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Tags: Hotel Delays / Hotel Openings / Shangri-La Hotels / Beijing Hotels / → All Tags

Behind Schedule With Your Hotel? Do a Shangri-La And Hedge Your Bets

Where: 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Beijing, China, 100004

Here’s some skewed logic to start your week off. You’re a soon-to-be-open hotel, you’re not sure exactly how long it’s going to take for your paint to dry and your air con to get whirring, and you’re watching other new hotels around the globe getting called out for opening late. What’s the solution?

Well, if you’re Shangri-La, your solution is to hedge your bets. The bizarrely named Shangri-La China World Summit Wing in Beijing was originally slated to open "at the end of the year". And even now, despite Shangri-La just having appointed a GM, they’re not quite sure when it’ll be ready for us to bed down, announcing this weekend that it’ll open "at the end of 2009 or early 2010."

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Tags: Hotel Delays / Hotel Hype / Hotel Openings / Mandarin Oriental Hotels / Barcelona Hotels / → All Tags

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona Will Now Open on November 26th

Where: Passeig de Gracia 38-40, Barcelona, Spain, 08007

Oh Barcelona, you’re pretty n all, but we could do without your mañana mañana attitude spoiling our hotel plans. First the W pushed back its opening date no less than three times, and now it’s the turn of the Mandarin Oriental.

Last time we checked, the hotel was due to open on October 29. But when we hadn't heard any fanfare today, and checked out the hotel’s website to find the calendar showing “no availability”, we smelt a rat.

So we just called Mandarin Oriental’s PR people, and they told us the hotel is scheduled to open on 26 November. So that’s delay number one. But we’re expecting a delay number two, seeing as the website’s not taking reservations until 15 December. Hmm.

Opening rates, if they are opening December 15, are showing up as €284 ($421/£254) at the moment, although there’s an intriguing note on the booking page saying that “most rooms accommodate 3 people.” Er, surely the kind of people paying that amount of money won’t want to share with two others? Unless, of course, we're being, um, naive.

Here’s hoping all will be revealed on 26 November. In the mean time, how nice does that rooftop pool look? Shame it'll be too cold to use when they finally let us in.

Tags: Hotel Delays / Marrakech Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags

The Royal Mansour Marrakech Gets Delayed

Where: Marrakech, Morocco

It's the first time we think this has ever happened on HotelChatter--a hotel actually emailed us to tell us they would not be opening on time. Usually, we find out through the online reservations system but the Royal Mansour Marrakech decided to tell folks up front. Here's a statement from their PR rep:

We wanted to let you know that the opening of Royal Mansour Marrakech has been delayed until the second quarter 2010. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you, and realize that this uncertain opening date may mean forgoing coverage. The decision was taken to not open until everything was tip top perfect – we are certain this project will be a true gem when it does finally open. We will keep you posted and be in touch as we receive any and all updates.

When the hotel does finally open, it will have 53 luxury riads for guests to stay in starting at €1,500 ($2,100). If you want the fanciest riad then you're looking at €20,000 ($27,900) a night.

Since King Mohamed VI also owns the Mansour, we're guessing he's letting his friends know personally about the delay.

Tags: Hotel Delays / 10 Hot NYC Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Hotel Openings / Firmdale Hotels / → All Tags

The Crosby Street Hotel Will Not Open Tomorrow, Thanks to an 'Electrical Problem'

Where: 79 Crosby Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10012

UPDATE: The Crosby Street hotel is putting guests who have reservations up at the Gramercy Park Hotel. No new opening date is set.

Monday mornings are already rough, but today we got some news that totally bummed us out: The Crosby Street Hotel is not opening tomorrow, as planned. (And here we were just one sleep away from getting to check it out!)

We received the update via an email from the hotel’s general manager, who said:

Crosby Street experienced an electrical problem yesterday and although this was through no fault of our own, it has affected the hotel’s progress and so our opening has been put back a few days. I am very sorry to let you know this close to your arrival. If you would like me to find alternative accommodation for you on the night of the 29th I would be more than happy to do so.

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Tags: Hotel Openings / W Hotels / Hotel Hype / Hotel Delays / Barcelona Hotels / → All Tags

The Countdown is On: Only Seven Days to Go Until W Barcelona Opens

Where: Placa de la Rosa del Vents, 1, Barcelona, Spain, 08039

We’ve waited and waited and now we’ve only got seven days of waiting left: W Barcelona opens a week today. According to the hotel, everything is on track for the opening, and it’s even sent us some pictures to prove it. Now, these look CGI to us, so we’re hoping the real thing is just as good. If it is, they’re going straight in our drool bag. In the mean time here’s what we’re most looking forward to.

The Wet Deck (above). Note how it seems to have plastic/glass walls to stop you plunging into the Med. Scary, but popular, we’re thinking. We’re also thinking about that pool – it’s 26 degrees out there (79, to those who work in farenheit), don’t you know.

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Tags: Hotel Delays / Boston Hotels / W Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

Thanks to Money Issues, The W Boston Will Now Open on October 22nd

Where: 100 Stuart Street [map], Boston, MA, United States, 02116

If you planned your trip at the end of September around the W Boston opening, then you'll have to seek out another hotel. The hotel will now open on October 22, according to its website. But in usual W Hotel custom, reservations were not being taken until November 15 so that is probably the first night you can actually sleep in the guest rooms.

This is the third new date for the W Boston. Past opening dates have been listed for August 31st and September 30th. We reached out to a hotel rep as to why the delay but haven't heard back yet. However, we came across this article about the stalled development thanks to (what else?) money and loan issues.

Nearly four months after the city announced plans to issue a $10 million loan to the stalled W Hotel project, the money still hasn’t been borrowed. The final piece of financing in the $232 million project has prevented Sawyer Enterprises from completing the hotel/condo development in the city’s Theatre District.

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Tags: Hotel Delays / Gansevoort Hotels / Gansevoort Hotel Group / Toronto Hotels / Hotel Hype / → All Tags

The Gansevoort Toronto Will Have To Wait

Where: 318 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Canada

We thought having to wait until 2011 for the Gansevoort Toronto was already too long of a waiting period but thanks to credit woes, it looks like we'll have to keep waiting some more. Maybe forever. Scene Advisor reports that the project has been "halted" before ground was even broken. They also said that construction was to begin in 2010 with an opening date of some time in 2012. But we think you will to wait even longer.

We checked in with the hotel's construction company, TAS DesignBuild, and Steve Fernandez said this about hotel's construction timeline:

Final opening date is not confirmed, as will commence with the start of the selling of the project.

Hmmm....According to a rep for the Gansevoort Hotel Group, the Gansevoort Toronto is still something they are interested in opening once construction plans are more finalized.

In the meantime, we'll focus our energy on Gansevoort Park Ave South and possible locations in London and Istanbul.

Tags: Refereeing Hotel Reviews / Hotel Blogs / Hotel Delays / Hotel Hype / → All Tags

What's Happening With The Allegria Hotel on Long Island?

Where: 80 West Broadway [map], Long Beach, NY, United States

Ouch. The Allegria Hotel and Spa at Long Beach is only just opening up but it's already attracted a bunch of negative reviews – at least on TripAdvisor where so far, no less than four people have complained about problems connected to their opening date – thanks to one of our dedicated HotelChatter tipsters for pointing this out.

Someone's whining because they had to cancel their planned wedding when the hotel finally admitted they wouldn't be open in time, and someone else had this for an attempted booking experience:

I called to make a reservation to inquire as to availability. The lady on the phone said"We have no rooms" and hung up. SO RUDE.

Um, Stephanie Tanner, is that you?

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Tags: Hotel Delays / Washington DC Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Openings / → All Tags

The Jefferson Hotel Gets Delayed a Week

Where: 1200 16th and M St NW [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20036

[Update: We were looking at the wrong room category. Room rates will be available for $300 for the hotel's classic king room category on the weekends. Mid-week rates will start at $380. We apologize for the error.]

We thought The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC would be open by now but when we went to check out the going rates, we found that we could not make reservations until next week, August 31. The Washington Business Journal has also confirmed the hotel's "new" opening date.

But aside from the delay, which to be honest is not all that bad in the scheme of things, the room rates have gone up. Last we heard, the rates would be around $300. Yet they've actually gone up to $440 a night. That's even with the special opening discount of 20 percent. Seriously, Jefferson? That's just not reasonable anymore. It's not like you even have a presidential inauguration to look forward to either. Why can't you just let the people experience your hotel first before jacking the rates? How can you expect folks to try a brand-new hotel at that rate? Surely, Thomas Jefferson would have something to say about this.

But if some of you out there are keen to stay here, hit up the hotel on the weekends when rates start at an equally ridiculous a cheaper rate of $380 a night.

Tags: Hotel Delays / Le Meridien Hotels / Philadelphia Hotels / → All Tags

Le Meridien Philadelphia Pushed Back Until November 1

Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102

We were all excited the other month when we heard that the Le Meridien Philadelphia would be opening just before Labor Day Weekend on September 3rd but today when we went back in to check on the hotel's website, it gave us this message:

Accepting Reservations for Arrival on or After Nov 1, 2009

When we tried to make a reservation online for that date, the site said there were no rooms available for the date requested. Ditto for when we plugged in dates for the following week.

Looking around the rest of the site, we didn't find much news except that the restaurant will be called Amuse and the bar will be called Le Amuse. Also, no pets will be allowed. For shame! On the bright side, the hotel just nearly makes the cut-off for the new SPG Bonus Starpoints promotion which ends November 6.

[Photo via The Illadelph]

Tags: Armani Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Hotel Delays / Hotel Construction / → All Tags

First Armani Hotel In Dubai Takes Its Time, Won't Open Til Winter

For almost the last year, the first Armani Hotel was a glimmer in our eye. We patiently waited while it took shape along with the building hosting it, the Burj Dubai — what will be the tallest building in the world. But now we'll have to continue holding our horses as the Armani Hotel Dubai has fallen victim to that hotel plague of late: the delay.

Instead of debuting in September, with its 160 rooms personally designed by Giorgio Armani and various other Armani spots including a candy shop and a club, the hotel has been postponed until what looks like December. A representative claims that they delay is not due to construction issues (sure, whatever) and ballparked the new opening date by saying "anyway by the end of 2009"—but that's not good enough for us.

We want — no we need — an excuse to not only visit Dubai, but to go all up in the Burj building. If Armani can get his Via Cavour lifestyle community project up and running in Rome with all the historical regulations and slow bureaucracy they have, then Dubai should be a walk in the park. We're waiting, Giorgio.

[Photo: The Red Pill]

Tags: Hotel Openings / Tri-Pack Hotel / Hotel Delays / Budget Hotels / Sam Chang / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags

It's Official: The Tri-Pack is Open

Ohhh wow. The Tri-Pack is open. Hooray!

We got The Real Deal in our inbox yesterday with some wonderful news: Sam Chang, the Manhattan budget-hotel guru himself, has finally lined up a buyer for the Tri-Pack — something he'd been having a hard time doing, which (we assume) was partly to blame for the opening delay here.

Recall that the Tri-Pack (or so we've dubbed it) is a Hampton Inn, Candlewood Suites and a Holiday Inn Express on West 39th Street, near Times Square. The Hampton Inn actually opened on Tuesday of last week, followed by the Candlewood Suites on Friday. The Holiday Inn is opening its doors today.

Unfortunately, TRD says the Hampton Inn was at a 20% occupancy rate the day after it opened. A couple things are probably to blame for this, though: rates are around $179 (kinda meh since you can get the Thompsons and whatnot for around that price these days) and, um, nobody really knew the place was open.