" option.
Related Stories:
· Acapulco Hotel Rundown: Las Brisas [HotelChatter]
Ireland Hotel Reviews
Ireland's Hotel Scene: Crowne Plaza Santry Hotel
September 5, 2007 at 11:45 AM | 0 Comments
HotelChatter had an operative in Ireland last week who has so graciously forwarded us reviews of some hotels. This is the second part in a three-part series.
Our Hotel Maven continued on from his hotel in Cork to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near the Dublin airport. Here's the review:
The hotel provided complimentary service from the airport. It was a fairly new hotel with a Holiday Inn attached. We were upgraded to an executive level which included free use of the executive lounge and access to free refreshments.
The rooms were nice with a modern decor and included the largest working desks that we have ever seen in a hotel. This hotel would be perfect for business travelers and included a trendy bar, Asian-inspired restaurant and they brewed Starbucks coffee.
Er...we're pretty sure "working desks" meant work spaces not actual desks that do work. Although, that would be cool.
As for the Holiday Inn, that makes some sense since these are both Intercontinental Hotels but it is weird that it is attached to the Crowne Plaza. Nevertheless, room rates average about $265 a night and since the hotel was recently renovated in 2003, everything is fairly brand-new and updated. It actually looks to us like a cool airport hotel. And there's a forest behind it! (See the hotel website's photo tour.)
[Photo: xangav ]
Related Stories:
· Ireland's Hotel Scene: Jurys Doyle Hotel Cork [HotelChatter]
· Hotels in Ireland [HotelChatter]
Crowne Plaza Hotels
Crowne Plaza Union Square: Bad Internet, Good Beds
October 5, 2004 at 4:11 AM | 0 Comments
The Crowne Plaza Union Square is nothing more than your run of the mill bed in a box, but it is a really nice bed. No frills, no extras, and unavoidable extra charges for the business traveler (copier, fax, broadband). The room we got contained the dreaded Internet data port, and the front desk informed us that we could purchase WiFi in the lobby, for a $5 fee.
The question begs why stay at a place like this? The answer? If you are a utilitarian traveler looking for a bargain in Union Square, this hotel offers clean crisp rooms, and a great location from which you can walk to any point in Union Square. Furthermore, if you are a fan of soft comfy beds, the beds at the Crowne Plaza are extremely comfortable, and for some that more than makes up for the dearth of Internet access. Recently the Crowne Plaza chain launched their "Comfortable New Beds", complete with a pillow top mattress, your back will thank you in the morning.
Finally, this place is a bargain. We booked on Hotwire.com and snagged a room for $75.00, a huge bargain in SF, especially in Union Square. If you are thrifty, and in SF for the shopping and the cable cars, this could be your hotel, however, if you are in town for business, you might want to look elsewhere for a room.
