HotelChatter

Tags: Hotel Carpets / Hotel Decor / Marriott Hotels / LA Live / Downtown LA Hotels / → All Tags

Is There Time for JW Marriott at L.A. Live To Reconsider Their Carpeting?

Where: 900 West Olympic Boulevard [map], Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90015

UPDATE: The JW Marriott LA Live just tweeted about the carpet installation on the 5th floor. Guess it's too late!

We've been riding a sort of high about the upcoming JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton coming to downtown Los Angeles' LA Live entertainment complex. Downtown LA has been struggling for a long time to pull visitors away from the action of Hollywood and the fun of the Venice/Santa Monica beaches and LA Live looks like their best shot.

Next to the Staples Center (home to the Lakers and big ticket concerts), LA Live has a Nokia Theater, a small intimate venue called Club Nokia, an ESPN Zone, the Grammy Hall of Fame and several restaurants and bars.

So bringing in the JW Marriott and a Ritz next to LA Live (in a cool building with a large video wall) will give guests close-by fancy hotel options. However, we're really hoping the JW Marriott can reconsider its carpeting option before it opens on February 15, 2010.

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Tags: Hotel Carpets / Snapshot / Barcelona Hotels / → All Tags

Well, At Least the Fugly Carpet Has a Function This Time

Where: Rambla del Raval 17-21, Barcelona, Spain

It is no secret that we have a hard time dealing with fugly hotel carpeting. We understand why it's ugly (the full story is here if you're interested, but here's a spoiler: hides stains, moves the eyes along, etc.) — and we know the fug serves a function.

But here is the semi-fug (come on, the brown with the black reminds us of our a suite George Costanza's father would wear) carpet at Hotel Barcelo Raval in Barcelona — and, would you look at that, this carpet actually serves a very distinct function. Hooray!

This was snapped by Crazy farmer, and rooms here start at about 110 euros per night (or $156 USD). And even if you're drunkers and staring at your feet to make sure you continue to put your left foot in front of your right, you'll be able to find your room.

[Photo: crazyfarmer]

Tags: Hotel Carpets / Snapshot / Manhattan Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / → All Tags

It's a Fugly Carpet Renaissance in Times Square

Where: Two Times Square, 714 Seventh Avenue at W. 48th Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10036

Hey! We haven't giggled about some fugly carpet in a while. And this one comes from the center of the universe, NYC, and perhaps we may one day get lucky enough to unearth enough fugly carpets to declare this place the Fugly Carpet Capital of the World.

Also, it's Friday afternoon and we want to end the week on a smiley note. This shot comes from eryoni on Flickr, and it's from (we're pretty sure) the Renaissance Times Square, where rates start at about $299 these days.

And it sort of reminds us of an 80's arcade game, no? Meh — at least it won't show too many stains from the touristy sneakers trudging all over it if New York sees another soaking wet week like the one we just had.

[Photo: Eryoni]

Tags: Hotel Carpets / Snapshot / Hawaii Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Starwood Luxury Collection / → All Tags

The Royal Hawaiian Gets a Carpet Upgrade

Where: 2259 Kalakaua Ave [map], Honolulu, HI, United States, 96815

Ah, Royal Hawaiian. We're sorry for giving you a hard time about that fugly carpet of yours. It's Friday, we're in a good mood (and also we're beginning to suspect that one day we may get karmic retribution from the universe in the form of being placed in charge of a hotel that gets delayed for reasons beyond our control and has irreplaceable fugly carpet), so we will deliver a compliment: this carpet is good. See? There, we said it. We like it. It's tasteful and modern, yet not out of place in the famed "Pink Palace of the Pacific"!

Reader K sent over this shot of some Royal Hawaiian carpet:

I live on Maui and was recently over on Oahu and toured the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian. I did take this picture of the carpet and lightings leading to the newer wing of the building. I thought it was very tasteful with all the pink and stuff.

We agree. Perhaps this carpet arrived with the massive overhaul at the beginning of the year. You've come a long way (from this), baby.

Tags: Hotel Carpets / Hotel Decor / Hotel Design / HotelChatter Questions / → All Tags

Why Are Hotel Carpets So Ugly?

Fugly carpet found at Paris' Four Seasons George V.

We'll admit it: we rag on ugly hotel carpeting with a fair bit of frequency. But in an honest effort to embrace our softer sides, we will attempt to do what our mothers always taught us to do before mocking something: we'll make an attempt to understand it. And we'll be starting with the fuzziest victim of our sometimes-vicious scrutiny; a hotel design element we tend to walk all over frequently (ha! See what we did there?)

So, we ask because we want to understand: why is hotel carpeting so ugly?

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Tags: Hotel Carpets / Snapshot / Chicago Hotels / → All Tags

A Fugly Hotel Carpeting Wonderland

Where: 636 South Michigan Avenue [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60605

Welcome to the latest installment of our Hotel Carpet series, where we take it upon ourselves to call out the most offensive hotel carpeting we come across. Behold this shot of the lobby of the historic Marriott Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, which was recently given a gigantic makeover to the tune of $128 million. And yes, this is the post-makeover carpet.

This historic, very-recognizable building features French Beaux-Arts architecture — and the exterior has, according to the website, been featured in "over 1,400 contemporary works of arts by local artists." The inside, however, may not translate so well to works of art — mostly due to this crazy-trippy carpet.

Truly, it's not so bad — it may just be the dizzying Alice in Wonderland stripes juxtaposed with the marble and luxe finishes in the rest of the space. It's just that this carpet is shocking for such an old-school luxe property like The Blackstone. And frankly, since the hotel is offering $99 rooms (as we mentioned just this week), we're not too sure we'll mind this carpet so much.

[Photo: Lawrence's Lenses]

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The Return of Fugly Hotel Carpeting

Where: 2259 Kalakaua Ave [map], Honolulu, HI, United States

We don't like kicking Hawaii when its occupancy rate is down but this fugly carpeting from the hallway at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki is scary. This picture was taken this month which would mean that the hotel's recent renovations obviously haven't covered carpeting.

And we're not sure we've encountered the protea flower in person but does it look as scary in real-life as it does on this rug?

On the bright side, anyone who loves the color pink (and we know someone who does) will love this hotel whose pink exterior has earned the nickname, The Pink Palace. That carries over to the website too, which is shockingly pink. Elle Woods already loves it.

Tags: Guess the Hotel / Hotel Carpets / → All Tags

Guess The Hotel's Fugly Carpeting

We're back with the latest installment of Guess the Hotel. This edition is going to be hard as it's focused on this seriously fugly hotel carpeting. You know how the game works. Put your answers in comments below. But first, here are some hints to help you along.

· This is actually a very swanky hotel in a very chic neighborhood.
· Canadians like it here but it's not in Canada. More like France.
· Flower-enthusiasts like it here too.
· This fugly carpeting was shot in the hotel's lobby lounge/tea room.

Do you think you know which hotel has this fugly carpeting? Put your thoughts in comments below.

Tags: Hotel Video Tours / Las Vegas Hotels / Viva Vegas / Hotel Carpets / → All Tags

Hotel Video Tours:: The Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Where: 3770 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

We hit up Las Vegas over the weekend and shacked up at the Monte Carlo Hotel. The hotel has recovered nicely from a dangerous fire earlier this year and we shot a video of room 20-108 to show you what it's like.

However, this is in no way a modern hotel room on the strip. Judging by the room decor, we are having a hard time believing this hotel only opened 12 years ago. Also, beware of seriously fugly room carpeting.

Enjoy the video today and we'll bring a you full review tomorrow.

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Not a Fugly Carpet at the Sofitel LA?

Where: 8555 Beverly Blvd [map], Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90048

In continuing our running tab on hotel carpets (yes, we are that geeky here), we present you with this photo taken at the Sofitel LA by Air Christophe. And we're thinking maybe this carpet is not so fugly? What do you think? Let us know in comments below.

Tags: Hotel Rugs / Hotel Carpets / Lists / → All Tags

Hotel Carpeting Isn't Always Pretty

We have stayed in our fair share of hotels over the past few years and while we have taken a close look at everything inside a hotel room from pillows, to bath toiletries to TVs to views and WiFi connections, we don't seem to take much notice of the hotel's carpeting.

That is, unless it's really ugly.

Now we don't believe an ugly rug can ruin a hotel experience. In fact, we would probably prefer a room with an ugly rug if the hotel had free WiFi, rather than a luxury hotel with the finest softest rugs and pay-for ethernet access.

And while some of you will probably say we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here as far as nitpicking goes, we standby our assertion that these hotel carpets listed after the jump are ugggglly.

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