Tag: Hotel Design
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Scenes from The 2013 Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas
This week we attended the Hospitality Design Expo Conference in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and never before have we seen so much hotel furniture in one spot--from chairs and beds to desks and lamps and beyond. It was thrilling for hotel nerds like us.
We'll have more from what we learned at the show next week (keyword: MILLENIALS) but for now, we thought we'd simply show you what we saw. Take a, um, seat and enjoy!
Hotel Desserts / Hotel Rooftops / St Louis Hotels / Odd Hotels / Hotel Design / → All Tags
The Moonrise Hotel's New Moon Room Shines With Homemade Moon Pies
The last time we were in St Louis, we had a grand old time checking out the 135-room Moonrise Hotel, a contemporary boutique spot in downtown St. Louis with a lunar theme.
We loved their rooftop bar back then, and we love it now, as the hotel recently re-launched the rooftop space with a new name: The Moon Room. A local blog went over to check out the bar, and in doing so, learned that it is the first hotel restaurant in the US with a roof made entirely out of solar panels.
The 107 glass panels apparently provide enough energy to power the whole bar, as well as part of the floor below. Pretty impressive, huh? (They also make for some cool light effects, as evidenced by these photos).
Elsewhere on the ceiling are sphere-shaped light fixtures that resemble different planets in the solar system. The turquoise walls and NASA uniform-wearing-waitresses add to the effect, though our favorite snapshot from the opening night might just be the dessert: homemade moon pies!
Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Hotel Lobbies / Guess the Hotel / Hotel Design / Hyatt Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Take A Bite Out Of the New Hyatt Union Square
It's Guess The Hotel revealed!
Better late than never, as they say. And we will go ahead and say it about the Hyatt Union Square, which (finally) made its big debut last week in lower Manhattan—about, oh, twenty months behind schedule.
But that's okay, because after taking a quick look inside, we're happy to report that locals (and guests) seem to have already taken kindly to the new hotel. Just days after opening, the lobby scene was abuzz with guests spread out on the white sofas, bartenders pouring drinks, and the healthy 'ding' of elevator doors sliding open.
Though it's not open yet, we could spy the hotel's South American-inspired restaurant, which officially opens May 15, and which will feature a dramatic wooden art installation, made of discarded bed frames, hanging from the ceiling (the sculpture is visible from the lobby).
And speaking of weird art hanging from the ceiling, in case you haven't already guessed, the mystery hotel we showed you yesterday with the strange turd-looking objects hanging over the bar is in fact the Hyatt Union Square.
Read on to see another photo from the lobby!
Guess the Hotel / Hotel Bars / Hotel Art / Hotel Design / → All Tags
Guess The Hotel Bar With The Hanging Turds
Occasionally, we come across some questionable hotel art that makes us wonder if the idea is actually to ward off guests rather than lure them in. That's how we felt after spotting this "dangling turd" feature inside a new hotel lobby bar. We stuck around just long enough to take this photo, and luckily managed to get out without one of them dropping on our head.
But rather than just come out and say it, we thought it would be more fun for you to Guess The Hotel!
You know the drill: take a close look at the photo, read our hints (below), and see if anything rings a bell. Then, when you think you've figured out the hotel, jot down your answer in the comments below. (And sorry, no life lines.)
Your hints are as follows..
· This is a brand new hotel, located in a major city, and it only started taking reservations this month.
· Prior to its opening, we had previously examined some quirky design features in the guest rooms.
· Though this hotel is run by a major chain, the feel is more boutique-y.
· The bar (where this photo was taken) shares the lobby floor with a South American-influenced restaurant. One could also go so far as to say this is a place where people unite.
[Photo: HotelChatter]
Hotel Openings / Hotel Rebranding / Hotel Renovations / South Africa Hotels / Hotel Design / Cape Town Hotels / Hilton Hotels / DoubleTree Hotels / → All Tags
DoubleTree by Hilton Opens Its First Hotel in Cape Town
Last week, Hilton Worldwide opened the 183-room DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town - Upper Eastside, the brands first DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in South Africa. Yes, the name is a mouthful, but we can swallow that if it means a new affordable option for Cape Town.
We’ve noticed lately Hilton’s been stylifying (yeah, made that word up) their DoubleTree brand, and this newly reno’ed, upscale property is no exception. The lobby is filled with white latticework and vibrant nature colors of green and blue. Rooms are a mix of earthy browns, greys and whites. The Rooms range from executive and suites to two-story loft rooms located on the penthouse floor with sweet views of the city’s skyline.
Hotel Design / Manhattan Hotels / NYLO Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel Hype / Hotel Bars / Hotel Lobbies / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
Local History Inspires NYLO New York's LOCL Lobby Bar
Earlier this month, we included NYLO New York on our list of 5 Manhattan Hotel Openings In 2013. And it's pretty obvious why: the Stonehill & Taylor-designed guest rooms, with their navy color scheme, local artwork and Hudson river views, are pretty easy on the eyes.
But this week, the hotel leaked some more deets on the public spaces: namely, LOCL Bar, featuring a rectangular zinc bar surrounded by a piano lounge, library, and sidewalk cafe. The latter will be accessible through a large glass garage door (keep in mind that this building dates back to the 1900s, when it was known as the upscale Wellsmore apartment building).
Honoring that history, the hotel has chosen to keep an original fireplace in the library, as well as importing an ornate 1920s French elevator system for the lobby.
Beach Hotels / Photo Gallery / Santa Monica Hotels / Hotel Pools / Hotel Snapshot / Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel Design / → All Tags
We Lived The Life Aquatic At The Shore Hotel
Last week, we gave you our full review of Blue Plate Taco, the scene-y Mexican restaurant attached to The Shore Hotel. Despite reading constant positive reviews about this place, we were a little underwhelmed by the so-so tacos and poorly mixed cocktails.
Suffice to say, we were a little disappointed. However, there's still one (major) part of the experience that we haven't gotten to yet: our stay at the hotel itself!
We booked a Garden View Junior Suite, which, as the name implies, doesn't actually face the ocean but rather a small ground-floor patio tucked around the back of the hotel.
Far off in the distance we could spy a little bit of ocean, as well as the top half of the ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier. But the fact that we were staying at an oceanfront hotel (literally, on the "shore") never once escaped us. For starters, the lobby is a giant gray cube that lets in plenty of natural light, including views of the beach across the street.
More importantly though, the design is incredibly water-focused. Pretty much everything—from the stark silvery hallways to the pool to the guest rooms' aquamarine decor—made us feel like we were underwater.
Read on to see photos from inside and all around the hotel!
Hotel Design / Hotel News / Future Hotels / Hotel Trends / → All Tags
How Will Hotel Rooms of the Future Change?
We've talked a lot about the hotel room of the future in terms of technology -- such as walls that talk and bathrooms that double as spas -- but let's put aside the gadgets that may or may not become mainstream and focus on design decisions being made and incorporated on a daily basis.
While individual preferences and personal differences still exist, the way we utilize hotel room space and amenities, in general, has changed over the past few decades. It's something you might easily overlook until you step back and analyze your behavior. When was the last time you set the alarm on the clock radio? Or listened to the radio? Or threw your jacket on the desk chair instead of hanging it in the closet? Has there ever been a time when you've needed more electrical outlets? Do you work at the desk, or on your bed?
Though we may be oblivious to our new tendencies, hotel corporations have been analyzing us likes rats in a lab. Believe it or not, they even have prototype rooms in the bowels of their headquarters where they test new ideas, including placement/inclusion of furniture, room layouts, outlet placement, furniture mobility, and the appearance/usefulness of amenities like throw pillows and sheets.
Sweet Suites / Shanghai Hotels / China Hotels / Indigo Hotels / Photo Gallery / Hotel Snapshot / Hotel Design / → All Tags
Mix Your Own Martini Inside the Hotel Indigo Shanghai's 'Glamour Suite'
Next up in our Sweet Suite series is this gem from the Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund. Now, we've fallen in love with this place before—specifically, the lobby, with its book-lined shelves, curvy walls, and that lonely yellow bicycle.
But today, we're heading upstairs to the Glamour Suite, which is one of three "Icon suites" located inside the hotel. How did this one get to be so glamorous, you ask? The designers had originally wanted to create three major suites (Shanghai past, present, and future), but the hotel decided to "take things to the next level," and ended up naming the suites Shanghai Deco, Shanghai Glamour and Shanghai Future.
As you can see from the photos, everything—from the mirror-paneled nightstand to the turquoise couch to the marble martini bar—is way over the top. But in a good, life-is-short-so-why-not? kinda way.
The fixtures are designed to "reflect contemporary Shanghai's glamour".
They're also meant to make you feel more glamorous. For example, if you suddenly get inspired to throw a private cocktail party, you can gather in the 12-seat dining room, which has giant windows overlooking Pudong. On top of that, there's also an outdoor terrace that can hold up to 20 people, with views over the Bund.
Hotel Design / Hotel Renovations / Loews Hotels / Orlando Hotels / → All Tags
Loews Portofino Bay Shows Off Their Rooms Renovation with New Time-Lapse Video
The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Studios has just finished a major renovation of its guest rooms so it's only natural that they show off the results. But The Loews isn't passing around some fancy, carefully staged, photoshopped photos. No, they've gone above and beyond the call of PR duty to create a time-lapse video that features the transformation of one guest room from start to finish.
The video is just over a minute long and it's actually super cool, especially if you're a renovation nerd like us. It's like we're watching HGTV but for a hotel room!
You see everything that went into the renovation from removal of the old outdated furniture, ripping up the dank rugs, putting new paint on the walls, laying down a new carpet, tons of electrical work and the assembling of the new furniture. (Our heart skipped a beat when we saw brand-new mattresses being unwrapped from the plastic. For real.)
Panama Hotels / Hotel Art / Photo Gallery / Hotel Snapshot / Hotel Design / Hotel Rooftops / Hotel Art Appraisal / → All Tags
Art Appraisal: The Octopus Room at Tantalo Hotel
It was sheer luck that we happened to catch up with the General Manager of Tántalo Hotel in Panama City several months ago. We were visiting Casco Viejo for lunch, and when we ended up (on the recommendation of several locals) at Tántalo Kitchen, the hotel's ground floor restaurant, we figured we'd better ask for a tour.
A few of the things Tántalo has going for it are: an excellent location right in the heart of Casco Viejo; a hip, young crowd constantly streaming through the doors all day long, and, most importantly, a truly tantalizing collection of murals, photographs, paintings and quirky furniture scattered around the entire hotel.
There are only 12 rooms total, and each of them boasts its own unique design, such as the second-floor Octopus Room, whose walls are covered by the long, curly tentacles of a giant blue and white octopus. One of the tentacles even holds up a sign reading 'Pipi Room,' pointing the way to the bathroom.
Hotel Design / Luxury Hotels / Fendi / Virgin Gorda Hotels / Virgin Islands Hotels / Just Luxe / Sweet Suites / Hotel Lust / → All Tags
Fendi Casa Outfits The Penthouse Suite at Oil Nut Bay in BVI
Here's the latest happening in the luxury hotel world as told by JustLuxe.com. Got a question about luxury hotels, the travel biz, and where to stay? Send it in and we'll have JustLuxe answer it.
Just because you’re not ready to sign on the dotted line and make a multi-million dollar real estate investment at Oil Nut Bay, doesn’t mean you’re not welcome at all. Instead, guests and potential buyers are more than welcome to stay in one of their rentals and see what this multi-generational residential community is all about, while naturally taking advantage of all the five-star amenities and services (and with a price tag that starts at $1,500 a night, you can bet there are a few).
They always say you should test drive before you buy, and since Oil Nut Bay is only accessible by boat or helicopter, you might want to make sure this is a place you don’t mind disappearing to for a while.
