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Luxury Hotels, Listen Up: One Guest's Five Hotel Pet Peeves

September 17, 2009 at 2:12 PM | by DanSuslavich | 4 Comments

Every so often we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? Send it in.

Today we have a special post from regular HotelChatter reader and frequent hotel guest, Dan Suslavich who is giving us a different sort of Reader Review by rounding up his Five Hotel Pet Peeves.

I was a hospitality major in college, and I am the last person to be picky when it comes to hotels or their staff, but, there are just some things that you come to expect when staying in a 4 or 5-star hotel, and when these aren't provided, they become pet peeves, so here are five of mine that come to mind.

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Hotel Bel-Air's Upcoming Renovations Mess With Bride's Dream Wedding Day

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 701 Stone Canyon Road [map], Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90077
August 24, 2009 at 2:00 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

The Save the Dates and the wedding invitations were mailed out. The flights for family members from out of state and out of country were booked. The deposits for the florists and the band were paid. The Vera Wang wedding dress was altered and waiting patiently in the closet. A bride to-be was now simply counting down the days (less than 90) to her very special wedding day at the Hotel Bel-Air, one of the poshest wedding sites in Los Angeles.

That is, until she received a call from her gym trainer. He told her that another one of his clients--a bride also set to get married at the Hotel Bel-Air--was in hysterics because the hotel had announced it would be closing on September 30 for 18-months for a major renovations project.

Our bride friend was in disbelief. The hotel had just taken a new deposit from her less than three weeks before and now they were closing? Without even telling her?

Apparently, yes.

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Frequent Business Traveler: Hotel Tips

February 12, 2008 at 1:45 PM | by AndrewC | 0 Comments

Conde Nast's Portfolio magazine which just started publishing last summer has easily picked up the slack where Business Week, Fortune and Forbes have left off. Each issue includes meaty, informative business articles, rather than a picture on the front page, that leads to a one page three question interview. I'm not bitter.

Their Seat 2B column, just posted to their website today, contains some great tips about traveling:

On why you should tip the housekeeper everyday:

...leave your tip every day, not at the end of your stay, because the housekeeper may change from day to day. How much to tip? I never leave less than $5 a day...

If staying at a luxury hotel (this one will probably not work at a Motel 6):

...introduce yourself around, especially to the general manager. If you intend to be a regular, let him know. Give him your business card and write him a thank-you note after your stay. When you're headed to the next property, call and ask him whom to contact. He'll do the work for you and alert the next hotel's G.M...

And for people like my parents who insist on calling hotels directly for reservations:

..Time has passed it by. Most major hotel chains now work off of a centralized database of rates. In fact, many properties don't even have an on-site reservations department anymore...

And last but not least - is the hotel you want overbooked?

...ask if an "out of service" room is available. That's industry jargon and it means you're willing to accept a room that has been temporarily taken out of general inventory due to a small flaw that needs repair.

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How to Get Hotel Perks Like a Pro

November 9, 2007 at 9:35 AM | by ehaile | 1 Comment


Tokyo Dome Hotel Lobby

Ever wonder how the guy next to you gets champagne on the house when you've been downgraded to the broom closet? Getting hotel upgrades and perks isn't rocket science--in fact it's generally pretty intuitive-- but we're not sure most travelers take full advantage of what's available. We caught up with Becky Veith, travel agent extraordinaire, to see what she knew about workin' a hotel for perks.

Read more on how to get hotel perks.

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Deal or No Deal with 'What A Hotel' Booking Site?

June 26, 2007 at 2:26 PM | by barbarab | 4 Comments

A video ad for the online travel agency "What A Hotel" recently piqued our curiosity. (Confession: We saw it on the celebrity-gossip website A Socialite's Life.) The site is run by Lorraine Travel, a Coral Gables-based travel agency. The video ad features a voice-over fit for a movie trailer. Said voice-over extols the benefits of booking participating luxury hotels and resorts through the "What A Hotel" website. So what luxury hotels does this include? And can you really get some deals?

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Heard Around the Hotel World

May 4, 2007 at 3:09 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

The St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. has been closed since last summer for extensive renovations but is expected to open this November.

Thompson Hotels, in addition to opening a Beverly Hills property and two more downtown Manhattan hotels, is also headed to Toronto. Maybe they will have better opening luck in Canada.

The nightclub Cain at The Cove Atlantis had a soft opening on April 20th but the official opening happens next week.

The Four Seasons chain is expanding by building atop a casino parking lot in St. Louis. As one insider says, "their expansion must be getting desperate."

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Heard Around the Hotel World

April 13, 2007 at 1:47 PM | by juliana | 1 Comment

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

Sanctuary in Times Square New York has not started construction yet although March was supposed to be the first month. Apparently, the developer has switched architects.

Philippe Starck will redo the Le Meurice, the oldest palace hotel in Paris. This might be the last deal he closed before he entered into a 15-year exclusive contract with the new SLS chain from Sam Nazarian.

Cabo Azul Resort & Spa will open in September with a 5-star look done by interior designer, Dodd Mitchell who recently renovated the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The resort will feature a 5-story open-air wedding chapel, a tri-level infinity pool, a Yin and Yang spa and cabanas on the beach.

The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center has created a carbon offset program by partnering with the Climate Trust. Visit the hotel's website for their Green Initiatives.

If you got a hot tip, spill it.

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Heard Around the Hotel World, Volume IV: Nicky O Rumbles Again

March 16, 2007 at 4:00 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

· Several tipsters have pointed us in the way of a Miami-area blog that reported Nicky O South Beach might be coming back from the dead. Honestly, we cannot go through this again.

· The first phase of renovations at the Desert Springs JW Marriott are done and include an atrium lobby, a 60-foot sushi bar and an area for wine and cigar tastings. The spa is set for a 2007 opening.

· In case you missed it, an inside source reports that when the cast of The Hills visited the W Westwood Los Angeles they actually ate a full-course meal, not just dessert so blame the MTV editing department.

· We said the The Las Vegas Hilton is crapping out but geeks still admire it for their Star Trek experience. Should they just turn it into the Star Trek Hotel & Casino or what?

If you got a hot tip, spill it.

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Heard Around the Hotel World, Volume III

March 9, 2007 at 4:08 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

· Brangelina living in New Orleans has sparked a real estate boom and the Marriott and Renaissance New Orleans Hotels are offering guests a relocation package complete with guided house tours, maps and a Big Easy Property concierge.

· Manhattan's Broadway Inn bites the dust as developers Mort Zuckerman and Related build a skyscraper. This was one of the last clean and affordable hotels in the area, says our tipster.

· Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers are offering valet parking for only a penny from March 29 to April 7 as a way of celebrating its 15th anniversary.

· The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel is hosting a special reception on March 21st at its BLVD restaurant to introduce the restaurant's two chefs.

If you got a hot tip, spill it.

[Photo: acme_tech_3rd]

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Heard Around the Hotel World, Volume II

January 19, 2007 at 4:26 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

· It's no secret that Nicky O South Beach is having problems. But we're hearing chatter in SoBe that it may never happen. There is a God afterall.

· The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco hosts a kid-friendly Teddy Bear Tea every December but gets sold out in August! We suggest booking now.

· Hotels in LA seem to be fairly WiFi Friendly and more importantly, free like the Chateau Marmont and the Beverly Hilton.

· The Westin St. John is offering the anti-Mancation. It's a "Solo-cation for Her" where women have three nights to themselves with private services like cabanas, time at the spa and even a snorkeling excursion. The cost is steep at $8,385.

If you got a hot tip, spill it.

[Photo: acme_tech_3rd]

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Heard Around the Hotel World

January 12, 2007 at 5:16 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

· The Four Seasons New York has hit an average room rate of $1,100 a night. Yikes!

· The Park Hyatt Los Angeles in Century City is possibly turning into an Intercontinental Hotel.

·  The Ritz Carlton Montreal isn't actually a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, but they get to use the name which recently angered some guests over the holidays.

· The James Hotel brand is moving to New York City. They recently purchased the Buckingham Hotel.

· Rapid Bet Live which was tested at the Palms Hotel sports book during the past year, is set to be installed in every major casino/hotel with a sports book in Vegas. Basically, you can bet wirelessly on everything in a sporting event, not just the outcome of the game. Meaning free throws and field goals are up for bets. Sure to make the wives and girlfriends happy.

If you got a hot tip, spill it.

[Photo: acme_tech_3rd]

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Lying Sick in a Manhattan Hotel Room?

December 13, 2006 at 9:15 AM | by amandak | 0 Comments

Getting sick while you're away from home is no fun experience--trying to get directions to a doctor from hotel reception while your head is pounding or you're trying to keep your breakfast down is no ideal way to spend either a holiday or the morning before an important meeting. Agreed?

If you're in New York, then Sickday are the guys who plan to help you out with that.

For $250 a visit, this bunch of qualified physicians guarantee someone will attend to you in your hotel room (or at your home or office) in Manhattan, and what's more, they'll spend an entire thirty minutes with you, plus phone again later to check up on you.

And if they can't fix you, they'll refer you on to a specialist or hospital. Worth it? You be the judge, depending on much your ear aches or whether you can walk or not, and how full your wallet is. Too bad, they don't offer this type of service in New Delhi.

[Photo: MeeraLee]

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· Sickday House Calls [Sickday]