Tag: Hotel Animals
View All TagsHotel News / Hotel Pets / Hotel Animals / La Jolla Hotels / Hotel Pools / → All Tags
Hedonistic Sea Lion Prefers Hotel Pools To Actual Ocean
One of the most frustrating things about being a fin-footed mammal, so we've heard, is being constantly confined to swimming in the ocean or sitting on large rocks. But what happens when you want to treat yourself for the day? Get a mani-pedi at the mall, or hop a plane to Mexico, or lounge for hours by a hotel pool?
ABC reported on an intrepid female sea lion who showed up yesterday at the Pantai Inn, an all-suites hotel on the Pacific Coast that calls itself "Balinese-themed." Well, we don't know much about what goes on at hotels in Bali, but here in the US, sea lions casually draping themselves on deck furniture isn't exactly the norm.
Apparently, an overnight front desk worker spotted the creature by the pool around 6:45am, and subsequently alerted his manager, as well as SeaWorld, which promptly sent officials to retrieve the animal. Though, not before the story spread to local news stations. The night shift worker told ABC:
"The sea lion was sleeping on our chair in the courtyard and looking pretty relaxed."
Josh Flagg / Hawaii Hotels / Hotel Animals / Waikiki Hotels / → All Tags
Josh Flagg Relives The Dolphin Quest at The Kahala Hotel
Our resident celebrity hotel hopper, Josh Flagg, star of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing is still sending in Hawaii dispatches. Here's his take on swimming with the dolphins in Hawaii.
When I was a little boy, I used to stay with my parents at the famous Kahala Hotel in Waikiki. I was really excited when my partner Colton and I went to Hawaii to go back to the hotel and see if it was still as glamorous as it was when I was a child. And the former Mandarin Oriental property is just that!
It kind of reminds me of what Waikiki was in the 1950s (not that I was around to see it) but one can imagine. The mid-century building is totally refreshed and redone yet still has a very cool 1950s vibe.
What the property offers which I have never seen anywhere else is a natural lagoon full of dolphins that you can swim with! This is what I used to do when I was little and I wanted to see if the Dolphin Quest program was still going on. Boy is it ever!
Hotel Breakfast / Nairobi Hotels / Kenya Hotels / Hotel Animals / Pet-Friendly Hotels / Safari Hotels / Hotel Breakfasts / → All Tags
At Giraffe Manor In Nairobi, Breakfast Is A Truly Communal Experience
It sounds like breakfast at Giraffe Manor is well worth getting up for—and not just for the coffee. Located in Nairobi, the 140-acre estate is home to eight endangered Rothschild giraffes, which are apparently some of the rarest on earth. And in the mornings, they like to put on a little show.
Guests are discouraged from approaching the animals as they roam the land, but it's a whole different story at 9am when the giraffes show up outside the hotel, poke their heads in through the windows and eat directly off the table like humans. Apparently, the protein pellets the kitchen serves up are some of the best in the area.
Hotel Animals / B and Bs / Salina Valley Hotels / Hotel Elephants / → All Tags
Please Feed the Animals at Vision Quest Ranch B&B
Lifting the flap of our military-grade safari tent for a peak outside, we looked across the tall grasses and waited for the elephants to come. The air was cool, but inside we were warm and incredibly comfortable. With a powerhouse heating unit, electric heating blankets, a mini fridge and coffeemaker, full bathroom (!), HDTV (!!), and a sitting area, you’d never guess this was the inside of a tent. You might also think you were on an African savannah, never imagining you were actually in California’s Salinas Valley, just a 30-minute drive from Monterey.
It’s one of many big surprises we got from our stay at Vision Quest Ranch B&B, a super cool hodgepodge of a place that’s hard to limit to one description. It’s a ranch with awesomely equipped tents, it’s a zoo called Wild Things for retired and rescued exotic animals, it’s a training compound for animals who participate in TV and films (and its famous for the retired Hollywood animals that have called it home), it’s an education center lead by a remarkable team of trainers, and, of course, there’s a dog kennel onsite, too.
Every stay includes a guided tour of the grounds, including the zoo-like compound area, and we experienced ours when we arrived the day before. No joke, we saw every kind of big cat -- lions, tigers, lynx, cougars, leopards – plus bears, elephants, zebra, monkeys, wallaby, kangaroo, hyenas, even tortoises (who happened to be getting quite busy). Many of the animals are actually walked daily so we promptly picked our jaws up off the floor on seeing a baboon and a red kangaroo out for a leashed gander.
Instagram / Miami Hotel Mambo / Kimpton Hotels / Hotel Animals / Hotel Social Media / → All Tags
Surfcomber Miami's Cows and Sheep Are Getting Social
Everyone, it seems, is on Spring Break. Even the cows and sheep at The Surfcomber in South Beach.
These intriguing sculptures who dot the public spaces of Kimpton's newest outpost in Miami popped up this weekend on Instagram photos of Winter Music Conference events at the hotel. In fact, it was the Surfcomber and Kimpton who did most of the Instagraming--and who encouraged guests to do likewise, captioning this shot with: "Share your cow and sheep pictures from #winter_party with us #surfcomberhotelmiami."
The hotel even has a new Instagram photos section of its website and is getting pretty active on Facebook. So, why suddenly is the Surfcomber going social, animals and all?
Fashion Week Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Animals / Hotel Dogs / → All Tags
Wondering What To Wear For NY Fashion Week? First, Take Care of Your Pooch
NY Fashion Week is fast approaching. And you know what that means. Private parties, lobbies littered with models, and The James' signature NYFW meal.
And those are just for the humans. Fashion-forward dogs, on the other hand, will be strutting their stuff at the New Yorker. On February 10, specifically, when a New Yorkie pet apparel fashion show descends on the hotel, complete with a celebrity appearance by none other than Schmitty the Weather Dog, possibly our favorite hotel-hopping pooch ever.
Germany Hotels / Hotel Animals / Hotel News / Hotel Crime / → All Tags
Snakes at a German Hotel (Ew, Ew, Ew)
Rather than drummers drumming, pipers piping, and golden rings, a group of Chinese visitors to Cologne, Germany had a more unseemly batch of presents for their hotel: police confiscated "100 snakes, 70 tortoises and 20 neon-colored frogs" from the three tourists, reports English-language news source The Local. And, no, a partridge in a pear tree was not included in their arc of travel companions.
Hotel Spas / Hotel Yoga / Hotel Exercise / Viva Vegas / Las Vegas Hotels / Hotel Animals / → All Tags
If You Find Dolphins Relaxing, You Should Consider Doing Yoga With Them
When we first learned that The Mirage was offering yoga classes inside their underwater dolphin viewing area, we wondered just how productive those classes would actually be. Isn't yoga supposed to be about focus and self-discipline? Last time we visited an aquarium, we were so excited we literally ran from tank to tank.
The unconventional yoga space has multiple windows looking into the "habitat," so students will be more likely to be spying on the dolphin families than fine-tuning their poses. As for the dolphins? They see people every day—whether sitting in rows on the bleachers, or twisted into a pretzel on the floor, an audience is an audience. This is nothing new for them.
Holiday Hotels / Trump Hotels / Chicago Hotels / Hotel Animals / → All Tags
Reindeer Will Reign Over the Trump Chicago on Saturday
Like it or not, the holiday season has officially begun. So while you're drawing up your Christmas wish lists or plotting out the best strategy for door-busting on Black Friday, don't forget to plan out your hotel stay. From now through New Year's Eve, we'll be pulling out the holiday hotel news, deals and events we think are the best (or the worst.) Got a question about booking a hotel over the holidays or what to do when staying in a hotel over the holidays? Let us know!
While the gingerbread mice are busy readying the gigantic gingerbread castle at the Chicago Marriott in Downtown, Santa's other helpers will be back on display at the Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago. Yes, we're talking about the reindeers.
For the second year in a row, two live reindeer will "fly" into the hotel for an appearance on November 19 for Trump Chicago's holiday kick-off party from 3pm to 8pm featuring holiday music, seasonal refreshments, photo ops with Santa and the reindeer and a perfect view of Chicago's annual holiday fireworks show. (The Trump's party coincides with the city's 20th Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.) All proceeds from the event will benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
Hotel Pets / Manhattan Hotels / Fashion Hotels / Hotel Animals / Hotel Cats / Hotel Balls / → All Tags
Matilda III Goes A-Waltzing At The Algonquin
In case you haven't been keeping up with the royal kitty lineage over at The Algonquin, here's a refresher.
In November, Matilda II stepped down as the hotel's 13-year cat-in-residence. A replacement, going by the name of Matilda III (at The Algonquin, all females are named Matilda, and all males Hamlet), was acquired from the North Shore Animal League (we spied Matilda III posing on a luggage cart here). On Wednesday, Matilda III was officially welcomed into the fold with a Debutante Ball & Meow Wear Fashion Show. Unexpectedly, R&B singer Mya also made an appearance. What?
Cool Hotel Jobs / Hotel Employees / Peabody Hotels / Hotel Animals / → All Tags
Any Concierges Out There Especially Good With Handling Ducks?
There are all sorts of niche hotel jobs out there--we've profiled more than a few of them here--but being a duckmaster at the Peabody Memphis might be the most unusual hotel job out there.
However, taking care of the ducks is a full-time job and apparently a busy one as Head Duckmaster Jason Sensat is looking for an assistant to help him out. The Associated Press reports:
The assistant would help head Duckmaster Jason Sensat feed and care for the ducks. The new hire also would guide the four hens and one drake on their two daily walks from their penthouse suite to the marble fountain in the hotel lobby. The walk, a tradition for 78 years, draws hundreds of spectators every day.
Hotel Pets / Hotel Animals / Hotel Amenities / San Diego Hotels / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags
Sleep With The Fishes At The Pearl San Diego
When we stayed at the Pearl Hotel in San Diego last week, we got something we didn’t bargain on – a sleeping partner called Wolfgang. Sadly, Wolfgang was not a strapping German, and luckily, he wasn’t a bedbug. He was, as you can see from the picture, a fish.
All the rooms at the Pearl have a retro motel feel, and each come equipped with a little fish in a bowl on the wall. Each bowl comes with a name tag, so you’re not sleeping with something anonymous.
Should we have wanted to get maternal, we were warned off feeding Wolfgang with a sign saying:
Everyone gets fine n friendly care from The Pearl Hotel staff. There’s no need to feed me. Enjoy your stay.
The burning question – what happens if the fish dies? Do they create a new sign? Sadly not. This was actually our second visit to the Pearl. During our first, we suspected our fish might have died (it hadn’t – we don’t think) and asked at check in what happens – and they said they just replace them. The fish is dead, long live the fish, kind of thing.
