We were surfing around ApartmentTherapy looking for some decorating ideas when we came across a post about someone who had scored some old chairs from D.C.'s original Madison Hotel -- and we got to thinking: would we really want some hotels old pre-renovation castoffs in our homes?
This person did -- and so did their cats -- but the AT commenters had some pretty interesting sentiments to share about the idea of looting a hotel that's looking to get rid of their old fixtures.
The verdict? Looks like "eh, depends on the hotel."
User bepsf said:
I love those chairs - I'd have no problem having them in my home.
Furniture from the better hotels are much better built than anything you could get for the same money at IKEA. I'd have no problem with it at all.
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· Protester Paints Up Beijing Hotel Rooms: An American pastor checked into the Novotel in Beijing and vandalized two rooms protesting the Beijing Olympics. Then he walked out without paying. WWJD? [AP]
· Lovers of Old Hotel Furniture Rejoice: Chairs from the original Madison Hotel in DC are for sale. Don't worry, they aren't tooo old. Just from 1963. [Apartment Therapy]
· Working Out in Hotels: Here's a quickie workout from a trainer. But it's totally for dudes. Except the walking bit. [Belly Off]
Perhaps the most famous of all the hotels in London, the The Savoy, a Fairmont Hotel, closed its doors for 16 months on Saturday to undergo some major renovations.
Folks flocked to the hotel over the weekend to sip their last martinis at the bar and nibble on some cucumber sandwiches before the closing. For hotel furniture geeks, furniture from the Savoy is to be auctioned this week during a three-day sale that's expected to bring in anywhere from USD $1,215,000 to $2,020,150.
But despite the massive renovations, hotel manager Kiaran MacDonald has said that the renovation will be one that very much respects the hotel's rich history.
The hotel is a long-time favourite of the rich and famous. Claude Monet painted over seventy works of art whilst staying at the Savoy, many of which were considered his masterpieces. Marilyn Monroe, Sir Richard Harris, Winston Churchill, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and James Whistler are just some of the other luminaries to have stayed or resided in the hotel over the years.
And it seems not everything will go. The hotel is said to be keeping items that are intrinsic to the its history, to be restored and replaced when the hotel reopens in 2009.
We're always on the lookout for the next big thing in hotel room furniture, and although we're not sure if this is it, it did at least catch our attention. We're talking about the Smart Chair from the Wyndham Hotels chain, due to be in place across all Wyndhams by the end of 2008.
Wyndham is no stranger to amenities promotions and they're hoping that their Smart Chair will be a big hit. It's the kind of chair that means you don't need to get up too often. With two pivoting tables to provide options for eating, writing or using a laptop, there is also a built in plug for your appliances and an internet port. There are plenty of pockets for books or newspapers and hotels will install the chairs with a variety of coverings, including both fabric and leather, so you can check how special they think you are as a guest by seeing which fabric they choose for your room's Smart Chair.
We were hoping that a Smart Chair might also help make us smarter, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence of that yet. If you want to try one yourself, they are already in use at Wyndham Hotels in Atlanta and Princeton, with more on the way.
Sometimes, we get press releases. (Okay, more than sometimes.) Usually, they're pretty dry, but occasionally, we get one so absurd we have to share it with you despite the tenuous news hook. Hope you're ready to learn more about hotel chairs than you thought possible!
An astounding 60 percent of professionals surveyed said that a more comfortable ergonomic chair would help them focus during meetings. Among frequent business travelers, 53 percent complained that meeting room chairs lack proper support for their backs or necks and 48 percent responded that seating is the one aspect they wish could be upgraded at offsite meeting locations.
And guess what? Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts--who commissioned this survey--has great meeting chairs. What a coincidence! They'll have swanky Herman Miller Caper chairs in all their breakout rooms by the end of the year.
Saturday's Wall Street Journal had a story on how the TV armoire is becoming a thing of the past: Au Revoir Armoire. With wide flat-screen TVs becoming the boob tube of choice, all those cabinets formerly used to hold a traditional TV have to be chucked out or re-purposed into a wardrobe for clothing.
This is a major deal for hotel chains, of course, who have thousands of the things to get rid of. We previously reported on a company who chops up armoires to make new furniture, but many hotels can't be bothered. They instead turn to a liquidator who will take the whole lot of them away and resell them. If you'd like to get an armoire on the cheap, the Journal recommends a search on these sites:
The Tower Hotel in Beverly Hills (formerly a Loews property) has closed down yesterday for a massive renovations job. And what better way to get rid of old furniture then to have a massive liquidation sale?
The LA Times reported that all of the hotel furnishings are up for grabs:
Hair dryers will go for $5; leather sofas and chairs will top out at $250. A complete room package including Tempur-Pedic mattress, headboard, desk, armoire, two chairs, 27-inch TV, lamps and artwork will be priced at $1,000.
That is some cheap stuff especially since Tempur-Pedic mattresses are well over $1,000. Of course, if you don't mind the fact that strangers slept on it before you did.
However, something has come up. The sale was supposed to start Wednesday and continue through October 21st. But on the Fort Pitt Hotel Furniture Liquidators site, the sale has been postponed due to circumstances with the transfer of ownership of the hotel. Maybe the new owner doesn't want to part with the furniture?
Anyways, if you're still antsy to get your hands on discounted hotel furniture, the site offers plenty of other sales.
Once again we're back with some more Guess The Hotel fun. This time, we've taken a snapshot of a funky looking hotel room lamp. Here are some hints about this mystery hotel:
· Once again, it is somewhere in Southern California. · Charles Barkley has been to this hotel. · The hotel's interior decor is a popular kind of design for boutique hotels as of late.
Send us your guesses if you got 'em or even better, comment below. Extra bonus points if you can guess the dog breed too.
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by Jenna
