HotelChatter

Hotel Events / Photo Gallery / Brooklyn Hotels / Aloft Hotels / Starwood / Portlandia / → All Tags

Last Night, Aloft Brooklyn 'Put a Bird on It' for 'Portlandia' Season 2

Where: 216 Duffield Street [map], Brooklyn, NY, United States, 11201

Okay you guys. Last night was awesome. We already told ya what was up if you were near Brooklyn, and that was a sneak preview screening of Season 2 of IFC's show "Portlandia." Two of the HotelChatter team made it to scope out the place and naturally get a peek at the series, and we happened to learn something else: another hotel screening has been added, TONIGHT.

So this evening, if you're in Portland, Oregon or near the Bolingbrook suburb of Chicago, you can go see several (currently unreleased) hilarious bits from the new series, plus get free Portlandia swag (we scored Portlandia hats, a "Put a Bird on it" tee, an Aloft tote and the entire Season 1 on DVD). Swag may vary, but the awesomeness won't. Here's what's up:

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London Hotels / Movie Hotels / Hotel Movies / Winter Hotels / Holiday Hotels / Hotel Events / → All Tags

The Berkeley Hotel Reopens Their Rooftop Cinema With a Winter Twist

Where: Wilton Place, London, United Kingdom, SW1X 7RL

One of London's ongoing summer events, a Rooftop Film Club hosted at a popular Hoxton bar, inspired something of a cult-like fervor among local film buffs. Piggybacking on Londoners' love of all things cinema and all things, uh, rooftop, is the Berkeley hotel, who is transplanting the concept from East to West and taking full advantage of their posh terrace climes (not to mention outdoor lamp heaters).

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Hotel Events / Hotel Fun / Miami Hotel Mambo / South Beach Group / Lords South Beach / → All Tags

Miami Hotels Will Celebrate Sleepless Night This Weekend

Catalina during previous Sleepless Night festivities. This year the windows read 'Up All Night.'

Now that Halloween is here at last, it's time for hotels to look ahead to the next marketing gimmick. In South Beach, there's not long to wait, with the Sleepless Night festival taking place this weekend, November 5–6.

While most travelers choose a hotel for its sleep-worthiness, this is Miami, where such things are frivolous. Being part of the action is a priority, so hotels like Catalina Hotel & Beach Club and Lords South Beach are getting on the Sleepless fun.

The beach is expecting more than 150 local and international artists to perform across Saturday night -- featuring trapeze artists, symphonies, theater and dance groups, music concerts, architectural tours and art exhibitions.

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Hotel Renovations / Hotel Fun / Hotel Events / Sedona Hotels / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

Do You Look At This Renovation and Think: Opera?

Where: 301 Little Lane [map], Sedona, AZ, United States, 86336

Two years ago, we told you that the $25 million that L'Auberge de Sedona spent on its major renos was a symbolic expense, on account of the resort's 25th anniversary.

But the hotel doesn't stop there with extravagant ways of marking special occasions. Now that the refurb is complete--and to celebrate L'Auberge Sedona being named one of the Top 100 Hotels in the U.S. by our friends at Conde Nast Traveler--the hotel is putting on an opera.

Say what?

Yep, the hotel has teamed up with the Arizona Opera to host 'L’Opéra at L’Auberge' on November 17. The night will include a cocktail reception, fancy dinner and a performance by lead principals of Arizona Opera's production of Charles Gounod's Faust.

We think this new-look Spa Cottage pictured above is extremely pretty, but staging an opera to celebrate it? That's new to us. Although this does mean that you're close to a warm and cozy bed if you happen to nod off during the opera. (Hey, it happens to the best of us...)

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Hotel Tours / Hotel Architecture / Hotel Design / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Events / → All Tags

What Is Open House New York?

Next weekend, New York will "open up" over two hundred iconic buildings for tour groups and panel discussions during an architecture and design festival known as Open House New York. Now in its ninth year, the mayor-approved event picks out buildings (churches, mansions) and sites (waterfront parks, cemeteries) that range from historic to ultra-modern. And since this is New York, hotels get a piece of the action too.

Which means that hotel geeks (we know you're out there!) who like to duck into random hotels just for the fun of poking around now have an excuse to do so! All weekend long! With guided tours available, you can finally learn why Hotel Americano's facade is made of mesh. Or get a chance to peer down from The Nolitan's rooftop.

For a full list of participating hotels, click below!

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Hotel Lust / End of Days Hotels / Hotel Events / → All Tags

If The World is Ending Tomorrow, What Hotel Do You Want to Stay At?

If you didn't know, the WORLD IS ENDING TOMORROW. Hopefully, you are one of the lucky ones who Jesus will save when he returns in The Rapture. Otherwise, you will have to live out the End of Days which is supposed to be five months of anarchy, chaos and disasters culminating in the end of civilization. (And we thought Jesus was a nice dude!)

So let's say you've been good and today is very possibly your last day on earth--what hotel would you want to stay at? Conversely, if you've been naughty (attn: Dennis Rodman) which hotel would you want to hide out from the End of Days?

For us, it would have to be Villa D'Est in Lake Como. The hotel was originally built in 1568 as the former residence of a pious man, Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, so we think Jesus would approve. But if we're talking last hours on earth, we'd want to spend them in Villa Cima, a 7,000-sq.ft. private villa with three floors of rooms filled with antiques and art and a personal butler at our beck and call. (Poor guy, we hope The Rapture includes him too.)

Tell us your ultimate End of Days hotel in comments below! (But it's not like we'll be able to read them tomorrow or anything as we'll be on our way to the pearly gates!)

Hotel Events / Celebrity Scoop. Beverly Hills Hotels / Gene Simmons / Paul Stanley / KISS / → All Tags

How Random: Gene Simmons is Hosting a Global Webchat at the Beverly Hills Hotel

Where: 9641 Sunset Boulevard [map], Beverly Hills, CA, United States, 90210

The Beverly Hills Hotel is no stranger to celebrity guests but on Friday something unusual is going down.

That's when KISS rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will be hosting a global web chat on Ortsbo.com, an instant messaging service that can translate your IMs and other social media rants conversations into over 50 languages. So if you've ever wanted to have Gene talk dirty to you in Russian, Mandarin, Spanish or French, now's your chance. (You can sign up here.)

The event will begin at 10:30am EST (that's 7:30am Beverly Hills time) and will also include a live audience. We just hope the hotel waves their $10 internet charge for Gene and Paul.

[Photo: Dbking]

Hotel Events / Hotel Bars / Hotel Restaurants / Philadelphia Hotels / Four Seasons Hotels / → All Tags

Philly's Four Seasons Taps Their Courtyard for a Beer Week Biergarten

Where: One Logan Square [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19103

The courtyard, pre-biergarten

We have three very inspiring words for you: hotel beer garden. We don't know about you, but just the words "beer garden" inspire us to dress casual-cool, get outside and order a foamy pitcher. Add "hotel" onto that and we're planning a weekend around it—specifically June 6-10 as the Four Seasons Philadelphia plays home base for Philly Beer Week.

Daily from 4pm-8pm during this time, the Four Seasons will transform their al fresco courtyard into a full-fledged beer garden, complete with taps for special and limited-edition brews, like Victory Brewing Company's second annual release of Summer Love Ale.

What's more is that the beer garden will be doing giveaways to those who check in on Foursquare and Facebook Places (of course), and if you're hungry, there's a menu of cookout favorites coming from the Four Seasons' Executive Chef Ralph Gonzalez. Here is the full schedule of goings-on at the hotel, which is just one hotspot for beer guzzling awesomeness during Philly Beer Week.

[Photo: VisitPhilly]

Dog-Friendly Hotels / Cute Hotel Doggies / Hotel Events / Loews Hotels / San Diego Hotels / → All Tags

The Doggie Surf Contest Returns to Loews Coronado Bay on June 4

Where: 4000 Loews Coronado Bay Road [map], Coronado, CA, United States, 92118

In what's probably the cutest contest ever, the Loews Coronado Bay will hold its sixth annual Surf Dog Competition on Coronado's Imperial Beach on June 4. You can't beat adorable dogs on surfboards.

More than 60 pooches are expected to jump into the ocean and hang 10 on their boards in hopes of winning bragging rights. Plus, the first-place winner of each division scores prizes, like a pet vacation at the dog-friendly hotel.

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Hotel Art / Hotel Events / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

Bin Laden's Death Delays Controversial Art Outside The Plaza Hotel

Where: 5th Avenue and 59th Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10019

The focus sure has been on New York City this week, though not for the reasons Mayor Michael Bloomberg originally intended. Before Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, before President Obama made the announcement that caused thousands to gather at the World Trade Center site and before Barack scheduled a wreath-laying trip to the WTC himself, this was to be week that controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei held the spotlight with the unveiling of his sculptures in front of The Plaza Hotel.

Weiwei, whose name you likely don't know but whose largest work you do—the "Bird's Nest" stadium for the Beijing Olympics—is jailed and under psychological and physical torture in China after speaking out against corruption and conspiracies in the Chinese government. This exhibition of his sculpture was supposed to be opened by Bloomberg on Monday, but because of the Bin Laden press conferences and other pressing matters, it only just happened this morning.

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Hotel Art / Joie de Vivre Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel Events / → All Tags

The Phoenix to Host the First ArtPadSF Hotel Art Fair

Where: 601 Eddy St. [map], San Francisco, CA , United States, 94109

You can find great art inside hotels, but it's not everyday that you check in and find an art fair. ArtPadSF, a new hotel-based art fair showcasing emerging and contemporary galleries and artists, will premiere at the Phoenix Hotel May 19 to 22—right in time for the unveiling of the hotel's soon-to-be-finished lounge renovations.

About 30 galleries are on the lineup for the inaugural art fair; most of them are from the Bay Area, but there are a couple from New York, Miami and Paris.

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Hotel Events / Punta Cana Hotels / Dominican Republic Hotels / Barcelo Hotels / → All Tags

Barceló Punta Cana to Host the Mr. Universe Competition (Again)

Where: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

If you love men who love banana hammocks and speedos, you'll want to head to the Barceló Punta Cana Resort. The Dominican Republic hotel will be full of hard-bodied, tan men when it hosts the finale of this year's Mr. Universe pageant.

You will be able to see the ripped guys flexing their muscles and strutting on the catwalk at the all-inclusive hotel from May 10 to 14. Given that the Barceló Punta Cana sits on the water, you may also be able to "accidentally" run into a few of the muscular contestants at the beach.

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