Tag: Hilton Hotels
View All TagsCelebrity Scoop / Whitney Houston / Beverly Hills Hotels / Hilton Hotels / Twitter / → All Tags
Whitney Houston's Death at The Beverly Hilton Was Not Right, Nor Was It Ok
By now everyone knows that our childhood idol one of the greatest voices ever heard, Whitney Houston, who lived a life full of superstar highs and drug addiction lows, tragically passed away on Saturday afternoon at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. And like so many celebrity deaths in this 24-hour news cycle and info-ravenous age, the details surrounding her death keep on coming.
Houston died in a fourth floor suite at the hotel just hours before she was set to attend Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party at the hotel. TMZ also reports that she was found underwater in the bathtub, possible from a Xanax overdose and that her last night on earth was spent getting rowdy in the hotel bar.
As if that weren't sufficiently tragic, TMZ also reports that Whitney's daugher, Bobbi Kristina, showed up at the hotel hours after her mother was found dead and demanded access to the room to see her mother one last time. She was later taken away from the hotel in a stretcher and sent onto Cedars-Sinai to be treated for shock, exhaustion and dehydration.
While all this terrible sadness and drama unfolded on the fourth floor, there was a party going on downstairs.
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In True Airport Fashion, Hilton JFK Makes Us Wait A Little Longer
Though we thought we had the opening date of Hilton's new JFK hotel pegged, it looks like we'll be waiting a little bit longer. The airport hotel's opening has now shifted back a month and a half from Feb 15 to March 30.
Though tired and worn-out passengers still have their pick of beds (Best Western, DoubleTree, Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, among others), we were excited for the opening of Hilton's glistening white block of 256 rooms, outfitted with a lounge and sports bar, 24-hour shuttle service, and pool.
Not that we'll be waiting around, twiddling our thumbs until April. Unlike an airport, which pretty much holds you hostage until your flight is deemed ready, we'll simply take our hotel-hopping selves into the city, where certain other properties still have openings planned for March 1.
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Pounce On These Leap Year Hotel Deals Now, Before They Leap Away
Yes, it's a Leap Year! An entire day added to the month, an entire extra day for some hotel-lovin'. And the hotels are pretty excited about it too! We've hunted around for the best Leap Year deals from San Antonio to New York to London. Unsurprisingly, several of them overlap with Valentine's Day festivities—but as they say, bargains make the heart grow fonder...
Grand Hyatt New York, fresh from its recent $130 million renovation, is feeling generous. So they're singling out people who are either turning 29 this year or who were born on a leap year. While the 29-year-olds actually make out with something cool (free appetizer or dessert at New York Central, pictured above), leap year babies (anyone born in 2008, 2004, 2000, 1996, etc), as usual, get the short end of the stick. That would be a "free" Dylan's Candy Bar cupcake...-shaped tin (not even an actual cupcake!) from the hotel's 24-hour convenience store, Market.
With a purchase of $9 or more. Seriously. These guys only celebrate their birthday once every four years. Can't we just give them a free cupcake and call it a day? Rates from $309.
Hotel Openings / Wyndham Hotels / DoubleTree Hotels / Hilton Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Tryp by Wyndham / → All Tags
Wyndham Trades In A Garden For A Tryp
The new lobby at DoubleTree Times Square South
We told you last month that DoubleTree was planning on taking over the Wyndham Garden Times Square South—which, we can safely report, officially transpired. However, the rooms remain intact, as well as the ground-floor cafe, Greenhouse 36, so not much has really changed except for the name. And the added bonus of a welcome cookie.
But this neighborhood hasn't seen the last of Wyndham! Oh, no. Just one block south, this month the brand is launching Tryp by Wyndham Times Square South. So we thought we'd do a little compare/contrast to see which of these two (verrry similar) hotels is worthy of your dollar.
For starters? The price. For a random date (we picked a one-night stay on Feb 22nd), Tryp's lowest starting rate is $179, which offers a queen bed, iPod dock, and free WiFi. Meanwhile, DoubleTree will do you one better with starting rates of $152, and pretty much all the same amenities.
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Make New Friends At These 7 Gay-Friendly US Hotels
Maybe we got hit with the Valentine's Day bug a little early, but we're feeling extra-romantic this week. So we're channeling that energy into this list (as promised), of some of the country's gay-friendliest hotels and resorts. But don't worry—it's not all rose petals and glasses of champagne. Whether you want a DJ, a mountain view, or vintage patio furniture, we're pretty sure you'll find what you're looking for here.
Hilton Sedona, a 219-room resort located in northern Arizona's Red Rock country, was recently TAG-approved for its commitment to LGBT travelers. What's more, last September, it hosted the Sedona Pride on the Rocks Festival, which drew all sorts of fun-seeking folks from the entire Verde Valley region. And if the 2012 bash is anything like last year's, guests at the hotel can expect a private pool party, a drag show "Gay-La," and of course, the main festival itself, which takes place among the resort's three heated pools, two restaurants and 20,500 square feet of event space.
Rates start at $179
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The Four Seasons' New Website is Like Flipping Through a Glossy Magazine
We've actually long admired the websites of Four Seasons Hotels because they've always allowed potential guests to see giant, full-screen photos of their guest rooms, public spaces and recreational spots (provided these aren't pre-opening stock photos.) But now with the new Four Seasons website redesign (at a cost of $18 million), the full-sized photos of the hotels, as well as videos, are front and center.
You can watch the YouTube video above for a mini-tutorial while we highlight our fave parts below.
Most notable is the Four Seasons emphasis on TripAdvisor reviews which is interesting since recently, a couple of hotel brands (Starwood and Marriott) began showing off their own guest reviews--the good and the ugly. But not only can you see the glut of reviews for a Four Seasons hotel on TripAdvisor, you can also click from the hotel's website to see what folks are saying about the hotel on Facebook and Twitter. (So far when we checked the Four Seasons George V in Paris, all social media activity was positive.)
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Twitpic of the Week: A Golden Globes Winner Snacks in the Hilton's Kitchen
In the ever-expanding universe of Twitter, there is one particular trend @HotelChatter happens to quite enjoy: candid hotel photos. These Twitpics range from stunning views to anti-views to celebrity tomfoolery and everything in between. And we can't get enough of 'em! Every Monday, we will feature one "Twitpic of the Week" to commemorate our favorite hotel-themed snapshot. Got a favorite of your own? Want to show off your sweet suite? Send it in!
For many actors, the real party took place not during last night's awards ceremony, but afterwards, inside the Beverly Hills Hilton's kitchen. OK, maybe just for one actor. But still. @EricStonestreet, who was nominated last night for his role as "Cameron" on Modern Family (and which managed to pick up this year's award for "Best Comedy Series"), was clearly enjoying himself during a late-night visit to the hotel's kitchen.
He better be careful. If Gordon Ramsay catches him in there, it's over.
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This is What Celebs Will Be Eating During the Golden Globes at The Beverly Hilton
Awards season has officially begun and all eyes will be on the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills this Sunday when it hosts the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards inside its iconic International Ballroom--for the 42nd time.
Sadly for all you celeb stalkers film enthusiasts, rooms at the hotel are entirely sold-out but we have the next best thing for you--the menu for the awards ceremony. So not only can you dissect what your favorite starlets are wearing on the red carpet, you can also dissect what they will be "eating" during the awards show. (We have to assume that those in tight dresses might refrain.)
The Beverly Hilton's executive hotel chef, Suki Sugiura, and the Executive Pastry Chef, Thomas Henzi, have spent six months creating a menu that mixes local California ingredients with global flavors sure to appeal to the show's international attendees. Here's the menu, course by course:
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Millenium Hilton Gets Upgraded (But the WiFi Still Isn't Free)
Notice anything different?
We really thought we were getting somewhere with Monday's news about Bryant Park Hotel offering free WiFi. But it seems real change is slow to come.
Though the lobby, restaurant, and bar (above) at Millenium Hilton all benefited from a recent freshening up—new furniture, new colors, new floors—a self-described "technology upgrade" isn't turning out to be quite as state-of-the-art as the hotel would have you believe. Yes, high-speed internet connection is now available from anywhere inside the hotel. But? That convenience comes with a price.
It might be possible to overlook that minor setback and just admire the pretty new granite floors and earthy tones brightening up the whole lobby—if it weren't for our other beef with the unfortunately-located hotel: its proximity to the construction noises of Ground Zero. Now, you know what would be a great, sensible way to compensate for the endless crane-hauling and rock-blasting? No, not earplugs. Free WiFi!
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How To Spot Ireland From Your Window At Conrad New York
Though Conrad New York is still about a month away from opening, we decided to swing by and see what the place was looking like. And from what we can tell, there's still quite a bit of work to be done—all the windows are covered, and machinery surrounds the entrance.
But we did happen to notice a striking piece of public art right across the street. Situated between the hotel and the Hudson River is a craggy, hilly, and entirely un-Manhattan public park known as the Irish Hunger Memorial. Dedicated in 2002 to raise awareness of the famine that swept Ireland in the mid-1800s, the memorial consists of actual stones, soil and vegetation that was shipped over from Ireland.
Walking through its tunnels and over its grassy mounds is an entirely bizarre experience, but we love the fact that it sits practically in the hotel's front yard, making Conrad New York ideal for art snobs, nature lovers...and homesick Irish people.
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Could This Be, Free Internet at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter?
The other day when we were investigating some hotel options in San Diego, we came across this interesting bit of info at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter--complimentary internet.
That's a highly unusual service at a Hilton hotel since it's pretty much a brand standard to charge for internet so we had to call the hotel to double-check. And indeed the internet is gloriously free!
However, there is a little caveat. While the internet is free wireless in the lobby, upstairs in the guestrooms, it's wired. So if you had hopes of working from bed, be sure to bring an extra long ethernet cable with you.
Still, with the good news from earlier today that Bryant Park Hotel has gone the way of free WiFi, could 2012 really be THE year that hotels finally listen to our "Free WiFi For All" chants? We know it's premature to be thinking like this, after all it's only the second day of the new year but we just can't help ourselves.
Know of a hotel that once charged for internet but is now offering it gratis? Let us know!
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Would You Trust A Hotel That Recycles Its Pillows?
Forgive us if we're way behind on this, but we just learned about a machine called the Pillow-Vac, which looks kind of like a photocopier but instead of toner and ink, it gets filled with down clusters and feathers. Designed to clean and "renovate" old pillows, the Pillow-Vac literally eats up all the dust-filled, germ-ridden, lumpy innards, sifts out the crap, and then spits everything back out into a pristine, fluffy new "ticking" (the technical term for the shell of a pillow). Pretty neat, huh?
We were tipped off to the whole world of pillow rehabilitation by Hilton Concord in San Francisco, who just announced their own multi-million dollar renovation—including brand new sustainable programs, like cold-water dishwashing, food waste reduction, and of course, pillow recycling.
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