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Hotel Riverview / OpenThread / Sean MacPherson / Eric Goode / HotelChatter Discussions / BD Hotels / → All Tags

OpenThread: Hotel Riverview's Transformation to Boutique Hotel

Where: 113 Jane Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10014

Whatever plans hoteliers Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson have for the Hotel Riverview, it won't be an easy task to see those plans to fruition.

Hotel Riverview residents and its past guests are strongly against the Goode/MacPherson takeover. No surprise here, although if you didn't know it yet, G & M are probably working with BD Hotels--they of the embittered Hotel Chelsea takeover.

The comments and emails about the historic hotel's transition to a hip West Village boutique hotel are filling up our inboxes and burning up our comments feed, particularly under this story about the pending eviction of tenants.

This group is also protesting the notion that the hotel is full of drunks, drug addicts or homeless people--as suggested by the tipster who told us that Goode and MacPherson had officially purchased the hotel. Here's one guest's response to that characterization.

I have served five years in the US Army, Attended the University of Hawaii and traveled through eight countries. I was, am not and will never be any of those adjective you used so gallantly.  

You need to be taught some respect for people's transitions as we all have human experiences.  I wish Messrs. Macpherson and Goode all the best on their new project.  As for you and your tipster, try another angle, b/c this one is tacky.

Needless to say there's a lot of strong emotions about this pending hotel project and we can't post every email so we urge you to...

Comment on the Hotel Riverview Plans Here.

Thompson Hotels / Stephen Brandman / Hotel Service / Lifestyle Hotels / HotelChatter Discussions / → All Tags

HotelChatter Discussion: Is The Thompson Hotel Experience Manifesto Worthy or Not?

On Monday we published the Thompson Hotels Map, to track the aggressive growth of Thompson Hotels. We questioned whether or not Thompson would be able to provide the high level of customer service needed when you pay Thompson prices as they rolled out multiple hotels at the same time.

We all know certain Thompson hotels have had some customer service issues in the past, but when we heard from Stephen Brandman, the Thompson Hotels co-owner, the other day we began to wonder, is Thompson fast tracking so many new "lifestyle" hotels in 2008 because they are aggressively and successfully addressing guest services?

Brandman, who oversees all of Thompson Hotels operations including staff hiring and training, takes his company's service very seriously. He writes:

Our repeat business at all of our hotels is based on great service. Please remember when you charge a lot of money as we do at Thompson Hotels those that can’t afford the experience are more likely to blog about it but really are not our customer.

Our hotels are full and continue to beat our comp set in RevPAR index because our repeat business makes us prosperous. We are not like a lot of other hotels that are bars with rooms attached. Even the Roosevelt is vastly improved over the past year.

Your shots at service are based on what? 60 Thompson has become iconic as a hotel, Roosevelt is famously popular and Gaige House is number 42 on Conde Nast yet you frown upon us? 6Columbus is getting great feedback so far...what gives?

Well, actually, our customer service question was based on experiences like this and the overflow in our inbox from hotel insiders who questioned Thompson's commitment to customer service. However, Mr. Brandman may have a point when he cites "improvement in the last year". Even the recent TripAdvisor reviews for the Roosevelt are above average. So Thompson Hotels is working hard to change that bad service reputation around. And we like that Brandman had the balls to email us in defense of his hotel brand.

However, we want to hear what you think. Help us figure out whether service at the 6 or so Thompson Hotels listed below is manifesto worthy.

Comment on service at a Thompson hotel here.

Related Stories:
· Introducing the Thompson Hotels Maps [HotelChatter]
· Getting to know the Thompson Hotels Co-Owners [HotelChatter]
· Stephen Brandman Podcast [Hotelsmag]

HotelChatter Discussions / Hotel Sheets / → All Tags

Does Housekeeping Really Listen When You Don't Want Your Sheets Changed?

Our Paris correspondent Monica Guy has put forth a very interesting question about changing the sheets during your hotel stay.

You know those cards that most hotels now have in the room?

Every year blah blah millions of litres of water blah blah save our planet blah blah If you would like to re-use your towels, please hang them on the rack. If you would like them changed, please leave them on the bathroom floor. Thank you for saving the planet blah blah blah.

Those ones. Has anyone ever got that system to work?

I'm a bit of an eco-warrior in my spare time, when I'm not flying around in noisy polluting aeroplanes burning carbon like there's no tomorrow. I'm also clean. My sheets and towels don't need changing every day.

But! In every hotel I leave my towels neatly placed on the rack. I leave a large note in the bathroom and on my bed, in English and in the native language - in Spanish as well if staying in Miami or California - stating:

"Please do not change my towels and sheets today. I want to use the same ones. Thank you." I ring up the hotel desk and housekeeping and tell them I specifically do not want my towels and sheets changed. I tell all the maids I see in the corridor not to change anything. I wait until they come to clean the room, and remind them again.

But nobody pays the blind bit of notice. The housekeepers change my sheets and towels every single day, sometimes twice a day if I've been wasteful enough to shower in the afternoon.

Is it a lesson in not being anal? Or am I doing something wrong?

Does anyone else ever have the same problem? Let us know.

Loyalty Program Guide / HotelChatter Discussions / → All Tags

HotelChatter's Guide to Loyalty Programs:: Discussion Time

You may have noticed...ahem...you should have noticed that for the past two weeks we have been running our Loyalty Program Guide, compiled by our own Barbara Benham. In this guide we have done our best to detail all the member benefits and the fine print of each hotel's rewards program. Did we do our job? Did we miss something? Do you still have questions or tips to share?

Well hit us up on the tipline with your thoughts and questions or better yet, leave comments under each post. For instance SPG groupies should comment here. General comments about our guide (nicely please) can be dropped here.

All other rewards program here:

· Choice Hotels
· Radisson GoldPoints Plus
· Kimpton InTouch Rewards
· Fairmont President's Club
· Intercontinental's Priority Club
· Best Western's Gold Crown Club
· Hyatt Gold Passport
· Hilton Honors
· Marriott Rewards
· Starwood Preferred Guest.

HotelChatter Discussions / → All Tags

Hotel Voyeurism: Where is Everyone Going Today?

Want to get a glimpse into the mind of the hotel maven? Below is a quick link snapshot of the most popular destinations on HotelChatter today:

· Hawaii Hotels Tell us, what do we have to do to get you to take us with you?

· Prague Hotels: There is this myth that if you go to Prague in October you will encounter fewer tourists.

· Cabo Hotels: Just admit it, you watched Rock of Love.

· Tokyo Hotels: You guys just keep heading to those love hotels, don't you?

· Bulgaria Hotels: Ok we admit it, we have no clue. Did hotels in Sofia relax their sex worker rules or something?

Have a hotel story you wanna share? Let us know.