Tag: Hotel Renovations View All Tags
Inauguration Hotels
Everyone Who's Anyone is Jumping on the Inauguration Bandwagon
November 25, 2008 at 9:10 AM | 0 Comments
As you may have heard, hotels in D.C. have pretty much put blinders on to the financial end times and are forging ahead with absurd rates and packages for January’s big inauguration. Hot on their heels, Washington area luxury hotel designer Pamela Hughes has unveiled the “Inauguratox”--i.e. botox for hotels that might want to consider quickie facelifts before the masses descend.
Hughes has worked with luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, so presumably she knows what she’s doing. From the press release:
"Inaugura-tox," the painless, instant enhancer to make each hotel shine and sparkle, will include providing decorative accessories, new lamps, fabric for reupholstery, consultation with florists and event planners, artwork and decorating lobbies and public spaces, and more.
…“We are not beneath sewing the hems of draperies last minute, if necessary," said Paula Benesch, Vice President for Project Management.
Um, OK. That smacks of goofy, but if you’re willing to charge a guest tens of thousands of dollars for a hotel package, we’d also like to hope you’re willing to ensure your hotel is in tip-top shape. Plus, a portion of the profits will be donated to The Children’s Inn at National Institutes of Health. We suppose hotels charging obscene rates during a recession need all the good karma they can get.
[Photo: ACMeds]
Sneak Peek
A First Look at The Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica
November 24, 2008 at 2:45 PM | 0 Comments
We stopped by Hotel Shangri-La over the weekend to check on the progress. While things are still looking a bit (a lot) construction-y, we believe them when they say Dec. 1. Well, a Dec. 1 soft opening. The first few floors of rooms will be open offering deluxe ocean view rooms and one bedroom suites.
The lobby looks unfinished, but we walked in it and it is really, really almost done. We promise. It's just covered in plastic for protection.
HotelChatter Flickr Pool
T.I. is Looking Kinda Sexy, and We Don't Mean the Rapper
November 24, 2008 at 8:52 AM | 0 Comments
Mrkathika surprised us this weekend when he dropped this photo of one of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino's newly-upgraded rooms into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool. Suffice it to say that we just about stunned ourselves when we were like, "dayum, T.I. is lookin' kinda sexy" — and for the first time, uh, ever, we were talking about the old Vegas hotel and not the hip-hop artist.
But seriously: the rooms are lookin' kinda hott, right?
Aside from capturing our attention by hosting the launch of Michael Jackson's glitzy Vegas clothing line, we don't talk so much about T.I., mostly because they don't pull many of those sorts of D-list celeb stunts or host trainwreck-y Criss Angel shows like some Vegas hotels — but these newly-renovated rooms are definitely worth taking a look at if you're heading down to Vegas this winter.
TripAdvisor reviewers — recent ones in particular — seem to really be digging T.I., calling it "the perfect Vegas hotel" and giving major praise to the new beds.
Rates start around $69.
Got a pic you wanna share with us? Drop it in the pool!
HotelChatter Reviews
Silent But Chic at The Marcel at Gramercy
November 19, 2008 at 1:33 PM | 0 Comments
Nowhere is the hotel renovation game better played than in New York City, where not only SRO residences can become boutique hotspots, but formerly 3-star properties can reinvent themselves for four-star heaven. Fresh from a top-to-bottom renovation (literally, since they added several stories to the building), The Marcel at Gramercy is ready to battle the big boys for tourists' bucks, breaking out the animal prints and champagne in celebration of their four stars.
Hotel Video Tours
Inside NYC's The Marcel at Gramercy
November 18, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments
We love when hard work pays off. Yesterday, we dropped in to the newly re-opened Marcel at Gramercy to check out their designerly digs.
Having just completed a massive renovation, including radical upgrades like the addition of new stories to the building, The Marcel has risen in more than just height; this hidden gem in Gramercy just claimed an extra star for their efforts. Now a fully-fledged four-star, the hotel pulls out all the stops in comfort and service while maintaining the impression that they are a delicious secret.
With rates averaging around $330 per night for a large room with cheery stripes and a view of the Empire State Building, The Marcel is a strong player in the "I don't want to stay in Times Square and definitely not the Financial District"-game.
Today we are giving you a video tour from room 907, a regular corner room. Stay tuned tomorrow when we return with the full review.
Telluride Hotels
The New Sheridan Hotel Will Reopen With a Nitrogen Wine Bar
November 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM | 3 Comments
If you're heading out to Colorado for skiing this year, at least swing by and check out Telluride's historic New Sheridan Hotel, which originally opened back in 1891 and is slated to reopen on December 20th after a $7 million renovation. Yeah, we know: $7 million doesn't sound like a ridiculous makeover compared to some hotels' billion-dollar revamps, but this hotel has less than 30 rooms to work with.
Miami Hotel Mambo
Victoria's Secret Models, P. Diddy on Hand for Fontainebleau's Grand Re-Opening
November 14, 2008 at 10:58 AM | 0 Comments
Finally, the day has come: Fontainebleau Miami has its Grand Re-Opening celebration today after its $1 billion renovation. We've been covering this epic remodeling process for a long, long time now, and now it's only appropriate that the whole unveiling happens in spectacular fashion — which they've got covered.
Speaking of fashion, as you've probably heard, the Victoria's Secret fashion show (featuring Usher!) at the seven-story set around the hotel's pool-scape will be taped tomorrow (Saturday) night.
But on hand tonight for the official grand opening festivities: singer and song writer Robin Thicke plus "a surprise performance from a Grammy Award winning global icon" (who who who? Anyone know?) will be the entertainment. On the guest list: P. Diddy, A-Rod, Terrence Howard, Chloe Sevigny and Venus and Serena Williams. Wait — if A-Rod is coming, does this mean the surprise performance might be Madonna? Maybe?
Portland Hotel Scene
Hotel Louie Still a Hard Hat Zone
November 13, 2008 at 3:15 PM | 0 Comments
While in Portland, we decided to hit up the famed Oregon hoteliers, McMenamins for a tour of their forthcoming newest property. It will become a hotel, but right now it's a bit, well, scrappy.
The website describes it at the "New Downtown Hotel" but we have it on good word from an inside source that they've finally decided on a name. The new Hotel Louie is named after the former owner of the Crystal Ballroom down the street and linked with the property.
Like most of the McMenamins properties, the building is steeped in history. It's been everything from a hotel (Hotel Alma, Hotel Georgian, Hotel Tait, Majestic Hotel) to a mens' bath house (which has earned the property quite a reputation among Portlanders), a night club, a car dealership, and the list goes on. When the property was purchased there was a lot of cleaning out to be done.
Fiji Resorts
Sheraton Fiji Has Cool Pool But Half-Finished Rooms
November 13, 2008 at 2:37 PM | 1 Comment
The Sheraton Fiji Resort re-opened this month after a $22 million renovation, and the concept pics gave us high hopes about the results, especially when it came to the swimming pool.
The pool is now a 13,000 square-foot lagoon and it has three sections, meaning that noisy, splashing kids get banished to one part of it (we hope), and we can do the relaxed, sunbathing thing somewhere far away. Apparently they also have underwater day seats and overwater hammocks, two features that get us a bit giddy because, well, in case you haven’t guessed, we love good hotel pools.
But there are a few post-renovation (or perhaps, still mid-renovation) blues going down at the Sheraton Fiji.
Santa Monica Hotels
The Shangri-La Might Be Actually Green, Not Just Gimmick Green
November 5, 2008 at 4:32 PM | 1 Comment
It's hip to be green. And when something is hip, marketers jump all over it promising that everything they do is green. Usually they're not lying, but they are creatively explaining their budget cuts. Green gimmicks like one-page menus instead of four, or no more bottled water, are examples of hotels cutting costs rather than actively helping the environment.
We can't help but frown on this sort of behavior, so we're super excited that the newly renovated Hotel Shangri-La is bragging greenness with actual green evidence:
· dual flush toilets
· amenities are all natural and come in bio-degradable packaging
· bottled water is in glass bottles which will be sanitized and re-used
· men's restrooms will have waterless urinals (don't worry, they still get cleaned, just differently)
· restaurant food will be from local vedors and purveyors
· wine list will feature AMerican wines to help lower carbon impact
· pool will be solar heated (which might be code for unheated, we're not sure)
In addition to the above, they have all the standard green stuff: newspapers will only be delivered by request, sheets will only be washed by request, windows are double layered to prevent loss of heat/air, non-toxic, organic cleaning products will be used, all paper is recycled, and other easy green moves.
We're hoping for a mid-November opening, but don't have a confirmed date yet. It looks like they have a pretty good reason for that delayed opening.
Hotel Renovations
Hyatt Regency DC Unveils Spankin' New Lobby
October 31, 2008 at 10:49 AM | 4 Comments
Finally, the Hyatt Regency Washington DC has completed the renovations on their lobby, transforming the public spaces from staid Hyatt lobby into a $7 million, tech-savvy, social scene. Here's the press release description:
An awe-inspiring grand staircase awaits guests as they enter the lobby, paralleled with new glass paneled escalators connecting them to the registration level. Modern staffed registration pods and separate self check-in kiosks ensure an easy and efficient welcome. A sparkling custom chandelier draws attention to the lobby and lounge, where luxurious couches sprinkled with fluffy pillows await, inviting guests to unwind.
Here's what that description would look like if HotelChatter was doing PR: This place looks a heck of a lot better than it used to. Yeah, we got escalators too! Got a problem with that? And in keeping the place high-tech, we added some check-in kiosks. Don't know if you'll use 'em but we got 'em. And the couches in our lobby and lounge are so comfortable you can totally pass out here after drinking one too many after Election Night.
Room rates at the Hyatt start at around $219 a night.
[Photo: Hyatt Regency DC]
HotelChatter Reader Deals
The Copley Square Hotel's Special Re-Opening Rates
October 28, 2008 at 4:31 PM | 0 Comments
UPDATE, 11.7.08: The hotel's opening has been delayed and the packages are no longer available.
Copley Hotel's Re-Opening Specials
20 percent off best available rate
The historic Copley Square Hotel will be re-opening on November 14, 2008 with a new and improved look after a multi-million renovation. The 117-year-old hotel will now feature a "contemporary boutique" style and to celebrate the facelift, the hotel is offering 20 percent off the best available rate until January 25, 2009. Rates range from $159 to $319 and the deal is based on availabilty.
However, if you were a frequent visitor to the Copley in the past, this loyalty could work out to your advantage. The hotel is offering a retroo room rate package in which you can book a night's stay at the same rate you paid during your last visit. You must show the receipt from your last stay but prices could go as low as $6.50. This deal is good through April 15, 2009.
But that's not all. The person who shows the receipt with the lowest rate will be eligible for a free weekend stay. Call 1-800-225-7062 or go online to book.
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Have a hotel deal you think we should consider? Or have a destination and date where you want us to check for hotel rooms and rates for you? No guarantees on either, but you can try your luck by hitting us here: tips@hotelchatter.com. Please include "For Reader Deals" in the subject heading.
