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Hotel Emergencies
Mumbai Hotels Determined to Rebuild and Re-open
December 2, 2008 at 10:10 AM | 0 Comments
After last week's devastating terrorist attacks on the Taj Palace Hotel and the Trident-Oberoi in Mumbai, the affected hotels have vowed to rebuild and re-open as quickly as possible.
According to a report from Reuters, the Trident Hotel is set to re-open in 10 or 15 days looking just as good as it did before the attacks:
Trident, the tower block of EIH Ltd's the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, is being cleaned and its broken windows and doors replaced, said Ketaki Narain, director of corporate communications for the Oberoi Group.
Employees have returned to work, and new security measures are being put in place, she said, without giving details.
The lobby of the Trident is already "sparkling clean," and the employees are ready to go. Unfortunately, the older Oberoi wing of the hotel suffered much more damage, so it may take quite a bit longer to reopen — it should still be a few months now.
The Taj Mahal Palace nearby (pictured), which was nearly destroyed in the attacks, has been constantly updating a webpage devoted to news about condition of the hotel here, and the front page of the hotel's website displays a single bold red statement: "We are working to restore the symbol of Mumbai’s enduring spirit and dignity."
[Photo: Julian Herbert / Getty Images via Denver Post]
Hotel Emergencies
Security at Luxury Hotels Questioned After Mumbai Attacks
December 1, 2008 at 10:28 AM | 0 Comments
After September's deadly bombing at the Marriott Islamabad and, most recently, last week's devastating attacks on the Taj Palace Hotel and Oberoi in Mumbai, expect security of luxury hotels in every city to be beefed up.
As an MSNBC article points out, while luxury hotels may seem like safe havens for travelers abroad, they're not exactly secure oases:
Most security experts will tell you that a hotel is a prime "soft" terrorist target: multiple entrances and exits, easy vehicle access and dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of unattended bags in the lobby.
Hotel Hype
Park Hyatt Coming to Cabo San Lucas in 2010
November 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments
We may have another addition to our Best Hotels in Mexico for Cabo Virgins. The only exception is that you will have to hold onto your Mexico V card until 2010. That's when Park Hyatt will be opening up their Cabo San Lucas hotel.
The only details we could find on the place came from Hotels Magazine which said that the Park Hyatt will be part of a larger resort complex called Cabo San Cristobal Resort.
Hotel Awards
AAA Gives Six New Hotels Five Diamond Status
November 14, 2008 at 11:36 AM | 3 Comments
The view from the Montage Laguna Beach
UPDATE: See the full list here.
AAA has just released their new list of 2009 Five Diamond Hotels and it turns out California is a pretty nice place for hotels. Of the six new hotels to gain Five Diamond status, three of them are in Southern California.
· The Beverly Hills Hotel: Our favorite hotel for celeb-spotting.
· The Montage Laguna Beach: They of the best crabcakes.
· Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village: The place to recuperate from your plastic surgery.
There's no complete listing on either the AAA website or their Twitter page but USA Today reported that the other three new Five Diamonds are The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, and Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.
Have you stayed at one of these Five Diamond hotels recently? Think they deserve the award? Let us know in comments below.
[Photo: ShaoloPaolo]
Hotel Events
Tokyo Ritz Holds Stinker of a Truffle Auction
November 10, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments
Why is it that world’s most unappetizing foods are also its most expensive? Sevruga caviar and white truffles both look like something produced by the digestive tract. Still, tasting these rare flavors is a sign of status, and a group of tycoons gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo last night to bid for the rare Italian mushrooms.
Maybe they wanted to avoid the bumping nightlife surrounding the hotel, or perhaps the lousy economy is finally hitting the people at the top (who, arguably, caused the whole mess), because, guess what? The event, The 10th Annual Word Alba White Truffle Auction was a big flop.
Manhattan Hotels
How to Enjoy the Plaza Without Paying $775 for a Room
October 30, 2008 at 9:22 AM | 0 Comments
Have four grand to spend on a suite at The Plaza Hotel? You can plunk down your plastic on one of the City's most expensive rooms -- or opt instead for slurping in style at the hotel for $25. We report. You decide.
Sure, the economy's in the toilet, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke just lowered the interest rate (again), and some politicians are even accusing of you "whining" about the country's financial state. But then again, maybe you're able to pony up four thousand clams for a two-bedroom suite with a Fifth Avenue view, pantry, and 24-hour butler service. Maybe you can lowball it for a simple one bedroom for (gulp) $775.
Hotel News
Bad News for Luxury Hotels May Mean Good News for You
October 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM | 0 Comments
It seems like every time we've opened up the New York Times these last few months, we've run into some kind of depressing story about the sad economic state of the hotel industry.
Here's the deal: the economy is not doing so well (have you heard?) and some folks initially thought that hotels wouldn't be in too much pain -- but then we saw bigger chains slowing down their expansion plans because of declining occupancy. While mid-priced hotel chains began hurting, the luxury segment continued to do relatively well through the summer.
But more recently, the state of the economy has struck fear into the hearts of even Manhattan hotels, a city where occupancy rarely dips below 80%. So, you know, things are bad -- but top-tier hotels weren't so worried because those properties were generally sustained by corporate travel (not super rich leisure travelers, as you may have thought). Until now.
Siem Reap Hotel Guide
Siem Reap Hotel Guide :: Raffles, In Contrast, Is Fit For A Queen
October 23, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments
Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor provides what's expected of it...no more and no less. Like Amansara nearby, the hotel focuses on understatement to liken itself to royal tastes and emphasize its subtle class. The hotel's sterile, colonial exterior continues inside the building's hallways and guest rooms. The result is a removed feeling from the air and bustle of Siem Reap--welcome to some and disconcerting to others.
Still, it's the best way to see how high society of yesterday (and today) experience Angkor, from a safe, removed distance. The newly-built extension continues the hotel's austere feel that the more critical might (and do) call "uninspired." The rear gardens resemble a place where Queen Elizabeth might let her basset hounds roam. And the buiscuits served at tea resemble something she might serve her guests, though the confections seem a bit too rich for such a disciplined woman.
Forbes
Want to Be a Panelist for The Forbes Traveler 400?
October 21, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 1 Comment
Ever look at one of those "best of" lists to see how many of the hotels you've stayed in (or at least passed by)? Well, with Forbes Traveler's 400 Best Hotels, you're bound to have stayed in (or passed by) at least one of them.
And here's something to aim for: Part of the mag's methodology calls for recruiting panelists who have stayed in 20 or more five-star hotels in the last 18 months. (This year's recruits include Arianna Huffington, chef Todd English and Lonely Plant publisher Tony Wheeler, among others.) So have a look, and count 'em up.
As for us, we're on our way, having stayed in at least three (the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, the Four Seasons Gresham Palace in Budapest and Gleneagles (pictured) in Perthshire, Scotland) and passed by another three (Hotel Ritz Madrid, Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville and One & Only Palmilla in Los Cabos). Look out Arianna Huffington!
Siem Reap Hotel Guide
Siem Reap Hotel Guide :: Of Course, Amansara Is Fit For A King
October 20, 2008 at 4:00 PM | 0 Comments
It makes sense that, after a long day of visiting Angkor Wat, the famed temple ruins of Cambodia, that one should retire to Amansara, the five-star hotel in the adjacent town of Siem Reap.
That's because, throughout the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries, Khmer kings vied for glory by one-upping each other and building the most impressive temples honoring themselves, and, secondly, the popular Hindu and Buddhist gods of the day.
San Diego Hotels
Hotel Opening Rates:: Setai San Diego Opening at $300 a Night
October 9, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 2 Comments
UPDATE: This property is NOT related to the one in Miami Beach. Sorry for the confusion. Read our update here..
The understated yet incredibly expensive Miami Beach hotel, The Setai, is making its way across the country and will land in San Diego sometime later this year. Yes, you read that right. The Setai San Diego is opening soon.
The 184-room hotel will open in downtown SD on 5th Avenue, next to the city's House of Blues and near the Horton Plaza shopping center. From the official press release:
Setai San Diego will open in late 2008 and includes a 5,500 square-foot spa, 20,000 square-feet of event space, a restaurant, pool deck and lounge, and the most exclusive three-story penthouse on the West Coast.
Luxury Hotels
Fashion Hotels :: Ferragamo's Ultra-Luxurious and Unattainable Tuscan Getaway
October 6, 2008 at 9:59 AM | 0 Comments
The Ferragamo family has already proven themselves to be fairly good hoteliers, what with their collection of luxury boutique hotels around Italy. Now, Salvatore Ferragamo's son, Massimo, is focusing on his Tuscan getaway, Castiglion del Bosco, a 4,500-acre estate.
The property is still under construction as Ferragamo is upgrading the land which includes, stabilizing the ruins of a 10th century church, building a spa and two restaurants, a golf course, a winery and a horse stud farm.
Oh and yes, this will be a hotel. By Spring 2010, Castiglion del Bosco will have 20 villas and 26 "hotel" suites. Currently, nine villas are finished and 16 hotel suites are open. Rates range from €600 to €3,000 a night.
If by some reason, you have this kind of money to burn in these scary economic times, we suggest going to CdB pronto. The estate will soon become a members-only place and the hotel suites and villas will only be open for members and their family and friends. The membership fee is something like €2million. So yeah. Um. Right.
