Tag: Dorchester Collection Hotels
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What is This at The Hotel Bel-Air?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our newest series, What is This? is devoted to odd-looking items in hotel rooms that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
The other week when we were perusing a Canyon View Suite at the newly reopened Hotel Bel-Air we were immediately drawn to this rectangle thingie embedded in the bed's leather headboard. What could it be? The only way to find out was to start poking at it.
So poke we did and voila! Once we pushed on it, a reading light popped out.
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Beverly Hills Hotels / → All Tags
Now The Beverly Hills Hotel Will Get its Own Makeover
Last week as we were traipsing through the newly glamorous Hotel Bel-Air, we had the chance to speak with general manager Edward Mady who is also overseeing things at the Bel-Air's sister hotel, the equally iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. And once it was confirmed by Dorchester Collection CEO Christopher Cowdray that the Pink Palace would be getting some renovations of its own, on its 100th birthday no less, we promptly pumped Mady for more info.
The Beverly Hills Hotel renovations won't be as extensive as the Bel-Air's but Mady said the refresh will include a soft goods upgrade of the rooms along with some new technology and a few changes to the public spaces like switching up the carpeting in the ballroom and the lobby (where it desperately needs it.)
Celeb Chefs / Hotel Restaurants / Wolfgang Puck / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Wolfgang Puck Gets Fresh at The Hotel Bel-Air
Wolfgang Puck is either drinking a lot of red bull these days or he has clones of himself running around the world from one top luxury hotel to the next launching new hotel restaurant concepts.
Fresh off the opening of his CUT Steakhouse at 45 Park Lane, Wolfgang was back in LA to open to his new restaurant at the newly glamorous Hotel Bel-Air. But it's not just one restaurant Wolfgang is running here, it's the entire food and beverage operations.
Anytime you order an appetizer, an entree, dessert or even a late-night snack from room service during your stay at the Bel-Air, Wolfgang has put his hands on it. Ok, well not exactly as he won't always be in the kitchen but it's his culinary vision that's being executed. And a huge part of that vision is freshness.
We went into the kitchen at the Hotel Bel-Air with Wolfgang where he showed us that day's haul from the farmer's market. He's a stickler about having everything as fresh as can be, even to the point where he will ask if the oranges can stay on the tree a little longer. So when you get a fresh fruit basket in your room upon arrival, you can sleep soundly knowing that it's some seriously fresh fruit.
Design Thursdays / Hotel Renovations / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Alexandra Champalimaud / Sweet Suites / → All Tags
Inside a Canyon View Suite at The Hotel Bel-Air
Welcome to our newest new feature, Design Thursdays! Thursdays are now our day to focus on hotel design through photo tours, video walkthroughs and interviews with hotel designers. Got a cool hotel design story we should know about? Let us know!
If you followed our live-blog of the recently reopened Hotel Bel-Air yesterday, you got to see a sneak peek of the new guestrooms and suites inside the hotel. (Missed it? Don't worry, it's still right here.) Today, we can show you a little more, starting off with the drop dead luxurious Canyon View Suite in the hotel's lower canyon--or more explicitly, to the left of the new lobby and restaurant.
These accommodations are the newest ones for the hotel (i.e. never existed before!) yet despite this, the Canyon View rooms and suites look very much a part of the hotel...on the outside that is. The exterior is the same pink as the other buildings and the modern stairways leading up to the rooms are the only real giveaway that this was not here before.
(Still, even if you were a frequent visitor to the Bel-Air before the renovations, you will find yourself second-guessing what was here before and what was not quite a bit. Everything but the pool looks so different.)
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In Europe, Each Drink Has A Different Personality
"Quiet and calm, yet strong and spicy"
Five skilled European fashion designers are going head-to-head this week for a $40,000 prize, handed out by Dorchester Collection Hotels. To mark the occasion—and to keep things light-hearted—a cocktail has been created for each of them.
Between champagne-soaked raspberries and espresso-whiskey concoctions, each drink was created to mimic the personality (and name) of each lucky fashionista. So instead of wearing their clothes, guests of the hotels get to consume their creations in drink form. Convenient, no?
Though they were made through collaborations with different Dorchester hotel bartenders, each of the five drinks—the Elisir di Giulietta, the JL, the Anndra Neen Ruby, the Starry Sky and the Silent Thunderbird (above)—are all available at any of the hotels (45 Park Lane, The Dorchester, Hotel Principe Di Savoia, Le Meurice, and Plaza Athenee Paris). We personally would go for the Andra Neen Ruby, but probably just because we're drawn to brightly-colored things.
Hotel Openings / Dorchester Collection Hotels / London Hotels / Green Hotels / London Hotel Openings / Hotel News / → All Tags
45 Park Lane is Now Open, Complete with Custom Bath Menu
45 Park Lane has finally, formally opened its swanky, $567 per night doors in West London, with many a bell and whistle accompanying its Mayfair debut. With a mere 45 rooms (clever coincidence, eh?), the hotel is relatively modest in size but decidedly immodest by way of luxuries: bespoke furniture, Bang & Olfusen televisions, views of Hyde Park, marble baths, a Media Room available for private hire, and a custom, to-order Bath Menu are just a few perks up for offer. And a partridge in a pear tree.
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45 Park Lane to Open September 1 and The WiFi Will Be Free
London might be the cheeriest of places right now but there is some good news on the hotel front at least--45 Park Lane will now be opening on September 1 and with free WiFi.
The hotel made the announcement yesterday saying:
The new luxury hotel will debut Wolfgang Puck's first restaurant in Europe, and is designed by Thierry W. Despont in a contemporary style with art deco influences. From September 1 - 11, an introductory room rate of £350++ (approximately $567 USD) will be offered, while throughout the year rates will start from £395++ (approximately $640 USD) subject to availability, and include WiFi.
Yowza. For $567, we'd expect nothing less than offering the WiFi for free.
The rooms do look pretty glossy and all of them will have views of Hyde Park (there's only 45 in total.) But we're most excited about the hotel's Bar 45, a library and private screening room. Considering that this property was once home to the Playboy Club, we expect nothing but sexytime out of this place.
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The Dorchester Collection Has a New Sibling in Geneva While The Ritz-Carlton Heads to Oman
Before you check out of work and into your hotel for the long weekend (woot!), here are some luxury hotel news to be aware of.
First up, the Dorchester Collection has decided that seven hotels catering to crazy celebs is simply not enough. So they adopted an eighth property in Geneva, Switzerland--Le Richemond Hotel, previously a Rocco Forte hotel. Hotels Mag reports:
Le Richemond will undergo a refurbishment of its public areas, including the restaurant and bar, as well as its guest suites. The hotel will remain open during the project.
The Le Richemond will officially reopen as a Dorchester Collection hotel in August. Another bonus? We see a little tidbit on the 45 Park Lane hotel in London which will now open in September.
Hotel Lawsuit / Hotel Employees / Beverly Hills Hotels / Dorchester Collection Hotels / → All Tags
Little Did We Know What Was Happening Behind Staff Doors at The Beverly Hills Hotel
Well, it's a good thing the Beverly Hills Hotel got this little mess cleaned up before the pending arrival of Prince William and his new bride but still, who knew such scandalous things were happening behind the Staff Only doors at one of the ritziest hotels in town (and a personal fave hotel of ours?)
Alberto del Hoyo, the general manager of this Dorchester Collection hotel, resigned a few weeks ago for reasons supposedly unrelated to a lawsuit filed against him and the hotel that claims he sexually harassed female employees and made derogatory racist remarks.
Hotel Reopenings / Hotel Renovations / Luxury Hotels / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
The Hotel Bel-Air Will Reopen at Last on October 15 at $595 a Night
When the Hotel Bel-Air closed for renovations back in 2009, we were actually quite relieved as the storied hotel was starting to date itself. But it's been a long two years and we've been getting ants in our pants wondering what the hotel has been so busy working on.
While we first heard July for the grand reopening date, we've learned this morning that the hotel will now be reopening on October 15. Aaaaah, so close yet so far.
However, the hotel is taking reservations starting today. Special opening rates start at $565 a night with a $100 dining credit so you can sample some of the new Wolfgang Puck fare we told you about.
Wolfgang Puck / Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Renovations / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
Wolfgang Puck to Have a Restaurant in the Soon-to-Open Hotel Bel-Air
As the Hotel Bel-Air readies for its big reopening, one of the new features of the massive renovation is a restaurant from famed chef Wolfgang Puck.
According to Eater, he will set up shop in the newly renovated hotel and call his restaurant the not-very-original Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. At the restaurant, he'll serve contemporary California cuisine with European and Mediterranean touches.
Hotel Cocktails / Hotel Bars / San Diego Hotels / Beverly Hills Hotels / Dorchester Collection Hotels / Luxury Collection Hotels / → All Tags
These Hotel Bars are Letting Us Drink In Spring, Literally
There's no more telling sign of spring than colorful flowers popping up everywhere. But instead of stopping to smell the flowers, our inner alcoholics recommend celebrating spring with a flowery alcoholic concoction. Fortunately, hotels are always at the ready to indulge our latest boozy craving by putting blooms in their cocktails with fragrant and tasty results.
If you want a taste of spring, visit these two bars for flower-infused tipples.
