Tag: Hotel Renovations
View All TagsHotel News / Hotel Reopenings / Hotel Renovations / Preferred Hotels / Vermont Hotels / → All Tags
Topnotch Resort & Spa is Looking More Topnotch Than Ever
Back in January we told you that the Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe, Vermont was undergoing a major reno. Shortly after that, the hotel closed up shop as it entered the final stage of its makeover. But now the hotel is nearly ready for its close-up and will re-open on June 28.
A Preferred Boutique and Preferred Pride hotel, the fruits of Topnotch's multi-million dollar refurbishment include:
• A more contemporary entryway that opens to a spacious new lobby designed to showcase soaring mountain views
• A brand spanking new bar
• Two new restaurants: The Flannel & The Roost
• 68 newly renovated rooms and suites
• New wedding & events venue
Hotel Indigo Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Nashville Hotels / → All Tags
At The Hotel Indigo Nashville, Live Music is Just an Elevator Ride Away
While Hotel Indigo has been making great strides internationally--the just-opened Hotel Indigo Hong Kong and its dragon-wrapped exterior recently won an award for best hotel architecture--the brand is still growing here in the U.S., with a third Chicago hotel coming next year and at least another 20 hotels in the pipeline. Yet there are still so many existing Hotel Indigos to explore, like the Hotel Indigo Nashville which just finished an ultra-cool renovations.
Hotel Renovations / Los Angeles Hotels / San Fernando Valley Hotels / Studio City Hotels / Broughton Hotels / Larry Broughton / → All Tags
Then and Now at The Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel in LA (We Prefer Now)
The saying goes, "What's old is new again" but at the iconic Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel in LA's San Fernando Valley, the old has gone away for good.
The hotel is just finishing up a $4 million renovation that will bring the 190 guestrooms as well as the lobby and the pool area into the 21st century. We're talking big comfy beds, great lighting, bold colors, flat-screen TVs, poolside cabanas and best of all, free WiFi.
"We wanted to celebrate the past but make it more contemporary, more fun and more sophisticated as well," said Larry Broughton, founder and CEO of broughtonHOTELS. (broughtonHOTELS took over as operator of the hotel from Joie de Vivre and is also overseeing the hotel's renovation.)
Hotel News / Hotel Rebrandings / Hotel Renovations / Langham Hotels / Eaton Hotels / Toronto Hotels / Canada Hotels / → All Tags
The Eaton Chelsea (from Langham Hotels) Will Show Off a New Look on July 1
In April we told you about Toronto’s Delta Chelsea becoming an Eaton-branded hotel on July 1 – the first Langham property in Canada and the first Eaton Hotel in North America. If you've been waiting with bated breath for more details, now's the time to exhale.
Langham Hotels has been pouring millions into transforming the soon-to-be Eaton Chelsea hotel. The renos to the lobby and Market Garden Restaurant (which, when we were there many, many years ago, seemed to be the biggest buffet restaurant on the planet) will be the first of a few changes to the hotel.
Aside from the restaurant and lobby renovations, the hotel is also replacing the former Elm Street Lounge with the more modern T|Bar (an Eaton brand signature feature). The hotel is expecting that one of the things that will make this one of TO’s go-to spots will be their take on that most famous of Canadian cocktails: the Caesar. (For you Americans, it's a clam-infused version of the Bloody Mary.)
Courtyard by Marriott Hotels / Hotel News / Marriott Hotels / Business Travel Hotels / Millennial Hotels / Hotel Design / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags
An Up Close Look at The 'Gen Next' Hotel Rooms for Courtyard by Marriott
This ain't your daddy's Courtyard by Marriott Hotel!
Back in 2008, Courtyard by Marriott rolled out an entirely new lobby concept that drew guests out of the guestrooms and lured them downstairs to hang out at the Centro bar, nosh at the Bistro cafe and socialize anywhere else there was comfortable seating, which was pretty much everywhere.
From the media pods to the GoBoards which show off news, traffic reports and other pertinent info for business travelers to the almighty free WiFi, Courtyard's lobbies are now sought out not just by business travelers but by digital nomads like ourselves in need of a place to work and a bite to eat. Ok, and maybe a glass of wine too.
But it was only a matter of time before the Courtyard guestrooms would be expected to up their ante. And that's just what happened.
According to Janis Milham, Vice President and Global Brand Manager for Courtyard, guests started to talk of a "disconnect" between the forward-thinking lobby layout and the somewhat traditional guest rooms. So while Courtyard introduces new room protoypes every six years, it became clear that the next renovation of Courtyard rooms had to match what was happening downstairs.
It also had to grab the attention of the next generation of travelers. Yup, you got it--the millennials, who everyone is courting these days including Marriott's other brands, AC Hotels by Marriott which are coming to the U.S. next year and Moxy which will open in Europe.
So what does this next generation want from a hotel room? Well, after a lengthy design and testing process, which Milham said took about a year and a half, Courtyard is ready to show off its Gen Next guestrooms. We were able to peep an actual room prototype over the weekend and here's what we learned:
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Atlantic City Hotel / Casino Hotels / Historic Hotel / → All Tags
Historic Atlantic City Hotel Will Be Resurrected After 7 Year Closure
The next hotel to open in Atlantic City could be a total departure from the usual mammoth, multi-million dollar casino resorts we've come to expect.
Philly.com reports that the historic Madison Hotel, a 14-story oceanfront property that originally opened in 1929, has been sold for $4 million, with explicit plans to re-make it as a boutique hotel modeled on its rich history. According to the report:
"The lone bidder for the Madison House was not identified. But a representative for the buyer told The Press of Atlantic City that the new owner intends to resurrect the hotel."
The article goes on to say the hotel is distinguished by its "grand stairway, marble floors and ornate chandeliers," and that it was one of the few old-style hotels in Atlantic City to continue operating even as the big new casinos started opening in the 1980s.
Though The Sands annexed it as an all-suite sister property in 2004, the Madison promptly closed down in 2006 when the Sands went kaput, and the place hasn't been touched since.
Hotel Renovations / Photo Gallery / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Design / → All Tags
New Guest Rooms Are Just The Beginning At The Milford NYC
Can anyone keep track of all the hotels being renovated in midtown Manhattan these days? No? Yeah, neither can we. But there are a few that we think are worth keeping up with—for example, The Milford NYC, formerly the Milford Plaza, aka the "Lullaby of Broadway".
The hotel's 2-year, $140 million renovation is coming to an end this summer, with the grand unveiling of the new lobby slated for July. From what we've been told, the lobby has been completely re-imagined, with a glass facade entryway, two-story atrium, and a ceiling "crafted from poplar wood" that "resembles giant wooden floating puzzle pieces."
Add to that, a new lobby bar, lounge area, and two large LED screens next to the reception area with projections of abstract video art commissioned exclusively for the Milford NYC.
However, since that won't be appearing for another few weeks, we thought we'd take a quick look at the hotel's re-designed rooms:
Click through for our photo gallery!
Hotel Renovations / Times Square Hotels / Novotel Hotels / Stonehill and Taylor / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
The Novotel Times Square is Getting a Futuristic Upgrade
Summer has barely just begun, but we find ourselves looking forward to fall already. That's because the Novotel Times Square, the only Novotel in the U.S., is expected to unveil a new futuristic look by October.
The renovation is currently underway for the lobby spaces and the public areas on the 7th floor with all the work being implemented by Stonehill + Taylor, the interior design and architecture firm behind the new NYLO NYC. (The John Hardy Group is also the project manager onboard.) And it is going to be out of this world, almost literally.
From the moment you walk into the hotel, you will be taken through a "passage of time", a reference to Times Square's place in pop culture history, especially all those New Year's Eve celebrations. Stonehill + Taylor also added a sensory component to the lobby with ambient sounds, video art, purposeful materials and lighting. More specifically, there will be hexagonal LED ceiling panels that will light up different colors in response to changing music and sounds throughout the day.
Up on the 7th floor, the hotel's expansive wrap-around terrace will be updated with 5,700-sq.ft of space, along with bar service. The restaurant and the bar will also go back to the future, with pretty much every seat offering a great view out onto Times Square.
Hotel Renovations / Hotel Art / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Snapshot / Hotel Design / → All Tags
The Milford's New Hallways Will Transport Guests From Times Square To SoHo
A hallway mural at The Milford New York
The re-designed rooms at The Milford New York (formerly the Milford Plaza) have been finished for almost a year—and their new look is bright, colorful, and very fresh. But one of our favorite parts of the re-design can actually be found in the hallways.
In an attempt to show tourists that there's more to NYC than just the Empire State and Central Park, each floor has been assigned a different neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, with vivid depictions of picturesque spots in places like the West Village, or the Lower East Side.
What's so cool about the images, though, is how life-life they are. Above is a hallway mural depicting Balthazar Bakery, a well-loved spot in Soho, which when we first saw it, we thought we were staring into a time-space vortex that opened a portal from Times Square to Prince Street. It was as if we could walk right in and grab a baguette!
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Econo Lodge Hotels / Florida Hotels / Orlando Hotels / Choice Hotels / → All Tags
World's Largest Econo Lodge to Open in Orlando... Do Its Extra Perks Signal a Change in Direction?
Say goodbye to the Metropolitan Resort on International Drive in Orlando. This fall, it will become the world's largest Econo Lodge with a "whopping" 297 rooms.
A small part of us chuckles that the world's largest Econo Lodge will humbly boast under 300 rooms, but we suppose it's a nice step for the typically small motel chain as far as novelty goes. Perhaps more important than the size of the property is the extra perks that are not normally seen at Econo Lodges such as an on-site delicatessen and free in-room Wi-Fi, coffee makers, refrigerators, and ironing boards. It will also have a partnership with the adjacent YMCA Aquatic Center, allowing guests free access to its three indoor pools, fitness center, and indoor racquetball courts.
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Odd Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Portland Hotels / Hotel GMs / → All Tags
The Boy In The Bubble: Which Portland GM Is Camping Out In Front Of His Hotel?
If you're staying at the RiverPlace Hotel in Portland this week, and are looking for General Manager Ryan Kunzer, you won't find him anywhere in the hotel. Which isn't to say he's not working.
He'll be working, alright, but instead of a traditional office, Kunzer has temporarily stationed himself inside a bubble tent in the middle of Pioneer Square.
Starting yesterday, Kunzer will spend three nights working and sleeping inside the 24-geodesic dome as a way to promote the hotel's renovated guest rooms, which are fresh from a $2.5 million makeover.
The hotel already went through a major change last year when Kimpton took it over, and now this is the logical follow-up Kimpton-ization, as we've seen before at Se San Diego and The Surfcomber.
As a way to introduce the new look to locals and potential guests, RiverPlace has re-created a guest room inside the tent for all to see (literally). Kind of a genius PR stunt, if you ask us. No pedestrian who stumbles upon a pop-up bubble hotel in the middle of a public square would ever be able to pass by and not want to peek inside.
Hopefully, the reviews will be positive...
Rates from $284/night.
[Photo: RiverPlace Hotel]
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Mexico Hotels / Riviera Maya Hotels / Barcelo Hotels / → All Tags
Barcelo Maya Renovates After Ramp Up Results in Increased Revenues
Where: Carretera Federal Chetumal-Puerto Juárez, Km. 266,3 , Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 77750
After completing a multi-million dolllar renovation of the Barcelo Bavaro in Punta Cana that increased its occupancy rate by about 2% and revenue per available room by 8.6%, Barcelo will now turn its attention to its gigantic Riviera Maya property in hopes of achieving similar results.
The project will cost more than $45 million and will begin on May 6 and focus on the complex’s Maya Beach and Maya Caribe hotels. Each will receive a revamped lobby, a new bar and an a-la-carte restaurant. The complex as a whole should benefit from the addition of an entertainment center that is to include a sports bar, bowling alley, teen disco, kids club, waterpark, and paddle tennis courts. A new Premium Club lounge will also be added.
The property consists of five adjacent hotels and one of the largest pools we've seen on a resort property in that region, with plenty of space to find serenity and avoid the drunk people at the swim up bar.
