Tag: Miami Beach Hotels
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5 Hotels That Are Acting Like The Airlines With Extra Fees
Is this offer from an airline or a hotel?
Whee!! Summer is officially here and you've got the urge to book a flight+hotel (or two or three) for a summery getaway. But while we've all begrudgingly accepted that airlines are extra fees-obsessed (baggage fees, leg room fees, change fees, security fees, early boarding fees, etc.), we're disheartened to see that more and more hotels are acting like airlines these days by charging big fees for little extras.
Here are five of the top offenders so far:
5. Fontainebleau: The good news is that it looks like this popular Miami Beach hotel has dropped their $8 baggage fee in case you want to store your luggage after check-out but before your flight home. The bad news is they are charging you $150 for incidentals when you check-in. Yup, they automatically charge you $150 before you even step foot in your hotel room.
Now, if you don't charge anything to your room during your stay, the charge will be released at check-out but will take five to seven days to appear back in your account. If you don't have a credit card at check-in, you will be asked to fork over $600 in cash. Then you will be refunded the money via a check in the mail sometime after you check out. Seriously. You can read for yourself here.
Snapshot / Hotel Room Service / Spa Hotels / Canyon Ranch Hotels / Miami Beach Hotels / → All Tags
This is Not Your Usual Hotel Cheeseburger and Fries
Usually when we arrive at hotels, thanks to a long day of travel and the odd hotel check-in hour of 3pm, we're starving, bad. So once we get the room tour, unpack the bags, admire the view, we dial up room service and order a menu staple--cheeseburger and fries.
But at the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach which is all about healthy living and getting your diet back on track, there's no such thing as a cheeseburger and fries. There is however THIS--a Southwestern veggie burger served on a whole wheat roll and topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato and pico de gallo. On the side to much on? Healthy coleslaw.
It may be hard to believe but it was quite tasty. So much so that we ordered it from the Canyon Ranch Grill downstairs the next day. But true to spa cuisine, the portions are small and you don't feel very full. So you may have to order something else. Fortunately, each item on the menu lists the caloric intake to prevent you from totally binging.
Even better, the prices reflect the portion size. That burger is only $11. Most hotel burgers are $14 or more.
Celebrity Scoop / Justin Bieber / Miami Beach Hotels / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
Justin Bieber Adopts a Familiar Alias at the Gansevoort Miami Beach
Eager Biebers—those crazy fans who will do anything to come face to face with Justin Bieber—now have a way to stalk the mop-topped crooner during his hotel travels. They just have to brush up on their Friends trivia.
J-Beebs has been using the alias "Chandler Bing" to check in at hotels, most recently the Gansevoort Miami Beach.
He's obviously not keeping a low profile, since Chandler Bing is the most recognizable name of all of the Friends. Matthew Perry must be so proud.
Father's Day Hotels / Hotel Packages / Miami Beach Hotels / Palos Verdes Hotels / New Haven Hotels / Chicago Hotels / Park City Hotels / → All Tags
Five Father's Day Hotels that Will Make Dad Happy
Hopefully, it's been a long time since you gifted dad with a homemade card or paper tie for Father's Day. Make up for your colored-outside-of-the-lines DIY gifts and honor your dad with a hotel getaway. Whether he likes fishing, spa-ing or grilling meat, we've rounded up some of the best offerings out there for your pops. Forget the craft project and let someone else do all of the work this year.
Check out our top five picks for dear old dad after the jump.
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Page Six Tells Us Why The Delano Had "More Skanks Than Usual" Last Week
Alright, we know South Beach can get kinda skanky. It's known by many as a Spring Break destination and -- admit it -- parts of it are just kind of gross.
But for the most part, we'd figured the Delano Hotel was immune to falling down into the vortex of SoBe skankocity. It's super swanky -- and since it's charging in the $500+ range for basic rooms, one might assume a certain element of "class" to be present.
And by "class", our standards are not very high, people. All we mean is that we expect it would, you know, not be the location of a casting call for a porno movie.
But no.
Hotel Blog Watch / Miami Beach Hotels / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Blog Watch: The Angler's Blog Doesn't Thrill Us, Yet
We've already been quite impressed with the Angler's Boutique Resort Hotel in South Beach, Miami, but last time we checked it out, we weren't so impressed with the nearly empty Angler's Blog.
That was early days and the blogging has improved a little bit since then. There are a few more posts, and they do contain legitimate news about the Angler's Resort--for example, their excitement at winning the Hotel Opening of the Year Award at the recent Hotel World Awards in Vegas. We were also intrigued by their post about minibars; apparently theirs includes an intimacy kit "which comes outfitted with your very own personal 'friend'".
Art Basel / Hotel News / Miami Beach Hotels / Hotel Parties / → All Tags
Art Basel News: Raleigh Hotel Hosting Paper Magazine Party Tonight
Art Basel will kick into full-gear this week. Here is just some of the latest news about the art fair. As always, if you have a hotel room, or are throwing an art party at a hotel or wanna gossip about what happened at what party, then keep us informed.
· Hotels looove Art Basel and we mean the love that comes in the form of money. [Miami Herald]
· The Raleigh Hotel is hosting several Art Basel parties, so many it should practically be Art Basel headquarters. One more party: The hotel is hosting the Paper Magazine party tonight poolside from 9pm to 12am.
· The Mandarin Oriental Miami sent out invitations for a dinner party that were "two sturdy slabs of shiny plastic" that unfold into fan. Somebody is totally getting smacked with one of those! [ArtInfo]
· The Sagamore Hotel officially has unveiled its nude Spencer Tunick photo. [NBC6]
· The Setai is hosting a private release party on Dec. 7th for the Octagon Book which should appeal to the Ultimate Fighter in all of us.
Miami Beach Hotels / HotelChatter Reviews / Boutique Hotels / Hotel Video Tours / → All Tags
Inside the Angler's Boutique Resort Hotel
Considering a trip down to Miami Beach this winter? Consider the Angler's Boutique Resort Hotel. We were able to check this new hotel out a few weeks ago and we liked what we saw. This here is a video tour of room 201 in the hotel's main building.
The hotel finished the first phase of its renovation last spring. Previously, it was an abandoned building favored amongst druggies. But new owners took this original building at 660 Washington Avenue, spruced it up and added two new structures to complement the existing two 1930s buildings. Although the four buildings may sound confusing, this no mega-complex.
The main building is only three stories high with 28 rooms. The pool house villa has only three suites and the manor villas has just four large suites. The fourth building is called the Tower and it will have nine duplex suites (with hot tubs) when it opens at the end of January, as well as house the hotel's fitness facility.
When we stayed there, we had a tour of the studio suites in the main building but we actually stayed in one of the pool house villa suites.
Art Basel / Miami Beach Hotels / Miami Hotel Mambo / Sweet Suites / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags
Art Basel News: A Pool House Villa Suite at the Angler's Resort is Still Open
The Angler's Boutique Resort has a room open during Art Basel next week from December 5-9. Of course, this is Art Basel so the room rate is high at $850 a night and there is a four-night minimum required. But the pool suite can sleep at least four people, so if you don't mind sharing the cost then you won't mind sharing the king bed and the couch.
These suites are pretty fantastic with two floors that include two full bathrooms, balconies on both levels and a bonus rooftop deck. Additionally, you have super close access to the pool--step outside your suite and jump in.
However, may we suggest not bringing heavy luggage as getting up to master bedroom requires stepping up a spiral staircase, which can be hard to maneuver with your suitcase. Also ladies, do not wear your 5-inch stilettos on these stairs and certainly do not wear them on the stairs when you have been drinking cosmos.
That said these rooms, as do all the rooms at the Angler's, feature free wireless internet, flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations and a small bar. The hotel is located on Washington Avenue and 7th Street, near plenty of action in SoBe.
Got a hotel art show tip? Or do you know of discounted hotel rooms for next week? Let us see your brush strokes.
A full review of Angler's Boutique Resort is to come next week.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Opening Rates :: Rooms Half-Off at the new Angler's Boutique Resort [HotelChatter]
Art Basel / Miami Beach Hotels / → All Tags
Art Basel News: Hotels That Heart Art
Once the Regent Hotel South Beach, now the Vincci Hotel.
In continuing our coverage of Art Basel the upcoming art fair in Miami Beach, we are listing some of the events happening at hotels next week. If you are hosting an art event at a hotel or even better, if you have rooms available at your hotel, let us know.
· The Raleigh Hotel: On December 7th, the Penthouse here will host the fourth installment of the Scion Installation Art Tour titled, "It's a Beautiful World." The opening reception takes place from 7 to 10pm.
· The Standard Hotel: NetJets, a fractional aircraft ownership program, will host a private "Collectors Cocktail" honoring artist Jaume Plensa here on Dec. 6th.
· The Sagamore Hotel: Aside from being home to the nude Spencer Tunick exhibit, the Rotorelief sculpture from artist Robert Chambers will be on display here.
·The Catalina Hotel: The hotel will turn into one big gallery for an art fair within the art fair, the Bridge Art Fair. 80 rooms will feature international emerging and new contemporary art.
· The Vincci Hotel: This hotel was supposed to host an exhibit with Surface magazine but has since been cancelled.
Art Basel / Miami Beach Hotels / Miami Hotel Mambo / → All Tags
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Art Basel
That's right folks. It's that time of the year again when Miami Beach hotel rates sky rocket, rooms are sold-out and if you manage to get some lodging, a minimum of three nights are required at most hotels. It's Art Basel!
From December 6th to the 9th, Miami Beach will be overtaken by art, artists, art lovers, art dealers, art stealers and anything else arts-related. While the main event of this international art fair takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, there are tons of displays and exhibits throughout the city and especially at the hotels.
The Aqua Hotel on Collins Avenue (above) is hosting a satellite show for the third year in a row. Called Aqua Art Miami, the artwork hang on hotel walls, beds and are in even in the bathrooms. An added perk for hotel groupies? The artists hang out in the hotel's courtyard and, as the NYT reports, the hot tub.
And this is probably the closest you will get to staying at the hotel. We gave them a ring today and naturally, they are completely sold out next week.
Got a hotel art show tip? Or do you know of discounted hotel rooms for next week? Let us see your brush strokes.
[Photo: Davi Ross]
Related Stories:
· Art Basel [Official Site]
· Art Basel Hotels: Sagamore Courts The Nude Art Lover [HotelChatter]
· Art by the Beach But No Sand [NY Times]
Mondrian Hotels / Hotel Hype / Miami Hotel Mambo / Marcel Wanders / Morgans Hotel Group / Hotel Construction / Miami Beach Hotels / → All Tags
Mondrian South Beach Not Until May 2008 But It Will be Wander-Full
From the Bahamas to Florida....
Yesterday we were given a brief tour of the Mondrian South Beach which is, much to our dismay, still under construction. The hotel will technically open some of its units in January 2008, as had been previously reported, but the entire property won't be fully operational until May 2008.
Either way, when it opens the Mondrian will be spectacular. And we're not just saying this because we got a tour and we feel like we have to be nice.
For starters, Morgans Hotel Group basically gave designer Marcel Wanders creative freedom for the hotel. And his designs are pretty spectacular if somewhat unusual.
The Dutch-born designer was named "Designer of the Year" by Elle and been recognized by Time magazine as a top interior designer. Here's how he described his vision for the Mondrian:
Wanders, 44, conceived the hotel as "Sleeping Beauty's castle," with gardens that serve as indoor and outdoor living spaces, featuring cabanas, tented play spaces for children and a hanging chandelier above the elegant pool. The hotel rooms, which resemble theater boxes, overlook the gardens so that "everyone has the best seat in the house," he says.
We saw samples of the interior decor and furnishings inside the sales office of the Mondrian South Beach which is temporarily housed in the building. Wanders' contemporary designs have been called bold, innovative and romantic but we thought it was also incredibly happy and giddy (excuse our layperson's descriptions.)
It's decor that we wouldn't want to live in 365 days a year but we firmly believe a hotel stay (especially in a luxury hotel) should be an experience different from your daily life. And Wanders' whimiscal but bright decor should do the trick.
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