San Francisco's Hotel Union Square just finished an "extensive modern makeover" this April, incorporating brick walls, mosaic murals and custom furnishings, like platform beds, into its 131-room hotel. Seems it may have needed the upgrade.
One guest who stayed as recently as March said "never again" about his stay, thanks to a small room and air-conditioner that didn't work, two of the more common complaints among other guests. But come April, that had changed--at least according to the sole reviewer who stayed at the hotel since the start of its renovation: "Our room on the fifth floor was plenty big enough for four of us," said one, who did note that the clan was used to smaller European rooms.
Renovated or not, guests do seem to enjoy the pleasant staff (that counts for something doesn't it?) and Hotel Union Square's central location. Also, the hotel is part of Personality Hotels so you know free WiFi is guaranteed.
The other day we gave you an update on what was next for Personality Hotels including the renovations of two hotels--the York and the Maxwell.
We mentioned that rooms at the York (which will be called the Hotel Vertigo by August) were as low as $89 a night but that you could be in the middle of a construction zone. However, Hotel Maven Brandon sent us this extremely helpful hotel tip:
Saw the piece of posted yesterday about the York Hotel transformation into Hotel Vertigo, and wanted to chime in.
I'm at the York Hotel at the moment, booked a room via Expedia for $89/night, and was given the "model" room, which is a sample room of what the rooms will look like post-renovation. I have to say, it's really beautiful.
The San Francisco hotel chain recently acquired two hotels last year, the Maxwell and the York. The latter was famous for being the site of the Alfred Hitchcock film, Vertigo thus when the hotel finishes its renovation this August, it will sport an entirely new look (see rendering above) but still pay tribute to the movie. Indeed, its new name will be the Hotel Vertigo.
The new look has been designed by Thomas Schoos, the man who recently redid the Huntley Hotel in Los Angeles.
Bathed in a playful palette of bright white, striking orange and French aubergine, guestrooms boast special surprises such as European porcelain white horse head bedside lamps, custom wing back chairs in vibrant orange glossy leather stitched with the word "Vertigo" on the seat and sheer curtains that cast a warm orange glow.
Celebrity chef Tyler Florence will open his first-ever restaurant inside the hotel. And of course, the hotel will offer free showings in-room of Vertigo. Rates will range from $169 to $399 a night. The hotel is currently still open as the York Hotel with bargain rates of $89 a night. But remember, you might be paying for a room amid construction.
More on the Maxwell's renovations plans after the jump.
Personality Hotels has done it again. They've come up with yet another crazy package that's tied into recent events.
This time the package happy San Fran-based hotel chain is capitalizing on the Writers Strike taking over the entertainment industry, except instead of offering a hotel package Personality is conducting a contest for their new YouTube sitcom series.
The shows will be bi-weekly and filmed in a local production studio. They will be ready to launch in early 2008. So what will the shows be about? Well, that's where striking writers come in.
In lieu of the current writers striker, Personality Hotels has decided to tap into this unused talent pool by launching a special contest: Send them an idea for a hotel sitcom series, and the winning concept could be the next hit on a special YouTube series that PH is planning to launch.
Sadly, the winner won't get a steady paying job with DVD and internet residuals but they will win a two-night stay in one of the Personality Hotels. However, the writer will get to throw out a TV of a room at the Hotel Union Square. How Axl Rose of them. The winner will also get face time with the CEO of Personality Hotels, Yvonne Lembi-Detert.
The applications must be submitted no later than Nov. 21st to queendiva@personalityhotels.com and can be no more than 500 words. The winner's gift certificate is valid through January 31, 2008.
We hear an awful lot about Personality Hotels crazy packages and hotel contests but we want to hear from people who actually stay in these hotels. If you've stayed at a Personality Hotel in San Fran, let us know what you thought.
Now the San Fran hotel chain is offering the Female Frenzy package aimed at girlie get togethers. But this package is for girls who want to have a night on the town instead of sitting in jammies watching My Fair Lady and eating chocolate-covered strawberries while taking sex quizzes.
Indeed Personality Hotels states the purpose of this package as:
The perfect opportunity to bond and have some fun on the town (we'll leave it up to the ladies to determine just how much "fun").
Thus included is deluxe accommodations at any of the Personality's six hotels, a "Booty Parlor" pheromone body lotion, a four pack of cosmopolitans by "Cocktails by Jenn", "Give Me A Ring Sometime" calling cards, a list of San Francisco's hottest nightclubs and two Marc Jacobs compact mirrors.
Done. As soon as you say Marc Jacobs, we're hooked. The package is good through May 2008 and rates start at the purse-friendly $139 a night. Book by calling 800.553.1900 or online.
Big cities are sometimes not the right place to hope for a hotel room with a good view. That's mostly because big cities are full of big buildings and there just ain't that many spots--unless you go up really high--to get a great view. So even San Francisco's Maxwell Hotel has let us down with this pretty unattractive view of rooftops, air conditioners and advertising.
In the past, the Personality Hotels group to which the Maxwell Hotel belongs has done a sweet deal on free parking and gas, so it's not all bad. Plus, the hotel offers room service from famous San Fran deli, Max's on the Square. Top it off with free WiFi and we're willing to close the blinds and enjoy our stay.
Our tip for a killer view in San Francisco is a room at the Hotel Vitale where you might be lucky enough to see the Golden Gate Bridge instead of a gray rooftop.
No, gasoline prices in the U.S. are not climbing as high as initially forecast. And they nowhere approach prices motorists pay for petrol in many parts of the world. That's not going to stop us from trumpeting a nifty gasoline-savings-themed package from Personality Hotels, the San Francisco boutique hotel group.
Why do they call them Personality Hotels? 'Cause President and CEO Yvonne Lembi-Detert has it in spades. That's how she comes up with stuff like this:
The Hotel Diva is the perfect place to find your inner Diva. So many Divas have come to San Francisco and left their mark...It's not your average suite: It's Diva style...Our staff is here to tend to all your Diva needs.
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by jennm
