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Inside The W Santiago's Grand Opening Party

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Santiago, Chile
November 20, 2009 at 2:16 PM | by Jonathan Sanders | 0 Comments

For the opening of the W Santiago Chile we were fortunate to have Jonathan Franklin and photographer Morten Andersen, the guys behind Addict Village attend the party and report back to us on what they saw. We know, we know, what a tough assignment. Enjoy.

W chose Santiago as its first ever South American location roughly five years ago. Finally on Tuesday, The W Hotel Santiago held its official opening party, a trademark WOW experience that included a rooftop pool adorned with three female synchronized swimmers in body gripping silver suits, live bands on various stages and the constant buzz from the estimated 1,200 guests.

Beginning at 8pm, paparazzi stalked the entrance as a virtual "Who’s Who" of Southern Cone businessmen, artists, models (lots), and a few Trustafarians gathered for a summit of a globalized tribe, a roving band of creatives. It felt like an art festival as painters, jewelry designers and Google nerds mixed with surfers and journalists.

W Hotels often brag about their "cool" but we have to admit, even the public spaces off the parking garage where the hotel's opening party was held, are cool. Three floors underground in "Great Room 2", hundreds of hotel guests listened to a rocking Argentine band. As the guests wandered amidst candlelit tables, they were tempted by Roman Empire-sized offering of cheese and wine. The wheels of cheese were the size of basketballs.

Fountains of chocolates and trays of oysters competed for attention. A migrating flock of waiters and hostesses swooped in to remove empty glasses, fill empty plates as they deliver a W trademark: friendly, worldy staff.

Where else does the elevator guy answer the question ‘where you from?’ with, “Born in Chile, raised in Belgium but lived in Singapore for a long time.”

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Inside the Chocolate Bar at The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 2 West Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10004
January 15, 2009 at 9:41 AM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

Last night, we hit up a preview tasting party to sample Ritz-Carlton Battery Park's 2009 Chocolate Bar menu. We still have a bit of a sugar hangover and a tummy-ache because we did our best to taste a bit of everything (it's a tough job), but we came, we ate, and we conquered.

The Sweet Scoop
From February 6th to February 28th, the hotel hosts an all-you-can-eat chocolate bar, which includes a bottomless glass of champagne, in its 14th-floor Rise Bar on Friday and Saturday nights. For $75 per person (includes tax and tip), you can indulge in this feast of chocolate goodies until you can't take it anymore while enjoying some of the best views in the city (Hello Statue of Liberty!).

This year's theme is "The Chocolate Bar: A Carnival of Chocolate" and even though it's executed in a bit of a cheesy way — think ferris wheels and roller coasters painted to look like chocolate — Pastry Chef Laurent Richard's killer chocolate menu will make you forget about all about it.

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Zen and XS at The Opening of Encore Las Vegas

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109
December 23, 2008 at 10:10 AM | by Jenna | 2 Comments

The highly-anticipated Encore Las Vegas finally opened last night at 8:00 pm, and we received a report from a super-secret HC operative on the scene. Eager guests — presumably Wynn loyalists who were psyched to see what Steve Wynn had up his sleeve for the followup to his hugely successful (and perennial HC fave) Wynn Las Vegas — lined up and braved the chilly weather in Vegas to be the first through Encore's doors.

From our tipster:

Guests waited hours on line to get in. Forget about the line into the main entrance, the line within Wynn wrapped completely around the Wynn casino, through the Wynn shopping esplanade and out the side door. Hundreds of security officers and employees were doing crowd control within and outside of the hotel. Steve Wynn emceed as invited casino guests placed the inaugural bet at 8pm on the dot.

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Christina Aguilera Gives Private Performance for Trump, Nakheel and Hollywood's Elite

August 25, 2008 at 8:00 AM | by juliana | 1 Comment

Donald Trump launched his Trump Dubai tower last month in New York, complete with a lego-protoype of the building which will sit on the man-made Jumeirah Island in Dubai.

Over the weekend, he decided to introduce the property to Hollywood. And what better way to get publicity for his latest, most ambitious project which is being done in partnership with development company Nakheel? Have Christina Aguilera give a private performance and invite some of Hollywood's top A-listers to attend.

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Party Dispatch Report :: The Water Club's Grand Opening

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Renaissance Way [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
June 27, 2008 at 9:40 AM | by AndrewC | 0 Comments

The long awaited opening of The Water Club, a Signature Hotel by Borgata in Atlantic City has finally arrived! And HotelChatter is on the scene to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony today at noon.

But before the ribbon-cutting even occurs we've been hobnobbing with a few people like Jimmy Fallon, Molly Sims, Geoffrey Zakarian, Kyle MacLachlan and Wolfgang Puck in between tours and a synchronized swimming show by two US Olympian Bronze Medalists.

Next week we'll have the full story on our stay at The Water Club complete with pictures and video.

Does the Water Club live up to the hype of being connected to The Borgata? Has the Atlantic City hotel scene been re-defined?

We'll give you the inside scoop--next week!