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A Disney Resort For the D.C. Area?

May 19, 2009 at 9:16 AM | by Jenna | 1 Comment

About a decade ago, Disney was in talks to build a history-themed park called Disney's America near D.C. It never happened. But Disney is coming to the D.C. area, except this time they're not planning a goofy theme park for history nerds: they're planning a big hotel that will "put a recognizable Disney footprint in the Washington area," according to a spokesman who talked to the Washington Post.

Disney has just purchased a 15-acre piece of land at Prince George's County's National Harbor development near D.C. to build a 500-room hotel resort. But as we entertained visions of what we imagined Disney's America's dorky history-themed Disney-ness to be, our fantasies were squashed by this:

"The National Harbor resort is a completely different kind of project," [a rep] said. "It's specifically zoned for hotel, residential and other commercial development. This project is a hotel resort. It is not by any stretch of the imagination a theme-park project and never will be. We have no intention of building a large-scale theme park in the Washington area."

Oh. Boring. However, the Post article does mention that it's going to be "a fun-filled new destination for local visitors," which means — hello — silly theme hotel a la Pop Century! (Please say yes!)

Unfortunately, there is no timeline on this project yet, so we'll see what happens.

[Photo: Washington Post]

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Is Pop Century the Best of the Disney Pack, Man?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1050 Century Drive [map], Lake Buena Vista, fl, United States, 32830
February 25, 2009 at 11:34 AM | by jennm | 4 Comments

We've stayed at the likes of Gleneagles, as well as a fabulous little hostel in Tarifa, but no hotel has managed to provide us with as much fun as a stay at a Disney World resort.

While we haven't stayed here ourselves, it seems from TripAdvisor reviews that there's few better places to stay in Orlando than at Pop Century Resort, which is sort of like I Love The 80's (and in the case of some rooms, 90's) in hotel form.

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Hotel News Briefs :: Add This To Our Bucket List

October 22, 2008 at 5:23 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.

· This is How We Want to Go Out: A dying woman from Vermont spent the last 10 weeks of her life in a suite at the Carlyle Hotel. It cost her family about $30,000 to support this bucket list wish but honestly, it sounds amazing. [Newsday]

· Not All Hotel Projects Are Dead: Caesar's Las Vegas just topped off their sixth tower. No word on the opening date for the 665-room Octavius Tower. [MSNBC]

· Hard Rock SD Gets AAA 4-Diamond Award: The hotel has barely been open a year, but already it snagged this award. Guess that Vibe Manager has really helped get things going. Or should we say, vibin'? [Press Release]

· Disney Still Going Ahead with Crazy Hawaiian Resort: This is kind of ambitious project to be launching in these times in Hawaii and one that doesn't even include a Disney World! But we begrudgingly wish them best of luck. [Google News]

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Express Check-Out: Unskinny Bop at the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando

May 6, 2008 at 5:49 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Poison frontman and Rock of Love star Bret Michaels is performing at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando on May 29th for the hotel's Velvet Sessions. The cost of a chance to dance near the extension-wearing aging rocker? $50 and that includes specialty drinks from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The concert starts in the hotel lobby at 8:30pm. [Orlando Sentinel]

· Speaking of Orlando, About.com just released a Disney World Resort Map. Prepare to do a lot of reading. [About.com]
· Intercontinental Hotels might be lagging in the WiFi department but they are determined to stay green in the future. The hotel brand just unveiled its Innovation Hotel website which showcases sustainability of hotels. [LAT Daily Deal Blog]
· MGM Mirage might be splitting their hotels and casinos into two separate divisions. [Online Casino Advisory]
· The burgeoning Riviera Maya Hotel Scene in a nutshell. [Dallas Morning News]

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WTF News: Disney Wants to Brainwash Your Wine Drinking Tastes

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1500 Epcot Resort Blvd [map], LAKE BUENA VISTA, fl, United States, 32830
December 19, 2007 at 8:57 AM | by amandak | 0 Comments

Seems like last year's $60 million upgrade of the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort wasn't enough to impress all of their guests: now they've taken service to new extremes and you can get your own personal, certified sommelier to take care of your wine drinking while you're staying at the resort, because, of course, that's the kind of thing you have in mind when you book into a Disney hotel.

The resort itself describes the personal sommelier program as an experience "designed to subtly educate guests and elevate the wine and culinary experience" by giving you somebody to advise you on every single wine you drink. "Subtly educate" sounds like it belongs back in communist Russia or somewhere, but for wine-lovers it might be interesting to get advice on the best wine for each meal. The idea is that your personal sommelier keeps track of what wines you've already tried, and what might suit your tastes, while at the same time offering you more diverse varieties that might match your meal.

There are 60 certified sommeliers on the staff so it shouldn't be a problem to match up with one--but you do need to make a reservation for one at the time of booking. And if you're a regular guest at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, they encourage you to request the same sommelier to build your relationship and your wine knowledge more effectively--there are 1600 varieties to try, after all. The jury's still out for us on combining Disney theme parks by day with sophisticated wine tasting by night, but we accept that there are niche markets everywhere.

[Photo: slack12]

Related Stories:
· Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort Gets a $60 Million Upgrade [HotelChatter]
· Disney Hotels [HotelChatter]

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Another Element Announced :: This One's For Orlando

October 15, 2007 at 11:34 AM | by amandak | 0 Comments

The Starwood group's extended stay spin-off, Element Hotels, keeps on announcing new hotels, without having even opened the first one yet. Each announcement makes the chain sound even better but it's so easy to say that when we can't test them out.

This next Element is planned for "travelers to the home of Mickey and Minnie" which of course is in Orlando, Florida and will be known as the Element Orlando Convention Center. Apparently with the presence of Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, Sea World and The Kennedy Space Center, Orlando is just crying out for an extended-stay hotel so Element is the perfect solution.

Element loves to talk about its plans to make guests thrive, and they also want to encourage our productivity while enabling us to relax: all at once. They say that having swiveling modular furniture that we can change around in our rooms will help us do that and we'll leave the Orlando Element "knowing what it truly means to wake up and thrive". After too many days visiting Mickey and Minnie and their colleagues we suspect we won't really feel like we're thriving.

[Photo: Teny Jr]

Related Stories:
· Element Hotel Groundbreaking Party [HotelChatter]
· Element Hotels Coverage [HotelChatter]

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Mickey Mouse to Get Lei'ed

October 4, 2007 at 11:37 AM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Walt Disney Resorts just announced plans for an 800-unit resort on the island of Oahu called The Ko Olina Resort & Marina. It will be the first resort that's not attached to any Disney theme park (that sounds like a plus) and will offer Disney Vacation Club time-share units (hmmm...not a plus.)

Details are scarce but the place will attempt to capture an "authentic Hawaiian experience" so we're guessing there won't be any Mickey Mouse stickers on the toiletries.

The resort won't open until 2011 but considering that the Disney resorts in Anaheim, Orland, Tokyo and Paris maintain an average occupancy rate of over 90% year-round, and an average daily rate of about $350, we bet this place will do just fine.

[Photo: Marzzy]

Related Stories:
· Disney Resorts stakes claim in Hawaii [LA Times]

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Now You Can Live at Disneyland

September 18, 2007 at 5:19 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

The LA Times reports that Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is expanding by adding 250 more units and 50 time-share units. So basically, you can live near Disneyland for parts of the year. Of course, why you would want to do this is beyond us since Anaheim is kinda gross.

But if this is your biggest dream, then all you have to do is become a member of the Disney Vacation Club for a $16,700 one-time purchase price, plus annual maintenance fees of at least $600.

Or you can just continue to stay in hotels:

· Greenpeace activists change the lightbulbs at Hong Kong's Disney hotel [NetCot]
· Moms panel wanted at Disney World? [Yacht Vacations & Charters]
· There are drawbacks to staying outside Disney World in hotels, namely crappy shuttle service [Chicago Tribune]
· Disneyland Tokyo Hotel undergoing renovations [MiceChat]
· The "Magic Your Way" Disney Deal [PRNewswire]

[Photo: Donna62]

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Walt Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort Gets a $60 Million Upgrade

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1500 Epcot Resorts Boulevard [map], Orlando, fl, United States, 32830
October 10, 2006 at 12:32 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Almost exactly a year ago, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort unveiled their new Mandara spa which we reported on largely because we were disappointed that there were no Mickey Mouse masseuses.

This year, the hotel has unveiled its $60 million resort makeover which includes entirely revamped lobbies and public spaces along with a $500,000 contemporary art program.

Enhanced lobbies provide guests with an immediate and renewed sense of arrival, and an elegant fabric brightens up the cathedral height center-ceiling in the Dolphin lobby.  Both resort lobbies boast over 1,000 new custom lighting fixtures, including dramatic chandeliers artistically crafted in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.  Woven metal and handcrafted tropical Pao rosewood paneling complete the newly refurbished space, as well as imported Asian Golden Onyx counters on all guest service desks throughout the resort

Perhaps aiming to be the business themed hotel in the Disney Resort porfolio, "pre-function and meeting rooms were made over with upgraded décor to meet the needs of Fortune 500 group clientele." Additionally, select guestrooms will also  start to be renovated into Presidential and Executive suites at the tune of  $350,000 to $500,000 per suite.

So perhaps you can stay here and the kids can stay at the Disney Animal Kingdom lodge.

Related Stories:
· Disney Spa Opens; No Mickehy Masseuse [HotelChatter]

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Pop Culture Value at Disney's All-Star Resorts

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1991 West Buena Vista Drive [map], Orlando, fl, United States, 32830
September 25, 2006 at 12:04 PM | by Tim L. | 0 Comments

[Ed. Note: Last weekend, Hotel Maven Tim Leffel was dragged to Disney World, a notorious wallet-buster, but he was able to make lemonade out of Mickey-shaped lemons. Here's his story.]

Disney World can suck a mom & dad's wallet dry in no time. One-day tickets to any of the parks will cost a family of four over $200 and nightly rates at some of the Disney-owned resorts can top $400. Plus you've gotta eat, right?

You can get a little relief on the lodging side though by staying at one of the three Disney All-Star Resorts. These are basically tricked-out motels, but they've gotten the full Disney treatment and attention to detail, so they end up being a surprisingly good value. This is especially true outside of holiday times, like now, when rates drop to $90 a night for a regular room and $190 for a two-room suite with two baths and a kitchenette. This includes express luggage and bus service from the airport, transportation to the Disney parks, and admission during extra hours.

More on the All-Star Resorts post-click.

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A Disney Hotel for Yankees Fans Abroad

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Disneyland Resort,, Marne-la-Vallee, France, 77777
July 27, 2006 at 4:58 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

If you should ever go to EuroDisney...er we mean Disneyland Paris, the resort's Disney New York Hotel is perfect place for hard core Yankee fans or just fans of Derek Jeter's ass.

Related Stories:
· Anonymuis' photostream [Flickr]
· Disney New York reviews[TripAdvisor]

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Summer Deals at Disney World Do Exist

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1905 Hotel Plaza Blvd [map], Lake Buena Vista, fl, United States, 32830-2203
July 20, 2006 at 9:20 AM | by Tim L. | 0 Comments

High gas prices must be dampening summer travel, because this $79 deal from Royal Plaza Disney Hotel is a rare bargain.

Conventional wisdom says that finding a weekend hotel deal in the summer in Orlando is akin to looking for a 50 cent hot dog at Disney World (despite the muggy heat that often plagues Central Florida this time of the year.)So we were surprised to see this $79 promotional rate from the hotel.

Fresh off a renovation, this official Disney hotel offers complimentary transportation to the parks, a pool and fitness center, and plenty of room for the kiddies to spread around their mouse ears and overpriced stuffed toys.

More on how to get this rate after the jump

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