Tag: Photo Gallery
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Digging for Gold At the New Waldorf-Astoria Panama
We've been waiting on this one for a while, and now, over a year behind schedule, the Waldorf Astoria Panama is finally here. The 130-room hotel is in its soft opening phase right now (meaning, fancy private parties for rich people), but that'll all change by the end of this week when the hotel officially opens on Friday.
The hotel is located on a quiet little side street in the center of the city, just two blocks from Cinta Costera, a popular pedestrian strip that hugs the Pacific coastline. Close to it are other hotel neighbors like the InterContinental and Le Meridien, though in terms of luxury service and design, this place is definitely doing something those other two hotels aren't.
Take a look at more photos after the jump!
Photo Gallery / HotelChatter Reviews / Island Hotels / St. Maarten Hotels / Sonesta Hotels / All-Inclusive Hotels / Caribbean Hotels / → All Tags
Plane Spotting from a Private Balcony: Inside the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort on St. Maarten
For travelers who seek to scratch the Caribbean island of St. Maarten off their bucket list, and see the planes flying over the beach for which the island is most famous, there's only one hotel option. This is the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, an all-inclusive property with the distinction of being the only large hotel within walking distance of Maho Beach; the other buildings around all all time-shares or private condos.
The Sonesta towers over the small town of Maho, and the 537-room property is one of the first things visitors see as their plane touches down to the tarmac at SXM, St. Maarten's Airport which sits just off of Maho. As it's all-inclusive, nightly rates during winter peak season aren't cheap ($450 is average), but having everything taken care of and being on Maho Beach is a huge perk to justify the rate. If you're just on St. Maarten for the excellent plane spotting, you wouldn't even need to rent a car; just take a taxi to the hotel and all necessities are within walking distance.
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The Saguaro Palm Springs: Bright and Budget Friendly
Welcome to Palm Springs. We hope you like bright colors and sunshine, because that's the specialty of the The Saguaro Palm Springs. This is only the second Saguaro, after the The Saguaro Scottsdale, but it comes from a company with a very large collection of hotels: Joie de Vivre.
The Saguaro Palm Springs opened in February 2012 and used to be a Holiday Inn, a fact immediately evident from the classic, motel-style architecture. Still, one can't help but imagine how Holiday Inn execs would think of the place now—they'd probably regret having lost it! The Saguaro is a cheerful hotel that fills a gap in the Palm Springs hotel scene, for new family- and pet-friendly accommodations of modern design and amenities at a reasonable price.
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Vienna's New Hotel Sans Souci Isn't Sans Charm
If you've been to Vienna you already know it’s a fascinating city that upholds its formality and grand architecture as a point of pride, but you don’t need to dig very deep to also find its modern charms--hip museums, neighborhoods, and cafes. This is the city that bred Falco, after all.
The new 63-room Hotel Sans Souci, a member of the Preferred Boutique Hotel Group, had its soft opening on December 20, but it rocked Amadeus (check the Falco reference!) yesterday during its grand opening event.
Designed by yoo, Philippe Starck’s design company, the hotel has La Véranda restaurant, Le Bar and a spa. Interiors are modern and refined in shades of grey (heh!), gold and white with opulent little touches, such as chandeliers overhanging the pool, Arne Jacobsen egg chairs, and the Roy Lichtenstein paintings found in the suites and public areas.
Also worth noting, just in case you’re a Johann Strauß groupie, Hotel Sans Souci is actually the former inn where the composer performed his “Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka“ for the first time in 1858. Just sayin’.
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Inside Freehand Miami: At $21 a Night, It's More Than A'ight
Inside an 8-bed room
No one ever got anywhere by calling something a "revolutionary concept." That phrase is played out right along with "funky fresh." Instead let us say this: if Freehand Miami plays its cards right and doesn't get too big for its britches (double idiom sentence!), it has the real potential to be crazy awesome and quickly multiply to conquer cities beyond Miami. Oh wait, that's exactly their plan (for 10 properties!), so what you're about to read is the future, baby.
The Freehand is a hostel with some private rooms and it's not trying to hide that fact. It is, however, a fancy hostel with an interior by Roman & Williams, staff uniforms designed by Timo Weiland, artwork by local Miami artists, and cocktails by Bar Lab.
Shared bunk rooms start at $21 a night (per person), while private rooms begin at $109 (per room). Beyond the rooms (8-bunk, 4-bunk, private king) the Freehand benefits from an inviting lobby, a bar (The Broken Shaker), back garden courtyard, a lovely pool, a side garden of table tennis and other yard games and, eventually, there'll even be a restaurant.
We stayed for three nights at the beginning of Art Basel, the week of their debut, paying a total of $122 for two people in the coed 8-bed room. We were however "upgraded" to a 4-bed room as the 8-beds weren't totally ready.
Photo Gallery / Hotel Reviews / Germany Hotels / Frankfurt Hotels / 25hours Hotels / Design Hotels / → All Tags
Frankfurt Gets Funky: Inside the Goldman 25Hours Hotel
Think about the adjectives typically associated with Frankfurt, Germany. They're not exactly the most pleasant, are they? Perhaps that's why the Goldman 25Hours Hotel shakes up the scene with confident use of colors and whimsical design touches. In any case, our stay (1 night, paying a standard prepaid rate of 92 Euros) blessedly brightened what had been a dreary, sleep-deprived week
Never heard of the 25Hours boutique chain? Well neither had we until last year, when we found their Hamburg HafenCity location and promptly fell head over heels. Their Goldman Frankfurt property is not as new or large as Hamburg, but the brand's bravery with design and affordable rates are very much in house at all locations.
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We Decide Melbourne's Ovolo Is Okay Overall
Last we talked about Ovolo Hotels it was all about the first Hong Kong expat property in Melbourne. Out from behind the curtain of obscurity, the hotel decided to branch out internationally and pick the cultural capital of Australia as their first outpost.
At first glance, the nondescript building in the middle of the city could have been any other office building, but little did we know what little treasures we would find inside. For a small hotel, Ovolo Melbourne sure packs a punch...in a good way.
The small lobby proved to be a tight fit with anymore than 2 different guests checking in, but a welcome espresso made the experience a bit more bearable. With a limited, but super cool design, our imagination went into overdrive for what we would experience in the room. After an efficient check-in, we were in the elevator to our one-bed room suite.
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Revealed! Inside Park Hyatt Chicago's Bottega Veneta Suite
Early this fall we told you about Park Hyatt Chicago's new Lake Suite Bottega Veneta, promising to report back as soon as we'd seen it for ourselves
Well, the epic day happened last week and we finally got a full tour of the 1,400-square foot luxury designer suite.
We couldn't be more excited to lift the veil and show you everything now. When it first opened, the high-fashion suite high on the 17th floor of the Park Hyatt hailed with news of Bottega Veneta details and decor galore, but first-hand experience and true insider accounts were scarce. Not anymore.
Ready for a look? Go on and click through our photo gallery.
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Hotel Andaluz: The Hidden Gem of Albuquerque
New Mexico is often called the “Land of Enchantment.” What’s so enchanting? We think its Albuquerque’s best kept secret is Hotel Andaluz.
This is a historic, tastefully lavish, charming boutique hotel located in downtown Albuquerque. Originally built in 1939 as the Albuquerque Hotel (then the tallest building in the state and with AC), it was the fourth Conrad Hilton ever built. Now privately owned, it's the hidden gem of Albuquerque. We were tickled silly to experience the beauty of this spot with its subtle flare, eco-friendly features and fun-filled history.
Take a look a look-see at our photo gallery!
Colorado Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Westin Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Aspen Hotels / Snowmass Hotels / Photo Gallery / → All Tags
Westin Opens at Snowmass, But Sky Hotel Still the Place to Party
The Westin Snowmass has been open for almost a month now, and we must say, she's looking good. The hotel's position on the mountain makes it the most convenient ski-in/ski-out at Snowmass, as it's located just above the main lift. Plus, the free ski valet, slope-side hot tubs, and adjacent village give the place a resort feel. There is even hope that this new 254-room Westin will draw more nightlife to Snowmass mountain, but as of now, it's still considered the quiet part of town.
Aspen proper is where the partying happens, and Kimpton's Sky Hotel is right in the thick of it, with its steamy pool scene and locally renowned 39 Degrees Lounge (just ask Snoop Dogg, err, Snoop Lion, who has stayed at Sky). The hotel underwent renovations last spring, redesigning guest rooms to reflect "a retro vibe of a 70s ski lodge."
Read on to see photos from both of these great properties.
Hotel Renovations / W Hotels / Starwood Hotels / New Orleans Hotels / Hotel Bars / Hotel Restaurants / Photo Gallery / → All Tags
New Life for the W New Orleans- French Quarter
Last summer, we reported on on the W New Orleans - French Quarter's $9 million renovations, which are part of W's larger plan to update 11 of their North American properties, including outposts in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
As the brand continues to expand internationally (new W's are popping up in Bangkok, Milan, Singapore, and Verbier), the idea seems to be to get back to what made the brand so innovative and aspirational in the first place, playing on its strengths of incorporating local elements, like food and music, into the experience. (We've also heard they hope to reinvigorate their in-house spa concept, as well, which could definitely use it.)
So if going local is the goal, then the NOLA property ought to fit right in. Set in the French Quarter (there's also another W near the Warehouse District), the property's 97 rooms were redesigned by NYC-based Nemaworkshop to reflect two iconic aspects of the city: jazz and voodoo.
Read on to take a look at some of the rooms!
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Superheroes! Villains! Political Satire! IC Westminster Is Larger Than Life
Having wandered around in high-visibility gear and a hard hat last month, we decided to stop by the new InterContinental Westminster for another look now that the hotel's been open for a few weeks.
The 256-room property is the first InterContinental to open in London in 36 years, joining its sibling, InterContinental Park Lane, a ten-minute walk across St James’s and Green Park. Though only half of the rooms are in operation at the moment, the hotel’s public spaces are already in full swing, with Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar packed with locals on a recent Thursday evening.
Read on to find out more, and see photos!
