Senior Editor:
Juliana Shallcross
Full Masthead
Publisher:
SFO*MEDIA
Wellington's Bolton Hotel has a good reputation amongst travelers to New Zealand, and comes in at #2 on the TripAdvisor reviews, too. Apparently even the New Zealand national cricket team have been known to stay there when they've got a match in Wellington, and since they have national hero status, it's a very good sign.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by amandak
The last time we mentioned the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Florida, it was because Regis Philbin was annoyed that he'd tipped the bellman before he found out tips are all included. This week the New York Times checked it out, and came out with a fairly lukewarm conclusion too. Reviewer Geraldine Fabrikant writes:
The Boca is the hotel version of the everything bagel. It offers whatever you need, but it has no striking personality.
What it does have is 80 years of history, and 80 years of various renovations and rebuilds which enables it to offer different styles of accommodation depending on your vacation needs, so it's suitable for families or couples or groups all at once.
However, all this leads to staff and service being stretched just a bit too far.
Fabrikant says:
Like a woman who does her face, but neglects her neck, parts of the hotel seem to have not gotten the help they need.
3 Comments - Add Yours by amandak
One of our personal favorite beachside Santa Monica hotels has got a new look inside. Eater LA has the scoop on the renovations completed at the One Pico fine dining restaurant inside Shutters on the Beach.
The room will have a breezier look, lots of ocean blues (in this case teal tufted leather chairs), dark wood accents; the lovely beachside views remain.
Michael Reardon, who's now executive chef of all the ETC Hotel properties (Casa del Mar next door and Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara included), created a seasonal, Italian-inspired menu. Think: grilled octopus with potatoes and capers, homemade pastas, steak Fiorentina, John Dory with langoustines and farmer's market vegetables.
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and should open officially sometime this week. For a more casual setting, hit up Coast on the bottom floor which also got a renovation fairly recently. The terrace and pool deck is still under construction and will reopen on April 25th.
Fun fact: the hotel will chauffeur you around in a Mercedes-Benz with the license plates 1PICO. That's so California!
After 117 years of existence, anyone would be in need of having a little work done, which is why we're excited to hear that Boston's Copley Square Hotel is finally being renovated.
While guests loved the historic hotel's location in the city's Back Bay, they also complained of peeling wallpaper, threadbare sheets, rough towels and erratic hot water. After the $14 million renovation, which should be complete later this spring, all 143 guest rooms at the hotel will have new interiors and baths, pillow top beds, new fabrics, fully stocked work stations with ergonomic chairs, iHomes and Wi-Fi--although no word on whether or not that Wi-Fi will be free.
The lobby and other guest areas also are getting revamped, as is guest services, which has been dubbed "just OK" in the past. The hotel is closed until further notice (though its Saint venue remains open) and if you're into architecture porn head to the hotel's web site for a renovation diary and a surprisingly candid blog maintained by the hotel's general manager.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by jennm
Just when you thought Manhattan couldn't afford any more luxury hotel room rates, comes the summer re-opening of the Mark Hotel , a 5-star hybrid hotel residence with 118 suites and 42 co-op apartments.
In its former life, the hotel was always a favorite with elite travelers who cherished its tony Upper East side location and the staff's devotion to guest needs and desire for privacy
In its 21st Century reincarnation, it won't disappoint them. Renowned French designer Jacque Granger has combined old world charm with a contemporary look and feel, giving new life to the property as a "Grand Hotel" with custom furnishings and fabrics, coffered ceilings and white oak floors.
The fabled Saint Ambroeus restaurant has moved in with a branch for all day gourmet dining and afternoon tea, Bar Mark will be pouring signature cocktails, and pampering will be provided by Frederic Fekkai's Salon Mark.
Residents and guests alike share the grand entrance of a large, seductive lobby, Wi-Fi, 24-hour international Concierge staff, a curated DVD library, business center, fitness center, childcare, petcare, and limousine and airplane charter services.
Of course, you get what you pay for in New York City. Room rates start at $1,000.
[Photo: NYT]
The other weekend we popped into the Hotel Bel-Air, a legendary hotel not only known for hosting celebrity clients (cough, Britney Spears, cough) but for having exquisite grounds only accessible to hotel guests, making a stay here one of utmost privacy.
The overall feel of the hotel reminds us of The Beverly Hills Hotel but while the Pink Palace is more public and showy and prone to paparazzi hounds, the Bel-Air almost feels sleepy. Or at least it did on the Saturday morning that we stopped in for breakfast. Still, it was a good kind of sleepy and we could hardly believe we were still in Los Angeles. So already the place wins our pick as great urban hideaway but now about that restaurant decor....
The renovations at the Tides South Beach have been going on for what seems like forever but we got a snapshot of the view from Room 702 and we can't help but stare at it all day long.
Seriously, if we stop posting for the rest of the afternoon on HotelChatter it's probably because we have a severe case of Cubicle Dreamin'.
While the hotel is nearing the completion of a $14 million restoration (finally), the pool is still not opened. That's expected to happen by May 1st. We'll see. First it was to be done in January and then in March. In the meantime, you can use the pool at the neighboring Hotel Victor or hello! The beach!
[Thanks CF!]
0 Comments - Add Yours
by juliana
The Franklin Hotel, considered one of the gems of Manhattan's tony Upper East Side, recently announced they've completed a year-long renovation.
Just around the corner from Central Park, the unbelievable shopping on Madison Avenue, and the famous Museum Mile (which includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Museo del Barrio, The Jewish Museum, and the very cool Cooper Hewitt), this little hotel -- only 50 rooms -- has more than just a central location to brag about. There are loads of new touches to the overall decor, rooms, and service.
Among the new renovations are spacious rooms turned out in tasteful, muted colors, and the amenities are many: Flat screen LCD-TVs, Bvlgari bath products, Frette terry robes, rain-head showers, Egyptian linens, iPod-/iHome-compatible clock-radios, free shoe shines and newspapers, free local phone calls (Hi, Mom!), and New York Sports Club access -- so you can work off the high-end booze in the mini bar. Oh, and bring Fido, too. The hotel is pet-friendly.
As if that isn't enough, you can stuff your face in style. There's a comp European breakfast buffet, a daily artisanal cheese-and-wine tasting, and 24-hour self-service espresso and cappucino, in case you get a little drowsy after sampling all that fromage and vino.
The only downer? The hotel is still charging a daily $12 service fee.
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
About | Contact | Privacy | User Agreement
© SFO Media LLC 2004-2008
