Tag: Historic Hotels View All Tags
Tags: Hotel Closings / New Mexico Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Historic Hotel Sadly Rides Off into the Sunset
| June 24, 2009 at 5:04 PM | 0 Comments
Watching a once-great hotel let herself go is as sad as any Hollywood crash-and-burn, if you ask us. And frankly, that sentiment extends beyond hotels we’ve personally watched rise and fall. So even though we've never been, we’re shedding a special tear for the shuttering of the historic Eklund Hotel, an Old West hotel in tiny Clayton, New Mexico, complete with a resident ghost named Irene and a saloon with a bullet hole-pierced tin ceiling.
Reports the AP: “The Eklund’s closing comes just five years after completion of a $2.3 million renovation of the stately, three-story sandstone block building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.”
Tags: Tips / Colorado Springs Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
When Renting a Car, It Never Hurts to Mention Where You're Staying
| June 18, 2009 at 3:30 PM | 0 Comments
Once again, United Airlines wreaked havoc on our travel plans during a recent trip to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
It really shouldn’t take 12 hours to get from Seattle to Colorado Springs via Denver — but it did. The return route was truly a comedy of errors of Academy Award winning proportions complete with delays and disappointing customer service, but we managed to finagle a seat on the last flight from Denver into Seattle.
To avoid the possibility of being stuck at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (or delayed on the inbound — we’ve been subjected to both scenarios on multiple occasions), fly into Denver, rent a ride and drive one hour to The Broadmoor. The five-diamond resort has an arrangement with Alamo, and when we mentioned that we were staying at The Broadmoor, the quoted price one-way rate of $154 magically dropped to $39.99. That’s a very small price to pay for avoiding potential snafus at Colorado Springs airport and ensuring you don’t miss out on a single minute of Rocky Mountain fun.
Tags: Hotel Lounges / Hotel Bars / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Kick It With Mr. Piano Man at The Broadmoor's Golden Bee
| June 12, 2009 at 5:17 PM | 0 Comments
We’re staying at The Broadmoor this weekend to attend BBQ University with grill guru Steven Raichlen. The reasons why we love The Broadmoor are too plentiful to list, but beyond spa-ing and shopping (we hear there are 75%-off sales at several of the boutiques), we love to make the on-property eating and drinking rounds.
The super fancy (yet charmingly old-school) Five-Diamond Penrose School is fabulous for special occasions. We swoon for the cocktails at the super hip Adam Tihany-designed Summit Lounge. But our guilty pleasure is cozying up to the piano at the Golden Bee with an ice cold, locally brewed beer.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Hilton Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
This Summer, Hilton Will School Guests With History Lessons
| May 27, 2009 at 12:14 PM | 0 Comments
Hilton thinks you need a history lesson. Er, more specifically, Hilton thinks you should stay at one of its historic properties this summer and soak up a little local lore while you’re at it, courtesy of a new set of historical travel packages. You know, because while you could sip French wine at a Paris café this summer, you also could munch on cheesesteaks in Philly or beignets in Nola. All in the name of budget constraints patriotism, of course!
Here are a few of Hilton’s offerings for wannabe history buffs:
At the Hilton INN at Penn in Philadelphia, the See Philly Package includes accommodations, breakfast, and a 24-hour pass to the BIG BUS by Philadelphia Trolley Works. The tour has 20 stops along the way at Philly’s major landmarks, from the Liberty Bell to a lesson on the creation of the cheesesteak. Rates start at $244 per night, available through 2009.
Tags: Hotel Woes / Industry News / Marriott Hotels / Hotel News / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Marriott Involvement Adds Another Layer to The Greenbrier Saga
| May 18, 2009 at 2:11 PM | 0 Comments
Alright. So. In a very, very compact nutshell, the drama at the Greenbrier in West Virginia goes a bit like this: the resort was having some troubles, shed about half of its staff, and word on the street was Marriott was gonna purchase and save the resort — but then another buyer stepped in and snapped it up last week, and furloughed employees were called back.
Now, here's this, from the Charleston Gazette:
The Greenbrier's new owner and Marriott International have reached a tentative agreement that allows the hotel giant to market the historic resort. In exchange, Marriott won't challenge the resort's sale, said Jim Justice, who purchased the Greenbrier's stock earlier this month.
Apparently, under this arrangement, Marriott will be receiving "a special fee for every Greenbrier guest booked through the hotel chain's marketing network" — or else the hotel's new owner would have to pay Marriott "a $7 million 'break-up fee' if he ends Marriott's marketing partnership," presumably because Marriott had a contract to purchase the resort from its previous owners.
What's not clear is, well, a lot of things. Among them: who is going to manage the resort? Will it be flagged as a Marriott? Guess those are the "details" that need to be worked out.
[Photo: Bloomberg News via WSJ]
Tags: Historic Hotels / Boulder Hotels / Haunted Hotels / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
The Hotel Boulderado Turns 100
| May 14, 2009 at 4:50 PM | 0 Comments
What’s not to love about Boulder, Colorado?This town of just over 100,000 people was the first in the country to tax itself to preserve open space. Its university, University of Colorado at Boulder, offers valet parking for bikes. Its eclectic roster of residents includes aerospace engineers, Buddhist practitioners, retired Olympians and culinary stars.
For weekend warriors, it’s less than an hour drive from Denver International Airport. If ever there was poster child for proving that having an eco mindset doesn’t mean having to sacrifice the finer things in life, Boulder would be it.
Tags: Hotel Woes / Hotel News / Marriott Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
The Greenbrier Asks For Its Employees Back
| May 13, 2009 at 12:09 PM | 0 Comments
Alright. There's been some hot drama going down at the Greenbrier in West Virginia (Hotels Mag's Derek Gale did an awesome recap of it here), but to summarize very, very briefly: the historic Greenbrier was having trouble. The Greenbrier shed about half of its staff, and word on the street was Marriott was gonna save the troubled resort — but then another buyer stepped in and snapped it up last week.
This week, the Charleston Gazette is reporting that the Greenbrier is now recalling its furloughed employees — which, actually, is something that they'd hinted at when they did the initial employee-shedding ("Greenbrier said in the statement that historically, business improves in the late spring and summer, and that it anticipated that some of the furloughed employees could return at that time.")
Oh, also? The Gazette mentioned this goodness:
Earlier this week [new owner] Justice said he plans to build a casino by the end of the year at the resort costing $15 million to $20 million and hire up to 600 new workers.
A casino. Lovely. Well, that's one way to make some cashola back after the reported $90 million the place has lost over the last five years.
[Photo: Bloomberg News via WSJ]
Tags: Hotel Woes / Hotel News / Marriott Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Someone Steps In Front of Marriott to Save the Greenbrier
| May 8, 2009 at 8:53 AM | 1 Comment
Oy, the drama. The troubled, historic and gorgeous Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia — which (fun fact!) sits atop a 112,000-square-foot bunker built during the Cold War — has been having some troubles lately. After business slowed majorly, the resort slashed about half of its staff and then had to file for bankruptcy — but word on the street was that Marriott was looking to step in to buy it and save the place.
But now it's become a big ordeal because, according to the WSJ, a "family-owned West Virginia mining-and-farming company" acquired the resort for $20 million yesterday, and plans to ask a bankruptcy court to drop the hotel's Chapter 11 proceedings:
The transaction this week [...] is a sale of the bankrupt company itself. By buying the Greenbrier outright -- not just the hotel and assets -- the Justice family hopes to reverse the bankruptcy and assume full control of the resort.
Huh. But, um, also: Marriott said Thursday that they were "surprised by the sale" and that they plan to keep pursuing its purchase of the Greenbrier assets themselves.
Interesting. Sounds like it's game on, then.
[Photo: Bloomberg News via WSJ]
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Renovations / London Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Landmark London's Hip New Bar Keeps It a Bit Too Old-Fashioned
| May 4, 2009 at 10:09 AM | 0 Comments
We've been wondering for the past couple of years why London appeared to have turned into a building site, and now the answer's clear: because every hotel in the capital seems to be going through a refurb, and every other landowner appears to be building a hotel.
The latest to unveil its new wares is the Landmark. It's spent £1m re-doing its restaurant and bar, and it opens tomorrow.
While the name has been sexed up (Cellars Restaurant has become the down-with-the-kids twotwentytwo), they've kept some of the original fittings — oak paneling and antique fireplaces — but, by the looks of things, tarted it up with chandeliers that look like jellyfish and rather dapper armchairs.
What we really like the sound of is the "Wine Library": a display case of wine running down one side of the bar. What we're less keen on is the sound of the cocktail menu which divides drinks up into those suitable "for him" and "for her." Chaps, we know you're a historic hotel and all, but some of us ladies like to choose our own drinks these days. Next thing we know, you'll be enforcing a dress code of tweed-n-pearls. And, um, no thanks.
Tags: Historic Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / Hyatt Hotels / → All Tags
Who Knew This Hotel Was Worth Saving?
| April 28, 2009 at 3:26 PM | 2 Comments
We're actually quite familiar with the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, just a hop, skip and a chauffered drive away from Rodeo Drive, as we once lived near the hotel. We've even spa'd at the hotel's Equinox fitness center and spa and we've gone for drinks at the hotel's X bar. And yes, the world's worst hotel guest, Dennis Rodman has even been arrested here.
However, its massive hotel room/factory appearance and numerous hotel brand changes left us often recommending smaller, more stable hotel brands around Beverly Hills.
But who knew the place had such great history? This was the hotel that hosted the state dinner for moon walkers Neil Armstrong and Buzz O'Neil after they arrived home from their epic voyage.
Tags: Historic Hotels / Seasonal Hotels / Mackinac Hotels / → All Tags
Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel Opens Up For its 123rd Year
| April 23, 2009 at 5:16 PM | 1 Comment
The automobile free island of Mackinac, Michigan is gearing up for its six month-long season and things look nearly exactly the same as they did over 100 years ago. But that's a good thing on Mackinac. They've decided to keep life on the island looking and feeling old school. (Although they've outfitted almost the entire island with WiFi now.)
The Grand Hotel sets the season off officially opening on April 30th for it's 123rd season. Yowza. That's old. There's also a soft opening from April 23 to 29 with rooms listed at $150 a night.
Tags: Cubicle Dreamin' / Kentucky Hotels / Historic Hotels / Literary Hotels / → All Tags
A Bourbon-Soaked Stay in Kentucky
| April 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM | 0 Comments
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Katie K visits Kentucky...in her mind. Enjoy.
Lately I’ve been in a Great-Gatsby-decadence-craving sort of mood (as recessionary escape?). So dress me in my nattiest frock and hand me a bourbon tumbler, because I’m headed to the 1905-built Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Kentucky, blueblood haunt and one-time writing muse to F. Scott Fitzgerald (penned into immortality as his backdrop for Tom and Daisy Buchanan's nuptials).
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
Our Publications:
Jaunted | HotelChatter | VegasChatter
