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JW Marriott Marquis Dubai to Be Tallest Hotel in the World

Where: Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Well it looks like Marriott Hotels won't be relinquishing their title of "World's Tallest Hotel" anytime soon. Though that distinction belongs currently to the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong come later this year, it will be wrested away by the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai.

Marriott made the announcement today saying that the two towers of the 1,608-room hotel will stand 1,164 feet tall, making them just 85 feet shorter than the Empire State Building. And unlike other hotels in buildings this tall, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will be entirely dedicated to hotel operations.

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Hotel Amenities / Hotel Technology / Hotel WiFi / Portable WiFi / JW Marriott Hotels / Kuala Lumpur Hotels / Park Hyatt Hotels / Tokyo Hotels / → All Tags

Are Personal WiFi Hotspots The Next Hot Hotel Amenity?

Are wireless hot spots the next hot hotel amenity? Judging by these two recent reports from luxury hotels in Asia, they just might be!

First up, a guest sent in this snapshot, above, and description, below, of the YES personal 4G station called the Huddle found at the JW Marriott in Kuala Lumpur. He writes:

YES has a table in the lobby, adjacent to the Front Desk, where guests can borrow (deposit, but no rental charge) a 4G station, called a “Huddle”. Then, for RM50 per day (USD15/day) you get all the wifi data you can eat. That includes downloading their app and turning your iPod Touch or iPhone, or iPad, into a VOIP phone for free… and, you can connect up to 5 devices at one time.

I’m on it right now with my laptop, and have also connected an iPad and my US iPhone 3GS. I now have all the data and calls I can consume, all at a flat rate.

The Huddle is slightly smaller than the iPhone, and would easily slip into my pocket. I now have a wifi hotspot with me, throughout KL… It just needs to plug in and recharge overnight.

Right now, this is only of value in KL, but what a great connectivity platform! Is this what 4G can do for hotels? No more data roaming overseas at randomly high rates?

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Hotel Pools / Phuket Hotels / Photo Gallery / Thailand Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Hotel Amenities / JW Marriott Hotels / Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

The Hotel Pools of Phuket: Triple Dips at the JW Marriott Resort

Where: 231 Moo 3 Mai Khao,Talang, Phuket, Thailand, 83110

Next up in our Hotel Pools of Phuket series are the three—count 'em three—pools that sit nice and pretty between the buildings and the beach at the JW Marriott Resort.

To be perfectly clear, we didn't sleep at the JW Marriott, but next door in a hotel to be revealed tomorrow. The thing is, the hotels share a beachfront: Mai Khao Beach on the northwestern tip of Phuket Island. Because the beaches are public, it's quite easy to walk between the properties, and there's even a boardwalk and direction signs to guide vacationers around the area.

If you found yourself with a long stay, you could hop hotel pools no problem, but that wouldn't work very well if you fancy ordering cocktails at the swim-up bar and charging it back to your room.

Back to the pools. The JW has three of them for the general guests, because—as it goes in Phuket—there's also a selection of suites (and one villa) with private pools. For most, however, the North, Main and South pools will be more than enough aqua entertainment.

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London Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / Hot Hotelier News / Royal Hotels / Stuart Bowery / Olympics 2012 Hotels / → All Tags

The Grosvenor Used to Have an Ice Rink (and Other Tidbits From Hotelier Stuart Bowery)

Where: 90 Park Lane, London, United Kingdom, W1K 7TN

His name aside, hotelier Stuart Bowery has absolutely nothing to do with the eponymous New York hotel. Bowery resides across the pond in London, where he manages the comparably luxe Grosvenor property. Bowery recently received profile treatment from Air & Business Travel News, where he had some interesting things to say about the local hotel scene in the wake of London's disastrous riots and in the lead up to next year's Olympic Games.

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Hotel Magazines / Hotel Amenities / JW Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

Flipping Through JWM, The New JW Marriott Magazine

Awhile back when we started profiling Hotel Magazines, we called them a dying hotel amenity. But we're starting to see new ones crop up, so perhaps we were a little quick to start writing their obituaries. The latest to hit a hotel room near you? JWM, the magazine from (who else?) JW Marriott.

Or, as it says right there on the cover, 'The Magazine of Passionate Pursuits.' just in case you won't be bunking in one of JW Marriott's 54 properties any time soon, you can take a spin through JWM right here in our gallery.

As you can see, it's a classy production, with sleek design and good paper stock. The photos are strong, and there's a good mix of content, both servicey and useful, and frivolous and indulgent.

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Hotel Bicycles / Hotel Restaurants / London Hotels / Marriott Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

And Now for a Different Sort of Hotel Bicycle: J.W. Marriott's Cheesecake Trike

Where: Park Lane, London, United Kingdom, W1K 7TN

Oh, London. You may not have a slew of food trucks like LA, Austin or New York City, but you've got bikes and sometimes that's just perfect. Take for example the way the J.W. Marriott Grosvenor House is marketing their steakhouse. It's a tricycle equipped with a freezer, filled with mini cheesecakes for purchase and the exterior splashed with steak-associated adjectives.

We're assuming it tools around Hyde Park most of the time, since that's just across the street from the Grosvenor House's enviable Park Lane location. We didn't stay overnight this time—we'd already done that—but we did stop into the hotel's coffee shop for an espresso macchiato earlier today and the surprise of finding this bike. Too bad it wasn't stocked with cheesecakes at the moment, but we'd keep our eyes open for it out and about this weekend with the return of nice weather (it's 68 and sunny here, New Yorkers!).

[Photo: HotelChatter]

Concierges / Hotel Technology / Chicago Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

In Living Color: The Virtual Concierges at The JW Marriott Chicago

Where: 151 West Adams Street [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60603

Last week, we told you about the new high-tech "concierges" in place at the JW Marriott Chicago but we weren't able to take a photo of the virtual helpers (much to our, and WriterDave's dismay.)

But thanks to the hotel reps we've got some real photos snapped yesterday of the magical boards. As we told you, the signs are positioned on the ground, second, third and fourth floors of the hotel and with the screen-touch of a button, they give you news, attraction information, travel and flight updates as well as event listings. You can even get directions to a local spot from the hotel.

These virtual concierges can also be found at the JW Marriott Indianapolis and the JW Marriott at LA Live. Wonder what the human concierges downstairs must be thinking about all this?

[Photos: Wagstaff Worldwide for JW Marriott Chicago. Thanks Caiti!]

JW Marriott Hotels / Starbucks / Hotel Coffee / Hotel Technology / → All Tags

Use Your iPhone to Get Your Starbucks at the JW Marriott Indianapolis

Where: 10 S West Street [map], Indianapolis, IN, United States, 46204

For those of us who are addicted to Starbucks, the location of a Starbucks store inside our hotel is always a godsend. But now the addicted Starbucksers who end up staying at the brand new JW Marriott Indianapolis will not only be able to order their double shot skinny sugar-free vanilla latte with whip but also use their iPhone to pay for it.

The hotel has just announced that they have opened this newfangled kiosk concept from Starbucks on the second floor, adjacent to the Sky Bridge that connects the JW to the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center. Very convenient!

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Hotel Technology / JW Marriott Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Chicago Hotels / → All Tags

Be Your Own Concierge with the JW Marriott Chicago's New Interactive Signs

Where: 151 W. Adams St. [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60603

If you don't want to bother waiting in line for the concierge or to get on a computer at the business center to get some info, the JW Marriott Chicago offers interactive signs that will give you the lowdown on everything from news to directions around the city.

The signs—which are positioned on the ground, second, third and fourth floors of the Chicago hotel—let you get all this information with the touch of a button, like a virtual concierge.

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Sports Hotels / Hotel Packages / Los Angeles Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

X Games Fans Can Have an Xtreme Stay at the JW Marriott at LA Live

Where: 900 W. Olympic Blvd. [map], Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90015

If you were looking to go to the X Games 17, the JW Marriott at LA Live can hook you up. The hotel is partnering with ESPN to offer a special weekend pass for July 28 to 31 that will give you exclusive access to special events an put you right in front of the skateboarding, BMX biking and other action that will go down at the Staples Center.

The pass will get you three nights at the hotel and events like an intimate breakfast with an X Games superstar at JW Marriott's LA Market restaurant and VIP status in the Staples Center Lexus Club.

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Hotel Trends / JW Marriott Hotels / Tuscson Hotels / Teen Lounges / → All Tags

Are Teen Lounges The Newest Hotel Trend?

Where: 3800 W. Starr Pass Boulevard [map], Tucson, AZ, United States, 85745

This might be the perfect place for Rebecca Black's follow up to her mocked hit smash single, "Friday."

Over Easter weekend, the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa in Tucson opened their new Blur Lounge, a teens-only place where kids can socialize with each other and try out the latest cool gadgets like iPad2s, Playstations's 3Move game system and Xbox 360. There's also a movie area with a 46” LCD HDTV and a library of DVDs. We call dibs on High School Musical 1, 2 and 3!

Even though the place isn't quite as sexy as the Atlantis' teen nightclub, Crush, the Blur lounge will host a "Poptail Hour" every Saturday night from 6pm to 10pm where teens can make their own signature soda drink, play in Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 challenges and catch a movie in the theater.

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Celebrity Scoop / London Hotels / Marriott Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / → All Tags

Holly Holiday and Mr. Schue Stay After School at the Grosvenor House Hotel

Where: 86-90 Park Lane, London, United Kingdom, W1K 7TN

Did Holly Holliday and Mr. Schu's steamy remake of Prince's "Kiss" on Glee cause some real-life sparks to fly between Gwyneth Paltrow and Matthew Morrison? Paltrow was spotted boozing it up with her co-star at Grosvenor House Hotel until the wee hours.

It could have been an innocent meeting of friends; they dined Locanda Locatelli restaurant in Marylebone then headed to the hotel for some libations. But they hung out at the hotel bar until 2 a.m. And when the paparazzi descended on the two during their London date, the married-with-children Paltrow tried to hide her face with her scarf. Suspicious.

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