Tag: Hotel Hype View All Tags
Hilton Hotels
Hilton's Boutique Brand Not Quite Ready for the Limelight
Where: United StatesDecember 4, 2008 at 3:32 PM | 0 Comments
The other week we speculated (based on other internet reports) that Hilton Hotels would finally announce it's boutique hotel brand in January at the annual ALIS conference in San Diego.
Yet our giddiness over learning about a new boutique brand from one of the big-box hotels has been deflated, thanks to an industry rag's latest news.
Jeff Weinstein, Editor-In-Chief of HOTELS Magazine reports on his blog today:
As I suspected and Hilton execs all but admitted to me, this [Berlin Investment Conference] will be the time and place for Hilton to launch its new lifestyle brand on the evening of March 10.
Yup, we gotta wait until March now to hear about Hilton's plans for the boutique hotel world.
Hotel Hype
NY's NoMad Hotel to Get Costes Treatment
December 3, 2008 at 2:06 PM | 1 Comment
[NoMad rendering image via WWD]
Remember back ten years ago when Paris' Hôtel Costes was THE "it" hotel and the various CDs produced by the hotel were being played in hip cocktail lounges around the world? Well, when the NoMad Hotel opens in 2010 at Broadway and 28th Street in New York, a little of that Paris magic will be tagging along.
WWD reports that French designer Jacques Garcia, the man behind the swank of the Costes, will be outiftting the NoMad and looking to create a buzz like that of his other projects, which include NY's Spice Market restaurant and the Hôtel Métropole in Monte Carlo. Despite the ballooning number of boutique hotels in Manhattan, he sounds optimistic: “New York has always brought me luck ... In 2010, I have a new dream for the city and this hotel."
NoMad's 12 stories, 160 guest rooms and 11 suites will need much more than velvet curtains, however, as the hipster Ace Hotel sits on the very same block and seems determined to at least crack, if not break, the boutique hotel mold. In any case, the plushification of this North Madison Square district does mean more places to party and less historical buildings in disrepair.
Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn Exposes Inner Daredevil To Promote Encore Las Vegas
December 3, 2008 at 1:11 PM | 1 Comment
If you didn't know, we're getting extremely excited for the opening of Encore Las Vegas, Steve Wynn's follow-up to his hugely successful Wynn Las Vegas. The opening date is not until Dec. 22nd but we will probably be writing something about Encore every day until then, starting with the making of the Encore website video.
If you head over to EncoreLasVegas.com (or if you don't want to wait for that to load, go here) you will see a video of Steve Wynn sitting atop the corner of the top of Encore which is 675 feet above ground. Naturally, you assume that this is a green-screen trick. Wynn is kinda old and that is really high up. But Encore wants to let you know that Steve Wynn was actually sitting atop the resort's precipice.
1 Hotels
1 Hotel Washington DC Might Actually Happen
December 1, 2008 at 11:10 AM | 0 Comments
Even though all construction on Starwood Capital's 1 Hotel and Residences thoughout the country have been put on hold, we came across new photos and demolition activity on the site of the 1 Hotel Washington DC.
Perseus Realty, LLC, the developer of the 1 Hotel Washington DC recently posted a new rendering (above) of the hotel on their website and changed the project status to "Current Projects." Up until now, we've only seen pictures of a small corner of the hotel and it's been listed as under development since earlier this year.
Yotels
Yotel's Next Property May Be 100 Feet Underground
November 26, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 2 Comments
In an apparent departure from the norm that could prove to be totally cool or unthinkably creepy, the folks behind European budget-friendly capsule hotel chain Yotel have their eyes on central London's underground Kingsway Tunnels to be the site of the next property. Like, you'd sleep undergound. Which — if we may go there for a second — is kinda like being dead. Except you're alive, and you're in a hotel.
According to the Telegraph, the tunnels in question run 100 feet underground and the system of tunnels have been used in the past as an air raid shelter, a reserve war room, and a public record office where secret documents were stored.
Hotel Restaurants
It's Always Sunny at Andaz WeHo's Restaurant
November 25, 2008 at 4:35 PM | 0 Comments
The LA Times' Daily Dish blog revealed the details behind Andaz West Hollywood's upcoming restaurant, 82/Sunny — the moniker of which is apparently both an homage to the loveliest of west coast weather and a nod to the "French-infused take on California cuisine" that will be coming out of the kitchen.
Chef Sebastien Archambault has been tapped to oversee the menu, which we'll hopefully get a glimpse of before the restaurant is up and running in January (in conjunction with the opening of the hotel). The goal is to make this place a Hollywood hotspot (not just a hotel resto), so the 120-seat restaurant will have its own entrance.
Hilton Hotels
Could It Be...A Boutique Brand From Hilton?
Where: United StatesNovember 24, 2008 at 2:10 PM | 1 Comment
Every hotel company these days from Starwood, to Kimpton, and even Marriott have boutique hotel brands. Everyone but Hilton that is.
Sure, Hilton has talked about it before. One of Hilton's own executives have called their plans for a boutique brand "the worst-kept secret in the industry" and Hilton even stole Ross Klein from Starwood to create this mysterious collection. Yet while W Hotels is on the eve of celebrating their 10th birthday, Hilton still has no boutique brand answer. But is that about to change?
Hotel Hype
Park Hyatt Coming to Cabo San Lucas in 2010
November 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments
We may have another addition to our Best Hotels in Mexico for Cabo Virgins. The only exception is that you will have to hold onto your Mexico V card until 2010. That's when Park Hyatt will be opening up their Cabo San Lucas hotel.
The only details we could find on the place came from Hotels Magazine which said that the Park Hyatt will be part of a larger resort complex called Cabo San Cristobal Resort.
Yotels
Yotel is Headed to Abu Dhabi
November 17, 2008 at 1:26 PM | 2 Comments
In the continuing saga of Abu Dhabi’s attempts to remind the world that Dubai’s not the only city in the UAE, there’s been a big announcement: Abu Dhabi is going to get two Yotels.
At least two Yotels, in fact, according to a recently-signed agreement. There’ll be a Yotel at the Airport and a Yotel at the Abu Dhabi City Centre, with the potential for more in the (further) future.
No word yet on when the Abu Dhabi Yotels should get up and running, but the locals are saying they’ll be “just perfect” for Abu Dhabi’s booming conference and business travel market, and for transit stays at the airport. While we don’t personally know anyone who’s ever needed to transit in Abu Dhabi, we can only guess that Yotel’s done their homework … but let’s put it on record that we think it’s a slightly strange expansion step for them.
[Photo: Ben Terrett]
Gordon Ramsay
Australian Hotel Gets a New Gordon Ramsay Restaurant
November 17, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments
Although Aussies are pretty relaxed about a few dirty words flying about, they’re going to get more soon when Gordon Ramsay starts a Maze restaurant in the newest part of the Crown hotel complex.
Scheduled to open in 2010, the third hotel within the Crown complex will be the largest in Australia, so there should be plenty of guests for Ramsay’s eatery. Although it’s the first step for Ramsay’s eating kingdom Down Under, there are already hints that he’ll be looking to expand across the country.
Australians should be flattered to hear that Ramsay reckons there are enough good chefs in the country to find the right one to run his new restaurant: apparently he said “I’d be stupid not to employ a local Aussie”. Actually, we’re guessing that’s the censored version, but we get the drift.
[Photo: Lee Stranahan]
Dubai Hotels
"The World" of Dubai to Get a 700-Suite Hotel
November 14, 2008 at 1:32 PM | 2 Comments
Finally completed earlier this year, Dubai's fantastical island development "The World" has been selling like hotcakes despite multi-million dollar pricetags and sheer remoteness. Currently the three hundred islands of the man-made archipelago are little better than sand bars, save for this baby, the first completed residence island.
Joining similar houses of the uber-rich and ultra-private will be several hotels and resorts, including a newly-announced gigantic hospitality venture on island D43. As one of the last remaining islands for sale, D43 is in figurative China, cuddling up next to the Shanghai island. Although the entire island is only eight hectares large (that's like a thirtieth of a square mile), Oasis Group plans to plop a "boutique hotel" of over 700 suites as well as restaurants, retail and "cultural centres of learning."
We suppose this is good news for us proles who can't afford to buy a mini country right now; it's nice to know that The World will not be completely inaccessible to the public so long as you have a large vacation budget. Since this resort dream still has years of construction before we can swim alongside Shanghai Island, we'll just hang out with this guy until then.
Related Stories:
· Rajasthan-Inspired Hotel In Dubai Sounds A Bit Scary [HotelChatter]
· Dubai Spaceship Hotel Will Give You the Heebie Jeebies [HotelChatter]
[Image via Eikongraphia]
Hotel News Briefs
Victoria's Secret Models Probably Shacking Up at Fontainebleau
November 13, 2008 at 5:32 PM | 0 Comments
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.
· Fontainebleau Miami Beach Opens Tomorrow, Models to Follow: The official opening party of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach is actually a weekend-long extravaganza, starting with a Robin Thicke concert tomorrow night and a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Saturday. We're guessing the models have comp rooms here. [Miami Herald]
· Giving Thanks in Las Vegas: Spending Thanksgiving in Las Vegas actually sounds kind of good this year. Weird old relatives will def. not want to join us here. [LA Times Daily Deal Blog]
· Tablet Hotels Goes Hollywood: It's kind of odd but Tablet Hotels is now screening movies at The Bryant Park Hotel. [MarketWatch]
· Bulgarian Black Sea Resorts are in Trouble: As many as 50 percent hotels could be closed down by Summer 2009.[Novinite]
· The Mandarin Oriental Will Rise in Atlanta: The hotel will have 198 rooms and 71 condominiums but won't be finished until sometime in 2011. [Atlanta Biz Journal]
[Photo: ABC News]
